Highly touted running back Trey Coleman, who is from northern Louisiana, was able to enjoy scenery unfamiliar to him while making his way to Fayetteville for the April 23 spring game.
The drive on I-49 from Alma to Fayetteville was quite an experience.
"It was better than I expected to be," Coleman said. "The mountains and all was pretty. Everyone was telling me it was gorgeous. Man, I liked it with the mountains and the tunnel. That stuff is crazy. It's something I've never experienced before."
Coleman, 6-0, 213, 4.6 seconds in the 40-yard dash, of West Monroe High School, has 11 scholarship offers, including Arkansas, Tennessee, Mississippi State, Iowa State, Tulane and Louisiana Tech.
Coleman was given a campus tour via a golf cart by recruiting intern Brian Hemphill and was startled when they approached the stadium from the north side.
"I didn't expect it to be that nice," Coleman said. "We were in a cart and I was like 'wow, it came out of nowhere.' "
Arkansas has the custom of engraving the names of each graduate into sidewalks around campus. Senior Walk features more than 120,000 names, including Hemphill's.
"That's so tight," Coleman said. "He showed us his name on the sidewalk. They have a couple of miles of it. I was like, 'Dang, it's all over the campus.' "
Coleman, who rushed for 1,500 yards as a junior, was also impressed with the Red-White game crowd.
"There were a lot of people there too," he said. "There was like 35,000."
Coleman said he thinks highly of receivers coach Michael Smith.
"You can talk to him about anything and he can talk to us about anything," Coleman said. "He doesn't talk to you like a coach, he talks to you like you've known him all your life. He keeps it real. He doesn't beat around the bush about anything. He said he's going to get the boys from the boot [Louisiana]."
He said the trip improved the Razorbacks' chances for him.
"They're one of my top schools," said Coleman, who also lists Tennessee, Iowa State, Louisiana Tech and Grambling State as his other favorites.
DYKES NABS COMMITMENT
Arkansas women's basketball Coach Jimmy Dykes received his first oral commitment for the 2017 class from 6-3 post player Macy Weaver on April 22.
Weaver is from Stillman Valley (Ill.) High School, which is about 90 miles west of Chicago
Weaver picked the Hogs over scholarship offers from Wisconsin, Missouri, Northwestern, Kansas State and others. She made an official visit to Fayetteville April 20-21.
She said she and Dykes had a great relationship and that helped her decision.
"Even though we don't know each other that much, but it's just so strong right now and I absolutely love the coaching staff and, of course, the girls," Weaver said. "He's so funny and so supportive and very friendly and nice. I don't know how to describe him, he's just something else."
Weaver said she believes she can count on Dykes for support.
"He's always going to be there for you," she said. "The thing I heard from the girls was he will be there for you from day one to day million. He's always going to be there and support you."
Weaver originally committed to Wisconsin and Badgers Coach Bobbie Kelsey in January, but Kelsey was fired in early March and Weaver started to explore her options. She averaged 19.9 points, 18.5 rebounds, 5.9 blocks, 2.6 steals and 2.4 assists as a junior.
The 8-hour difference in travel time to Arkansas (10 hours) and Wisconsin (2 hours) was one of Weaver's original reasons for choosing Wisconsin.
"But it happened for a reason with what happened at Wisconsin and I'm extremely grateful for Jimmy Dykes still being interested in me when I opened my recruiting back up," Weaver said. "I just fell in love with the school."
There is a family connection for Weaver, who has an aunt and uncle residing in Northwest Arkansas.
Having family nearby helps ease the concern about distance for Weaver and her parents.
"They're just glad I have my aunt and uncle there," Weaver said. "They're very happy about that, and I'm super excited that I'll be able to spend more time with them because I haven't been able to see them much because they're so far away."
E-mail Richard Davenport [email protected]
Sports on 05/01/2016