Offensive lineman Ryan Winkel received a scholarship offer from the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville last week, and he plans to officially visit the Hogs in January.
He learned about the offer while talking to Dustin Fry -- who was the offensive line coach at SMU under Razorbacks Coach Chad Morris -- on Tuesday.
"He was talking about how they were sitting in his room watching film, and they came across my film and said they found a diamond in the rough," Winkel said.
Winkel, 6-6, 280 pounds of Christian Brothers High School in Memphis, also has scholarship offers from Mississippi State, Nebraska, Northwestern, Virginia, Central Florida and others. The Bulldogs extended an offer a day after the Hogs.
The offer was well received by Winkel.
"I'm ecstatic to get an offer from Arkansas," Winkel said. "My first SEC offer and that's absolutely huge. A big deal to me."
He knows Razorback freshman running back Chase Hayden and his father, Aaron. The younger Hayden attended nearby St. George's in Collierville prior to signing with the Hogs. Hayden has been working out with former St. George's strength and conditioning coach John Thompson, who's now at Christian Brothers.
Winkel said Hayden has spoken highly of the Razorbacks.
"Nothing but great things," Winkel said. "Chase loves it there from what his dad says. I see Chase working out sometimes when I'm getting done and hear nothing but great things."
He officially visited Northwestern on Dec. 8. In addition to visiting Arkansas, he plans to visit Nebraska and Mississippi State.
Winkel, who has a 3.6 grade-point average, is looking to study business in college. He has no time line for making a decision.
"Whenever it feels right for me and what my gut feeling says," Winkel said. "Simply a place that makes me feel at home and one I feel like I can fit in the best when I get the right feeling."
He takes great pride in dominating the opponent and letting the defender know who's the better man.
"You obviously don't get the recognition the other positions do, but there's nothing like taking a guy against his will and putting him on his back and standing over him and let him know who the more dominate force is," Winkel said.
Headline
It's unlikely any prospect in the nation had a better setting to sign his national letter of intent than Greenwood quarterback Connor Noland.
Noland and his family arrived in Rome around 3 a.m. Central time Wednesday. A few hours later, he signed with Arkansas at The Colosseum.
"We had talked about a trip to Europe earlier in the year, and it just worked out this way," Noland said. "I played in the Blue-Grey All-American game on Monday night, the 18th, and we flew out on the 19th. Monumental moments should be experienced in monumental places. What a month."
Noland, 6-3, 208, 4.7 seconds in the 40-yard dash, signed with the Razorbacks over scholarship offers from Penn State, UCLA, Texas A&M, Ole Miss and others. ESPN rates him a four-star prospect, the No. 14 pocket-passer and No. 243 overall.
He and his parents celebrated his signing by eating pasta at a rooftop restaurant at their hotel that evening.
"The rooftop restaurant at our hotel overlooks the Roman Forum and the Colosseum," Noland said. "Neat place."
Email Richard Davenport at [email protected]
Sports on 12/24/2017