Junior offensive lineman Wyatt Smock might have had an argument a couple of years ago of being one of the largest competitive swimmers and divers in the nation.
Smock, 6-4, 290 pounds of Louisville (Ky.) St. Xavier started swimming and diving at 5 years old. He participated in the butterfly and backstroke until he stopped competing his freshman year.
"I used to [compete] for school, but just for fun now cause I wanted to focus on football," Smock said.
His best dive is the 1½-full twist. His size caught the attention of other competitors.
"I'm definitely a freak of nature, but I've been doing it forever," Smock said.
Smock's decision to focus on football has paid off with scholarship offers from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, Louisville, Purdue, Eastern Kentucky, Murray State and is likely to add numerous others.
The Hogs offered him on Monday.
"Arkansas has one of the best traditions in the SEC," Smock said. "It is an honor truly to be offered by the Razorbacks."
He and Razorback offensive line coach Kurt Anderson have developed a good relationship.
"Coach Anderson is one of the best in the business," Smock said. "He has experience from NFL to college. I can't even explain the job that he is done, and I trust his accomplishments."
He said a trip to Fayetteville will definitely happen during the spring. Smock said he's not a lock for the hometown Cardinals.
"Definitely keeping all options open right now," Smock said. "No set place in my mind at all."
Smock, who has a 285-pound bench press, 440 squat and 455 dead lift, has a 3.8 grade-point average and is looking to major in business and follow his father's footsteps who runs a marketing firm.
His favorite part of playing on the line is pulling and leveling the unsuspecting defender.
"Blindsiding a guy who has no idea that you are coming," Smock said.
Instant recognition
Growing up in Arkansas, future basketball Razorbacks Darious Hall, Khalil Garland and Justice Hill understand how the state rallies around the program
Hall, a 6-foot-7 inch, 210-pound senior forward from Mills said he often goes to the Southwest Community Center is Little Rock where his path to being a Razorback started.
"The kids look up to me," said Hall, who signed with the Hogs in November. "I have some pictures up there and they see me and they say, 'You did it from here and I can, too.' "
A 4-star prospect by ESPN, Hall said kids tell him he's their role model and sometimes him have a few requests.
"Some kids ask me for a pair of my shoes," Hall said. "I wanted to give it to them, but I couldn't at the time."
Hill, 5-10, 160, of Little Rock Christian committed to the Hogs in January 2016 as a freshman and the attention from Arkansas fans was immediate.
"Last year at the state tournament some kids came up and asked to take pictures with me saying they can't wait for me to be a Razorback, and then you go to Fayetteville and they show you love when you come to the games and everyone is saying your name," Hill said. "You can just feel the love from the home state fans."
Shortly after his commitment, Hill and his sister Destiny entered a Little Rock restaurant after attending a game in Fayetteville and was instantly recognized.
"I walked in and they called the Hogs," Hill said.
Garland, 6-6, 190, of Little Rock Parkview also signed with the Razorbacks in November. ESPN rates him the No. 13 small forward and No. 53 overall prospect in the nation.
"They tell me to keep my head straight and they're ready to see me in a Razorback uniform," Garland said. "I'm ready to get up there."
The importance of being a Razorback was probably not emphasized more than after one Parkview game this season when an adult with Down syndrome approached Garland.
"It really hit me because he said he had been following me since I was in middle school," Garland said. "So he kept following and he got my autograph and I took pictures with him and he said he was going to keep following me."
E-mail Richard Davenport at [email protected]
Sports on 03/03/2017