Arkansas junior defensive end target Curlee Thomas IV and his parents visited Fayetteville today, toured campus and looked at the Razorbacks' facilities.
Thomas, 6-4, 240 pounds, of Fort Worth (Texas) Nolan Catholic, announced a top eight of Arkansas, Oklahoma State, UCLA, Texas Tech, Penn State, Virginia, California and Cincinnati on March 11.
It was his first time to visit Arkansas.
“It was real good. I really like the campus,” Thomas said. “I really liked the field. I looked at the engineering building, looked at all the different types of bio-medical sciences, agriculture. I really liked that.
"I also saw a few people running around on scooters around campus. I thought that was pretty cool.”
National recruiting analyst Tom Lemming of CBS Sports Network rates Thomas a 3-star prospect. He and his parents saw the Jerry & Gene Jones Student-Athlete Success Center and Fred W. Smith Center.
“There were a lot of computer labs, study centers,” Thomas said of the academic center.
Arkansas is the lone school he has visited during the recruiting dead period.
“I’m still trying to see,” Thomas said of other schools he may visit. “It’s a lot harder with the dead period. Arkansas is a little bit easier to get to.”
Thomas, who was born in Pine Bluff and moved to Texas at age 3, said the trip was a plus for the Razorbacks.
“I thought it was pretty beneficial. I thought it looked like a really nice campus,” Thomas said.
He had been talking to Coach Sam Pittman, defensive line coach Jermial Ashley and graduate assistant Brandon Lewis before visiting Fayetteville.
“Coach Pitt is a really cool, likable guy,” Thomas said. “Sounds like he really wants me."
He gets positive vibes from Ashley.
“He’s a pretty cool guy,” Thomas said. “He seems like a pretty cool coach, someone I can definitely see myself playing under.”
Thomas said he is looking to make his college decision mid-summer.