Eastern Michigan transfer tight end Andreas Paaske had a “great” official visit to Arkansas and it led to him committing to the Razorbacks on Sunday.
“It was a great opportunity to come here and see something else than the Group of 5,” Paaske said. “What I came from was not the greatest, but they had great heart. I didn't think that I could find a different place than Eastern that was just as good. I like it a lot.”
Paaske, 6-6 and 255 pounds, also reported an offer from Sam Houston State. The Denmark native had a talk with fellow Danish football player Hjalte Froholdt, an Arizona Cardinals lineman and former Arkansas offensive lineman, prior to his visit to Fayetteville.
"We talked a little bit,” Paaske said. “He said it was a great experience here and a great place to develop, too."
Paaske enrolled at Eastern Michigan in 2021 after playing for the Søllerød Gold Diggers of the Danish National League. He played all 13 games in 2022 as a sophomore for the Eagles and had 10 receptions for 206 yards and 2 touchdowns.
He had 4 receptions for 39 yards this season while playing in only seven games.
Froholdt is a household name in Denmark.
"He's pretty big,” Paaske said. “We only have a thousand players in Denmark. It's not a big community, but everybody knows who he is. He's a big-time athlete. It is pretty cool.”
Paaske was selected to Denmark’s 45-man U19 National Team roster and participated in the IFAF 2019 U19 European Championships in Bologna, Italy. He had 8 receptions for 74 yards against Team France.
The chance to play in the SEC also attracted him to Arkansas.
"That's definitely a goal of mine,” he said. "That's why I chose to enter the transfer portal, was to come here and play with the best and against the best, and compete."
Paaske is the second transfer to commit to the Hogs. Former Michigan State offensive lineman Keyshawn Blackstock is also pledged to the Hogs.