FAYETTEVILLE -- Arkansas signed 24 players on the first day of the early signing period including eight from the transfer portal.
Sam Pittman liked the class and how it's shaping up with eight spots still open. They will be filled by mostly portal players, but Arkansas is still recruiting a linebacker and running back from high school.
"First of all, it was a great day for us," Pittman said. "We are really excited about everybody we got signed up today. We went out for needs. We signed 12 on offense, 11 on defense and we got a kicker out of the deal out of the transfer portal. Five offensive linemen so far. Three of them were out of the transfer portal. Three wide receivers. Two quarterbacks, one in the portal. A running back. A tight end out of the portal. DBs, we had six. One out of the portal at this point. Linebackers, three, one out of the portal at this point.
"We got D-Linemen out of high school. Two of them that we really liked. Really excited. That puts us at 24. We have one scholarship out that we are very, very hopeful we are able to sign that young man as well. In this process, we wanted to make sure we didn't reach on anybody. At times last year, we might have been in somewhat of a little bit of panic because of numbers. So, you're going 'Well, I think this guy is going to be a good player' and all these things. We did not want to do that at all. We did not want to recruit anybody that we thought might be depth. I'm talking about out of the portal. They'd be all plug and play. Obviously, they've got to earn that."
The player Arkansas is still hoping to add early is Hoover (Ala.) four-star linebacker Bradley Shaw, 6-1, 217. Shaw has 29 offers and has eliminated Alabama and Auburn narrowing it to Arkansas and Clemson.
Running back was a need with both Raheim "Rocket" Sanders heading to South Carolina and AJ Green to Tulsa. Arkansas got the state's and one of the nation's best in Benton four-star standout Braylen Russell, 6-2, 230. Pittman has high expectations for Russell.
"Bobby (Petrino) and I were sitting there watching his tape, and we think he can play right now," Pittman said. "He's got the size, the physicality. He loves the state of Arkansas, the university, great parents. But I'll tell you, he's got the size and the physicality. He's really, really improved, in my opinion, over the last year. Didn't have to have -- his statistics may not be world beaters because they didn't have to use him -- they had a really good ball club. But I think he has a chance to play for us this year."
As a senior, Russell ran the ball 167 times for 1,359 yards and 20 touchdowns. He also added 18 receptions for 351 receiving yards and five scores. Russell was one of five in-state recruits who inked with the Hogs.
The next big transfer portal event will be a five-day window in January where they can take official visits.
"Obviously, we know we have the 3rd through the 7th period there, so we have some work to do," Pittman said. "I think we have about eight scholarships left. We've got to be right because I think we only have 10 visits left. So, we're close to maxed out there. But we have that and then obviously you've got your second signing period and it opens back up in April. With that, I'm really excited about what went on and I'm proud of our coaches for what they did."
If Shaw inks with the Hogs that will take one of the eight spots. Pittman was asked what he wants to do with the remaining spots in the class?
"That's a good question. I still think on the defensive side out of the portal we need to get a corner, a linebacker. I think you would need an edge and an interior. So, there's four. And then on the offensive side of the ball, I think we need another interior offensive lineman. I think we're fine at tight end. I think we're fine at quarterback. I think we need a running back out of the portal and a wide receiver. I think that's pretty close to eight right there."
DECEMBER SIGNING PERIOD
PlayerPos.HTWTHometownHigh School / Previous School
Jaden Allen^ DB 5-10 163 Aledo, Texas Aledo HS
Ashton Bethel-Roman WR 6-0 171 Missouri City, Texas Ridge Point HS
Keyshawn Blackstock^ OL 6-5 315 Covington, Ga. Newton HS/Coffeyville CC/Michigan St.
Kobe Branham^ OL 6-5 323 Fort Smith, Ark. Southside HS
Selman Bridges^ DB 6-2 163 Temple, Texas Lake Belton HS
CJ Brown^ WR 6-1 185 Bentonville, Ark. Bentonville HS
Fernando Carmona^ OL 6-5 314 Las Vegas, Nev. Las Vegas HS/San Jose State
Charleston Collins^ DL 6-5 261 Pine Bluff, Ark. Mills University Studies HS
Taylen Green^ QB 6-6 221 Lewisville, Texas Lewisville HS/Boise State
Kavion Henderson^ DL 6-2 253 Leeds, Ala. Leeds HS
KJ Jackson^ QB 6-4 222 Montgomery, Ala. Saint James School
Ahkhari Johnson^ DB 5-11 179 Texarkana, Texas Pleasant Grove HS
Krosse Johnson WR 5-10 170 New Orleans, La. Holy Cross School
Justin Logan^ LB 6-2 213 Kennesaw, Ga. Kell HS
Zuri Madison^ OL 6-3 315 Lexington, Ky. Frederick Douglass HS
Tevis Metcalf^ DB 5-10 181 Clay, Ala. Clay-Chalkville HS
Addison Nichols^ OL 6-5 327 Norcross, Ga. Greater Atlanta Christian School/Tennessee
Andreas Paaske^ TE 6-6 255 Copenhagen, Denmark Søllerød Senior Sport/E. Michigan
Juju Pope^ DB 6-0 195 Pope, Miss. South Panola HS
Braylen Russell^ RB 6-1 240 Benton, Ark. Benton HS
Matthew Shipley^ K 6-1 190 Liberty Hill, Texas Liberty Hill HS/Hawai’i
Wyatt Simmons LB 6-1 213 Searcy, Ark. Harding Academy
Doneiko Slaughter^ DB 6-0 190 Roswell, Ga. Roswell HS/Tennessee
Xavian Sorey Jr.^ LB 6-3 220 Campbellton, Fla. IMG Academy/Georgia
^ Early enrollee
Photos By Craven Whitlow CW3 Sports Action and Otis Kirk
