FAYETTEVILLE – Arkansas is up to 18 additions for the 2020 class, but there’s still work to be done as National Signing Day is just one week away.
The Razorbacks hosted seven official visitors this past weekend and will welcome approximately 10 more to the Hill this weekend as they try to fill the remaining 7-8 spots in this year’s class.
Starting on offense, the Hogs already added a grad-transfer quarterback in former Florida Gator Feleipe Franks, but new head coach Sam Pittman and offensive coordinator Kendal Briles are determined to sign another signal caller from the high school ranks, as well.
At the top of their wish list is four-star dual-threat quarterback Malik Hornsby of Missouri City (Texas) Fort Bend Marshall. The 6-3, 180-pound Hornsby was among Arkansas’ weekend visitors last weekend and had plenty of positive things to say about his time on the Hill.
“For the couple of days that I’ve been at Arkansas, the visit has been great,” Hornsby said. “I enjoyed myself, my family enjoyed themselves. I’m looking forward to talking to Coach Briles more often.”
Briles began recruiting Hornsby during the quarterback’s ninth-grade year. Hornsby will make one final visit this weekend, at Baylor, before announcing his decision on National Signing Day.
In addition to Hornsby, the Hogs also hosted three-star quarterback CJ Dixon of Loganville (Ga.) Grayson.
The 6-4, 210-pound pro-style quarterback named Arkansas his leader following the visit, but said Alabama and Georgia were still among his finalists.
Arkansas would like to sign at least one wide receiver in this year’s cycle, and it appears to be coming down to Savion Williams of Marshall (Texas) and Darion Williamson of Brownsville (Tenn.) Haywood.
There’s a steep hill to climb with both prospects, though, as Williams is still high on TCU, SMU and Texas, and Williamson, who decommitted from Tennessee on Monday, just took an official visit at Florida State and is considered to be leaning toward the Seminoles.
Williams has already taken two official visits in Fayetteville while Williamson is scheduled to be in town this weekend.
At tight end, the Razorbacks are in desperate need of bodies as they only have two current scholarship players on campus in redshirt-senior and former walk-on Blake Kern, and redshirt-freshman Hudson Henry.
The Hogs are still very much in the mix for three at the position, including two former Arkansas commitments in Brandon Frazier of McKinney (Texas) North and Allen Horace of Crockett (Texas).
Both Frazier and Horace made two official visits at Arkansas, and the Razorbacks are expected to host a third tight end target this weekend in Jake Ray of Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) St. Thomas Aquinas. Ray is currently committed to UNLV.
Arkansas is also expected to be involved for grad-transfer tight ends who would be immediately eligible.
The offensive line is arguably Arkansas’ most pressing need at this late stage of the recruiting cycle.
Ray Curry, Jr., is the Hogs’ only offensive line addition, but the Razorbacks are still chasing four-star Marcus Henderson of Memphis (Tenn.) University School and Jalen St. John of St. Louis (Mo.) Trinity Catholic. Both prospects have already made official visits in Fayetteville and have been visited by Pittman and the offensive staff this week.
Defensively, this year’s class is just about complete unless the Razorbacks decide to explore the transfer market for immediate help on the defensive line. One name to keep an eye on is former Clemson defensive lineman Xavier Kelly, a Kansas native who was offered by the Razorbacks as a recruit coming out of high school in the Class of 2016.