FAYETTEVILLE –Arkansas is searching for immediate help at linebacker in the Class of 2019 and will host a JUCO All-American when Caleb Johnson of Fullerton College (Calif.) makes his way to Fayetteville next month.
Johnson, 6-1, 220, announced earlier this week that he plans to take an official visit with the Razorbacks on the weekend of July 27-29. He will graduate in December with two years of eligibility remaining, and holds offers from Iowa State and Florida Atlantic while receiving increased interest from the likes of Alabama and Oregon.
The Hogs had been eyeing Johnson for a while prior to joining his offer list over the weekend.
“They’ve been talking to me for over a month now,” Johnson said. “I first talked to the recruiting coordinator, but he said they had to just keep moving my film up. He showed the defensive coordinator (John Chavis) and then they made the final decision this weekend. They set my visit for late July, I think the 27th.”
The Razorbacks’ current group of linebackers features two veteran standouts in Dre Greenlaw and DeJon Harris, but Greenlaw will graduate after the 2018 season and there’s an outside shot that Harris, a junior, could decide to turn pro with another big year.
There are plenty of question marks from there, which means Johnson could have a chance to jump in and push for a starting job immediately in 2019.
“I’m a JUCO guy, so I’m a little more experienced,” Johnson said. “Arkansas wants me to come in and play for them immediately. They told me they’ve got a couple of linebackers right now and one is graduating, so they want me to play immediately there. That’s important to me. Wherever I go, it will be somewhere that I think I can come in and start. I’m definitely trying to come in and play.”
Johnson, a native of Murrieta (Calif.) Vista Muerrieta, failed to qualify out of high school. He decided to stay close to home and take the JUCO route, and the move paid off as he’s beginning to see his recruitment take off.
“I didn’t know what to expect, but my coaches told me I’d be heavily recruited. Then it just started taking off,” he said. “I got the Iowa State offer, then Florida Atlantic a little later, and then just the other day Arkansas offered me. Now it’s really taking off. I actually just Face-timed with Oregon’s head coach and I think they might offer me soon, and Alabama asked me to come work out for them. It feels so great just to see all of my hard work paying off.”
Johnson recorded 41 tackles last season for Fullerton, including 8.5 for a loss and 5.5 sacks, helping him earn first-team All-America honors from the California Community College Athletic Association.
He is rated as the No. 2 outside linebacker in the JUCO ranks by 247Sports.
The Razorbacks currently have six verbal commitments for the 2019 class in Rison (Ark.) defensive back Malik Chavis; Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy wide receiver Shamar Nash; Douglasville (Ga.) Douglas County defensive end Mataio Soli; Sardis (Miss.) North Panola quarterback KJ Jefferson; Trussville (Ala.) Hewitt-Trussville offensive lineman Joseph Stone; and Tyler (Texas) Lee offensive lineman Beaux Limmer.
Arkansas could be close to adding to its list, as four-star defensive back Bobby Wolfe of Houston (Texas) Madison will announce his decision on June 30.
Wolfe made an official visit in Fayetteville on June 7-9 and will choose between the Razorbacks and Texas A&M.