FAYETTEVILLE – Several of Arkansas’ 2019 recruits made multiple trips to Fayetteville in the last year, but it’d be hard to find one who has been on campus more than Tulsa (Okla.) Union kicker Noah Rauschenberg.
According to his 247Sports profile page, Arkansas’ coveted kicker for the 2019 class has now made seven unofficial trips to the UA since the last 10 months alone, including one this past Saturday when the Razorbacks were hosting seven official visitors.
Rauschenberg’s visit was unofficial, meaning he had to pay his own way, but the Hogs wanted to make sure he heard their sales pitch one last time before reaching a decision on where he’ll play college ball.
“They just wanted me to take one more visit because they had a lot of official visitors on campus that weekend,” Rauschenberg said. “So, they just wanted me to come be with some of the people they have committed, like Hudson Henry, Ricky Stromberg.
“They wanted me to get used to some of the players there and talk to Chad Morris and Barry Lunney again.”
Houston came in with a full scholarship offer on Monday and was quickly followed by another PWO offer from the Baylor Bears. While the Razorbacks aren’t in a position to offer a full ride at the moment, they are still in a favorable position with Rauschenberg based on the work they’ve put in thus far.
“Arkansas is still up there at the top, just because I’ve created a deep relationship with Chad Morris and the coaches there,” Rauschenberg said. “They’re still at the top even though I’ve got some full offers. I still have to take some visits at these places that are giving me offers and see if I actually like it there.
“I’ve been to Arkansas so many times that I could see myself kicking there, and I absolutely love it there. The facilities are awesome, the hospitality that the coaches give off is amazing. So, all these places that are looking into me, I’d have to take a visit there first to see if I could see myself there. But Arkansas is still at the top of the list.”
The Hogs and Coogs aren’t the only teams involved for the strong-legged Tulsa native.
“Houston is up there since they offered a scholarship, and I love the coaches there,” Rauschenberg said. “I’m talking to a couple other schools, that includes Boise State and Texas Tech, schools that haven’t given me anything yet. They’re talking about full scholarships, so they’re right up there with them.”
While kickers aren’t typically talked about a lot in recruiting, Rauschenberg has been viewed as a top target for several months.
Arkansas’ current kicker, Connor Limpert, went 19 of 24 on field goals in 2018 but will graduate after the 2019 season.
Rauschenberg, who is listed as a five-star and the No. 11 kicker in the nation by Kohl’s Kicking service, believes he could push for playing time as a true freshman and then have the job to himself for the three years that follow.
“I’d like to do something my freshman year, whether it’s kickoffs or something like that,” Rauschenberg said. “So, having a need like that and having somewhere I can make an impact as a freshman would be huge.”
Rauschenberg plans to take his decision up to the final week of National Signing Day.
“I’m going to sign on February 6,” he said. “So, I should know at the very beginning of that week. That Monday or Tuesday, I should know where I’m going.”
Rauschenberg has a 26 ACT, an 1180 SAT, and a 3.8 GPA.