FAYETTEVILLE – McKinney (Texas) North tight end Brandon Frazier became Arkansas’ second tight end commitment when he jumped on board with the Razorbacks in late May.
Despite having a number of impressive offers still on the table, the 6-7, 250-pounder isn’t wavering in his pledge to the Hogs.
“Oh yeah, I’m on board,” Frazier said. “When I committed, I pretty much told all the school that I wasn’t going to de-commit once I committed. No one’s really tried to get me back, besides maybe a little bit of Baylor. That’s it, nothing big. I kind of ignore it, to be honest. I’m not going to be that one guy who de-commits.”
Frazier made an official visit in Fayetteville on the weekend of May 2, at a time when his impending decision was coming down to Arkansas and Baylor.
Alabama then joined the race by extending an offer on May 13, causing most to assume the Crimson Tide’s offer would throw a wrench in things. But Frazier’s mind was already made up. He went public with his Arkansas commitment on May 28.
“Everyone lost it when I got that (Alabama scholarship offer), and to be honest, I lost it too,” Frazier said. “They came out to spring practice. Honestly, I didn’t even know they were there until they left. Someone asked if Alabama was there for me. I said, ‘Hold on. Alabama, here for me?’
“My coach told me to call them. I mean, it was cool getting the offer, but I wasn’t really interested in them at that point, to be honest. I knew Arkansas was the place for me the last time I had been up there.”
Frazier points to his relationship with Arkansas tight ends coach Barry Lunney, Jr., and offensive analyst/assistant tight ends coach Will Bryant as one of the biggest reasons he chose the Razorbacks.
Lunney and Frazier also helped the Hogs land tight end Allen Horace of Crockett (Texas) earlier in the year.
“We text all the time, me, Coach Lunney and Coach Bryant,” Frazier said. “Coach Bryant actually just sent me one of his shoes, saying he was the cleanest dude on the staff. I love him, he’s got some humor to him. I stay in contact with them all the time, talk to them on the phone and stuff.”
Now with his recruitment on the back burner, Frazier has tried to help the Hogs recruit other targets for the Class of 2020. He returned to Fayetteville for the recruiting cookout in late July, where he met one of Arkansas’ most coveted offensive line recruits in Brady Ward of Mobile (Ala.) St. Paul’s Episcopal.
“It was good, I got to meet some of our commits and everyone that was up there. I met Chandler Morris, Mason Mangum, Blayne Toll – he’s a monster – and I met Brady Ward. He’s a big O-lineman. I’ve been hitting him up every day. We Snapchat each other, just talk about life and stuff.”
Despite his offer list, Frazier is still only the 30th-ranked tight end in the nation according to the industry-generated 247Sports Composite rankings. 247Sports’ own rankings have him slightly higher as the No. 27 tight end in the land.
While Frazier’s another big season on the field this fall will likely result in a significant bump in the rankings, Frazier couldn’t care less about the amount of stars beside his name.
“All my friends are like, ‘Man, you’re low, you’re not a four-star.’ I really don’t care, honestly,” Frazier said. “I’m just lucky I’m getting my school paid for.”