FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas is trying to fill as much of its football recruiting class with high school prospects as possible, but once again the Razorbacks are looking to the junior colleges for some immediate help.
This year, Arkansas is known to be looking at cornerbacks from the junior college ranks as well as possibly defensive linemen. On offense, if Arkansas signed a junior college prospect it would likely be on the offensive line, as well as one possibly at tight end.
Arkansas recruiting coordinator Tim Horton said recently the Razorbacks have to use the junior colleges some in recruiting.
"It's definitely a need deal," Horton said. "We're going to live and die with the high school kid.That's how we want it. If we had our choice, we would do nothing but high school recruiting.
"At the same time, there's always going to be [reasons] because of players transferring or academic issues or people maybe not being patient enough to stick around and play; we'll always have to dip in there and get one or two players."
At cornerback, Arkansas is known to be taking a long look at Fort Scott (Kan.) Community College's Omar Leftwich, 6-2, 190 pounds, 4.5 seconds in the 40-yard dash. Leftwich redshirted last season and played his first game Saturday against Kilgore (Texas) Junior College. He is scheduled to graduate in December and will have three years to play three at the school he chooses.
Ohio University placed him at Fort Scott, but Arkansas, Kansas State and others are now expressing interest in him. Garrick McGee is the lead recruiter for Arkansas in the Jayhawk Conference.
Kilgore cornerback Jimmie Anderson, 5-9, 165, 4.37, is also someone Arkansas has taken a look at, but the Razorbacks reportedly are concerned with Anderson's height. Arkansas Coach Bobby Petrino is known to prefer taller cornerbacks.
At tight end, Coffeyville (Kan.)Community College's Brandon Mosley, 6-5, 285, 4.85, has scholarship offers from Arkansas, Arizona, Kansas, Kansas State and a few others. Florida State is close to offering him a scholarship as well. Mosley starts at defensive end for the Red Ravens but has some plays in the offense at tight end. Mosley prefers to play tight end on the Division I level.
At Coffeyville, defensive lineman Tony Gillespie, 6-1 1 /2, 310, 4.85, signed with Kansas State out of high school, but the coaching staff that placed him at Coffeyville is no longer in Manhatten. Gillespie is now open to recruiting and is known to have Arkansas on his list. The Razorbacks might turn up their efforts on Gillespie when they can start calling recruits again Sept. 1.
Arkansas and others also are recruiting Blinn (Texas) Junior College defensive tackle Jonathan Mathis, 6-3, 292, 5.18. Mathis had 37 tackles, including 16 unassisted, 5 tackles for loss and 3 sacks as a freshman. Tulsa, Houston and North Texas are others heavily involved with Mathis at this time.
Petrino is searching the high school ranks for a fullback, but Fort Scott has a very good one in Brad Terron, 5-11, 235, 4.7. Terron is a hard-nosed fullback who will block and catch passes out of the backfield. Terron gets more pleasure in knocking down a defender than carrying the football. He is a first-team All-America selection this year.
Arkansas signed three recruits from College of the Sequoias in Visalia, Calif., last year. The Razorbacks are back at that school again, with Willy Robinson the lead recruiter. Offensive lineman Roszell Gayden, 6-7, 310, 5.2, has scholarship offers from all over the nation, including ones from Arkansas, Ole Miss, Arizona State, California, Iowa State, Southern Miss, Minnesota and Memphis. Gayden is a first-team All-American and can name his school when it comes time to pick a college.
At Navarro (Texas) Junior College, Arkansas has offered defensive tackle Lawrence Rumph, 6-4, 270, 4.8, and is taking a long look at offensive lineman Robert Griffin, 6-6, 355, 5.4. Rumph reminds some of current Razorback Malcolm Sheppard in that he can play any of the four spots on the defensive line. Griffin has offers from Baylor, Oklahoma State and Kansas, but has said he would prefer to play in the SEC. Arkansas and Ole Miss might give him that opportunity.
Sports, Pages 33 on 08/30/2009