LITTLE ROCK — Texas defensive end Darrell Kelly-Thomas found a lot to like about Arkansas while visiting last Saturday.
“Arkansas is amazing,” said Kelly-Thomas, who plans to make his college decision before the start of his season. “That’s the best way I can describe it. I just loved everything about it.”
Kelly-Thomas, 6-4, 220 pounds, 4.53 seconds in the 40-yard dash, of Lufkin, reports scholarship offers from Arkansas, Baylor, Houston, Texas-El Paso and Kansas State.
Team chemistry was perhaps the most impressive thing he encountered on the trip.
“One thing I can say about the football team: It’s not a football team; it’s more of a family. ” Kelly-Thomas said. “If there’s anything I got out of my visit was that the Arkansas football team is a family.”
Defensive tackles coach Bobby Allen, Kelly-Thomas’ lead recruiter, showed him and his father around campus.
“Everything looks new,” Kelly-Thomas said. “The weight room is humongous and the two practice fields were nice. My dad loved it. He had nothing but positive things to say.”
After his visit, Kelly-Thomas placed the Hogs at the top of his list, with much of the credit going to Allen.
“I love Coach Allen as a person,” Kelly-Thomas said. “The whole time we were talking about what was best for me and how I would be an asset to the team. He was more focused on me and how he could help me, not just become a player, but a better person. He’s seen things in me that other teams haven’t seen.”
FANTASTIC FACILITIES
After driving more than 1,200 miles and about 18 hours, Arizona defensive end/linebacker Brock Haman was impressed with what he saw while attending Arkansas’ junior/senior prospect camp July 17.
“The facilities are really incredible,” said Haman, who is hoping to receive a scholarship offer. “Everyone told me about the facilities. I thought they must be good, but I thought colleges are colleges, and all of the colleges were about the same. I’ve definitely never seen 110 to 115 yards of weight room. It was just nuts.” Haman, 6-3 1 /2, 230, 4.61, of Scottsdale Saguaro High School, had scholarship offers from Arizona, Oregon State,New Mexico State and Idaho. He also received a scholarship offer from Arizona State on Thursday. Haman has received interest from Arkansas, Nebraska, UCLA, Oregon and others.
“I would definitely say Arkansas would be at the top of my list,” Haman said. “The only other school I can say I’d be interested in would be Oregon State at the moment. After visiting the school it really opened my eyes and made me like Arkansas that much more.”
Haman, who impressed observers at tight end and linebacker at the camp, said he plans to call Arkansas offensive line coach Chris Klenakis on Tuesday to check on his status concerning a scholarship.
Coach Bobby Petrino’s presence during the camp also impressed Haman.
“I really feel like he did a good job looking over the entire camp,” Haman said. “I saw him on the golf cart the entire time looking at prospects and even coaching them. You don’t see that lot of head coaches at camps. It’s really nice to see how the head coach treats the program.”
GOODWIN LOOKING GOOD
Junior guard Archie Goodwin of Sylvan Hills continued to raise his stock on the national scale last week at the Nike Peach Jam basketball tournament in North Augusta, Ga.
Goodwin, 6-4, 180, has scholarship offers from Arkansas, Memphis, Baylor, Ole Miss and Tennessee while receiving interest from schools across the country. He averaged 25 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals a game last year while shooting 39.6 percent from beyond the three-point line, about 57 percent from the field and about 78 percent from the free-throw line.
Hoopmasters.com national recruiting analyst Van Coleman liked what he saw of Goodwin, who plays spring and summer basketball with the Arkansas Wings, at the Peach Jam.
“He’s quick, explosive,” said Coleman, who believes Goodwin will be a top 50 prospect in the 2012 class. “He’s got a motor, plays hard every minute. He’s been one of the pleasant surprises here in that he’s shown he can score off the dribble from 17 feet. He finishes everything around the basket. He makes plays on defense. He anticipates the basketball and has had a couple of steals with highlight films off of those. A lot of people have really had their eyebrows raised with his play.”
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Sports, Pages 23 on 07/23/2010