The Arkansas coaching staff has been relentless in pursuing heavily recruited offensive lineman Marcus Tatum of Daytona Beach (Fla.) Mainland, and it's one of the reasons he plans to take an official visit to Fayetteville.
Tatum, 6-6, 260 pounds, has more than 30 offers from schools that include Arkansas, Alabama, Florida, Tennessee, Miami, Auburn, Ole Miss and Nebraska. The Razorbacks offered him June 5.
"Just the way the coaching staff has been showing me a lot of love, and the love has never gone down," Tatum said. "It's just increased since they offered me. My messages and talking to them on the phone, it's always really nice."
The Arkansas football team sent out a video on Twitter that showed offensive line coach Sam Pittman mic'd up during a recent practice, and it was a hit with Tatum.
"The main thing I was looking at was when he was talking about lift, not push," Tatum said. "He wants his guys to lift people off the ball, not just just stand there and play with them at the line of scrimmage. I really like that."
Tatum, who also plans to officially visit Florida and Tennessee, has been impressed with Pittman's recruiting.
"He said when he first started recruiting me I could keep it real with him and ask him anything," Tatum said. "I just ask him questions and he just responds fully and truthfully, and that's all I ask."
National recruiting analyst Tom Lemming of CBS Sports Network rates Tatum a four-star prospect.
"Tatum is a good combination of size, speed and power," Lemming said. "Seventy percent of his team's running plays were behind him."
Tatum lost his father in a motorcycle accident when the offensive lineman was in the third grade. He said his mother, Kellee, helped eased the pain.
"She started playing both roles and she literally did everything," Tatum said. "She would do everything that a father would do times ten."
He said his mother has inspired him to be the best he can be.
"She's really the reason I carry myself the way I do," said Tatum, who has a 3.57 grade-point average. "The way I carry myself is a direct reflection of her. Everything I do is just through her, and she's really just helped me."
TOWN TALK
Ventura (Calif.) St. Bonaventure Coach Adam Guerra said he believes former Southern Cal quarterback Ricky Town and Arkansas are a good match.
Town, 6-3, 200, announced Friday that he plans to transfer to Fayetteville and is expected to start classes this week. He completed 192 of 290 passes for 2,639 yards and 28 touchdowns as a senior at St. Bonaventure, and he had 76 touchdowns during his career.
He cited the Hogs' pro-style offense as one of the factors for choosing the Razorbacks.
"A big, strong-armed quarterback with really polished footwork, a good decision maker and a really good fit for a pro-style offense," Guerra said.
Town was rated a four-star athlete, the No. 10 pocket passer and the No. 124 overall prospect in the nation by ESPN for the 2015 class. He enrolled in January at Southern Cal and participated in spring practice and through the first week of fall camp before asking and receiving a release from the school.
Arkansas Coach Bret Bielema stresses winning the turnover battle, and Guerra said taking care of the ball is one of Town's best qualities. Town threw only three interceptions last season.
"He's smart with that, and because of his footwork he can stay alive in the pocket," Guerra said. "He actually had some scramble touchdowns. That's not his game, but he's certainly athletic enough to make enough happen there. His footwork definitely lets him stay alive in the pocket.
"He's not going to throw that bad interception to flip the game."
Guerra said Town is also good teammate who doesn't seek the spotlight.
"He doesn't need to be the center of attention," Guerra said. "He's just very happy being on the team, very happy to stay in the team room He always brings his notebook to take notes on film, so he's a good kid to have on your team.
"He's definitely not a kid you're ever going to worry about."
E-mail Richard Davenport at
rdavenport@arkansasonline.com
Sports on 08/23/2015