It appears Arkansas has done all the right things in trying to land highly regarded linebacker Donta Evans, who plans to announce his college decision Aug. 2.
Evans, 6-3, 230 pounds, of Lawrenceville (Ga.) Archer, has approximately 18 scholarship offers but will choose from Arkansas, Auburn, Kentucky, Louisville, Missouri and Ole Miss.
The Hogs made the cut after surprising Evans and his parents during a June 12 visit to Fayetteville.
"When I went up there, I really wasn't expecting it to be that beautiful or the facilities and everything to be that nice," Evans said. "The main part for me was the coaching staff."
Arkansas defensive coordinator Robb Smith, linebackers coach Vernon Hargreaves and defensive line coach Rory Segrest, Evans' lead recruiter, communicate with him on a regular basis.
"Almost every day, every other day, and I really have a great relationship with those guys," Evans said.
Evans is rated a 3-star prospect and the nation's No. 18 inside linebacker by ESPN. He recorded 153 tackles, 32 tackles for loss, 6 forced fumbles and an interception as a junior.
Evans said he talks to the Arkansas coaches more than other schools recruiting him.
"That's a great thing. I get to know those guys and they get to know me and they're overall great people," Evans said. "We're having conversations about basketball, football, fishing. It's not so much about the whole recruiting process anymore with us."
Evans and Segrest often talk about their love of fishing.
"Every day, man, every day," Evans said Saturday. "I think it was like four days ago, he was talking to me about how the fish were kicking his butt. He talked me just two days ago to wish him good luck because he was headed back out to the water."
Evans and his family will talk things over and determine which school is the best fit for him.
"All in the schools in my top six are all great programs and all power five conference football teams," he said. "I have a great relationship with each one of the coaching staffs.8 Arkansas, I'm really high on them because of the whole coaching staff."
BETTER THAN HE THOUGHT
Outside linebacker Alexy Jean-Baptiste orally committed to Arkansas on June 16, sight unseen. He was able to see his future school for the first time Thursday and said he is glad he's a Hog.
"I think that's the best decision I've made," Jean-Baptiste said.
Jean-Baptiste, 6-2, 200, 4.48 seconds in the 40-yard dash, of Pompano Beach (Fla.) Coconut Creek, chose the Razorbacks over more than 20 scholarship offers, including ones from Louisville, Wisconsin, North Carolina State, North Carolina and Miami.
He has visited Georgia, Georgia Tech, Clemson, Tennessee, Auburn, Kentucky and several others. But he said his trip to Fayetteville stood out.
"The campus and how they run the defense. The whole football facility and the surroundings," Jean-Baptiste said on what impressed him about the Razorbacks program. "It was one of the best universities I've ever seen."
Jean-Baptiste said he met with Arkansas defensive coordinator Robb Smith and talked about playing the strongside linebacker spot and liked how he would fit into the scheme.
"How my position is suppose to make most of the tackles, and I could end up leading the SEC in tackles," Jean-Baptiste said. "I thought we had a great connection."
WHAT GOES ON IN VEGAS ...
Arkansas men's basketball Coach Mike Anderson and his staff will be in Las Vegas to watch the Arkansas Hawks and the Arkansas Wings Elite, along with several other targets in the 2016, 2017 and 2018 classes.
The final live recruiting period this summer for college coaches starts at 5 p.m. Wednesday and will wrap up at 5 p.m. Sunday.
The Hogs will check out 17-under Arkansas Hawks forward S.K. Shittu, 6-9, 196, a junior from Providence Christian Academy in Rogers. Shittu has scholarship offers from Oklahoma, LSU, Tulsa and others.
Little Rock Parkview sophomore forward Ethan Henderson 6-8, 175, will play for the 15-under Arkansas Hawks and is one of the top sophomore prospects in the state. He had an outstanding showing at the Adidas Uprising All American Camp last week in New York and was one of seven in the class of 2018 selected to participate in the prestigious event.
The Hawks will take part in the FAB 48 on Thursday through Sunday.
Bentonville guard Marcus Monk, Little Rock Southwest Christian Academy forward Eric Curry and the 17-under Arkansas Wings Elite will take part in the Bigfoot Hoops that starts Wednesday and ends Sunday.
Monk, 6-4, 173, is a major target of the Hogs and is rated the nation's No. 1 shooting guard and No. 5 prospect by ESPN.
Curry, 6-8, 195, has 11 scholarship offers, including a recent one from Arkansas.
E-mail Richard Davenport at rdavenport@arkansasonline.com
Sports on 07/21/2015