Arkansas will be host two major offensive line targets for today's game against Missouri, and their recruitment by the Hogs and their paths to where they are today are very similar.
Offensive tackle Garett Bolles of Snow College in Utah and offensive guard Dwayne Wallace of Riverside Community College in California say their relationships with Coach Bret Bielema and offensive line Coach Sam Pittman were key factors in their decision to visit Fayetteville.
"I love Coach B and Coach Pittman, and I love the coaching staff," said Bolles, who is 6-5, 303 pounds, and runs the 40-yard dash in 4.87 seconds. "I'm really looking forward to seeing the town and seeing the atmosphere on game day. The coaches really set the tone for me, and I'm really looking forward to coming out."
Bielema and Pittman traveled to see Bolles and Wallace during Arkansas' bye week in October.
"No other head coach came to see me, so I have to give them a visit," said Wallace, who is 6-5, 328, and runs the 40 in 5.1 seconds. "Out of respect, I have to give them a visit."
Bolles, the offensive player of the year of the Western States Football League, has more than 25 scholarship offers from schools that include Arkansas, Michigan State, Oregon, Florida, Southern Cal, Alabama and Arizona State. He has taken official visits to Michigan State and Oregon the previous two weekends.
He also appreciated Arkansas coming out during the bye week.
"Just showing as much interest as they do means a lot to me," Bolles said. "I know that they need me and I know they want me, and I think that's what I look into for a school."
Wallace has scholarship offers from Arkansas, Louisville, Texas Tech, Kansas State, Fresno State, San Diego State and others. Riverside Coach Tom Craft and Pittman have known each other for some time.
"He told me a lot of good things about him," Wallace said.
Bolles and Wallace will graduate in the spring and enroll at their at new school for the summer semester. Bolles and his fiancee, Natalie Williams, plan to marry Dec. 12. She was unable to accompany him on the other two visits but is making the trip to Fayetteville.
"She loves Coach Pittman," Bolles said. "She has a really good relationship with Coach Pittman. Coach Pittman is a big jokester ... and so is my wife. They get along great."
Wallace, who will probably visit California after Arkansas, said the fact that Bielema and Pittman have had a combined 26 offensive linemen drafted by NFL teams is a plus. Bolles is equally impressed with Bielema and Pittman's history.
"It's always good to do your research and know the coaches take care of their players and get them ready for the NFL Draft," Bolles said. "That's every kid's dream is to go to the NFL."
Bolles and Wallace have overcome several obstacles along the way. Bolles said he was a troubled teen involved with drugs and alcohol and was homeless for a time after his father made him leave the house.
On Aug. 26, 2011, he was on the side of the road when Greg Freeman, a neighbor who also was the lacrosse coach at Bolles' high school, stopped to check on him. Bolles moved in with Freeman and his wife, and with their help he turned his life around.
He plans to major in social work and minor in criminal justice and eventually wants to form a foundation to help troubled teens.
"Kids mean everything to me," Bolles said. "I love the game of football because it's a game where you make a brotherhood. Another thing I love about football is you can reach out to the community and help kids. If you're a big guy walking around the campus, the community people are going to spot you and you can make a difference in people's lives."
Wallace was placed in foster care at the age of 11 and has been with his current foster parents for three years. He plans to get a degree in sociology and become a social worker.
"I'm in foster care right now as I speak, so I think I would want to give back," Wallace said. "After I get my degree, I want to come back and help out foster kids."
Football has served as an outlet for Wallace.
"I had a lot of anger, so I just took it out on the field," Wallace said. "You can see on film, I just play angry."
Whaley to Georgia
Highly recruited running back Devwah Whaley announced Thursday night on Twitter his oral commitment to Georgia.
Whaley, 6-0, 209 pounds, 4.45 seconds in the 40-yard dash, of Beaumont (Texas) Central, named Arkansas his leader after taking an official visit to Fayetteville last weekend. He visited Georgia and Texas A&M earlier this season.
ESPN rates him the No. 3 running back and No. 49 overall prospect in the nation.
E-mail Richard Davenport at
rdavenport@arkansasonline.com
Sports on 11/27/2015