Driven is a word to describe Arkansas freshman offensive lineman Jake Heinrich.

"He's a guy that's very focused on what he's doing and what he wants," Urbandale Coach Sam Anderson said. "He has high goals."

Heinrich, 6-4, 290 pounds, chose the Hogs over scholarship offers from Oregon, Iowa State, Louisville, Kansas State, Illinois, California, Duke and others. CBS Sports Network national recruiting analyst Tom Lemming rates him a four-star prospect.

"To pursue greatness, you have to make a lot of sacrifices, and I feel like that's something I've done," Heinrich said. "I wasn't born the biggest or the strongest. I spent a lot of nights in the gym when my friends were out and about partying."

His weight room numbers reflect the hard work. He recorded a 380-pound bench press and 575 squat along with a 335 power clean before reporting to Fayetteville for the first summer session in June.

"So far, I'm proud of what I've done, but for me especially, I'm nowhere near where I want to be," Heinrich said.

No one is harder on Heinrich than himself.

"Sometimes it's tough to be objective when you're so critical of yourself, but again that helps you make strides every single day because I'm a guy that's going to notice when I take a step at 40 degrees instead of 45," he said.

Heinrich committed to the Razorbacks after developing a strong relationship with then offensive line coach Sam Pittman, who moved to Georgia in the offseason.

Kurt Anderson was hired as the Hogs' offensive line coach Jan. 9. His first in-home visit was Jan. 17 when he, Bielema and offensive coordinator Dan Enos made the trip to Iowa to see Heinrich and his parents.

"It was a bummer to see him [Pittman] gone, but I really like coach Anderson," Heinrich said. "He's a very energetic guy. I've heard from a lot of players that he's extremely passionate. He's a very upbeat guy, he seems very positive. He was an excellent player himself."

Strength and conditioning coach Ben Herbert and the overall Arkansas experience also played a role in Heinrich's decision.

He graduated Urbandale (Iowa) High School with a 4.0 grade-point average while becoming one of the better offensive line prospects in the Midwest.

"I was blown away with coach Herbert," Heinrich said. "I was blown away with the entire atmosphere of Fayetteville, Arkansas. The fans were unbelievable. The scenery was unbelievable."

Sam Anderson said Heinrich won't be intimidated as a freshman.

"The SEC is a big jump, but he's not going to back down from anybody," Anderson said. "He's going to battle every down, every snap, every rep."

Anderson said Heinrich is the total package.

"You can't find too many times a kid that has the academics, the character and the athletic ability, and then the work ethic," Anderson said. "He's not afraid of hard work."

Heinrich has a poster of Washington Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper. It's been speculated that Harper could become the first professional athlete to sign a $500 million contract.

"It was when he first signed his big Under Armour deal, and it says 'Here nobody's expectations are bigger than mine,' and that's really how I feel, especially in high school," Heinrich said. "Guys will get fired up when we score a touchdown and when we break a long run. Of course, I'm happy with that too, but if I don't drive my guy 15 yards down the field, I wasn't completely satisfied."

Heinrich participated in Emerging Leaders, a program that mentors to a local elementary school. Anderson said Heinrich also took part in the school's youth football camps and once made a strong impression on a young camper.

"Afterwards, he's asking questions and you see Jake taking the time ... to show him," Anderson said. "He showed him way more advanced technique than the kid would need."

The father of the youngster took to Twitter to praise Heinrich.

"They said how honored they were to work with Jake," Anderson said.

The camper later announced on Twitter his goal was to be the next Jake Heinrich.

Heinrich also has high praise for Bret Bielema, who has had 11 offensive linemen drafted into the NFL.

"There's not a better head football coach than Bret Bielema," Heinrich said. "My parents were nervous to see me go, but they really trust him."

Heinrich, who plans to major in kinesiology and exercise science, likes that Bielema meets with the academic staff every week to monitor the progress of the players.

"That really shows he's prioritizing our development as a student-athlete," Heinrich said. "I'm looking forward to getting a great degree and winning a lot of football games."

Sports on 07/22/2016