Tight end Kedrick James spent a few hours on the Arkansas campus when he made an unofficial visit more than a year ago.
He got a more in-depth look when he made a return trip Thursday, and liked what he experienced.
"We took a tour of the facilities like the academic center, the training room and I sat down and talked to some of the players and asked questions," James said. "Overall, I really enjoyed myself."
James, 6-6, 247, 4.81, of Waco (Texas) La Vega, has scholarship offers from schools like Arkansas, Michigan, Texas, Texas A&M, Auburn, Oklahoma, Illinois, Miami and numerous others.
ESPN rates him the nation's No. 9 tight end and No. 272 overall prospect. James said the trip put Arkansas high on his list.
"They are in my top three," James said. "It's just because of the environment of the people that work at the academic center and the trainers and other people we encountered while being on the tour. Everybody had the same and welcoming attitude that makes it a welcoming environment and that's one of the major things I'm looking for whenever I make my final decision."
James said Alabama and Michigan are his other top schools. He announced Friday on Twitter that he would make a decision soon.
The player panel gave him insight about life as a Razorback. He heard positive reviews about the kinesiology program, his potential major. The academic support for student-athletes was also a big hit.
"I know for a fact if I was to slack in that area they would get you back on track," James said. "That's what I'm going to need because I know not everybody is 100 percent focused. Everyone has their times. It's good to know since I would be far away from home that if I slacked off there would be someone to get me back on track."
National recruiting analyst Tom Lemming rates James a 4-star plus prospect and the No. 2 tight end in Texas.
"He's athletic enough to split out and play wide receiver," Lemming said. "He's big, aggressive enough to play defensive end. He has the length, long arms and strong hands to dominate a at tight end or defensive end."
James has strong ties to Arkansas. His grandfather Michael Carter taught at Arkansas before leaving to teach business at Missouri. His grandmother Dr. Charlene Johnson-Carter is an Associate Professor of Middle Level Education at Arkansas.
His uncle, Damani Carter, is a sophomore fullback at Arkansas. His grandfather accompanied him on his visit.
"He likes it, he likes it a lot," James said.
Arkansas' use of the tight end and the pro-style offense has always been a factor in James' interest in the Hogs. He said tight ends coach Barry Lunney Jr. was able to explain how he would be utilized.
"Coach Lunney made everything plain and simple and crystal clear that they were going to use me," James said. "I'm going to have 1-on-1 opportunities with linebackers and corners and I would be inline and blocking and have the possibility of being an every down tight end."
UPLIFTING VIDEO
Arkansas' recent release of the video showing the Razorback players maxing out on the squat above the south end zone of Reynolds Razorback Stadium was a hit with offensive tackle commitment Dalton Wagner.
Wagner, 6-9, 312 pounds, of Richmond-Burton High School in Richmond, Ill., pledged to the Hogs on Friday over scholarship offers from Missouri, California, Virginia, Purdue, Louisville, Illinois, Vanderbilt, Indiana and others.
He said he is looking forward to participating in the annual lifting session in the future.
"It was absolutely amazing," Wagner said. "I was blown away. I could imagine that environment. That's the one thing I can't wait for. You have all your guys around you and you're in the center of this field . You have all the guys doing the same thing trying to get better, and that's what I can not wait for. It's going to be great. It's such a great atmosphere."
E-mail Richard Davenport at
rdavenport@arkansasonline.com
Sports on 07/31/2016