After visiting Fayetteville last week, linebacker Thomas Johnston said in Sunday’s Arkansas Democrat-Gazette that Arkansas was something special.
The facilities were among the best in the nation, said Johnston.
“I just liked how everything was so nice and new,” Johnston said. “It seems like they take care of their stuff, and they just have a lot of great stuff in there.”
He was able to watch the Razorback players work out.
“I realized when the team was working out and competing, they enjoyed competing against each other,” he said. “They weren’t dreading being there. They’re going to find a way to win.”
Johnston, 6-2, 220, 4.78 seconds in the 40-yard dash, of Spanish Fort (Ala.) High School, has 18 scholarship offers from schools like Arkansas, Auburn, Clemson, Oregon, Iowa, LSU, Louisville and North Carolina State. Video highlights CLICK HERE
He liked the trip so much he called Arkansas one of his top schools and mentioned plans to officially visit the Hogs for the Ole Miss game Oct. 15.
Coach Bret Bielema’s focus on academics and the Jerry and Gene Jones Family Student-Athlete Success Center caught Johnston’s attention.
“The people in there with the football team are very good,” Johnston said. “You are going to have to not try. Coach B and his group are big on taking care of grades. His big priority is the GPA and then winning games.”
Johnston, rated the No. 18 inside linebacker in the nation by ESPN, has recorded 290 tackles the last two seasons. He enjoyed learning about strength and conditioning coach Ben Herbert’s ability to develop players.
“How he develops players in unreal,” he said. “It is proven that he is one of the top guys in the country.”
Herbert is known to get intense when doing a presentation to prospects.
“He wasn’t sweating at first, but by the time we were done he was,” Johnston said.
Defensive line coach Rory Segrest has been aggressive in recruiting Johnston.
“I love hanging out with him,” Johnston said. “He came by the school a couple of times in the spring to see us practice.”
Johnston made the trip with his father, Tyler, and Dean Peavey, who played defensive back at Arkansas from 1990-1994. The elder Johnston and Peavey have known each other since the age of 11.
Peavey made his first trip to Fayetteville since 2009.
“It was good to get up there,” Peavey said. “It was good to see Coach Lunney … getting back and seeing Clarinda Carr, Coach B’s secretary. It was unreal. The facilities have changed a lot.”
He said Johnston and his father were blown away by the Arkansas facilities.
“They think the facilities are on par and right there with Alabama’s,” Peavey said. “Some of the best they have seen.”
Bielema highly impressed Peavey.
“A lot of these guys give speeches with canned answers and the prototype of what everybody wants to hear,” Peavey said. “He just tells it like it is. He says what he feels and I appreciate that. It’s almost a little bit like what [Steve] Spurrier does. He just speaks from his heart. I think kids appreciate that.”