Arkansas offensive coordinator Dan Enos' hard work persuaded two ESPN 300 prospects from Detroit to visit Fayetteville during the Razorbacks' three-day camp this past Sunday through Tuesday.
Cornerback Ambry Thomas, 5-11, 174 pounds, of Martin Luther King High School, and safety Jaylen Kelly-Powell, 6-0, 180, of Cass Technical, said Enos was relentless in getting them to visit.
"He asked us to 'Hurry up and get done, when are we coming down,' " said Thomas, who ESPN rates as the No. 22 cornerback and No. 257 overall prospect. "I was like, 'We are coming down soon, but I don't know when we are coming down.' But my uncle set it up with them and said, 'We are about to go down there and see what Arkansas is about.' "
Thomas and Kelly-Powell are cousins and hope to attend the same school.
Kelly-Powell, who ESPN rates as the No. 17 safety and No. 262 overall prospect, has scholarship offers from Arkansas, Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Stanford, Oregon and others.
He was impressed with Arkansas.
"Everything really -- the practice facilities, the campus and actually getting to see it was beautiful," Kelly-Powell said. "I liked it a lot."
Thomas, who ran 4.4 seconds in the 40-yard dash on Sunday, has 41 scholarship offers from schools such as Arkansas, Michigan, Michigan State, Auburn, Florida, UCLA and others.
He was surprised by his visit.
"I didn't expect it to be like this," Thomas said. "The coaching staff is amazing. The people here, I have been kicking it with the players, too. Everything is smooth."
Kelly-Powell learned of several Arkansas greats while spending time with the coaches.
"A lot of people have come through here, great people, legends really," Kelly-Powell said. "The coaches are really great. They talked to us and they are not just talking about football. They are talking about life, school. They are great people."
Several campers were startled to see Arkansas' outdoor practice fields sitting on top of a parking deck.
"That is amazing," Kelly-Powell said. "I don't know how you get grass to grow on it. The inside facilities are great. The weight room is really great. It's 100 yards -- an actual football field."
It was the people of Arkansas who Thomas said were the highlight.
"The players, actually," said Thomas, who is also being recruited by Arkansas to play receiver. "I like the people of Arkansas. There ain't nothing like the South. It really is about what I expected."
Thomas and Kelly-Powell will participate at The Opening, the premier event for the top 162 prospects in the nation held at Nike Headquarters in Beaverton, Ore., on July 8-10.
Room to grow
Defensive end Ryder Anderson and his parents visited Arkansas on Monday, and he left with a scholarship offer and on Thursday he orally committed to the Hogs.
"I was very impressed and I like Arkansas a lot," Anderson said.
Anderson, 6-6, 230, of Katy, Texas, picked the Razorbacks over 13 other scholarship offers from schools such as Colorado, Boise State, Fresno State, SMU and Tulane. He liked what he saw of Arkansas right off the bat.
"Just pulling up in the parking lot you could see their facilities were outstanding," Anderson said. "The practice fields, the stadium, the nutrition center, weight room. Everything was top-of-the-line."
He learned of Coach Bret Bielema's love for reggae music while being notified of his offer in Bielema's office.
"After you talk to him, it fits his personality," Anderson said.
Anderson caught defensive backs coach Paul Rhoads attention during the spring evaluation period, and Rhoads invited him to Arkansas' satellite camp in Houston on June 7.
"We established steady communications, and he gave me a shot in front of Coach Bielema at the Sound Mind Sound Body camp," he said. "He's a great guy, a great coach, and makes me feel very welcomed at Arkansas."
Anderson has a 3.61 grade-point average and is considering business as a major.
"[Bielema] said he thought I had really good potential," said Anderson, whose brother Rodney is a redshirt freshman running back at Oklahoma. "He thought my body had so much potential compared to where I'm at, and they could really develop me into a great football player."
He spoke with strength and conditioning coach Ben Herbert and got an in-depth look at Arkansas' ability to develop players.
"He's definitely the real deal," Anderson said. "He knows what he's talking about."
Email Richard Davenport at
rdavenport@arkansasonline.com
Sports on 06/24/2016