Arkansas' three high school offensive line commitments will be officially visit their future home this weekend.
Dalton Wagner, 6-9, 312 pounds of Richmond-Burton in Illinois, will arrive about 11 this morning in Fayetteville with his parents, Brad and Nancy. Schools pay for transportation, lodging, food and entertainment for the recruit and family during the 48-hour official visit.
"From what I've heard it's going to be amazing," Wagner said. "It's going to be really cool because we'll get someone to take us to the airport. They pay for everything."
Wagner, along with Shane Clenin, 6-6, 295, 5.1 in the 40-yard dash of Festus (Mo.) Jefferson, and Kirby Adcock, 6-5, 300 of Nashville, said they plan to graduate in December and enroll at Arkansas in January.
Wagner said he knows there will be challenges when he gets on campus, but is optimistic he's up for the task.
"I have to learn the new offense and have to earn my spot, but I'm pretty good with learning new plays and kind of figuring out the formation," Wagner said. "I know it's a completely different level, but I think I can latch on to it."
It's possible for Wagner to add 20 to 40 pounds to his frame under the supervision of strength and conditioning coach Ben Herbert.
"He's a class act," Wagner said. "The players always talk wonders about him. You never get a different coach with him. You always get the same one each day, motivated and ready to get you working."
Wagner said he comes from a close-knit family and admits he'll have to adjust being away from home for the first time once he enrolls in January.
"There's so many things now to keep me in contact, which will be great," Wagner said.
Adcock and Clenin have interacted during previous visits to Fayetteville and Adcock said he looks forward to seeing Clenin and meeting Wagner for the first time.
"I think it will be a great opportunity to be around each other before we all get up there," Adcock said.
Adcock's Nashville Scrappers will play host to Dover tonight in the first round of the Class 4A high school playoffs. The Scrappers have a 25-game winning streak and are heavily favored over Dover, but Adcock said it was emotional, knowing his final game in high school could come in a few weeks.
Adcock said he is looking forward to being coached by offensive line coach Kurt Anderson.
"He's real relaxed, I like him," said Adcock, who's poised to be the class valedictorian with a 4.0 grade-point average. "He's fun to talk to and real personable."
Adcock said he had scholarship offers from Indiana, Iowa State, Arkansas State, Southern Miss and Louisiana Tech when he met with Bielema during a visit to Fayetteville on April 2. Adcock said he will forever remember his talk with Coach Bret Bielema.
"He asked me how many offers I had and I told him, and he said I had one more from the University of Arkansas," said Adcock, a lifelong Razorbacks fan.
RECEIVER TO VISIT
Junior-college receiver Brandon Martin is expected to arrive in Fayetteville today for the start of his official visit.
Martin, 6-4, 225, 4.37, of Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College in Perkinston, has offers from Arkansas, Florida, Auburn, Mississippi State, Louisville, Arizona State and about 10 others.
ESPN rated Martin the nation's No. 12 wide receiver and No. 101 overall prospect coming out of Prime Prep Academy in Dallas in 2015. He signed with LSU, but failed to qualify and enrolled in junior college. He committed to Auburn in July, but a few days later reopened his recruitment.
Martin's teammates include Arkansas receiver commitment Jonathan Nance, 6-1, 181, 4.44, and offensive line target D'Marcus Hayes, 6-6, 315 pounds. He redshirted last year, said he plans to graduate in December and will have three years to play three at his next school.
COMMITS TO ORU
Power forward Emir Ahmedic of Southwest Christian Academy in Little Rock signed a national letter of intent with Oral Roberts on Thursday.
Ahmedic, 6-8½, 250, is from Kladnj, Bosnia, also received interest from Mercer, Wright State, Kennesaw State and UALR.
E-mail Richard Davenport at
rdavenport@arkansasonline.com
Sports on 11/11/2016