The Recruiting Guy

Hogs high on Burgess

Lake Hamilton junior offensive lineman Will Burgess.
Lake Hamilton junior offensive lineman Will Burgess.

Lake Hamilton junior offensive lineman Will Burgess is one of the top prospects in the state but is basically unknown to recruiting services.

Burgess, 6-4, 340 pounds, was unsure where he stood with Arkansas until visiting Fayetteville on Saturday and meeting with Coach Bret Bielema and offensive line coach Kurt Anderson.

“He doesn't care if you’re a 5-star, 4-star or 3-star,” Burgess said of Anderson. “He told me he just cares if he can see if you can play football and if you will fit in at Arkansas.”

He learned the Hogs thought well of him.

“They told me they were very, very high on me and like me a lot,” said Burgess, who’s also drawing interest from Arkansas State and Memphis. “I didn't know exactly where I stood with the other prospects and according to them, I’m with them.”

Burgess used his 365-pound bench press and 475 squat to dominate his junior season and record approximately 75 pancake blocks. Burgess spoke with tight ends coach Barry Lunney Jr.

“I heard from Coach Lunney that Coach Anderson and maybe someone else will come down to watch me in spring ball,” Burgess said.

The Hogs also want Burgess to attend the offensive-defensive line camp June 18. The Wolves were ground-oriented last year and the offensive linemen used a stance that placed most of the weight on the toes for downhill blocking.

Lake Hamilton Tommy Gilleran was was hired in mid-February and has plans to run a different offensive scheme that has linemen in a more traditional stance. Burgess was able to watch Arkansas practice and noticed the difference.

“I just looked at the stances they do, because we had a weird high school stance last year and then just the way they execute the blocks,” he said.

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