The top rated junior college defensive end in the nation, Dorian Gerald, is expected to arrive in Fayetteville around 3 o’clock Wednesday for the start of his official visit to Arkansas.
He’s met defensive ends coach Steve Caldwell and is eager to meet up with coach Chad Morris and defensive coordinator John Chavis and others.
“Just getting out and meeting some of the players and meeting the coaching staff,” Gerald said. “I’ve already met Coach Caldwell, but I look forward to meeting Coach Chavis, Coach Morris and the guys and see how I gel with everybody.”
Gerald, 6-3, 265 pounds of College of the Canyons in Santa Clarita, Calif., has more than 30 scholarship offers from schools like Arkansas, Texas A&M, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Florida State, LSU and Nebraska.
He’s previously visited Texas Tech, Louisville and Texas A&M. With so many schools trying to get a visit, Gerald has relied on his faith, and the trip to Arkansas was given.
“It’s crazy, you know, I sat there, and I definitely said a prayer about everything and something just came back to me that just kept saying Arkansas, and it’s only a couple of things… it’s maybe me telling myself I want to go to Arkansas or either God,” Gerald said. “So I rather listen to my heart or either God. I know both won’t lead me wrong. I decided it was best for me to come. I had to come.”
ESPN rates Gerald the No. 1 defensive end and No. 4 overall junior college prospect in the nation. He recorded 54 tackles, 12 sacks and 24 tackles for loss as a freshman and had 42 tackles, 10 sacks and 19 tackles for loss this past season.
He will leave Fayetteville on Friday for an official visit to Florida. Caldwell and the staff have made a strong impression on Gerald.
“It was the whole staff,” said Gerald, who will be accompanied by his parents on the trip to Arkansas. “Coach Morris, Coach Chavis and himself and couple of other people I talked to. They just felt genuine. They felt real. They felt genuine. I know Coach [Justin] Stepp, the receivers coach. I know him from the past. He’s a really good guy. It just felt right. Everything just felt right. I had to do it. It was either go here, go there now or go there during the weekend, but I had to do it.”
Gerald, who is the all-time sack leader at West Florence High School in South Carolina, posted on Twitter on Monday of his frustration about sites saying he was a defensive tackle and predicting his college decision.
“I don’t know where people are getting this D-tackle idea from,” Gerald said. “If I need to lose some weight let me know. Let me know what I need to do. I was sick, so I wasn’t on social media. I was on there, but I was laying in bed and not really paying attention, but when I got back on and checked it they said D-tackle this and D-tackle that.
“It was a couple of people, but it was a Florida recruiting site, and they were like D-tackle, and I was like people need to quit believing these recruiting sites, man. How can they tell you where I’m going when I don’t know even where I’m going? How can they predict me where to go? They can’t make predictions because my position is in my bio, and they can’t even get that right. So how are they predicting anything? Just hope people quit believing the sites because a lot of stuff I read is inaccurate.”
He plans to announce his decision on national signing day.