If Arkansas' defense makes a big leap over the next few years, it might be easy to look back at 10 days in the summer of 2018 as the starting point.
The Razorbacks landed eight prospects -- seven on defense and one on offense -- from July 23 to Aug. 1 and soared from outside the top 50 in the 2019 college football team recruiting rankings to 2oth in Rivals, 21st in 24/7 and 31st in ESPN.
2019 Arkansas Verbal Commits (16)
PLAYER^POS^HT^WT^SCHOOL
• Treylon Burks^WR^6-3^210^Warren
• Myles Brooks^S^6-2^190^Pflugerville (Texas) Hendrickson
• Malik Chavis^CB^6-2^180^Rison
• Collin Clay^DE^6-5^255^Oklahoma City Putnam City
• Eric Gregory^DE^6-3^240^Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy
• TQ Jackson^WR^6-3^180^Jefferson, Texas
• KJ Jefferson^QB^6-3^211^Sardis (Miss.) North Panola
• Beaux Limmer^OL^6-5^270^Tyler (Texas) Lee
• Marcus Miller^DT^6-5^300^Warren
• Shamar Nash^WR^6-1^195^Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy
• Adonis Otey^CB^6-0^170^Murfreesboro (Tenn.) Blackman
• Mataio Soli^DE^6-3^227^Douglasville (Ga.) Douglas County
• Joseph Stone^OL^6-8^340^Trussville (Ala.) Hewitt-Trussville
• Carl Williams^DL 6-4^324^Lufkin, Texas
• Zach Williams^DE^6-4^220^Joe T. Robinson
• Zach Zimos^LB^6-4^215^Richmond (Texas) Fort Bend Travis
Arkansas has 16 pledges in its 2019 class pending the Friday decisions of Mansfield (Texas) Legacy defensive lineman Enoch Jackson (6-foot, 290 pounds) -- who will choose between Arkansas, Clemson and Texas Tech -- and Camden Fairview offensive lineman Stacey Wilkins (6-7, 285), who is thought to be leaning toward Oklahoma.
"It's all about getting them on campus," Arkansas coach Chad Morris said earlier this week. "That's it. If you can get them on campus, you have a great product to sell.
"I mean, my goodness, all of the great things that are happening around our campus, the updates, the renovations and the town, which is absolutely gorgeous. We have a lot to sell, and we have got to put a product on the field that will continue to improve that, and we will."
The Razorbacks have landed six defensive linemen, two cornerbacks, a linebacker, a safety, a quarterback, two offensive linemen and three wide receivers, the latest being Warren superstar Treylon Burks (6-3, 210), a top 100 player nationally, on Monday. The commitments include nine ranked as four-star prospects by at least one of the national recruiting services.
"Our staff has done a fabulous job, and I am really proud of these guys," Morris said. "Everybody is hitting the ground running with that. They all understand that if we can just get them on campus, we have a chance if we will be who we are and sell what we are about and why the University of Arkansas fits them."
Morris is quick to point out that the Razorbacks' coaching staff is also making assessments of the prospects as well as being judged during things like last Friday's Woo PigNic cookout that was attended by some 50 or so commits, recruiting targets and their families.
Cookouts have become a new fad in college football recruiting with Arkansas, Oklahoma and Clemson among programs bringing kids on campus last weekend right ahead of the prospects starting preseason practice.
"Getting guys on campus, sometimes it can be great that we got them on campus, but he doesn't fit what we are about, and so we move in another direction," Morris said. "So that is all about the (recruiting) functions that we have, and I am just very pleased with the direction we are headed and the areas that we have to improve on."
Arkansas has gone heavy with its defensive line recruiting in the 2019 class. There are expectations of adding one or two more at that position.
"I have talked about the areas that I think we have to build a football team and sustain success, and it's in that offensive and defensive line first and foremost," Morris said. "And then speed."
Sports on 08/02/2018