BENTONVILLE -- Chas Nimrod has committed to the University of Tennessee, but his wardrobe hasn't followed suit.
"I only have one shirt," said Nimrod. "My mom doesn't let me buy a lot of Tennessee stuff because I'm going to get so much of it when I get there."
The Bentonville senior has plenty of time to load up on Volunteers' orange gear. Nimrod will sign his national letter of intent during the early signing period in December and be an early enrollee in January, but that is not his focus right now. He has some unfinished business first, and that is helping the Bentonville Tigers win a state championship.
Nimrod (6-3, 180 pounds), who Tigers' Coach Jody Grant called potentially the best receiver in the history of the 7A-West Conference, and his teammates will host North Little Rock in a second-round Class 7A playoff game tonight in Tiger Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.
The Tigers will try and end North Little Rock's six-year run of state championship game appearances. The Charging Wildcats (9-2) crushed Fort Smith Southside 51-7 last week. Bentonville's two losses came to Conway, the No. 2 seed from the 7A-Central, and Fayetteville, the champions of the 7A-West.
Last season, the Tigers were dumped from the postseason in the second round at home against Cabot in a game that saw Bentonville lead by two scores in the fourth quarter. Nimrod admits that has been a motivation for this year's team.
"It's been a big motivator for the whole team," said Nimrod. "This being our senior year, state is really up for grabs this year, so we are all ready to just go and finish and end our football careers in high school with a ring on our finger."
Nimrod has put together a stellar senior campaign, leading the Tigers to an 8-2 record and the No. 2 seed from the 7A-West. Nimrod has 46 catches for 919 yards and 11 touchdowns.
He has been a varsity team member for three-plus seasons, getting the bump up after his ninth-grade season ended. He was able to see some postseason action that season.
"We got him out there as a ninth-grader in a couple of playoff games and got him some passes," said Grant. "He started for us as a sophomore. He broke his wrist the summer before his sophomore year in 7-on-7 and he missed the first three or for games. So he didn't get to play until about Week 5, but it didn't take him long to get going. Then last year and this year, he's just gotten better and better.
"Even this year he keeps getting better. His practice habits have improved significantly. I think he is going to end up being one of the most elite receivers that this conference has seen."
Nimrod, whose older brother Elliott Nimrod is a sophomore kicker at Utah State, picked Tennessee after a visit to Knoxville. He had other offers as well, but said he felt an immediate connection to the Volunteers' coaching staff and pulled the trigger on his commitment just a few days after his visit.
"I just wanted to see something else, experience a new culture," he said.
In the offseason, Nimrod said his older brother was instrumental in helping prepare him for his senior season.
"He threw me about 100 passes a day in our front yard," said Nimrod. "That helped me a lot. When he was a kicker, I used to shag the balls he kicked for him, so he didn't mind being there and helping me."
Just days after losing last year to Cabot 38-34, Nimrod was back in the Tiger Athletic Complex indoor facility working on his receiving, footwork and other aspects of his position with an eye toward his senior season.
"After we lost, about a week and a half later, he was in here by himself working to get better, and that's not something everyone does," Grant said. "That's what I told the recruiters. A lot of kids would say they need the time off, but he was in here trying to get better because he knew he had a future. So that was fun to see."
Nimrod doesn't shy away from his long-term goals. With a matter-of-fact look, he was straight to the point about where he'd like to be in five years.
"In the NFL," he said. "That's the plan."
