While he may have decommitted a little more than a year ago, Benton's Braylen Russell said he felt he was always a Razorback.
The running back signed a national letter of intent with the University of Arkansas on Wednesday night at the Benton Athletic Complex on the first day of the NCAA early signing period.
Russell initially committed to Arkansas at the end of his sophomore season at Hot Springs Lakeside. But after rethinking his decision, and his family moving to Benton, Russell decided to back off on Oct. 9, 2022.
On June 16, Russell went on his official visit to Fayetteville. On July 14, he announced his commitment to Sam Pittman and the Razorbacks.
"I had a relationship with all the coaches, and that was the first place to offer me," Russell said. "Going through the recruitment process, you go everywhere, everybody's got nice stuff, but you also have to find the people you want to be around. So I went around and I found the people I wanted to be around. It was clear that Arkansas was the choice."
Pittman and running backs coach Jimmy Smith visited Russell's home with newly-minted offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino on Dec. 2 shortly after Petrino's hiring. Petrino is the third offensive coordinator to recruit Russell to Arkansas.
"He's a really cool, man. Down to earth," Russell said of Petrino. "I know he means business when it's time to get on that field. My impression was, 'Man, Petrino is in my house, Coach Pittman's in my house and Coach Jimmy.' I was excited."
Russell, a consensus 4-star running back, is rated as the No. 4 player in the state. In his senior season with the Panthers, Russell rushed 169 times for 1,267 yards and 20 touchdowns and caught 23 passes for 397 yards and 5 touchdowns.
He plans to enroll at Arkansas early, arriving on campus Jan. 12. With the departure of Raheim "Rocket" Sanders and others, Russell said he feels like he can compete right away for playing time.
"One thing for me is going in with a level mindset," Russell said. "Going in and working hard because right now, everyone knows that room right now it's not as good as before. It's good, we still have good running backs, but it's not as deep as it was with Rocket leaving and all those all those running backs."
Russell will room with two early enrollees -- quarterback KJ Jackson from Montgomery (Ala.) St. James and defensive lineman Charlie Collins from Mills.
Among other reasons, the move to Benton was a way to prepare for life as an SEC athlete. From the weight room to the intense practices, Russell said he's ready to hit the ground running.
"Being able to go in and not play catch up and already be there is a really big deal," Russell said. "So being at Benton these last few years, it's really helped me improve instead of decrease."
Russell also said he's enjoyed getting to know the other members of Arkansas' 2024 recruiting class in the group chat they've started.
"[They're] a bunch of goofballs," Russell said. "It's just a bunch of goofballs that like to play around and enjoy each other."