Arkansas Held Off Malzahn. But Now “Primetime,” Saban Are Coming After Top Hog Commits.

It seems like Sam Pittman and Kendal Briles can breathe just a little simpler in relation to the quarterback of the longer term for Arkansas soccer.

4-star dual-threat quarterback Malachi Singleton has been dedicated to the Razorbacks since April, however that didn’t cease Gus Malzahn from nonetheless going after him laborious and attempting to get him to flip to UCF.

Arkansas needed to sweat it out a bit, as Singleton took a pair of unofficial visits to Orlando — the place his uncle performed faculty ball — and a few recruiting specialists put him on flip watch, however following his official go to to Fayetteville, these worries have subsided.

“I’m locked in for certain,” Singleton mentioned after the go to. “I needed to sit down with my household and simply look over every part, simply choose the precise scenario for me, so I don’t suppose it was too laborious a call.”

That needs to be music to the ears of Arkansas soccer followers, who — whereas excited concerning the return of KJ Jefferson — have understandably been involved concerning the depth at quarterback.

Not one of the Razorbacks’ final three quarterback signees are nonetheless taking part in the place at Arkansas and shedding Singleton would have made Jefferson the one scholarship quarterback at the moment set to be on the 2023 roster.

They’re going after North Carolina switch and Arkansas native Jacolby Criswell within the switch portal, however shedding Singleton — to Arkansas native Malzahn, of all coaches — would have been a reasonably robust tablet to swallow.

In an ideal world, Jefferson would be the starter subsequent season, with Criswell serving because the backup and Singleton studying the ropes as a real freshman. Then, in 2024, Criswell and Singleton may battle it out for the beginning job.

“Undoubtedly one thing I like,” Singleton mentioned about Jefferson’s resolution to return subsequent season. “(He’s an) skilled man I can be taught from. He’s actually good and does numerous nice issues on the sector. So every part I can take into my recreation, I’m doing to try this.”

Hogs Now Should Maintain Off Different Poachers

Malachi Singleton is only one of many four-star recruits in an Arkansas class at the moment ranked fifteenth nationally by Rivals and 247Sports.

If the Razorbacks can get all of them to signal on the dotted line throughout the early signing interval, which is Dec. 21-23, it might simply be their finest class since Sam Pittman took over.

“I believe our class is admittedly good,” Singleton mentioned. “I believe it’s going to be one of many greats to be trustworthy. I believe we’ve numerous good items in our class. We now have a complete group chat the place all of us discuss in there nearly on a regular basis. We’re already shut, in order that’s a very good factor.”

Nonetheless, attending to signing day with the category intact gained’t be simple. Holding off Gus Malzahn to maintain Singleton is simply the beginning of potential poachers attempting to pluck away Arkansas soccer commitments.

Deion “Primetime” Sanders — who was brutally trustworthy in his plan to rebuild Colorado’s program — has prolonged presents to 3 of Arkansas commits: four-star security TJ Metcalf from Alabama, four-star offensive lineman Paris Patterson from Illinois and four-star athlete Micah Tease from Oklahoma. Every of them shared the supply on Twitter.

Sanders has made no bones about his intentions to revamp Colorado’s roster, telling his new gamers: “These of you that we don’t run off, we’re going to attempt to make you give up.” Publicly, he’s mentioned filling these vacancies with about 10 incoming transfers from his former group, Jackson State, nevertheless it stands to purpose he would attempt to land some blue-chip recruits alongside them as properly.

In the meantime, there’s four-star defensive finish Quincy Rhodes Jr., an in-state product who’s mentioned he’s “stable” to the Razorbacks. He beforehand left the door open to different choices and not too long ago tweeted about a proposal from Oklahoma. 4-star cornerback Jaylon Braxton picked up a proposal from UCLA on the finish of November and publicly shared the news, too.

Whereas none of these blue-chip recruits are prone to observe Barry Odom, the not too long ago departed Razorback assistant, to UNLV, Odom’s departure does make it simpler for different colleges to swoop in and attempt to steal Arkansas’ defensive recruits earlier than the sooner signing interval.

There have been stories that he will not be the one assistant coach leaving the Razorbacks, as tight ends coach Dowell Loggains is a candidate to turn out to be South Carolina’s offensive coordinator. That would doubtlessly jeopardize Arkansas’ trio of four-star tight finish commits — in any case, Nick Saban is already coming hard after Luke Hasz.

Contemplating how shut he’s with Odom, linebackers coach Michael Scherer is one other coach to control, particularly with three proficient linebackers at the moment dedicated.

Different Arkansas Recruiting Nuggets

• Huge receiver commit Davion Dozier has picked up a fourth star from each Rivals and On3, whereas security commit TJ Metcalf picked up a fourth star from Rivals. The Alabama natives are the eleventh and twelfth gamers with a four-star score from not less than one of many main recruiting companies in Arkansas’ 2023 class.
• Along with doing in-home visits with 2023 commitments, Arkansas soccer coaches are additionally on the highway visiting excessive colleges that characteristic a few of their prime targets in future courses. One such cease came on Thursday, when Arkansas — together with LSU, Oklahoma and Missouri — stopped by St. Louis College Excessive. That’s the house of 2024 five-star huge receiver Ryan Wingo, the youthful brother of former Arkansas operating again Ronnie Wingo Jr.
• In-state quarterback Walker White, the Little Rock Christian standout with quite a few household ties to the Razorbacks, is likely one of the most closely recruited quarterbacks within the 2024 class. He picked up a big-time supply Thursday evening: Clemson.
• Though he backed off his pledge to the Razorbacks in October, in-state operating again Braylen Russell — a four-star prospect at Benton — stays a precedence within the 2024 class.

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Hear Eric Musselman focus on Deion Sanders beneath:

Eric Musselman on Deion Sanders from The Jim Rome Present on Vimeo.

Extra protection of Arkansas recruiting from BoAS…