Geffrard brings size, charisma to Arkansas

FAYETTEVILLE — Big man, big personality.

That’s how Mableton (Ga.) Whitefield Academy Coach Coleman Joiner describes University of Arkansas incoming freshman defensive lineman Ian Geffrard, who is 6-5, 370 pounds.

“Ian is one of the biggest humans I’ve known and he’s also one of the kindest people I’ve known,” Joiner said. “He really enjoys life and doesn’t waste any moments, whether it’s football or outside of football. I thoroughly enjoyed the five years I had him. He’s really a special person.”

Geffrard was recruited to Arkansas as a defensive lineman after playing defensive tackle and offensive guard for Whitefield Academy, where he rarely came off the field. As a senior, Geffrard made 43 tackles with 11 tackles for loss, including 3 sacks.

“What makes Ian so special as a player is he has great athleticism to go along with that great size,” Joiner said. “For a big guy, he can really move. He has great footwork and he explodes off the line.”

While Geffrard demonstrated his stamina as a two-way player in high school, he knows he’ll have to tone up to survive the rigors of Division I football, especially in the SEC. The process is already underway for Geffrard with plenty of direction and encouragement from Deke Adams, the Razorbacks’ second-year defensive line coach.

“That’s what I’m doing now, working on my body,” said Geffrard, who arrived on the Arkansas campus in late May. “Coach Adams is a great coach and an even better mentor.”

Arkansas has switched to a four-man front, where Geffrard said he hopes to break into the rotation along the defensive line. He also has the ability to play on the offensive line if a situation arises for him to move.

Geffrard began turning heads with his size and athletic ability long before he chose Arkansas over scholarship offers from Auburn, Texas, Mississippi State, Boston College, Louisville, Duke and other schools. He received his first scholarship offer in the eighth grade from Georgia Tech, which is about 15 miles southeast from his home in Mableton.

He first connected with Arkansas Coach Sam Pittman when he attended a football camp at Georgia, where Pittman was the offensive line coach with the Bulldogs.

“Pittman, being an offensive line coach, that was a huge factor for me in coming to Arkansas,” Geffrard said. “I remember thinking to myself at the [Georgia] camp, ‘I want to play for this guy,’ and it was a smooth transition for me when he came to Arkansas.”

Incoming freshmen often have to ward off the feeling of being homesick, especially considering college classes for the fall semester have yet to even start. But Geffrard said he’s happy he arrived early from his hometown in Georgia, which is 700 miles away from Fayetteville.

“I miss Mama’s cooking and my hometown,” Geffrard said. “But at the same time, I’ve made a lot of friends where Fayetteville already feels like home to me.”

Geffrard At a Glance

CLASS Freshman

AGE 18 (Born Jan. 7, 2005)

POSITION Defensive Line

HEIGHT/WEIGHT 6-5, 370 pounds

HOMETOWN Mableton, Ga.

HIGH SCHOOL Whitefield Academy

NOTEWORTHY Consensus 3-star prospect, according to 247Sports, Rivals, ESPN and On3. … Two-way player who will line up initially on the defensive line for the Razorbacks. … Rated the No. 77 player in Georgia, according to 247Sports. … Selected Arkansas over scholarship offers Auburn, Boston College, Duke, Georgia Tech, Louisville, Minnesota, Mississippi State, North Carolina, Texas and others.