FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Arkansas coaches have hit the roads throughout the country this week with stops recruiting hotbeds across the country.
Many of these recruiting visits take minutes and sometimes hours evaluating players through tape, offseason work or simply checking in to see what some high school’s have to offer. Coach Sam Pittman, whether through the air or on ground, has been across the south over the past week starting in Arkansas before branching to Texas, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Florida and South Carolina in search of potential Razorbacks.
2026 quarterback commit Jayvon Gilmore
Gilmore received a visit from Pittman Wednesday following his junior season. The 6-foot-5, 180 pound dual threat passer threw for 2,510 yards, 26 touchdowns and eight interceptions at prestigious Gaffney High School in South Carolina.
Jayvon Gilmore scrambles to his left and finds a wide open Jamarcus Smith who spins out of a tackle on his way to a 74-yard touchdown in tonight’s game vs. J.L. Mann.
Highly sought after, the junior defensive lineman received a visit from Razorbacks defensive line coach Deke Adams along with Pittman this week. The Muscle Shoals, Alabama native holds 17 offers including Arkansas, Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Missouri, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Tennessee and Washington.
He recorded 47 tackles and 13 tackles for loss and 11 sacks in 2024. The 6-foot-5, 250 pound prospect recently visited Missouri for its Junior Day Jan. 18.
The 3-star tackle initially committed to Arkansas early on as a sophomore but reopened his recruitment a few months later.
McWhorter appears to remain on the table as a possible commitment as Arkansas coach Sam Pittman continues to make him a priority for the 2026 class. Alabama, Tennessee, Clemson and LSU have made recent stops at his high school for visits and spent last weekend at Michigan for an unofficial visit.
The current Alabama commitment and top-100 prospect was paid a visit from new defensive backs coach Nick Perry who previously played for the Crimson Tide during its early dynasty days under Nick Saban. Gibson produced 17 tackles this season along with a fumble recovery.
Junior lineman Kaden Moody has received a lot of attention this offseason from Arkansas, Big 12 and American Athletic programs. The 6-foot-6, 300 pound prospect allowed zero sacks in 2024 as a team captain.
Moody was one of the many 2026 prospects who braved the snowy roadways to make it to Fayetteville for its first Junior Day of the offseason Jan. 11.
Junior defensive end Jamarion Matthews received a visit from Razorbacks coaches this week. The 6-foot-2, 240 pound edge rusher holds 19 scholarship offers from Alabama, Arkansas, Clemson, Auburn, Florida, LSU, Ole Miss, Penn State and many others.
Matthews was very productive this season with 57 tackles, 29 tackles for loss, 17 sacks and 15 hurries and one forced fumble. He finished 2024 ranked No. 81 nationally and No. 7 in Alabama for sacks.
Coconut Creek, Florida sophomore quarterback Jack Spaeder is off to a solid start in his prep career passing for 2,787 yards, 25 touchdowns and eight interceptions during his first two season. The 6-foot-3, 185 pound passer possesses 10-inch hands and rocket arm with multiple launch angles.
While other schools appear to have expressed interest in Spaeder, Arkansas is his first FBS offer. He plays in Florida’s second-highest classification and led his Monarch High School team to a 7-4 overall record with a trip to the playoffs.
Another sophomore quarterback to keep an eye on is Joseph Allen of Melbourne, Florida who was offered by offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino this week after a workout. He started as a true freshman last season and has proven to be a prolific passer with 4,550 yards and 55 touchdowns early on in his high school career.
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He possesses a powerful arm featured in the video below. Allen currently holds 14 scholarship offers including Arkansas, Syracuse, Kentucky, UCF and Purdue.
Arkansas, Oregon, Iowa State and Ole Miss are some of the latest schools to jump into the recruitment of Missouri athlete Jacob Eberhart. The 6-foot-3, 200 pound Kirkwood High School product is one of St. Louis’ top players with ability to play either offense or defense.
Hollywood, Florida 2026 offensive lineman Ashley Walker is one of the latest junior prospects to see his recruitment explode with offers of late. The 6-foot-7, 290 pound tackle was first offered by Georgia followed by Arkansas, Ole Miss, Kentucky, USF and UCF.
2027 prospect Rahzario Edwards became one of the best receivers in the country this season. The 6-foot-6, 215 pound pass catcher out of Sacramento can play tight end or wide receiver at the next level.
Edwards caught 48 passes for 900 yards and 14 touchdowns as a sophomore with offers coming from Florida, Oregon, USC, Arkansas, Cal and Texas A&M since the season came to a close.
Football powerhouse St. Thomas Aquinas sophomore running back Virgil Lemons is a bulldozer and Arkansas is one of his latest suitors. The 5-foot-9, 170 pound prospect runs low to the ground and possesses good balance after contact and very quick once in the open field.
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STA has taken a 14-0 lead over Miami Columbus after the @8degrees1 TD.
Along with the Razorbacks, other programs to offer Lemons are West Virginia, Missouri, Purdue, Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois and many others. He totaled 202 yards and three touchdowns in a loaded backfield this season.
ATH Aiden Evans, Lewisville, Texas
2027 athlete Aiden Evans attends the same high school current Arkansas quarterback Taylen Green is from which opens up the Razorbacks chances drastically. Evans can play multiple positions on offense and defense following a breakout season with 48 tackles, two interceptions, three forced fumble, seven pass breakups and three total touchdowns on the way to earning a top-10 ranking among Texas sophomores.
Blue Springs, Missouri standout 4-star defensive end Ronelle Johnson earned an offer from Arkansas this week which is No. 8 for the junior. The 6-foot-4, 245 edge rusher reports a 345 pound bench and 580 pound squat in the weight room.
Johnson finished 2024 with over 60 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, five sacks, three forced fumbles and one safety. Along with Arkansas, he currently holds offers from Iowa, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Missouri, Nebraska and Oregon.
WR Aljour Miles, Kaufman, Texas
Three-star wideout Aljour Miles earned his second scholarship offer from and SEC program when Arkansas called Wednesday. The 6-foot-2, 200 pound pass catcher already has 23 offers and should receive more after catching 60 passes for 1,114 yards and 11 touchdowns as a junior.
Another St. Thomas Aquinas prospect to watch is 2027 defensive lineman Mark Matthews who is expected to reach 5-star status before his prep career is over, according to national analyst Tom Lemming. The 6-foot-6, 270 pound sophomore has a total of 15 offers including Auburn, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Kentucky, Florida, Miami and West Virginia.
Mark Matthews 6’5″ 270 DT/DE has the potential to become a 5*. great frame, excels at stuffing the Run, moves well laterally and shows a great first step. Class of 2027 and is an exceptional athlete.@mark95matthews impressive in person and on film. National recruit pic.twitter.com/LZho1nWZQU
Matthews also excells on the hardwood and recorded two tackles and one sack in limited defensive reps. He did play at offensive tackle where he punished defenders with four pancake blocks.
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A 23‑year‑old woman from Calico Rock, Arkansas, was seriously injured Friday afternoon in a single‑vehicle crash on U.S. 160, two miles west of West Plains.
According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the crash occurred at 3:55 p.m. when the westbound 2021 Nissan Sentra ran off the right side of the roadway near Highway JJ. The car struck an embankment and came to rest on the north side of the road.
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The driver, who was wearing a seat belt, suffered moderate injuries. She was airlifted by Air Evac to Cox South Hospital in Springfield.
The No. 9 Gymbacks started their regionals weekend on a strong note on Friday as they placed first in the afternoon semifinal and saw two athletes earn a total of four individual regional titles.
Arkansas’ score of 197.175 was good to punch a ticket to Sunday’s regional final, the Gymbacks’ third straight appearance in the round of 16. Arkansas ultimately placed second among the eight teams across both semifinals and were one of just two 197+ marks on the day. The Gymbacks had the top scores of their session on bars (49.375) and beam (49.150) along with taking the top spot of the afternoon.
The day was highlighted by a big all-around performances from Morgan Price and Joscelyn Roberson. Price scored 9.900+ on three of four events and totaled 39.575 on the day, which held on to win her the regional all-around title, Arkansas’ first since 2018. Her 9.950 on vault was good for a four-way tie for first, also Arkansas’ first individual champion on the event since 2018. Price’s top finishes of the day were rounded out with third overall on bars and floor.
Roberson delivered her trademark consistency on beam and earned her ninth 9.950 score on the event this season, which earned her the regional crown outright. She is one of just two Gymbacks to score a 9.950 on beam at regionals, the first regional beam crown for Arkansas since 2009, and only the second ever. Her 9.925 on floor came in a three-way tie for first on the event for her second title of the day. Roberson compiled an all-around total of 39.425, which placed her in fourth overall.
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Price and Roberson’s combined four titles are the most in a regional ever for Arkansas, and most since 2013.
Floor
Arkansas opened the day on floor. Hailey Klein and Leah Smith earned 9.850 scores in the first and third positions, and Allison Cucci went second with a 9.825. Scores went up from there, as Morgan Price earned a season high 9.900 up fourth for the Gymbacks. She was followed by her sister, Frankie, who scored 9.875. Roberson closed the rotation with a 9.925, which brought the team’s event score to 49.400.
Vault
Smith continued the strong start to her day with a stuck Yurchenko full that went 9.900 in the lead-off spot on vault for Arkansas. Following a 9.700 from Roberson, Klein scored 9.800 midway through the vault rotation. Lauren Williams earned a 9.775 next, and brought up Morgan Price in fifth. She put down a spectacular vault that scored 9.950, giving the Gymbacks some momentum. Cucci went 9.825 in the anchor spot and Arkansas concluded vault with a 49.250 score.
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Bars
Bars began big for the Gymbacks with Roberson leading off with a 9.850 and Klein and Smith following with a pair of 9.875s. Freshmen Cucci and Avalon Campbell earned marks of 9.850 and 9.800, respectively, to keep Arkansas in a good spot. Morgan Price delivered a great routine in the sixth position that went 9.925, and the Gymbacks tallied a total of 49.375 on bars.
Beam
Arkansas closed out the meet on beam and got a nice start from lead-off Priscilla Park. She stuck her dismount and scored a 9.850 for the Gymbacks. Klein went next and delivered a 9.800 to cap her all-around day. After a 9.650 from Weaver, Cucci began to build the scores again with a 9.750. Morgan Price kept it going with a 9.800 that only featured movement on the dismount, and Roberson was next at anchor. Once again, she was nearly flawless and put a bow on the rotation with a 9.950. Arkansas’ final beam score was 49.150.
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The Gymbacks will face off with No. 1 Oklahoma, No. 8 Missouri and Ohio State in Sunday’s regional final. The top two teams will advance to the NCAA Gymnastics Championships in Fort Worth, Texas April 16-18. The meet is slated for 4 p.m. CT at Historic Memorial Coliseum in Lexington and will be streamed live on ESPN+ with live scoring via Virtius.
More Information
Visit ArkansasRazorbacks.com for the latest information on all things Arkansas Gymnastics. You can also find the Razorbacks on social media by liking us on Facebook (Arkansas Razorback Gymnastics) and following us on Twitter and Instagram (@RazorbackGym).
DeMarkco Butler is leaving Kent State after one season to become chief of staff for Arkansas State Football, sources tell FootballScoop.
Butler joined the Golden Flashes on Aug. 28, 2025, as assistant general manager and director of player personnel under then-interim head coach Mark Carney. In that role, he oversaw key aspects of football operations and player personnel management for a Kent State program that competed in the Mid-American Conference. His arrival came as the Flashes looked to stabilize and build infrastructure following coaching transitions.
A veteran of college football operations, Butler most recently served as assistant athletic director for football operations and player personnel at the University of Central Missouri, a role he held since joining the Mules in 2022. There, he managed day-to-day program logistics, player personnel duties, and acted as a liaison between the football team and university departments and external partners. His experience also includes director of football operations positions at Western Illinois University and a brief stint at Baylor University earlier in his career.
Butler played college football at Monmouth College (Ill.), earning his bachelor’s degree in communications and business with a minor in Spanish in 2010. He went on to earn a master’s degree in sport management from Western Illinois in 2016, where he began his administrative career as a graduate assistant in facilities, events, and game-day operations before advancing to an operations assistant role from 2014-15.
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The move to Arkansas State represents a step up in responsibility and conference profile. As chief of staff under head coach Butch Jones, Butler will support high-level program operations in the Sun Belt Conference, working closely with the head coach on staff coordination, strategic planning, and day-to-day execution. The Red Wolves have been active in reshaping their support staff entering the 2026 season, and Butler’s background in player personnel and operations makes him a natural fit to help provide continuity and efficiency behind the scenes.
Butler’s quick ascent through operations and personnel roles highlights a career built on logistics, recruiting support, travel coordination, and building program infrastructure at multiple levels. His time at Kent State, though brief, added FBS experience to a resume that previously featured strong work at the Division II level.
Arkansas State, coming off recent staff adjustments, now adds a proven operator in Butler as it pushes forward under Jones. Sources tell FootballScoop Butler is on the job and is working with Jones in hiring additional support staff.
The move continues a trend of experienced operations and personnel specialists moving between Group of Five programs seeking greater stability and support-staff depth. Butler’s track record positions him well to contribute immediately in Jonesboro as the Red Wolves prepare for spring practices and the 2026 campaign.
