Arkansas

Texas receiver prospects set to visit Razorbacks | Arkansas Democrat Gazette

Published

1 year ago

October 4, 2024

Texas receiver prospects set to visit Razorbacks |
Arkansas Democrat Gazette

Two receiver targets in the 2026 class are expected to visit the University of Arkansas for Saturday’s game against No. 4 Tennessee.

Chase Campbell, a 4-star prospect, and 3-star Caleb “Jet” Smith will be in Fayetteville after also visiting over the summer.

Campbell, 6-2, 180 pounds, of Wolfforth (Texas) Frenship, will make the trip with his father, Marcus, a former Arkansas defensive back, and another family member.

His mother DeeDee Brown-Campbell, a former track and field All-American for the Razorbacks, is a senior associate athletics director at Texas Tech but is unable to make the trip. She visited Fayetteville with her son and husband in June.

“This weekend I am looking forward to seeing a high level SEC game,” Chase Campbell said. “Looking forward to seeing Arkansas offense in person, Also looking forward to connecting with some coaches and players even. Looking forward to the atmosphere of Fayetteville and hearing them call the Hogs.”

He’s already has full season’s worth of stats for the Tigers with 33 catches for 623 yards and 6 touchdowns in only four games. He also has four rushes for 25 yards.

Campbell is on pace to pass his sophomore season, when he recorded 84 receptions for 1,411 yards and 17 touchdowns.

247Sports rates him a 4-star recruit, the No. 27 wide receiver and No. 160 overall prospect in the nation in the 2026 class. He has scholarship offers from Arkansas, Houston, Arizona, Kansas State, Texas Tech, Colorado State and others.

His father lettered for the Razorbacks from 1994 to 1997, while his mother was a two-time All-American in the heptathlon in 2000 and 2002. She also worked in the Arkansas athletic department after graduation and was inducted in the University of Arkansas Sports Hall of Honor in 2015.

His father works as a behavior and student support coach in the Frenship school district. Saturday will be the first time Chase Campbell will be able to call the Hogs since he was very young.

“I don’t remember calling the Hogs, but my mom and dad said I used to call the Hogs all the time when we used to live in Fayetteville,” said Campbell, who has numerous family members living in Little Rock.

Campbell also said his communication with Razorback receivers coach Ronnie Fouch has been “real good.”

“Coach Fouch has been keeping in touch with me and we have been communicating,” he said.

Smith, 5-10, 160 pounds, of Allen, Texas, visited Arkansas for the spring game on April 13 and for the Hogwild Hangout on July 27. He said he’s ready to watch the Hogs’ offense Saturday night.

“I really want to see how the offensive coaches use their receivers and how I can see myself in their offense,” Smith said. “I also just want to be around fans and the atmosphere of Arkansas football.”

One if the fastest prospects in the nation, Smith recorded a time of 10.35 seconds in the 100 meters and 10.38 seconds in the spring. Rated a 3-star recruit by On3.com, Smith has offers from Arkansas, Nebraska, Mississippi State, Louisville, Houston, Utah, Nebraska, Baylor, Pittsburgh and others.

Smith was named the District 5-6A first team and the Offensive Utility Player as a sophomore. He had 43 catches for 439 yards, 3 touchdowns and rushed 18 times for 174 yards and 3 touchdowns.

He suffered an anterior cruciate ligament knee injury in June and has not been able to play this season. He said Fouch has encouraged him.

“He’s just telling me to keep my head up and I can come back better than I was before,” Smith said. “When I went up there during July, I had the chance to have a meeting with Coach Pittman about the injury. He gave me very good advice about everything.”

Smith said he is staying positive despite the injury.

“I think I’m dealing with it pretty good,” he said. “It’s sucks but just trying to find ways to get better at my game while recovering.”

5-star guard to visit UA

Consensus 5-star basketball prospect Meleek Thomas is expected to arrive in Arkansas on Friday for his official visit.

Thomas, 6-3, 175 pounds, played his sophomore and junior seasons at Lincoln Park Performing Arts High School in Pittsburgh, where he led his team to consecutive state titles, but will play with Atlanta-based Overtime Elite, an eight-team league featuring players 16 to 20 years old, this season.

On3.com industry ranking rates Thomas the No. 2 shooting guard and No. 8 overall prospect in the nation for the 2025 class.

Email Richard Davenport at rdavenport@arkansasonline.com

Chase Campbell

Caleb “Jet” Smith

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Arkansas

Arkansas to honor Nolan Richardson with statue outside arena

Published

18 minutes ago

March 5, 2026

Press Room

Arkansas to honor Nolan Richardson with statue outside arena

Myron MedcalfMar 5, 2026, 12:03 AM ET
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- Covers college basketball
- Joined ESPN.com in 2011
- Graduate of Minnesota State University, Mankato

Multiple Authors

Former Arkansas coach Nolan Richardson, who led the Razorbacks to the 1994 national title, will be immortalized with a statue outside Bud Walton Arena, the school said Wednesday.

Richardson was on the court at halftime of No. 20 Arkansas’ 105-85 win over Texas in the team’s regular-season home finale Wednesday night when athletic director Hunter Yurachek surprised him and told him the school had commissioned a statue to commemorate his achievements.

Per the school’s announcement, work on the statue is set to begin soon.

“Coach Richardson’s impact on the game of basketball and our state is immeasurable,” Yurachek said in a statement. “He represented Arkansas with a toughness and intense work ethic that endeared him to our fans while changing the lives of numerous athletes, coaches and staff under his direction. His ’40 minutes of Hell’ changed college basketball and led to the 1994 national championship that changed Arkansas and our university forever. Coach Richardson will stand tall outside the arena for the rest of time.”

BUILD THE STATUE. LIVING LEGEND. 🐐 pic.twitter.com/2nJPh1d6zo
— Arkansas Razorbacks Men’s Basketball 🐗 (@RazorbackMBB) March 5, 2026

Richardson coined the phrase “40 Minutes of Hell” in reference to the ferocious, full-court defense his Arkansas teams played during his tenure (1985-2002). Between Arkansas and his first Division I job at Tulsa, Richardson amassed 508 wins (389 with the Razorbacks), reached the Final Four three times and secured Arkansas’ only national title.

Richardson also was a member of the Texas Western (now UTEP) teams that preceded the school’s victory over Kentucky in 1966, when five Black players started an NCAA championship game for the first time and won. That game paved the way for Black players to compete at schools that had previously rejected them.

Richardson, one of six SEC coaches to win a national title since 1990, was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2014.

After Wednesday’s game, current Arkansas coach John Calipari joked that he’s contractually obligated to clean the statue once it’s finished.

“Which I will do in a pleasant way because I love it,” he said. “He’s been so good to me since I’ve been here.”

Richardson and Arkansas were not on good terms when they divorced in 2002. But the two sides have repaired the relationship over the years. The university renamed the floor at Bud Walton Arena “Nolan Richardson Court” in 2019. Richardson praised Calipari’s hiring in 2024 after he left Kentucky, and he has been around the program since Calipari’s arrival.

“He should have been had a statue, I think,” said Trevon Brazile, who finished with 28 points on his senior night Wednesday. “They won the national championship.”

Added Darius Acuff Jr., who finished with 28 points and 13 assists against the Longhorns: “It’s great to see that for sure. Coach Richardson is a big part of our team. He’s been to a couple of our practices, so it’s always good to see [him]. He’s a legend.”

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Arkansas

Autopsies rule Arkansas mothers death a suicide; twin children’s deaths homicides

Published

12 hours ago

March 4, 2026

Press Room

Autopsies rule Arkansas mothers death a suicide; twin children’s deaths homicides

BONANZA, Ark. (KATV) — According to our partners at 40/29 News, autopsies show that Charity Beallis died by suicide, and her six-year-old twin children died by homicide.

Beallis and the children were found on December 3, 2025, in their home in Bonanza. All three had gunshot wounds.

Records show that Beallis and her husband were in the process of divorcing when the murders happened. 40/29 reports that Beallis’ son has asked that their divorce be considered final, while her husband, Randall Beallis, has asked the court to dismiss the divorce proceedings.

The news release listed the following evidence:

— An examination of the transcripts of the deposition of Mrs. Beallis in the divorce/custody case and the final hearing on the case on 12-2-2025, reveal that she wished to be reconciled to her estranged husband, which did not happen. Mrs. Beallis, after being represented by four different attorneys, represented herself in the contested divorce/custody hearing. At the conclusion of the hearing, Mrs. Beallis was ordered to begin joint custody of her children with her estranged husband.

–Mrs. Beallis’ estranged husband was a driver of a Tesla electric vehicle at that time. Tesla has compiled location data on Tesla vehicles, and according to the information provided by Tesla, Mrs. Beallis’ estranged husband’s vehicle was not near the residence in Bonanza on the night in question. Also, the estranged husband’s phones did not “ping” any of the cell towers proximately related to Ms. Beallis’ location.

–Information from the home security alarm company shows the alarm was deactivated by Mrs. Beallis by her phone (she had exclusive access to the security system) at around 10 pm on the night in question. Even though deactivated, the alarm company was able to provide information showing no doors or windows to the home were opened during that time. When law enforcement arrived after 9:30 am on 12-3-2025, there were no doors or windows open, and they had to use a key to enter the home. SCSO rigorously tested the functioning of each door and window and found them to be operating properly.

The court released an order on Wednesday stating that it does not have jurisdiction to rule on those motions regarding the divorce. Beallis’ body has been released to her son, while the children are with Randall Beallis.

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Frightening times for Hannahs in Israel | Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

Published

1 day ago

March 4, 2026

Press Room

Frightening times for Hannahs in Israel | Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

Wally Hall

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Wally Hall is assistant managing sports editor for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. A graduate of the University of Arkansas-Little Rock after an honorable discharge from the U.S. Air Force, he is a member and past president of the Football Writers Association of America, member of the U.S. Basketball Writers Association, past president and current executive committee and board member of the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame, and voter for the Heisman Trophy. He has been awarded Arkansas Sportswriter of the Year 10 times and has been inducted into the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame and Arkansas Sportswriters and Sportscasters Hall of Fame.

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