Arkansas hosted 25 to 30 high school juniors over the weekend on unofficial visits.

It was a day for some of the 2009 recruits to get familiar with the new Razorbacks coaching staff and tour the facilities.

One of those who made the trip to Fayetteville was Lake Hamilton quarterback Phillip Butterfield. Butterfield 6-2, 205 pounds, 4. 7 seconds in the 40-yard dash, led the Wolves to a 12-1 record and state runner-up finish in Class 6 A.

Butterfield, along with quarterbacks Griffin Kuhn of Little Rock Christian, Pulaski Academy’s Spencer Keith and their parents, met with quarterbacks coach Garrick McGee.

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“We all went to the quarterback position room,” Butterfield said.

“We went over some film and he then quizzed us a little bit and that was fun. We had a good time.”

Butterfield threw for 2, 795 yards as a junior while completing 60. 4 percent of his passes (136 of 225 ).

He threw for 30 touchdowns and just 5 interceptions. Butterfield ran for 339 yards on 97 rushes and 8 touchdowns.

Butterfield came away impressed with Coach Bobby Petrino.

“He’s really a nice guy,” Butterfield said.

“I really like him. He gave us a power point on what they expect their quarterback to be, and they showed us a little of the offense they’re going to run this year. He told us it was going to be a prostyle offense.”

Butterfield said Arkansas wants him to attend its summer camp.

Assistant coach Tim Horton, who will recruit the state east of Morrilton, is the lead recruiter of Butterfield.

“I really like Coach Horton,” said Butterfield, who said he has a 3. 87 grade-point average. “He’s the one I’ve been in contact with, and he invited me up to their junior day. I’ve been keeping in touch with him.”

Butterfield has plans to visit Tulsa and Vanderbilt.

“I’m still staying in contact with Coach [Gus ] Malzahn,” he said, referring to Tulsa’s co-offensive coordinator who was the offensive coordinator at Arkansas in 2006. “Tulsa’s junior day is March 29 th, and I’m going to go to that. I’m pretty sure I’m going to take a visit to Vanderbilt for their junior day.”

Butterfield said there’s a possibility he will go to Mississippi State on March 18.

Fayetteville offensive lineman Colby Berna, 6-4, 280, 5. 1, who orally committed to the Razorbacks in early February, also visited the Arkansas campus Saturday. Despite frequent visits in the past, Berna said he learned something new during his visit.

“I learned when they’re actually in their two-point stances,” Berna said. “The tackles can’t see the ball so the lineman holds hands to get off the ball. I thought that was actually clever.”

Berna said Coach Petrino mentioned some of his goals for the Razorbacks.

“He talked about their main goal with the team is to get them like one unit,” Berna said. “That’s their main goal during off-season. And their goals are to win at home, every game. That’s the main thing he talked about; we have to win at home to be successful.” Berna’s early commitment hasn’t stopped other schools from showing interest. “Kansas State wants me to come their junior day,” Berna said. “Mississippi State, Tennessee are interested. USC [Southern California ] actually contacted [Fayetteville ] Coach [Daryl ] Patton and Missouri [did, too ] and they want film of me.”

DYER OFFERED Little Rock Christian running back Michael Dyer also made an unofficial visit to Arkansas this weekend and came away with a scholarship offer.

Running backs coach Tim Horton took Dyer aside after the prospects had eaten Saturday afternoon and offered the scholarship.

“I think it would be a good school to go to. I was pretty honored,” said Dyer, who rushed for more than 2, 700 yards as a sophomore.

Horton is the lead recruiter of Dyer and has his respect.

“I like Tim Horton a lot,” Dyer said “I think if I was to go to Arkansas, he would actually take care of me not just footballwise but keep me in line like a fatherfigure, so I really respect him a lot. I think he’s a good man.”

Dyer, 5-10, 190, 4. 37, was a member of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette All-Arkansas Team and was Sophomore Offensive Player of the Year. He now has scholarship offers from Arkansas, Ole Miss and Tulsa.

E-mail Richard Davenport at rdavenport@arkansasonline. com