The Arkansas Razorbacks added their second oral commitment of the week Friday afternoon when Harrison tight end Austin Tate told Coach Bobby Petrino he wanted to be a Hog.

Tate and his father, Mike, along with Harrison Coach Tommy Tice arrived in Fayetteville around noon Friday to visit with the Razorbacks ’ coaches and tour the campus with offensive line coach Mike Summers, who is the lead recruiter of Tate.

About two hours later, Coach Bobby Petrino offered Tate a scholarship and he accepted with an oral commitment, which is nonbinding. National signing date for the Class of 2009 will take place in early February.

“I was overjoyed,” said Tate, who was offered a scholarship by Arkansas State on Friday morning. “I wanted to scream. I knew right then and there that I wanted to be a Hog. I’ve always wanted to be one. Ever since I was young, I wanted to be a Hog. I’ve seen them run out of that A, and finally to be a part of that, I’m just overwhelmed.”

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Tate, 6-6, 225, 4. 7 seconds in the 40-yard dash Arkansas, has been named all-state in three sports at Harrison. He participates in basketball and baseball as well as football.

Tice said Tate has the physical ability along with a great attitude.

“He’s one of those guys that’s able to make lots of plays because he’s such a great athlete” Tice said. “He has the ability to turn it up into a higher gear when the ball goes in the air. He has a lot of natural ability, but he has a strong desire to do well.”

Tate recorded 42 catches for 708 yards and 12 touchdowns last season. He also played defense as an outside linebacker.

Tate said the coaches plan to create mismatches with him against the smaller defensive backs.

“They showed me the scheme and their game plans,” Tate said. “They want to match me up with the D-backs [defensive backs ] and the corners.”

Summers made a trip to Harrison about three weeks ago and put an abrupt end to any chances other schools might have had with Tate when he said the Razorbacks planned to offer Tate a scholarship.

“We had a stack of questionnaires from lots of different colleges that we threw in the trash,” said Tice, who has a 200-84-5 record, including winning a state title in 1999, in 26 years at Harrison. “We were in the process of sending highlight tapes to a lot of places, and there wasn’t any more consideration.”

Tice said Tate and former Harrison offensive lineman Wade Grayson, who signed with the Razorbacks in 2007, have both tried to follow the example of former Goblin and Razorbacks All-American Brandon Burlsworth, who died in a car accident in 1999 11 days after the Indianapolis Colts picked him in the third round of the NFL Draft.

Tice said Tate and Grayson are cut from the same cloth.

“They’re better human beings than they are football players, and they truly are outstanding football players,” Tice said. “Of course, we have a role model to always look to in Brandon Burlsworth, and that’s always something those two young men have taken very seriously.”