LITTLE ROCK — Offensive lineman Luke Charpentier made his oral commitment public Tuesday afternoon after taking an unofficial visit to Arkansas on Saturday for the South Carolina game.
Charpentier, of River Ridge (La.) John Curtis Christian, chose the Hogs over about 10 other scholarship offers, including ones from SMU, Tulane and Southern Mississippi.
Charpentier, 6-4 1 /2, 305 pounds, 5.10 seconds in the 40-yard dash, and his parents, Robert and Melanie, left New Orleans at about 10 p.m. Friday night shortly after John Curtis defeated Lusher 36-0.They arrived in Fayetteville at about 8 a.m. Saturday.
“We got to see the sun come up over the mountains when we pulled in, it was so beautiful,” Luke Charpentier said. “The people were real nice. The facilities were amazing.
“I’ve seen LSU’s and Alabama’s and other schools, and I thought [Arkansas] just put them to shame. I’ve seen them on the Internet, but I had to see for myself. They have alot of tradition there, and I want to be a part of it.”
Charpentier said Dann Kabala, Arkansas’ director of on-campus recruiting and eligibility coordinator, and the recruiting hostesses made him and his parents feel at home.
“I got the red carpet treatment the minute I got there,” said Charpentier, who is being recruited to play guard or center. “They showed me all around and I got to meet all of the coaches.
“They treated me real good while I was there, and I liked that.”
Charpentier’s lead recruiter, Willy Robinson, beat other schools to the punch by calling him Sept. 1, the first day allowed by the NCAA.
“He was the first one to call me,” Charpentier said. “He kept me updated and let me know about everything that was going on over there. Even though I was in New Orleans, I knew what was going on in Fayetteville.
“He did a good job recruiting me.”
Charpentier is the Hogs’ 15th oral commitment. Oral commitments are nonbinding.
Sports, Pages 26 on 11/11/2009