THE RECRUITING GUY

Make way for ‘gentle giant’ roaming campus

— Junior-college All-America offensive lineman Johnathan McClure is scheduled to arrive in Fayetteville on Friday afternoon for the start of his official visit to Arkansas, his father John reports.

McClure, 6-4, 305 pounds, of Butler (Kan.) Community College in El Dorado, was named second-team National Junior Athletic Association College All-American as a freshman.

McClure attended Wichita Heights High School before going to Kansas State as a preferred walk on in 2010. He left Kansas State after the fall semester and enrolled at Butler in January 2011.

“He’s excited to see the whole program, the living situation, the facilities,” John McClure said. “He’s excited about the facilities. He said he’s heard real good things about them. He’s looking forward to coming down to visit and see how he fits in.”

Johnathan McClure, who was offered a scholarship by the Hogs in early September and is being recruited by secondary coach Bobby Allen, will be accompanied on his trip by his father and grandmother, who’s from Huntsville but now lives in Andover, Kan. He has numerous relatives living in Arkansas.

John McClure said he is unsure if a good visit to Arkansas will gain his son’s commitment but noted his fondness for the Razorbacks.

“I know he’s very high on Arkansas,” McClure said.

McClure’s father said his son is chasing his dream of playing Division I college football.

“He wants to be in a Division I program,” John McClure said. “That’s his big dream. As far as professional, I always tell him to get a degree first because you’re there to play football and get a college education before anything else.”

The recruitment of McClure was recently featured on the Butler football website.

“They called him the gentle giant,” John McClure said. “... He’s a very nice kid, polite when you meet him. But when he’s on the field he turns the switch.”

VISIT DELAYED

Defensive lineman Darious Cummings, 6-3, 300, 4.84seconds in the 40-yard dash, of East Mississippi Community College, had planned to officially visit Arkansas this weekend but said he plans to reschedule his visits so his parents can accompany him. He reports a recent scholarship offer from the Hogs.

PARKERS CHAPEL PROSPECT

Parkers Chapel Coach James Housdan said he believes junior Will Jones, his prized offensive lineman, is worthy of a scholarship from major colleges.

Arkansas, Auburn, Mississippi State, Vanderbilt, Arkansas State, Louisiana Tech, Illinois and Harvard are among those interested in Jones, 6-4, 320, 5.5. Jones has visited Mississippi State once and said he plans to make a return trip this week for the Tennessee game and has plans to visit Vanderbilt in two weeks.

“I definitely think he’s a D-I prospect,” said Housdan, who reports Jones having an 80-inch wingspan. “He’s good at pass protection. He has good footwork; he can get back in his pass set really quick. He has the strength to take a bull push by a D-end or a D-lineman. In the running game, he can get into the block and drive the D-lineman and open up some space and gaps.”

Jones reports a 300-pound bench press and 475 squat.As a defensive lineman, he has recorded 40 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 5 blocked extra points and 5 pass deflections that have resulted in two interceptions.

Housdan said Jones, who has a 4.1 grade-point average and has scored a 25 on the ACT, is very coachable.

“Great character on the field and off the field,” Housdan said. “He works hard in the classroom and on the field.”

Jones was invited to Arkansas’ summer camp but could not attend because he had other plans.

GOING TO MISSOURI STATE

Little Rock Hall center Katelyn Weber, 6-4, has orally committed to Missouri State. Navy, Iowa State, UALR, South Florida, Arkansas State and Arkansas were others she considered after narrowing her list of 14 scholarship offers. Weber’s father, Ed said Katelyn felt comfortable with the Bears program and added she also wanted to go out of state.

E-mail Richard Davenport at rdavenport@arkansasonline.com

Sports, Pages 17 on 10/09/2012