Offensive lineman Jovan Pruitt credits his relationship with Arkansas offensive line coach Sam Pittman and running backs coach Joel Thomas for wanting to visit the Hogs.
Pruitt, 6-6, 290 pounds, 5.2 seconds in the 40 yard dash, of Dallas Bishop Dunne High School has more than 10 scholarship offers, including Alabama, Nebraska, Texas, Notre Dame and Oklahoma. He was hoping to travel to Fayetteville for Arkansas' spring game on Saturday but that appears unlikely.
He said Pittman's enthusiasm over the phone is contagious.
"He's not yelling but he's like somewhat shouting because he's excited," said Pruitt, who visited the Hogs for last year's Alabama game. "He really wants me to come down there and play Arkansas football . I want to come down there and see how everything is again."
Pruitt said Pittman praised his mother, Millette for his raising him with good values.
"She stayed on me," Pruitt said. "That's something she really did when I was growing up. Sometimes I would get off track and she would get me back on track on what I needed to do. My mom set me up to where I could be successful."
With spring evaluation period under way, Pruitt is seeing more schools showing interest, said Bishop Dunne Coach Michael Smith.
"Jovan is a big man, you can't deny that and the way he moves at that size is phenomenal," Johnson said. "In the last two to three weeks his recruitment has been picking up a lot."
Besides Arkansas, Pruitt is also looking to check out Alabama.
"I really want to go down there," Pruitt said. "They have a lot going on and I really like what coach Nick Saban is doing with recruits when they come in."
Johnson said he's been impressed with Pittman and Thomas recruiting efforts.
"Jovan was saying they're very excited to be at Arkansas," Johnson said. "They're excited about being in the SEC and excited about what they're going to be able to do in the SEC. They feel like they have a plan. That's the thing you look at as a coach what is the plan and it seems like they have a plan and will execute that plan so they can be dominate like they were once in the SEC. Those are some of the things that excites Jovan."
While very fond of Arkansas, Pruitt said it's doubtful he could pledge to the Hogs when he does visit.
"It's going to take way more than one visit for me to commit," Pruitt said. "Only time will tell with that."
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