Arkansas became the 45th school to offer a scholarship to defensive end Andrew Williams of McDonough, Ga., and it was one he was happy to receive.
Williams, 6-4 1/2, 247 pounds, 4.8 seconds in the 40-yard dash, has scholarship offers from coast to coast by schools like Georgia, Texas, Washington, Notre Dame, Michigan and Florida. He said he plans to visit Arkansas after hearing good things from a friend and fellow recruit, along with a teammate’s father.
“I’ve been hearing about Arkansas here and there,” said Williams, who attends Eagle’s Landing Christian High School. “My friend Dante Sawyer is a another recruit being recruited there. Another past recruit, my teammate Isaac Rochell, his dad is a huge Arkansas fan. Every time I’m with him, that’s all he talks about. Out of curiosity, I have to go check them out.”
Williams is rated the nation’s No. 35 prospect by CBS Sports Network national recruiting analyst Tom Lemming for a variety of reasons: quickness off the ball, closing speed and a nasty attitude when he gets there.
Williams said he liked what he heard from Arkansas cornerbacks coach Taver Johnson during their conversation Monday.
“He just came at me straight forward and asked to start off if I had any interest,” Williams said. “I like coaches that are just straight up with me. So I kind of got a feel for him that he’s just a straight-up coach.”
Williams, who has made unofficial visits to South Carolina, Notre Dame, Clemson, Florida, Florida State and Tennessee, said he is also looking to make trips to Oregon, LSU, Texas and others.
CHASING RUTGERS GUARD
The point guard position is one of the missing pieces of the puzzle for Arkansas’ men’s basketball team to have success next season and the Hogs are eying Rutgers transfer Jerome Seagears fill that spot.
Seagears, 6-1, 170 pounds, decided to leave the Scarlet Knights when Coach Mike Rice was fired after video showed his tirades toward players during practice. Seagears visited Auburn last weekend.
He played at Red Springs (N.C.) Flora McDonald Academy under Derrick Bond, averaged 32.0 points, 6.5 rebounds and 9.0 assists per game and was rated as the nation’s No. 23 point-guard prospect by ESPN in 2011.
“He’s very excited about this trip and coming down and see Hog nation and get a feel for what it’s about down there,” Bond said of Seagears.
Seagears played 19 of 31 games for Rutgers as a sophomore and averaged 6.5 points and 2.6 assists per game while shooting 38 percent from behind the three-point line and 74 percent at the free-throw line. He started 25 of 32 games as a freshmen.
Bond said he and Seagears had a great relationship and he’s looking for the same at his next stop, even though it has not been determined whether he will be able to gain immediate eligibility at his new school.
Bond said Auburn, Arkansas and Marquette are Seagears’ top three schools with Baylor also being a possibility.
A ‘COMPLETE PACKAGE’
Arkansas is hoping to see highly recruited offensive lineman Jamarco Jones visit in the future.
Jones, 6-6, 300, of Chicago La Salle High School, has scholarship offers from Arkansas, Nebraska, Michigan, Ohio State, Florida and others. He’s rated the nation’s No. 96 prospect by CBS Sports Network national recruiting analyst Tom Lemming.
“He’s still pretty open,” De La Salle Coach Dan O’Keefe said. “I know he wants to make up his mind this summer. He needs to get down for a visit first before he puts them down as one of his top schools. He hasn’t discounted them, I’ll put that way.”
Jones’ talent on the field and 4.0 GPA in the classroom make him a top-notch prospect.
“He’s in all advancement placement courses,” O’Keefe said. “It makes him a complete package. That’s why he’s so highly recruited.”
POSTAL PRIORITY
Arkansas isn’t shy in letting safety Nick Glass how bad they want him to be a Razorback. He received 38 handwritten letters over the weekend, but he said that’s not usual.
“They always send about 20 every two or three days.” Glass said.
Glass, 6-1, 203, 4.45, of Suwanee (Ga.) Peachtree Ridge, has more than 40 scholarship offers, including ones from Arkansas, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee and Ohio State.
“They show they really want you,” Glass said. “They really put thoughts into the letters.”
Glass, who is committed to Georgia, but plans to visit Arkansas in the next two months, said his lead recruiter, cornerbacks coach Taver Johnson, along with defensive coordinator Chris Ash, are in constant contact.
E-mail Richard Davenport at rdavenport@arkansasonline.com
Sports, Pages 24 on 04/26/2013