It’s been stated numerous times the importance of winning over the mother of a prospect during the recruiting process.
Arkansas Coach Bret Bielema appears to have taken a good first step of assuring tight end Will Gragg’s mother that Fayetteville would be a good fit for her son during a visit on Sunday.
The trip was her first opportunity to meet the new coaching staff.
“She wanted to get a good feel and a vibe for the new staff and she did,” said Gragg, who's junior this season. “She liked everybody from coach (Ben) Herbert to coach B. She met coach (Barry) Lunney, she met all of the coaches, coach (Sam) Pittman and all those guys. She really liked them.”
Gragg, 6-4, 238, 4.7 seconds in the 40 yard dash, of Pine Bluff surged onto the recruiting scene last year as a newly graduated ninth grader when he received a scholarship offer from Arkansas after easily being one of the top performers at the Hogs’ June camp. He has since added offers from Alabama, Ole Miss and Vanderbilt.
The visit also gave Gragg a chance to see more of the new football complex.
“I haven’t seen the new facility since it’s been completely done,” Gragg said. “Just seeing that was a big thing. The locker room was the best. The little things in the locker room had the biggest impact. The lockers have the hometowns of the players. That was big. That stuck out the most. I really liked that.”
Gragg and his mother were able to have two 1-on-1 sessions with Bielema.
“I think he had to go to a meeting and then after he got out of the meeting we talked to him again,” Gragg said. “It went real well. Like I said it was my mom’s first time talking to him other than seeing him on the news. She had never seen him in person. He was giving a lay out of how he is and what foundation he wants for Razorback football. “
His mother liked what she heard from Bielema.
“She was saying he’s like a people person,” Gragg said. “He has the players' best interest in mind and he’s going to do whatever it takes for them to be successful.”
He said he’s focused the Zebra’s starting practice today but is planning several more trips to watch the Hogs in action.
“I’m going to catch the Samford game in Little Rock and then come up here for the Texas A&M game and probably again for the South Carolina game,” he said.
Gragg said he also hopes to make games at Alabama, LSU, Texas A&M, Ole Miss and Vanderbilt during the season.