Iowa Western Community College offensive lineman Sebastian Tretola received a tour of Arkansas’ facilities from All American center Travis Swanson during his official visit to Fayetteville. Video highlights CLICK HERE
“He’s real cool,” said Tretola, who arrived in Fayetteville on Thursday and left Saturday morning. “He actually gave me the tour of the place, the weight room, the locker room. It was he and me chatting it up. That was good.”
Tretola, 6-4 ½ , 315 pounds, 4.9 seconds in the 40-yard dash, also officially visited Texas Tech, Oklahoma, South Florida and TCU. On Monday evening, he narrowed his list to the Hogs, Sooners and Horn Frogs and plans to announce his decision on Wednesday, the first day midyear transfers can sign.
He said the locker room probably impressed him the most during the tour with Swanson.
“I like how they have senior row set up,” Tretola said. “They kind of have the seniors over looking everybody else and watching and making sure everybody is doing what they’re suppose to be doing. That was nice.”
Arkansas’ facilities rate high.
“They’re up there,” said Tretola, who will have two years to play two. “OU obviously had a fantastic facilities. TCU the same thing and Arkansas great facilities.”
A big admirer of offensive line coach Sam Pittman, Tretola said Hog linemen spoke highly of Pittman.
“They said he’s the real deal,” Tretola said. “Sometimes you get the coach that laughs and BS’s during the visit and then when you get here he’s a fireball and crazy. But they said coach Pittman is like that all the time. He’s a good caring coach.”
Pittman was driving Tretola around campus when they came upon Reynolds Razorback Stadium.
“We were driving down the hill and I’m looking to my right and coach Pittman is talking all the buildings and stuff and I look and the field and the stadium is just like ...... I’m like what the hell?,” Tretola said. “And I’m just like ‘Oh my God’. So I like how that’s set up. It’s real nice.It just hits you. As soon as you go down that last building on the left side the stadium just pops up. It’s crazy.”
Tretola, who earned first team All Midwest Football Conference honors this season, respected Coach Bret Bielema’s ability to have top flight offensive lines while at Wisconsin.
“I was always a big fan of coach Bielema,” he said. “He’s a real solid guy. I got a chance to talk to him and had a good convo.”
He said he could see himself playing for Pittman and Bielema.
“Yeah, definitely the coaching staff, everybody I met is so cool,” Tretola said. “Seems like they know what they’re doing, but at the same time they can have a good time.”