THE RECRUITING GUY

Florida back committed to Gators, visiting Hogs

Arkansas will host at least four of the better national prospects for official visits this weekend, most notably highly recruited running back Dalvin Cook, a Florida commitment, who will arrive today to start his 48-hour visit.

Cook, 5-11, 195 pounds, 4.38 seconds in the 40-yard dash, of Miami Central High School, is rated the nation’s No. 18 prospect by CBS Sports Network national recruiting analyst Tom Lemming.

His journey to being an elite prospect started when he started playing youth football at age 5.

“My first position was linebacker,” Cook said. “When I was little I would run around the park and watch guys. Like older guys, it really didn’t matter what I played. I just went out there and had fun.”

Cook rushed for 876 yards and 9 touchdowns as sophomore and 127 times for 1,452 yards, 21 touchdowns for a 11.4 yards per carry average as a junior. He has rushed 87 times for 1,087 yards for a 12.3-yard average with 19 touchdowns as a senior.

Cook grew up idolizing Chicago Bears kickoff-return specialist Devin Hester, who starred at Miami.

“I grew up a Cane fan so I would always watch the Cane players,” said Cook, who officially visited Florida State last weekend. “But my favorite player was Devin Hester when he played for the U.”

Cook said speed has been an asset for him since the first day he stepped on the field.

“I was always faster than my age group,” Cook said.

So fast, Cook said, that in his early days of playing youth football he started running the wrong way before correcting himself.

“I had people say go the other way, go the other way, go the other way,” he said. “When I turned and ran the other way I ran past everybody and scored a again.”

When Cook was 12 he led the Carol City Chiefs to a 12-1 record and the NYFL Super Bowl victory in his age group. The Chiefs’ lone loss came in the season’s opening game when Cook sat out because he was over the allotted weight limit of 130 pounds.

“Ever since then I made the weight,” Cook said. “The same team we lost to we saw them in the Super Bowl and then we beat them. That year I probably had like 30 touchdowns. That’s when I knew I could be that guy at running back.”

Arkansas is also expected to host safety Steven Parker II, offensive lineman Frank Ragnow and linebacker Jimmie Swain.

Parker, 6-3, 195, 4.46 in the 40, of Jenks, Okla., has more than 20 scholarship offers, including Arkansas, Oklahoma, Michigan, Texas, Texas A&M and Ohio State. Lemming rates him a 4-star plus prospect.

Ragnow, 6-6, 291, 5.0, of Victoria (Minn.) Chanhassen, has scholarship offers from schools like Arkansas, Florida State, Ohio State, Miami, Minnesota and Nebraska. ESPN rates him as the nation’s No. 27 offensive tackle and the No. 2 prospect in Minnesota.

Swain, 6-3, 228, 4.46, of Olathe (Kan.) North, who is committed to TCU, has 18 scholarship offers, including Arkansas, Oregon, TCU, Michigan, Oklahoma State and Stanford. Lemming rates Swain as a 4-star prospect.

E-mail Richard Davenport at rdavenport@arkansasonline.com

How Arkansas’ 2014 football commitments are faring

PS. NAME HT WT. 40 SCHOOL TONIGHT FOR SEASON

CB KWEISHI BROWN 6-0 190 4.5 Grossmont (Calif.) CC at Fullerton 28 UT, 7 AT, 1 TFL, 6 PBU, 4 Ints, 2 RF

WR JARED CORNELIUS 6-1 190 4.48 Shreveport (La.) Evangel vs. Washington 40-738 receiving, 9 TDs, 2-127 PR, 1 TD

RB JUAN DAY 6-2 210 4.5 North Little Rock vs. Mountain Home 40- 319 rushing, 2 TDs, 3-80 receiving, 1 TD

LB DWAYNE EUGENE 6-1 215 4.5 Metairie, (La.) Rummel vs. Holy Cross (Sat.) 56 TT, 2 PBU, 1 RF, 1 FF

LB KHALIA HACKETT 6-2 208 4.63 Douglasville, (Ga.) S. Paulding at Paulding County 38 UT, 24 AT, 4 TFL, 1.5 sack, 3 PBU, 3 Ints.

DL JAKE HALL 6-5 230 - Springdale Har-Ber vs. Fayetteville 19 UT 31 AT, 1.5 sacks, 6 QB hurries, 1 pass deflection, 1 FF

K COLE HEDLUND 5-10 170 - Argyle, Texas at Aubrey 13-16 FG, long of 57 yards, 51-51 XPA

DL BIJHON JACKSON 6-2 325 5.1 El Dorado at Benton 28 UT, 15 AT, 8 TFL, 1 QB hurry, 1 Int., 1 FF, 1 RC

TE JACK KRAUS 6-5 245 4.9 Bentonville vs. Springdale 88% grade, 23 pancakes, 7-99 receiving, 1 TD

WR COREY MCBRIDE 6-2 180 4.34 Geismar (La.) Dutchtown at McKinley 19-353 receiving, 4 TDs, 6-79 rushing

WR TORRANCE MOSLEY 5-10 175 4.4 Geismar (La.) Dutchtown at McKinley 100-492 rushing, 3 TDs, 9-110 receiving

CB CHRIS MURPHY 5-10 180 4.4 Marietta, (Ga.) Lassiter at Roswell 22 TT, 1 TFL, 3 FF, 1 RF, 3 PBU

QB RAFE PEAVEY 6-2 208 4.5 Bolivar, Mo. vs. Warrensburg (Thurs) 94-123-1,698 pass., 14 TDs, 103-1,049 rush., 16 TDs, 5 two-pt conv.

TE RAVIAN PIERCE 6-4 230 4.53 Plantation, Fla. vs. St. Thomas Aquinas 11-226 receiving, 3 TDs

OL JOVAN PRUITT 6-6 295 5.1 Dallas Bishop Dunne at Trinity Christian 86% grade, 23 pancake blocks, 1 sack allowed, 3 TT, 2 TFL, 2 sacks

CB HENRE’ TOLIVER 6-1 180 4.56 Metairie, (La.) Rummel at New Orleans Jesuit 16 TT, 1 Int, 1 PBU, 44 PR

DL ARMON WATTS 6-5 270 5.1 St. Louis Christian Brothers vs. Hazelwood West 30.5 TT, 3 sacks, 11.5 TFL

LAST WEEK Kweishi Brown (open date); Jared Cornelius (4-107 receiving, 3 TDs in 42-0 victory over Bossier); Juan Day (DNP [out for the season ACL injury] in 42-0 victory over Marion); Dwayne Eugene (14 TT, 1 FF in 24-21 victory over Jesuit); Khalia Hackett (6 UT, 2-26 receiving, 2-11 rushing in 24-17 victory over East Paulding);

Jake Hall (2 UT, 4 AT in 59-42 loss to Rogers); Cole Hedlund (3-3 FGs, 6-6 XPA in 53-7 victory over Lone Star); Bijhon Jackson (3 UT 3 AT in 21-14 victory over Pine Bluff); Jack Kraus (85% grade, 1-26 receiving in 38-7 victory over Van Buren); Corey McBride (1-10 receiving in 7-6 victory over East Ascension); Torrance Mosley (16-43 rushing, 1-13 receiving in 7-6 victory over East Ascension); Chris Murphy (3 tackles, 2 PBU, 1 FF in 35-28 victory over Wheeler); Rafe Peavey (15-17 passes, 280 yards, 2 TDs, 14- 185 rushing, 3 TDs in 41-6 victory over Reeds Spring); Ravian Pierce DNP (broken foot) in 26-12 victory over Northeast; Jovan Pruitt (graded 92%, 1 pancake block, no sacks allowed, 3 tackles, a SA in 49-14 victory over John Paul II); Henre’ Toliver (NA in 24-21 victory over Jesuit); Armon Watts (3.5 TT .5 SA, 1.5 TFL in 30-12 victory Francis Howell)

Sports, Pages 22 on 11/01/2013