John Gustin, the father of highly recruited defensive end-linebacker Porter Gustin spoke about last week’s visit with Arkansas Coach Bret Bielema and defensive coordinator Robb Smith in Sunday’ Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. Here’s more of what he said.
Bielema and Smith were able to watch about an hour of Porter’s basketball practice before meeting with him and his parents in the coach’s office for about 45 minutes.
“Really good, Coach B is a great guy and he brought coach Smith with him,” John Gustin sad. “t was good, it was a great overall visit.”
Porter Gustin, 6-4, 238 pounds, 4.63 seconds in the 40-yard dash, of Salem (Utah) Salem Hills, has scholarship offers from approximately 35 schools, including Arkansas, Oregon, Notre Dame, Southern Cal, Ohio State, Arizona State and Florida State.
ESPN rates Gustin the No. 8 athlete and the nation's No. 129 overall prospect.
John was a quarterback at Wyoming while Arkansas offensive coordinator Jim Chaney was on the Cowboy's staff. He threw for 2,757 yards and 17 touchdowns as a senior.
“We talked a little bit about the end of the season and how the defense played so well against LSU and Ole Miss and being able to shut out two great teams in the SEC,” John Gustin said. “We talked a little bit about defense.”
The Hogs are trying to get one of Gustin’s two remaining official visits. He’ll visit Arizona State this weekend and will visit Southern Cal in January after having to cancel last week’s trip because of being sick. Notre Dame received his first official visit earlier in the season.
Gustin completed 212 of 349 passes for 2,864 yards and 22 touchdown while running 92 times for 891 yards and 10 touchdowns this season. He also recorded 152 tackles, 29 tackles for loss, 10.5 sacks, 16 quarterback hurries, 2 interceptions and 2 pass breakups.
Not all the talk was focused on football.
“We talked a little bit of non-football, the community there and academics and talked about how many kids are coming in early that are good students and graduating early,” John Gustin said. “I think there’s seven or nine of them that’s expected to come in January and get right into the mix.”
Gustin’s mother Scarlett, who was a high school All-American in basketball and a two-time all-conference performer at Brigham Young and Wyoming, inquired about Fayetteville.
“Scarlett asked some different questions on weather and things like that out there,” John Gustin said. “So yeah, there were a number of non-football related questions, but predominately mostly about football. Coach Smith was there so we had a chance to hear from him and get his perspective on things and his view of the defense with Porter in the mix.”
Since Bielema’ arrival at Arkansas, the team grade point average has improved every semester and is the highest under athletic director Jeff Long.
“After meeting with coach B twice and having the opportunity to talk with him and you get a feel for his passion for athletes on and off the field and the academic side of things,” John Gustin said. “And more importantly one of the things he talked about is the importance of becoming a well rounded individual.”
The topic of Arkansas defensive line commitment Hjalte Froholdt, who’s from Denmark, was brought up and how his mother, Lisa felt good about her son being in Fayetteville.
“The mother once she was out there just putting that kind of trust and confidence in Coach B as a person and as a individual to develop and continue to teach her son to become not just a young man, but to become be a leader and a well rounded individual.” John Gustin said.
The elder Gustin reassured Bielema and Smith of his son’s interest in the Razorbacks.
“I said you guys are here because Porter is obviously interested in the program,” John Gustin said. “If he wasn’t we would tell you not to come out, not put forth the energy, the resources that require you to come out here so…. Porter is interested in them,”
The Razorbacks, Ohio State, Oregon, LSU and maybe Florida State are competing for Gustin’s last two visits. John Gustin addressed the chances of his son making an official visit to Fayetteville.
“They’re one of those programs that Porter is considering heavily to make a visit to and there’s a probability,” he said. “I wouldn't say yay or nay, but I told them there’s a good probability that they could be one of those five. We’re still narrowing things down looking at options and scenarios things changing all the time, but I said we admire your program, we believe in it and therefore that’s why we’re talking tonight.”
Porter had been ill the day of the visit and stayed home for most of the day before arriving for the last period and attending basketball practice.
“I can speak for Porter that he enjoyed it,” John Gustin said. “He wished he was feeling better during the visit. He would’ve liked to be in a little better spirits to see him. He (Bielema) sat down and had a good conversation with Porter and he was able to talk back and forth with coach Smith on the defensive side of things and develop a little bit of a relationship there. So all in all things went very well I would say for Porter and myself.”
Porter Gustin and his family are devout Mormons. The decision on whether he’ll go on a mission is uncertain.
“That’s still under consideration,” John Gustin said. “He had always kind of planned on that. Both my wife and I went, but he’s also considering the option of if he starts making an impact right away as a freshman and a lot of playing time and maybe works his way into a starting position, he may just focus on football and just bypass that option.”