The Recruiting Guy

More on Weathersby

Offensive lineman Toby Weathersby.

— In Sunday’s Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, highly recruited offensive lineman Toby Weathersby cited Arkansas Coach Bret Bielema and offensive line coach Sam Pittman’s track of putting linemen in the NFL for wanting to visit.

“That’s a big ups, because that right there puts you above the teams you look at in certain situations,” Weathersby said. “If you’re putting O-lineman in the NFL like that, that’s where I want to go. That’s been my dream since I was younger. Hey, I’m going to look into you more.”

Weathersby, 6-5, 290 pounds, 5.0 seconds in the 40-yard dash, of Houston Westfield pans to officially visit Fayetteville Jan. 16 and then make trips to LSU and Ole Mss before deciding.

He was committed to Texas, but reopened his recruiting Dec. 15.

Like I said once before, I can’t see myself there anymore and when you feel that in your heart it’s that time to make that decision,” he said.

He and Bielema have talked often, but the dead period and the Hogs’ preparation for the Texas Bowl slowed that down.

“Since it’s a dead period, I haven’t really been able to talk to him,” Weathersby said. “But when I do talk to him he’s just catching up with me. He’s ready to meet me face-to-face and things like that.”

The school that gives him a home feeling will be the college he likely attends.

“Once I step on the campus and I feel like it’s home like out here I’ll go about like that,” Weathersby said. “I want to be comfortable wherever I’m at.”

Pittman has told him about Arkansas’ offensive line situation and how he would have an opportunity to play early.

“He was just telling me that right tackle, he’s leaving and they're losing five seniors,” Weathersby said. “Once he told me that, that’s like blood. That’s like smelling blood. Whoever I have to beat it doesn’t even matter. That’s with all the schools so It doesn’t matter to me, I’m going to take a spot.”

Weathersby gets excited when talking about football.

"When you talk about football ,I just get like this,” he said. “Because any other time, I don’t like talking. I’m just to myself, but when I talk about things like this it just fires me up.”

Off the field, Weathersby likes to interact with kids.

"I like the little ones because seeing their smile and they look up to you, it’s just something about them,” Weathersby said. “I can’t even explain.”

He also sees himself as a role model.

“I try to be, try my best to be one,” Weathersby said.