FAYETTEVILLE -- Arkansas extended two scholarship offers Saturday following its Advance Camp, which featured more than 150 prospects.
Tight end Grayson Gunter, 6-5, 218 pounds, from Madison Central High School in Mississippi earned an offer after impressing Razorback coaches by running the 40-yard dash in 4.58 seconds and performing well in drills and 7-on-7. It is the second offer he has received from an SEC school. Mississippi State is the other.
Gunter said the Hogs and Bulldogs are his top schools and he believes he will make a decision soon.
"I'm going to go home and talk about it with my family, but we really like it up here a lot," said Gunter, who had 21 receptions for 232 yards as a junior.
Gunter has 13 offers. Others who have offered include Arkansas State, Florida Atlantic, Tulane, Louisiana Tech and Memphis.
Highly regarded defensive end Lagaryonn Carson of Texarkana (Texas) Liberty-Eylau didn't even have to work out at the camp to receive an offer from the Hogs.
Carson, 6-5, 260, visited Arkansas while several of his teammates participated in the camp. The offer was his ninth. Texas, Texas A&M, Alabama, Baylor, Oklahoma and Tennessee are among other schools that have offered.
"I like it up here," said Carson, who has been timed at 4.61 and 4.72 seconds in the 40-yard dash. "I have seen a lot of good things up here and they have a nice coaching staff. I think this will be in my top schools."
Carson praised the Arkansas coaching staff.
"They have made me feel at home, like I have been here for years even though I haven't even been here yet," Carson said.
QB IMPRESSES
Conway quarterback Breylin Smith, 6-2, 184, received an invite to be a preferred walk-on at Arkansas.
"I think every kid wants to be a Hog and play in Fayetteville," Smith said. "It's real cool and an honor to get that."
Smith, who has scholarship offers from the University of Central Arkansas and Southeastern Missouri State, passed for about 2,220 yards and 24 touchdowns with 4 interceptions as a junior.
CLOSING IN ON OFFER
Fort Smith Northside athlete Kiondre Thomas performed well and appears to be on the verge of receiving a scholarship offer after Saturday's camp.
Thomas, 6-0, 172, was timed in the 40-yard dash in 4.37 and 4.38 seconds at the camp.
He said the Hogs want to check his transcripts and if they come back good then an offer will be coming. He said he's confident he is good to go academically.
Thomas is orally committed to Louisiana Tech. Others that have offered include Mississippi State, Minnesota and Tulsa.
TATUM LIKES HOGS' PITCH
Offensive lineman Marcus Tatum of Daytona Beach (Fla.) Mainland has seen his share of scholarship offers, and he said he likes how Arkansas went about the process with him.
"They wouldn't offer me until it went through the offensive coordinator, the head coach, and that really means a lot to me," said Tatum, who hopes to visit Fayetteville in July. "The offensive coordinator and the head coach looked at my film and they know who I am personally."
Tatum, 6-6, 255, has more than 20 offers from schools that included Alabama, Florida, Miami, Auburn, Ole Miss and Nebraska. He said his coaches also were impressed by the Hogs' offer.
"They have always talked to me about who really wants you and who's offering you just to offer," Tatum said. "If a coaching staff actually meets about you, they really want you."
All of the Arkansas coaches direct messaged him Friday on Twitter.
"I really appreciate it," he said. "Just a blessing to have coaches wanting me in their program, and it feels good knowing that all the coaches know me."
He's not sure when he'll make his decision.
"I'm definitely not waiting until February," Tatum said. "I know that for a fact."
RECEIVER IMPRESSED
Receiver Kofi Boateng of Arlington (Texas) Lamar visited Fayetteville on Monday and liked what he heard about the Hogs' offense.
Boateng, 6-1, 180, 4.6 seconds in the 40-yard dash, has more than 25 scholarship offers from schools that include Arkansas, Ole Miss, Wisconsin, Arizona State, Washington and Kansas.
He spent time with Arkansas Coach Bret Bielema, offensive coordinator Dan Enos, running backs coach Jemal Singleton and receivers coach Michael Smith.
"They were giving me the whole thing that's going down with Arkansas," Boateng said. "How they're changing up the offense and how they're throwing a little bit more, but also keeping it run-orientated since they have two stud running backs."
Boateng toured the facilities and learned more about the engineering department. One thing stood out.
"The way everybody is like family there," Boateng said. "You can tell there's nobody just about themselves. It's all about the team."
He said the trip helped the Hogs' chances.
"It kind of boosted them up with me," said Boateng, who said he'll likely take an official visit to Fayetteville.
LINEBACKER LIKES UA
Arkansas linebackers coach Vernon Hargreaves secured the commitment of Florida linebacker Alexy Jean-Baptiste earlier in the week and is trying land another Florida linebacker.
Donavan Thompson, 5-10, 215, 4.69, and Florida State defensive end commitment Keir Thomas, 6-2, 245, 4.7, of Miami Central visited Fayetteville on June 5-6.
"I got chance to see what it's like in Arkansas and what the program has planned for me," Thompson said.
Thompson said Arkansas' athletic and academic facilities were impressive and that he thought about committing to the Hogs during the trip.
"I thought about it, but I'm going to give it some time to think about it with my family and my position coach," Thompson said.
Defensive coordinator Robb Smith gave Thompson a rundown on how the Hogs would use him.
"The biggest surprise of my visit was when Coach Smith showed me how I fit in their defensive scheme," Thompson said. "So far Arkansas is the only college that showed me how they'll use me."
Email Richard Davenport at
rdavenport@arkansasonline.com
Sports on 06/21/2015