The Recruiting Guy

Hope's Agim eager to announce, focus on football

Hope defensive end McTelvin Agim (left) goes through practice on Thursday, Aug. 20, 2015, in Hope.

Highly sought defensive end McTelvin Agim of Hope will reveal his college choice at 2 p.m. Saturday during a family reunion at his grandmother's house in Texarkana.

"I think he wants to focus on the senior season and kind of be left alone, even though he won't be left alone," Hope Coach Jay Turley said. "At least the pressure of people asking him where he's going and all that will be over with."

Agim, 6-3, 268 pounds, 4.62 in the 40-yard dash, has more than 20 offers from schools but will choose from between Arkansas, Baylor, Texas A&M and Ole Miss. He is one of the most highly regarded defensive prospects to ever come out of the state.

ESPN rates him a five-star recruit, the nation's No. 9 overall prospect and the No. 2 defensive end, but the recruiting process and the general interest in where Agim will end up in college have become tiresome.

"Everywhere we go that's what everybody wants to know, where he's going," Turley said.

Agim has a 3.6 grade-point average and plans to graduate in December to enroll in college in January. He also has said he is ready to start recruiting other prospects to the school of his choice.

"I think wherever he goes he wants to try and get the best people around him to help be successful in the program," Turley said.

'ARKANSAS TYPE' GUARD TO VISIT

Arkansas Coach Mike Anderson and his staff are expected to host Jaylen Fisher, a top point-guard prospect from Arlington (Tenn.) Bolton, for an official visit this weekend.

Fisher, 6-2, 185, had more than 20 scholarship offers before narrowing his list to Arkansas, Baylor, Indiana, Memphis, UNLV and LSU on Aug. 4.

ESPN rates him as the nation's No. 7 point guard and No. 34 prospect. His ranking is even more impressive considering he was hurt most of the summer while playing for Memphis-based Team Thad.

"He'll actually be on crutches this week," Team Thad Coach Norton Hurd said. "He was playing with a torn meniscus throughout the summer."

Fisher had surgery shortly after playing in the Adidas FAB 48 July 23-26 in Las Vegas.

"He had some good games, but he wasn't just exploding by everybody and showing he's the fastest guard in the country," Hurd said. "That's what he brings to the table. ... He's kind of an Arkansas type of guard. He's the best defensive guard in the country."

Memphis, Indiana, UNLV and Baylor are scheduled to receive official visits after Fisher's trip to Fayetteville.

"He's a big-time ball player," Hurd said. "He's going to bring leadership and make his teammates better wherever he goes."

Hurd said Fisher has been talking to Anderson and assistant T.J. Cleveland.

"They're great guys," Hurd said. "I have a good relationship with them as a well as Jaylen. I've always liked Coach Anderson's work over the years. T.J. Cleveland has done a great job of recruiting him. He might even be closer with Coach Cleveland than Coach Anderson."

Fisher plans to make a commitment this fall.

Small forward Cameron McGriff, 6-7, 210, of South Grand Prairie in Texas and his mother will arrive this afternoon for an official visit.

He has approximately 15 offers from schools that include Arkansas, Oklahoma State, Miami, SMU, Houston and Oklahoma. ESPN rates him a four-star prospect, the nation's No. 19 small forward and the No. 96 overall recruit.

RECRUIT MUSCLES UP

Arkansas commitment T.J. Hammonds and his Pulaski Robinson teammates kick off the season tonight at Bauxite.

It was a year ago that Hammonds began to show the talent that eventually led Arkansas and numerous others to extend scholarship offers.

The improvement Hammonds showed from his sophomore year to his junior season is the most of any prospect I've reported on, and came from an intense offseason with strength and conditioning coach Brian Maupin, who also coaches Robinson's linebackers.

"The jump that TJ made is special," Maupin said. "He's a strength and conditioning coach's dream come true. He dove into the weight room and the classroom like few players I've ever seen."

Hammonds, 5-11, 200, 4.42, rushed 58 times for 852 yards and 7 touchdowns and caught 41 passes for 1,172 yards and 11 touchdowns. He had 19 unassisted tackles, 1 forced fumble and 1 recovered fumble as a defensive back.

He orally committed to Arkansas over scholarship offers from Georgia, Arizona, Oklahoma State, Arizona State, TCU, Vanderbilt and others in April.

Maupin said Hammonds made sizable gains in the weight room this past offseason.

"He's a lot stronger," Maupin said. "He's a 300-pound bencher, a 400-pound squatter. He's put the work in in the weight room."

Hammonds is expected to play mostly at running back but also will see time at split end.

"He hasn't lost a step," Maupin said. "He may be even a little faster."

E-mail Richard Davenport at

rdavenport@arkansasonline.com

Sports on 09/04/2015