Southwest Elite 7-on-7 Showcase

Curtis fell in love with Arkansas right away

— Jenks, Okla., standout and Razorback cornerback commit Jordon Curtis (5-11, 180 pounds) recently fell in love and he is planning on having a long-term, committed relationship.

It came when he first stepped foot on the University of Arkansas campus.

“The first time that I went there and visited, I just fell in love right away and I was so impressed with how the coaches worked with the team,” Curtis said Friday while participating in the Southwest Elite 7-on-7 Showcase. “I also really liked how they were so into academics and helping that out in addition to sports.

“I worked hard to get that offer from Arkansas and once I did, I just committed right away,”

Jenks head coach Allen Trimble, whose team won its pool with a 6-1 mark on Friday, said the Razorbacks are getting a young man that is a winner both on and off the field.

“He is a Jenks lifer and has played for us his whole career,” Trimble said. “He has been a three-year starter at corner for us and last season as a junior came in and played great on offense as well.

“I have always thought that he was going to be a great corner. That’s his skill set, but he is also very dynamic with the ball in his hands.

“He is a great kid and very unselfish. I think he much prefers offense, but he knows our team really relies on him as a lockdown corner and he has gladly played both.”

Jenks won its first two games by a combined three points, but then reeled off its next four wins by a combined 58 points.

“We started off kind of slow, but we just tried to wake up and get into it,” Curtis said. “We got it going and started reeling off some wins and playing well.”

Curtis rushed for 781 yards and 12 touchdowns, caught 14 passes for 308 yards and had 22 tackles with two interceptions last season as Jenks won its fourth straight state title.

“Mainly I have just been playing defense today,” Curtis said. “You know 7-on-7 isn’t really a running back thing anyway.”

“I have been playing running back all my life, but since I got to high school I have been playing corner, too, and I just continue to learn more about it all the time and try to really get good at it because I want to be a lockdown defender ns compete at the next level.

“We like him, he has a great sense of humor, is coachable, comes from a great family and it exciting. We haven’t had a kid go to Arkansas in awhile and with the new coach they have done a great job and are working hard over there to try and land our kids.

“It is very exciting to have one that close so we can go watch him.”

Curtis noted that Arkansas defensive coordinator Robb Smith made him a priority and he enjoyed working Razorback secondary coach Paul Rhodes at a camp in June.

“Robb Smith was actually the one that recruited me and he has spent a lot of time with me, talking to me and stuff and I really like that,” Curtis said. “That is another reason why I committed.

“I have met Coach Rhodes and all the coaches. He has taught me a lot of things that I didn’t even know honestly. After he taught me those things, I went on the field at a camp and did what he taught me and it really worked out well.”

Arkansas is also recruiting Jenks tight end Reese Leitao (6-4, 230) - the son of DePaul head basketball coach Dave Leitao – but the Razorbacks have not offered him as of yet.

“Reese is my brother and we both are just really working hard and trying to make a name for ourselves,” Curtis said. “I would love for him to come to Arkansas, but I don’t know what he is going to do.”

Trimble was recently diagnosed with ALS, something that Curtis says that motivates the team to make it five in a row and 14 overall for its head coach.

“Actually we have a little bit more motivation considering what Coach Trimble is going through,” Curtis said. “We will have that in our minds while we are out there competing.”