A couple weeks after receiving a scholarship offer from Arkansas, junior college receiver Jonathan Nance orally committed to the Hogs on Tuesday.
He told lead recruiter and receivers coach Michael Smith first before calling Coach Bret Bielema.
“They were excited and they were glad to have me,” Nance said.
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Nance, 6-1, 181 pounds, 4.44 seconds in the 40-yard dash, of Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, chose the Hogs over scholarship offers from Colorado State and Troy, while also drawing interest from Florida, Georgia, Arizona State, Iowa State, Memphis and numerous others.
His relationship with Smith and the chance to play in the SEC were the deciding factors, he said.
“First, I talk to Coach Smith every day and I just had to take an advantage of that because it’s an SEC offer and I’ve never really had anything like that,” Nance said. “They showed me a lot of love and I believe Arkansas will be the best place. They were always telling me how it was going to be and keeping it real with me.”
Nance signed with Southern Miss in 2015 out of Gulfport, Miss., and enrolled early, but left after the spring after being moved to defensive back.
He plans to graduate in December and enroll at Arkansas in January. He said Bielema expects him to play right away.
“He said I’m a mature receiver and he wants me to come in and start getting ready once my season is over with in December,” said Nance, who recorded 31 receptions for 400 yards and 3 touchdowns this past season.
Arkansas has also offered scholarships to highly regarded receiver Brandon Martin, defensive end Isaiah Buggs and offensive lineman D’Marcus Hayes at Mississippi Gulf Coast. Nance said he’s going to recruit the other three.
“I’m going to start today,” Nance said.
He is Arkansas' ninth oral commitment for the 2017 class. Oral commitments are nonbinding.