FAYETTEVILLE — It turns out there are only nine early enrollees for Arkansas.
Razorback head coach Bret Bielema said Saturday afternoon that Arizona Western tight end Jeremy Patton (6-6, 248) had to remain at his junior college another semester.
“I think the biggest thing is that we had nine kids join us at the semester – seven high school kids and two junior college players – that are here and in classes and going to work and will be with us during spring ball,” Bielema said.
“Obviously we don’t have one – Jeremy Patton, who will join us in the first summer one (session) in June. He will not be here this first semester, but will be with us after that.”
Arkansas is hosting 13 official visitors this weekend with 22 signees or commits already in the fold.
That leaves two or three spots.
“Obviously we have a week left in recruiting and we get down to our numbers it always gets intense,” Bielema said. “You have a wish list, but obviously with a certain number of spots, scholarship numbers and preferred walk ons and different things could happen here in the last week and a half so it is a very challenging week that we have in front of us.
“We have a big group in this week so we are juggling that.”
There is a possibility of the NCAA approving a 10th assistant coach by June, but Bielema thinks it more likely will be added next January.
He has some ideas of how he might use the additional coach.
“Everybody is going to have their own opinion, but I would be shocked in that person isn’t involved heavily in special teams and defense for us because we already have five on offense for us,” Bielema said.
“There are a lot of things you can do, but I think the name of the game is recruiting so I have thought a lot about how you might have a special teams coach that coaches corners and be involved in the game plan Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.
“But Wednesday night he could take the last flight out of XNA and go recruit on the road – live recruiting – and be a huge asset of being in a school, being in front of a coach and being at a high school game of your best prospects, but also be back for game day.
“There are a million different things and I think you will see a lot of variations of what those coaches will want to do.”