FAYETTEVILLE — There’s always been some angst from Razorback football fans over the slowness of in-state offers handed out since head coach Bret Bielema arrived on Arkansas.
But Bielema and his staff prefer to do their due diligence during the recruiting process to be certain about in-state prospects so they will never have to pull an offer if something goes wrong down the line.
It’s a matter of being sure off the field and on it.
That played out again Sunday when the Razorback staff offered a trio of Arkansas high school prospects after its inaugural Trench Hogs camp for offensive and defensive linemen.
Those three were Jonesboro offensive lineman Noah Gaitlin (6-7, 300), Pulaski Academy offensive lineman Luke Jones (6-5, 290) and Springdale defensive lineman Isaiah Nichols (6-4, 275).
The Arkansas coaches love to see the prospects up close - their technique, going one-on-one against other top prospects, getting accurate heights and weights and seeing their agility and ability in person.
That means far more to them than highlight films and the some nearly 50 offers the three had accumulated before getting their ones from Arkansas.
Gatlin got a chance to work in front of Razorback offensive line coach Kurt Anderson at both the Memphis Mega camp as well as Arkansas' own camp.
He already had 17 offers from Arizona State, Texas Tech, Virginia, Mississippi State, Iowa State, Memphis and Indiana and others before Arkansas put one on the table.
Nichols’ Arkansas offer is his 14th one while Jones is now up to 16.
Arkansas simply can’t win in the SEC with in-state kids alone. The state’s population is just not big enough and the downturn in football numbers in the Little Rock School District is problematic.
It becomes very important to land all of the ones that can help put them over the top and to do that it takes great evaluation.
The Razorbacks have now offered seven in-state players in this class with pledges from Greenwood quarterback Connor Noland and Charleston safety Sean Michael Flanagan and offers out to highly-recruited Earle quarterback Gerry Bohanon and Ashdown defensive back LaDarius Bishop.
Every one of those kids has worked out in front of the coaches at an Arkansas camp.
It may be tedious at times, but Arkansas is very clear with the prospects up front.
It may be a saying that started in the NBA, but this really is a time to just Trust the Process.