FRISCO, Texas -- Junior linebacker Alston Orji is equipped to handle the attention of being a highly recruited prospect thanks to his parents.
Orji, 6-2, 223 pounds, 4.7 seconds in the 40-yard dash of Rockwall, Texas, has 16 scholarship offers from schools such as Arkansas, Michigan, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Texas, Texas A&M, Vanderbilt, Nebraska, TCU and others. ESPN rates him a four-star recruit, the No. 6 outside linebacker and the No. 159 overall prospect.
His father, Willy, a computer engineer, moved to the United States from Nigeria in 1987 while his mother, Mariam, a general surgeon specializing in minimally invasive and robotic surgery, arrived in 1996.
"My parents keep me grounded," Orji said. "They make sure I realize there's time for work. There's time for decisions, there's time for interviews, and they prepare me for interviews. Let me know what to say, what not to say, give a set of guidelines and help guide me through this course of life."
Orji, his parents and his brother, Anfernee, who's a sophomore for Rockwall and an Arkansas safety target, visited Fayetteville for the Hogs' 31-10 victory over Florida last fall. A return trip to the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville is in the works.
"Some time soon. I'm just trying to make sure I cover all the schools I haven't really been to yet," Orji said. "Then I'm going to try and make sure I get out to show love to the schools I've been talking to for a while and keep up those relationships."
The Hogs' two commitments for the Class of 2018 -- quarterback Connor Noland of Greenwood and linebacker Bumper Pool of Lucas (Texas) Lovejoy -- also visited Fayetteville for the Florida game and were able to mingle with the Orjis. The pledges have been recruiting the prized linebacker aggressively.
"They're very persuasive," Orji said. "They let me know how the coaches feel about me and how the campus looks every time they go down there."
Pool, Alston Orji and Anfernee Orji competed in the Dallas Nike Football The Opening Regional on Sunday. Pool, who was named the linebacker MVP of the event, took advantage of the opportunity to talk to Alston.
"Talking about how he ended up committing there [Arkansas], the childhood school of his," Orji said.
His parents' emphasis on academics has rubbed off on the Orji siblings. Alston Orji plans to major in business.
The Razorbacks were the first school to offer Alston Orji and his brother.
"That was insane for us to find out we both have the same first offer and the thought we could end up going to the same school," Orji said. "Going to school together has always been a thought we've always had from when we were young."
Angling for a visit
Razorback defensive coordinator Paul Rhoads is working hard to get a visit from safety Josh Proctor, who received a scholarship offer from the Hogs in January.
"We've been talking quite a bit," Proctor said. "He's started talking to me after I got the offer. He just wants me down there to visit and see how it is."
ESPN rates Proctor a four-star prospect, the No. 13 safety and No. 177 overall prospect. He's unsure whether he'll make his way to Fayetteville.
Proctor, 6-2, 190, of Owasso, Okla., has other scholarship offers, including Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Ohio State, Texas, Michigan, Georgia and Nebraska. He's cousins with former Hogs cornerback Jared Collins but that doesn't appear to be an asset.
"I really haven't talked to Jared, honestly," Proctor said. "I haven't seen him in a while."
He visited the Hogs for a spring game two years ago, but his knowledge of the program is limited.
"I really don't know a lot," he said. "I'm not going to lie to you, but I've always looked at them."
Email Richard Davenport at rdavenport@arkansasonline.com
Sports on 03/10/2017