Arkansas offensive line target Curtis Dunlap Jr. felt right at home after officially visiting Fayetteville on Saturday and Sunday.
“Oh man, it was amazing,” Dunlap said. “These guys showed me the true meaning of family. This is a family oriented place. I like it a lot. They have a lot of respect for each other in their building’”
Dunlap, 6-5, 363 pounds of IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida committed to Florida in July and is considering the Gators along with three other schools.
“Arkansas, Mississippi State and Oregon are the main other ones I’m looking at right now,” Dunlap said.
ESPN rates Dunlap a 4-star prospect, No. 7 offensive guard and No. 123 overall prospect in the nation. He worked out at center during the The Opening, the prestigious summer event in Oregon that showcases the top 160 top prospects in the nation.
His host for the trip was Razorback freshman running back Maleek Williams, a Florida native.
“When we met up it was as if I already knew him,” Dunlap said. “We’re were just chilling and hanging out as if I already knew him. We had fun. Everybody was just cordial. We all had a great time. It was just a nice vibe.”
The visit opened Dunlap’s eyes to other possibilities and helped the Hogs’ efforts in trying to land him.
“It showed me like there’s other places where I can go that can give me the same home feeling,” Dunlap said. “It doesn’t have to be right at the back door.”
Despite Dunlaps’ pledge to Florida, offensive line coach Kurt Anderson stayed in communication and was able to convince him to visit.
“He’s a real dude,” Dunlap said. “He’s so smart on the board. He’s a great coach and I feel like I can develop here. I want to go to the NFL and I feel like playing under him would help me get watched. He’s been there and he can teach me everything I need to know. I think it’s good timing.”
Dunlap’s mother had dinner with the Arkansas coaches Saturday night and also came away impressed.
“She loved it,” said Dunlap, who has more than 40 scholarship offers. “They’re some really good guys. This is a really good program.”
The Hogs are recruiting him to play guard, but Dunlap could also play center and tackle.
“I can play it all, I just want to get on the field however I can do that,” Dunlap said.
The sparse Homecoming crowd, announced at 61,476, didn’t seem to faze Dunlap.
“The atmosphere was nice,” he said. “They were telling me it was a homecoming game, but the atmosphere wasn’t like it usually is. It’s way more than that. It paints a picture because that was a pretty big crowd and it paints a picture that there can be more.”