When it comes to recruiting high school student-athletes, it's no secret the approval of momma is very important in trying to land a prospect.
In the case of Brandy Zimos, the mother of University of Arkansas outside linebacker commitment Zach Zimos, she was won over by the Hogs along with her husband Scott.
"At Arkansas, they just made me feel comfortable as a parent," Brandy said. "They just checked all of the boxes."
The younger Zimos, 6-4, 215, 4.59 seconds in the 40-yard dash, of Richmond (Texas) Travis, chose the Hogs over scholarship offers from Missouri, Texas Tech, California, Purdue, Boise State, Houston and others on July 28.
Brandy accompanied Zach on his four official visits to Arkansas, Missouri, Purdue and Texas Tech while Scott had to miss the Purdue trip due to work obligations.
"It was really good for me to be able to help him run a pros and cons list and kind of look at everything from a different perspective," Brandy said.
Arkansas was their first visit on June 3-5 and it didn't take long for Coach Chad Morris to make her comfortable.
"I didn't know what to expect at first," Brandy said. "That first morning when we're at breakfast and he comes and sits down right next to me and just starts talking. A friend of mine said, 'Well, were you nervous?' And I said I really wasn't because he just made me feel comfortable. I felt like he was like one of Zach's high school coaches in a sense. Like he knows Zach and he was coming to say 'hey.' "
Mrs. Zimos said defensive coordinator John Chavis, safeties coach Ron Cooper, cornerbacks coach Mark Smith and the staff also made her feel at ease.
"I just feel like they went above and beyond," Brandy said. "They weren't always trying to sell us. It was more about getting to know us. We talked about where we've lived in the past and pets and vacations and things like that."
The staff covered all aspects of life as a student-athlete at Arkansas.
"There was somebody there to answer any question that we might of thought of," she said.
The family atmosphere created by Morris and his staff also swayed Zach and his parents.
"Everything about Arkansas just felt right," Brandy said. "I know a lot of people, whether it be in a football program, or a college or a job for that matter, they throw around the word family, but it really did just feel like that. When we walked away from the official visit, the one word we kept coming back to was it just felt real there."
"I feel like today I could pick up the phone and call Coach Morris and ask him a question and not be intimidated because he's a head football coach or feel weird about it. So it felt very real and felt very comfortable and I feel very good about the fact that Zach has decided to go there."
The Zimos family made their way back to Fayetteville for the Wooo Pig Nic cookout on July 27 that featured numerous other top prospects. The next day Zach publicly pledged to the Hogs.
Youngest daughter Avery, 15 was able to attend the cookout and soon felt the hospitality her parents and brother had previously experienced.
"Coach Cooper was talking to her about softball and just making her feel comfortable," Brandy said. "For a 15-year-old to talk to a football coach, you think that might be intimidating, but she just sat there and chatted with him and he said 'Hey, let me see one of your videos.' "
The passion and support of Razorback fans are often mentioned by recruits and their families during visits. For Brandy, the fans added to her comfort level about her son's decision.
"The fan base there is amazing," Brandy said. "The love he's getting on Twitter and social media. Just even now when he's here and he's wearing Arkansas gear people say 'Woo Pig Sooie' from across the store. They're all over and they're just so positive and so excited and for him to be a part of that in another year is just fun. You can just feel the love not just from the coaches and the players but the whole community and the whole state and that's exciting, too."
While recently scanning Twitter, Brandy saw where Brenda Tracy spoke to the Razorback football team about being sexually assaulted in 1998 by four men, three of them college football players.
Brandy, who researched Tracy's story and watched a video of her experience, is appreciative of Morris' efforts to mold his players into men.
"It kind of just hit me, these are things that Zach is going to be exposed to and have these thought-provoking conversations because of football," she said. "It's more than just football. It's more than just academics, it's about life and someone continuing to mold my son and that's huge. You can't ask for more than that."
Email Richard Davenport at rdavenport@arkansasonline.com
Sports on 08/24/2018