FAYETTEVILLE — It would have been very easy to confuse Murfreesboro, Tenn., Siegel defensive end Joseph Anderson as a junior in college rather than a junior in high school when he was on the University of Arkansas campus on Sunday.
Anderson, a chiseled 6-4, 264-pound athlete who is ranked as a four-star prospect and the 145th player nationally overall by ESPN, has 22 offers so far and was getting his first look at the Razorback program.
“The staff here at Arkansas has made me a big priority for them and let me know how much I am wanted,” Anderson said. “We have a really good relationship. I came down here and didn’t expect it to be the way it was. It is much better than what I thought it would be. They are really high on my list now.”
Anderson got an offer from Arkansas on Jan. 31 to go along with ones from Alabama, Georgia, LSU, Clemson, Michigan, Ohio State, Notre Dame, Penn State, Tennessee, South Carolina, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Georgia Tech, Kentucky, Louisville, Memphis and numerous others.
Four of those offers - Mississippi State, Ole Miss, Tennessee and Vanderbilt - came after he started on the high school offensive line as a ninth grader.
He is getting most of his recruiting attention on defense and feels good about his ability.
“I do well with my hands and have good technique,” Anderson said. “I can rush the passer, I’m agile, I’m strong, I can move. I can always improve every day, but I think there are a lot of things that I am good at.”
Current Arkansas and former Tennessee defensive line coach Steve Caldwell has developed a nice rapport with Anderson.
“He just told me to keep working, keep doing what I do and we will continue to develop our relationship,” Anderson said. “I want to get my parents down here and he just wants me to end up coming here.”
The trip to Arkansas was one of many he has taken since his season ended.
“I have been to South Carolina, Notre Dame, Tennessee, Clemson, Alabama and Vanderbilt,” Anderson said.
He has a tentative timeline about when he will be ready to make a decision.
“Probably end of spring to mid-summer is when I am going to make my decision,” Anderson said. “This helped Arkansas a lot.”