The University of Arkansas, Fayetteville began welcoming an impressive list of official visitors from five different states on Thursday.
Two Newton, Texas, teammates, running back Darwin Barlow and defensive back Josh Foster, are two of eight prospects visiting the Hogs.
Barlow, 5-11, 195 pounds, received his offer from the Razorbacks on Jan. 25 and has more than 20 other offers from schools like LSU, Nebraska, Ole Miss, TCU, Baylor, Oklahoma State and Missouri, among others.
Associate head coach and running backs coach Jeff Traylor was able to secure Barlow's first official visit.
"He told me to just come see the place," Barlow said. "He told me he would always be there. I didn't come to Arkansas, but he asked me to come because I'll never know if i didn't. I respect him as a coach because he's a great one and a great man so i didn't have a problem with that."
Barlow was a workhorse for the Eagles, rushing 205 times for 2,246 yards and 38 touchdowns for a 15-0 team that won the Class 3A Division II state championship. Being his first official visit, Barlow doesn't know what to expect.
"I really don't know what to feel or how to come in the visit," Barlow said. "It's all new to me. It's the first one, but I would just like to have a great time and hope it's a great experience, then we can see from there."
He plans to officially visit Oklahoma State next week and has plans to visit LSU and TCU while uncertain on his fifth visit. He has made unofficial visits to TCU, Houston, Texas and Baylor.
Foster, 6-2, 180, has 15 scholarship offers from Arkansas, TCU, Baylor, Houston, Utah and others.
"A lot of people have been telling me that it's a great school and it's real nice up there, so I just want to see for myself," said Foster of the Hogs.
Former Newton and Hog cornerback DJ Dean along with some of Barlow's coaches have talked up the Razorbacks.
"He said if I go up there I would love it," Foster said of Dean "He really enjoyed it while he was up there and it's real nice."
Foster, who's being recruited to play defensive back for the Hogs, completed 112 of 177 passes for 1,977 yards and 30 touchdowns while rushing 83 times for 553 yards and 15 touchdowns.
He plans to officially visit Utah next weekend. He also been talking to Traylor.
Others in Fayetteville
Others arriving in Fayetteville on Thursday were defensive line Carl Williams, 6-4, 300, of Lufikn, Texas, defensive end Mataio Soli, 6-3, 227, of Douglasville (Ga.) Douglas County, running back Marcus Major Jr., 6-0, 190, of Oklahoma City Millwood, wide receiver Shamar Nash, 6-2, 190, of IMG Academy, wide receiver Trey Knox, 6-5, 210, of Murfreesboro (Tenn.) Blackman and cornerback Bobby Wolfe, 6-3, 190, of Houston Madison.
Some of Williams' offers include Oklahoma, Baylor Ole Miss and Oklahoma State, while Soli has 30-plus offers, but has narrowed his list to Arkansas, Florida and Auburn.
Major has offers from Arkansas, Florida, Oklahoma, Michigan and numerous others. Nash is committed to Missouri but made an unofficial visit to Fayetteville on March 29 and is very high on the Hogs.
Knox, who is an ESPN 4-star prospect and the No. 41 wide receiver and 266 overall prospect in the nation, is expected to arrive today. Wolfe is a former Texas A&M commitment with family in Little Rock. He has more than 30 offers, including Arkansas, Texas A&M, LSU and Texas while being an ESPN 4-star prospect.
E-mail Richard Davenport at davenport@arkansasonline.com
Sports on 06/08/2018