FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas cornerback pledge Malik Chavis (6-2, 185, 4.43) of Rison is not a politician, but he does have a platform.
“The new Arkansas is a firm statement that we’re going to change Arkansas,” Chavis said of the Razorbacks’ 2019 recruiting class. “We’re going to change Arkansas, make it new, make it great again.”
Chavis, whose high school team is 11-0 after hammering Hoxie 50-19 in the opening round of the Class 3A playoffs on Friday, is one of 24 Razorbacks pledges in a 2019 class ranked 10th nationally by Rivals.
He was one of four official visitors in Fayetteville among a group of some 80 total recruits that saw No. 9 LSU down Arkansas 24-17 on Saturday night.
“Being with the other recruits and commits was the best part. There were a lot of us up here,” Chavis said. “It was like a family reunion. It was really fun.”
The other official visitors were New Orleans (La.) Edna Karr cornerback Devin Bush (6-0, 187), Harvey (La.) Jefferson cornerback and Mississippi State commit Greg Brooks, Jr., (5-11, 175) and Dodge City (Kan.) Community College linebacker and Tennessee pledge Lakia Henry (6-1, 225).
Bush committed to the Razorbacks on Sunday to join Chavis, Pflugerville, Texas, Hendrickson safety Myles Brooks (6-2, 190) and Murfreesboro (Tenn.) Blackman cornerback Adonis Otey (6-1, 180) as secondary pledges in the class.
“Hanging out with the other commits was a lot of fun,” said Chavis, whose team hosts Mayflower this week. “I think they like it here.”
Arkansas rallied from a 24-3 deficit at the end of the third quarter with a couple of fourth-quarter touchdown passes from quarterback Ty Storey to tight end C.J. O’Grady.
“I saw a team that didn’t quit. I liked that a lot,” Chavis said. “They’ve got some dog in them.”
Chavis, whose official host was safety Joe Foucha, committed to Arkansas on March 10 and was the third pledge for the Razorbacks in the 2019 class.
Chavis’ official visit solidified that commitment.
“My visit was good. I saw a lot of good things, so I definitely want to stay,” Chavis said.