FAYETTEVILLE — John David White's decision to become a preferred walk-on on Tuesday spotlights a continuation of what is going right in recruiting at Arkansas.
White (5-11, 175 pounds, 4.5) of Pulaski Academy joins Searcy offensive lineman Drew Vest (6-5, 290), who is on campus this semester as an early enrollee, as two of the state’s best prospects this season who will follow their dreams to play at Arkansas and turn down offers elsewhere.
Arkansas is still hopeful to add several more preferred walk-ons in the 2019 class, including Tulsa Union kicker Noah Rauschenberg, who received offers from both Baylor and Houston on Monday and will visit those schools the next two weekends.
He also added an offer from Tulsa on Tuesday night.
All of that came after a weekend unofficial visit to Arkansas and meeting with Razorbacks head coach Chad Morris.
“Arkansas is still at the top of my list because I have developed a great relationship with Coach Morris and the Arkansas coaches,” Raushenberg said Tuesday. “I am going to visit Baylor this weekend and then Houston the next weekend and then make a decision. I really like Arkansas a lot and they have great facilities and I think are going to have a great future."
He is ranked as the eighth-best prep kicker by Chris Sailer Kicking and 11th by Kohl's Kicking.
As a senior, Rauschenberg was 10-of-16 on field goals with a long of 54 yards, while hitting two 53-yarders and going 3-of-5 on kicks of 50 yards or more.
He was also 64-of-66 on PATs, with one blocked, and had touchbacks on 50 of his 66 kickoffs, with an average boot of 67.95 yards for the Redskins (11-3).
“I have a great time when I am visiting with the Arkansas coaches and that means a lot to me and my family,” Rauschenberg said.
NCAA Division-I programs can have 85 players on scholarship, but the success of a program is about more than those guys, said Mark Smith, an Arkansas assistant.
“It’s not just about the 85 that are on scholarship,” Smith said last season. “You can look at every roster in the country and see guys that are making an impact on teams that started out as walk-ons.”
“We evaluate those guys just as thoroughly as some who are on the 85-scholarship roster. We are excited about those walk-ons, too.”
White caught 86 passes for 1,732 yards and a state-leading 30 touchdown passes this past season. He had offers from UCA, Tennessee-Martin, Air Force and Ouachita Baptist, and preferred walk-on offers from Missouri and Oklahoma State.
He was one of three Arkansas preferred walk-on candidates who took official visits last weekend along with the Dallas Highland Park duo of wide receiver Finnegan Corwin (5-10, 165) and defensive back Hudson Clark (6-1, 180).
Corwin had 77 catches for 1,520 yards and 15 touchdown as a senior. He had 12 catches for 142 yards and a touchdown in the UIL 5A Division 1 state championship game - a 27-17 win over Shadow Creek.
Clark had 40 tackles, 8 interceptions and 6 pass deflections as a senior on a 16-0 Highland Park team that won its third straight state title.
Shiloh Christian offensive lineman Logan Kallesen (6-3, 295), Greenwood defensive end Morgan Hanna (6-4, 220), Jonesboro linebacker Logan Orr (6-2, 220) and Springdale quarterback Grant Allen all are preferred walk-on candidates that visited Arkansas on Monday.
Hannah (6-4, 220) has preferred invites from the Razorbacks, Alabama and TCU.
Hannah, who had 90 tackles, 19 tackles for loss, 8 sacks, 12 quarterback hurries and a recovered fumble in his senior season, will visit TCU this weekend and Alabama the following weekend.
Arkansas Tech, Henderson State, OBU, Missouri Southern and McPherson College have offered Hannah.
Arkansas offered a preferred walk-on spot Tuesday to Collierville, Tenn., St. George quarterback Spencer Smith (6-1, 180).
Smith passed for 2,229 yards and 21 touchdowns this past season while also rushing for eight more scores at the school that also produced Razorback tailback Chase Hayden. He has offers from UT-Martin and Western Illinois.
Arkansas has also offered preferred walk-on spots to quarterbacks Jovoni Johnson (6-5, 220) of Conway and Darius Bowers (6-1, 190) of Fayetteville.
Four other players known to have gotten PWO offers are Memphis Briarcrest tight end Richard Hunt (6-7, 232); Gardner, Kan., Edgerton offensive lineman Jake Steward (6-5, 305); Cabot safety Zhane Harper (6-0, 170); and The Woodlands, Texas, deep snapper Luke Rizzo (6-2, 220).