University of Arkansas freshman offensive lineman Beaux Limmer reported to Fayetteville on May 28 weighing 25 pounds heavier than he did during his senior season in high school.
Knowing his playing weight of 270 pounds as a senior would not cut it in the SEC, Limmer went to work in the weight room and watched his diet after the season.
Beaux Limmer at a glance
CLASS Freshman
POSITION Offensive lineman
HEIGHT/WEIGHT 6-5, 295 pounds
HOMETOWN Tyler, Texas
HIGH SCHOOL Tyler Lee
AGE 18 (Birthdate June 10, 2001)
NOTEWORTHY ESPN three-star prospect, No. 75 offensive tackle and No. 104 prospect in Texas. … Tom Lemming three-star-plus prospect. … As a senior, graded at 91 percent and had no sacks allowed. … Chose Arkansas over Oklahoma State, Baylor, Vanderbilt, SMU, Tulsa and others.
"He did it the right way," Tyler (Texas) Lee Coach Kurt Traylor said. "He watched what he ate. He trained the right way. He took care of his body. He was checking his body weight percentage."
The UA coaches are looking for even more from the 6-5 Limmer.
"They've mentioned 305 to 315 [pounds]," he said.
Limmer committed to the Hogs on March 8, 2018, over scholarship offers from Oklahoma State, Baylor, Vanderbilt, SMU, Tulsa and several others.
"I got a couple of offers after I committed from Oklahoma and [Texas] A&M and a few small schools, but I didn't want to post anything or tell anybody about them because I was fully committed," Limmer said. "A few schools were still in contact, but I just told them I wasn't interested.
"I didn't visit any other places because Fayetteville is the number one city in the SEC to live in."
Limmer knew his future playing days would be in Fayetteville after watching spring practice during a visit a few days before he made his commitment public.
"As soon as I walked off campus after our trip after practice was over, I told my mom and dad that was where I wanted to be," he said. "Pretty much the first time I was there. I took a couple of days just to make sure."
His father and mother approved of his decision because of the vibe they received from Coach Chad Morris, offensive line coach Dustin Fry and associate head coach Jeff Traylor, who recruits east Texas.
"They were real pleased with Arkansas," Limmer said. "They knew when I was up there I was going to be in good hands."
Prior to reporting to Fayetteville, Limmer had a 400-pound bench press, 295-pound power clean and squatting 455 pounds. His father, David, is a big reason for his love of the weight room.
"His dad is a big, big ex-power lifter," Kurt Traylor said. "He loves to lift weights."
The increased weight hasn't hurt his athleticism.
"I still feel pretty light on my feet," Limmer said. "Other than a few stretch marks here or there, I really haven't noticed a difference."
Before making his way to Arkansas, Limmer started preparing to play center.
"Coach Fry said I need to be snapping a lot for center," Limmer said. "They told me when I first got recruited I would be interior."
The adjustment from playing tackle to center is not new for Limmer, who played two games at center after an injury to the line as a senior.
"Coach told me I had to play on Tuesday, so we went two days in pads in practice to get my snap down, and I think I was 80% perfect snaps, so it wasn't too bad," he said.
Kurt Traylor, who's the younger brother of Jeff Traylor, has coached several college offensive linemen, including Daniel Jenkins of Missouri, Jacob Jenkins of Oklahoma State and Jami Hightower of Texas A&M.
He let Limmer know as a sophomore that he could become a Division I-caliber prospect if he dedicated himself.
Limmer had several offers, but Oklahoma State became his first Power 5 offer in February of 2018.
Limmer and his mother, Susan, sat in Kurt Traylor's office in disbelief and humbled by the offer from the Cowboys.
"She was sitting in the chair crying like a baby," Traylor said. "It was like they were in shock and didn't know this was going to happen. I said, 'Well, I told him if he did things the right way and worked hard, good things are going to happen.'
"Beaux is sitting there silent. He doesn't say a word. Just smiles, shakes his head and agrees with it."
He believes Limmer has the ability to play as a freshman.
"He's got the physical tools to come in to play, but now he needs the knowledge and the experience to jump right in there to start fighting," Traylor said. "He's got all the tools from his athletic ability to his knowledge to his toughness."
The low-key Limmer cherishes the chance to impose his will on defenders.
"It's that opportunity to completely embarrass somebody," Limmer said. "Just dominate, run over somebody. You don't ever get to do that at receiver, quarterback or anywhere else."
Kurt Traylor said Limmer flips the switch when he hits the field.
"He's a silent warrior," Traylor said. "He won't rah-rah you, but when that ball snaps, there's something that flips on him that you can't bottle."
For Limmer to see the field as a freshman, he'll lean on Fry's experience as an offensive lineman at Clemson and several years in the NFL. He and Fry already have a personal connection.
"One of the main reasons is how we get along," Limmer said. "We both have the same sense of humor in movies and TV shows. Every time he would come over, we would talk about something off The Office and Dumb or Dumber or something like that."
The Hogs recruited Limmer the hardest.
"I wasn't even committed yet," Limmer said. "They really made me feel like I was important, and no other schools did that."
Kurt Traylor said Limmer has strong character.
"Number one, he's loyal," Traylor said. "Number two, he's appreciative of everything you do for him and he understands it. He gets it."
Sports on 07/02/2019