Arkansas in top 3 for Lufkin safety Jerrin Thompson

Jerrin Thompson and Ja'Lynn Polk

— Arkansas is hopping to hit the Lufkin daily double in its 2020 recruiting class.

The Texas prep duo of four-star safety Jerrin Thompson (6-0, 172) and three-star wide receiver Ja’Lynn Polk (6-3, 185) were two of the 80-plus prospects the Razorbacks hosted on campus on Saturday.

Thompson, who has a top three of Arkansas, LSU and TCU, is scheduled to graduate early and enroll next January. Polk will be a spring graduate.

“I liked the visit,” Thompson said. “It was just a really smooth visit. I just liked the stadium, I liked the practice, how they went into things, how things started. It was just real smooth.”

Thompson got a chance to watch an Arkansas practice, look over facilities and talk with current Razorbacks about what it was that led them to play their college football in Fayetteville.

“Really the facilities, and then I liked when we talked to the players and hearing what made them interested in Arkansas, what made their decision,” Thompson said of the trip’s highlights. “That will just really help me in my process and things like that.”

Arkansas didn’t surprise Thompson because of what he had heard from Lufkin head coach Todd Quick, a former Arkadelphia assistant who took over at Lukfin after former Badgers coach John Outlaw’s death in 2012.

“Nah,” Thompson said. “My coach, he was telling me how they have nice stuff. I really wasn’t surprised. I was looking forward to seeing them and I really did like them.”

Thompson has offers from Arkansas, LSU, TCU, Oklahoma, Missouri, Arizona, Baylor, Houston, Texas Tech, Vanderbilt and others.

He had 95 tackles as a sophomore with seven pass breakups, four forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.


“They are in my top three,” Thompson said of the Razorbacks. “I am considering them very heavily. I can see that they are improving within their program.

“I like LSU, but I have never visited there. I just like those two and TCU.”

He might end up at the same place as Polk, who had 37 catches for 700 yards and 9 touchdowns as a junior and 40 catches for 667 yards and six scores as a sophomore.

Polk noted Saturday that Arkansas, Houston and Baylor are his top three.

“We have talked before,” Thompson said of he and Polk playing at the same college. “That might happen.”

Thompson plans to take an official visit to Arkansas this spring after April 1, when junior prospects can begin taking them.

“I am going to take an official (to Arkansas) in the spring,” Thompson said. “I would then make my decision before next season starts because I am graduating early.”