FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas put itself in position Thursday to add a redshirt sophomore kicker/punter who would be immediately eligible due to a new NCAA rule.
Former Virginia Tech specialist Jordan Stout (6-2, 195 pounds) was offered by the Razorbacks on Thursday and has plans to visit both Arkansas and Penn State before making a decision. Stout will have three years of eligibility remaining.
He would be immediately eligible under a new rule that allows walk-ons who are offered scholarships by another school to transfer without having to sit out a year.
Stout would likely make an immediate impact with the Razorbacks' kickoff team. He was fourth in the nation last season in touchback percentage (84.5), and 61 of 70 kickoffs were downed in the end zone.
He was in a competition with Brian Johnson for the Hokies' place-kicking role last season and went 2-for-2 in the Virginia Tech’s spring game while Johnson went 1-for-4. Johnson was Virginia Tech's top place kicker last season when he made 12 of 18 attempts.
Stout, who entered his name in the NCAA transfer portal on April 19, missed his only field goal attempt in 2018 and made both of his PATs. He did not punt last season.
Arkansas has already added the commitment of former Texas-San Antonio kicker Jared Sackett, but he will have to sit out 2019 because he was on scholarship at UTSA.
Sackett (6-1, 180), who will have two years of eligibility beginning in 2020, was 19-for-22 on field goals and 23-for-24 on PATs his freshman season.
The 19 field goals were a UTSA single-season record.
Sackett was 14-for-19 on field goals as a sophomore with a long of 51 yards.