Texas prep Horace could be Arkansas' next answer at TE

Allen Horace, Jeff Traylor

— With Arkansas tight end Cheyenne O’Grady entering his senior season, Crockett, Texas, tight end Allen Horace knows the Razorbacks are looking for someone to take the place of the likely future NFL draft pick.

Horace (6-6, 220), a consensus three-star prospect who finished with 29 catches for 462 yards and nine touchdowns as a junior, took a step toward being that guy this weekend with an official visit to Fayetteville.

“It's good, it's great, it was fantastic,” noted Horace, who had taken an unofficial visit to Arkansas in early March. “The city is just nice. Like last time, the whole environment."

Horace is a huge Dallas Cowboys fan and has set the goal of playing for his favorite team after his college career.

The fact that Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is a former Razorbacks player and current booster whose family’s name adorns the school’s student success center is not lost on Horace.

“Big fan of Jerry Jones,” he said. “I'm a Cowboys fan, heavy. We're all (his family) Cowboys fans. I usually have a star in my pocket.”

Much like Razorbacks 2019 tight end signee Hudson Henry has done the last few years for Pulaski Academy, Horace lined up as more of wide receiver than a traditional tight end.

“My strengths are catching the ball and getting open,” Horace said. “Something I need to work on is my blocking. I wasn't a blocker, more of a receiver."

Arkansas coach Chad Morris and Razorbacks tight end coach Barry Lunney Jr. are pushing hard for a pledge from Horace.

"Arkansas is heavy with me,” Horace said. “It’s up there. Pretty hard, pretty hard. They took me to Chad Morris' house."

Horace has offers from Arkansas, Nebraska, Baylor, Texas Tech, Houston and Oklahoma State and interest from Texas and Texas A&M, two schools he has visited unofficially.

Arkansas, Texas Tech, Baylor, Houston and Nebraska are his top five as of now.

He likes the vibe Lunney is putting out during the recruiting process.

"He's cool,” Horace said. “I like that he's not uptight. He's normal. He doesn't act like a jerk or anything."

While the Razorbacks were just 2-10 in Morris’ first season, Horace feels like something special is happening at Arkansas and discussed that with wide receiver Trey Knox, who was his host this weekend.

"Trey Knox, he's a pretty cool kid,” Horace said. “Me and Trey Knox talked about that. There's something special happening."

Horace has also taken an unofficial visit to Texas Tech and compared it with Arkansas, which had a cold spell this weekend.

"It's a lot colder,” Horace said. “The facilities are kind of the same, but the coaches are different."