Recruiting Guy

Texas athlete, Arkansas assistant bond

Arkansas defensive assistant coach Mark Smith catches a football during warmups prior to the Razorbacks' game against Mississippi State on Saturday, Nov. 17, 2018, in Starkville, Miss.

There are several factors for prospects in choosing a school, but the relationship between the recruit and lead recruiter is one of the more meaningful aspects.

University of Arkansas cornerbacks coach Mark Smith's tight bond with ESPN 4-star cornerback Dwight McGlothern Jr. has him planning to officially visit the Razorbacks.

Dwight McGlothern Jr. highlights

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"I have a great relationship with Coach Smith," McGlothern said. "He's a great coach and a great recruiter. He recruits me hard, very hard. He texts me almost every day. He'll text me when he has the opportunity. He puts in the time and the effort in recruiting me. He wants me bad. I give him the same love he gives me."

McGlothern, 6-2, 185 pounds, of Spring (Texas) Klein Oak has accumulated scholarship offers from Arkansas, Texas, Texas A&M, Alabama, LSU, Michigan, Georgia, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Georgia and others.

ESPN also rates him the No. 15 athlete and No. 216 overall prospect in the nation for the 2020 class. Smith's aggressive recruiting is very telling to McGlothern.

"It really tells me who's there and who's not," McGlothern said. "He's always been there. I'm just ready to get up there and see it for myself. Take it all in and hang out with him."

McGlothern planned to visit the Hogs for the Kickoff Cookout in July but was unable to make it. He intends to make his official visit to Fayetteville this fall.

"I don't know which game I'll go to, but I'm going to figure that out," McGlothern said.

He's also looking to officially visit LSU, Georgia, Southern Cal and Oregon. McGlothern recorded 26 catches for 751 yards, 8 touchdowns and 13 tackles and 3 interceptions while also returning 6 kickoffs for 192 yards for Cedar Hill (Texas) Trinity Christian as a junior.

McGlothern said his conversations with Smith aren't always football-related.

"We talk about family and what we like to do," he said. "He shares things about him fishing and I love fish. I love learning new things. He talks more than football stuff. We can have an hour conversation and not talk about football."

Smith talks up the Hogs while also bragging on his wife Michelle and three kids, Makenna, 15, Micah, 11, and Mailey Kay, 2.

"He also tells me about his family and I'm excited to get to meet them," McGlothern said.

McGlothern said he'll probably make his college decision at the All-American Bowl in San Antonio on Jan. 4 or at the end of his season.

In April, Fayetteville was named by U.S. News & World Report the best city to live in the SEC for the fourth consecutive year. Fayetteville was named the fourth best place to live which places it No. 2 among all Power 5 schools for the third consecutive year.

McGlothern mentioned the rankings as a big plus for Arkansas.

"That definitely does," he said. "I was looking at that hard, and I was like, 'Dang. That tells you something right there.' "

Before moving to the Houston area from the Dallas-Fort Worth area, McGlothern said he was able to get to know a relative of Coach Chad Morris.

"I knew Coach Morris' niece, and she was pretty cool," McGlothern said. "I know they always tell me great things about him and like when he was at SMU, he did good things. It takes time, but I feel like he'll get Arkansas where they want to be."

McGlothern, who has a 3.2 grade point average and is looking to major in communications or business, said he knows of Arkansas sophomore receiver Mike Woods, junior quarterback Nick Starkel and freshman safety Jalen Catalon.

"He likes it, he's getting a lot of reps," McGlothern said of Catalon. "Like he said, they're getting better and better."

Email Richard Davenport at

rdavenport@arkansasonline.com

Sports on 08/23/2019