FAYETTEVILLE — DeWitt 2022 tight end Dax Courtney had a wealth of college options and plenty of time to make a decision, but he is already certain what he wants his future to look like.
Courtney (6-6, 212 pounds) committed to Arkansas on Saturday, joining Greenland defensive end JJ Hollingsworth (6-4, 250) as in-state juniors pledged to the Razorbacks in the junior class.
Courtney chose Arkansas out of his 17 offers, which included Penn State, Michigan State, TCU, Purdue, Baylor, Kansas, Kansas State, Vanderbilt, Memphis and Arkansas State. Razorbacks head coach Sam Pittman and tight ends coach Jon Cooper played a factor in his decision.
“Man, it’s the home state and Coach Pittman has been known for tight ends and I was just getting support from everyone (at Arkansas),” Courtney said. “I really like (Cooper). He just seems down to earth like the rest of their staff and is just a great guy to talk to.
“I was looking for a great coaching staff that is known for tight ends, that I can see them winning in the future and just a place I feel comfortable at, one I can go there and support me in my decision.”
Courtney, who had 36 catches for 623 yards and seven touchdowns as a sophomore, announced his decision in a video that included DeWitt fans.
“DeWitt has been the ultimate supporter of our football program, not just for me, but for everybody on the team,” Courtney said. “To make them feel a part of my decision and where I am going, I just wanted them to feel like they had accomplished something, too, and give them something to root for.”
Courtney helped lead DeWitt to a 7-5 record last season, its first state playoff berth in 19 years and first playoff win in 40 years.
He and his teammates have worked hard during a spring and summer that has been strange due to covid-19.
“Really not much changed with me during the pandemic other than not going to school,” Courtney said. “It actually gave me more time to get in the weight room and more time to run. We worked really hard this summer and it didn’t even feel like we worked that hard because we couldn’t come to the fieldhouse and had to work out on our own.”
DeWitt head coach Mark Courtney, Dax's father, is happy with his son’s decision to play for Pittman.
“I think a lot of Pittman, I really do,” Mark Courtney said. “I have known him from a position coach to now a head coach. The one thing I have asked from these coaches is honesty, which in the recruiting world is not always there.
“Pittman has always been honest with me and he has got a lot of connections. I talk to several people who are close to the program that have been around more and you just don’t hear a bad word about him. I honestly think it is because he is transparent. What you see is what you get.
“That is a lot like myself and Dax. Be careful what you ask Dax because is fixing to tell you. Pittman is the same way.”
Courtney, whose team opens its season by hosting Stuttgart on Aug. 28, knows that Pittman has connections with NFL brass.
“Pittman has put a lot of people in the league. I think he has a lot of pull with the GMs and with the scouting directors in the NFL,” Mark Courtney said. “If Dax is fortunate to play four or five years and have a great career at Arkansas and they call Pittman, he has that relationship and will say, 'You better get on this kid.'
"I’m sure they will, whether it is Dax or anyone else.”