It’s rare for Arkansas to produce two top-notch offensive line prospects in the same year, but that’s the case with juniors E’Marion Harris and Andrew Chamblee.
ESPN rates both Harris and Chamblee as 4-star prospects.
If they signed with the Hogs, it would be only the second time two 4-star, in-state offensive linemen have done so since the inception of recruiting services. Brey Cook of Springdale Har-Ber and Mitch Smothers of Springdale were 4-stars when they inked with Arkansas in 2011.
Harris, 6-6, 305 pounds, of Joe T. Robinson is no stranger to the recruiting process. Alabama extended a scholarship offer to him the summer before his freshman season. Texas State and Arkansas also offered him as a freshman.
Coach Sam Pittman reoffered Harris on Jan. 17. He has more than 20 other offers, including Oklahoma, Tennessee, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, TCU, Texas A&M and Miami.
He’s looking to narrow his list around midseason.
“Maybe to 10, and after that I’ll narrow down to five,” Harris said.
Coaches can’t make direct contact with junior prospects until Sept. 1, but recruits can call coaches on their own. He said Missouri, Tennessee, Arkansas and Baylor are recruiting him the hardest, with the Hogs and Tigers standing out among the four.
The son of former Razorback defensive lineman Elliott Harris is communicating with Pittman, offensive line coach Brad Davis and many others at Arkansas.
“They have me talking to the whole staff,” Harris said. “Getting to know every coach.”
Pittman and Davis make him feel like a priority.
“They tell me they need more O-linemen my size and are able to move,” Harris said.
ESPN also rates Harris the No. 32 offensive tackle, No. 261 overall prospect and No. 2 recruit in the state. He said the Hogs play up the chance for Harris and Chamblee to anchor the line in Fayetteville.
“They say we could be two of the top tackles up there,” Harris said. “Him on one side and me on the other.”
His father, who played for former coach Houston Nutt in 2001-04, urges his son to remain humble.
“My dad told me not to get too big headed and just stay focused on high school for now and everything else will fall in place in the future,” said Harris, who last visited Fayetteville on Feb. 1.
Unlike most prospects, Harris isn’t on social media much.
“I really don’t see myself being on [social] media showing everybody what I do,” he said.
Chamblee, 6-6, 290, of Maumelle has 14 scholarship offers from schools such as Arkansas, Virginia Tech, Tennessee, Mississippi State, TCU, Missouri, Kansas and others. He’s in the process of trying to narrow his list.
He and Davis are communicating on a regular basis.
“We tend to stay in touch every week or so,” Chamblee said. “I think we have really good conversations.”
Music, football and family are topics Chamblee said they discuss. He’s learned Davis is pretty diverse in his taste of music.
“He says he can do all music,” Chamblee said.
After a Feb. 1 trip to Fayetteville, the Hogs were at the top of his list. He said that’s not the case now.
“Not really, but they’re up there with a few schools though,” he said.
His mother Sheri is a big Razorbacks fan, but she doesn’t try to influence her son’s decision.
“She thinks I could help them win, but winning isn’t gonna come from one person, it’s gonna come from dedication, effort and teamwork,” Chamblee said.
Pittman and Davis have stressed a couple of things to him.
“There’s one thing as a coach I can’t teach you, which is effort,” he said. “You gotta want it and work yourself until you become the best you can.”