National recruiting analyst Tom Lemming of CBS Sports Network rates the University of Arkansas' recruiting class the 18th best in the nation and No. 7 in the SEC.
The Wednesday additions of three-star defensive tackles Cameron Ball, 6-5, 303 pounds, of Atlanta Tri-Cities, and Jalen Williams, 6-3, 310, of Jones (Miss.) College, helped the class get inside the top 20.
Lemming, who has been covering the national recruiting scene since 1978, rates five Arkansas signees four-star prospects.
Running back A.J. Green, 5-11, 193, of Tulsa Union, recorded a wind-aided 10.38 seconds in the 100-meter dash as a freshman, and a personal best of 21.46 seconds in the 200 as a sophomore.
“He’s one of the fastest kids in Oklahoma,” said Lemming, who rates Green a four-star-plus prospect. “One of the more athletic guys in the country.”
Green picked Arkansas over Texas, Baylor, LSU, Michigan, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, South Carolina and others.
Receiver Ketron Jackson, 6-2, 185, of Royse City, Texas, is a four-star prospect that chose the Hogs over Texas, Alabama, Ohio State and numerous others.
“Explosive, real good hands, confident,” Lemming said. “He’ll contribute as a true freshman.”
Lemming is a fan of Wynne offensive lineman Terry Wells, who he rates as a four-star recruit.
Wells, 6-4, 306, was the first to pledge to the Hogs for the 2021 class. He did so over offers from Kansas, Arkansas State and Southern Mississippi on Feb. 1.
“A real good athlete, great feet,” Lemming said. “You could play him at guard or tackle. He’s real versatile.”
Lemming rates tight end Erin Outley, 6-4, 256, of Little Rock Parkview, a four-star recruit, and cornerback Keuan Parker, 5-11, 170, a four-star-plus prospect.
“He’s a quick-twitch athlete,” Lemming said of Parker. “You could tell that in him right away. He’s a confident cover corner. I think he’s a ball player that could contribute as a true freshman.”
Parker had offers from Oregon, Baylor, Nebraska, Michigan State, Kansas and others. Outley picked the Hogs over Florida State, LSU, Texas A&M, Tennessee and others.
Offensive linemen Devon Manuel, 6-9, 292, of Arnaudville (La.) Beau Chene, and Cole Carson, 6-6, 290, of Bogata (Texas) Rivercrest, are three-star prospects.
Lemming travels the nation about six months and logs about 50,000 miles each year to see prospects. When in Oklahoma, he heard the name of defensive tackle Solomon Wright, a three-star prospect, from high school coaches numerous times.
“His name popped up a lot because of his relentless style of play, aggressiveness and more importantly his production,” Lemming said.
He compares Wright, 6-1, 280, of Vian, Okla., to undersized Los Angeles Rams defensive lineman Aaron Donald.
“The reason Penn State, Notre Dame and Ohio State didn’t go after him was he was 6 foot,”Lemming said of Donald, who landed at Pittsburgh.
Lemming rates running back Javion Hunt, 6-0, 204, of Oklahoma City Carl Albert, and quarterback Lucas Coley, 6-2, 205, of San Antonio Cornerstone Christian, three-star-plus prospects.
“He can run, he can throw,” Lemming said of Coley, who had 30-plus offers. “He’s very athletic and productive.”
Hunt picked Arkansas over Nebraska, Ole Miss, Virginia Tech, Texas Tech, Baylor and others.
“He’s solidly built,” Lemming said. “He has real good vision and balance, and he has surprising power. He can break tackles.”
Lemming rates receivers Jaedon Wilson, 6-3, 177, of DeSoto, Texas, and Bryce Stephen, 6-1, 165, of Oklahoma City Marshall, as three-star-plus recruits.
“The whole staff at DeSoto thinks he’s going to be a big-time ball player,” Lemming said of Wilson.
Linebacker Chris Paul Jr., 6-1, 235, of Cordele (Ga.) Crisp County, is a three-star-plus recruit.
“He’s a thumper,” Lemming said of Paul. “I would say he’s the most underrated linebacker in Georgia.”
Cornerback Chase Lowery, 6-0, 183, of Frisco, Texas, and safety Jermaine Hamilton-Jordan, 6-0, 203, of Kansas City Lincoln College Prep, are listed as three stars by Lemming.
“He’s very athletic, and he plays against the best competition in the metroplex,” Lemming said of Lowery.
He believes Hamilton-Jordan has a high ceiling.
“He’s not scratched the surface of his potential,” Lemming said. “He’s one of those type kids.”