FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas has put itself firmly in the race for 4-star U.S. Army All-American quarterback Malik Hornsby, who is ranked ninth by ESPN among dual-threat quarterbacks.
Hornsby (6-2, 175 pounds) concluded his official visit to to Fayetteville on Sunday, and the Missouri City (Fort Bend Marshall), Texas, native said he liked what he saw.
"For the last couple of days that I've been at Arkansas, the visit has been great,” Hornsby said. “I enjoyed myself, my family enjoyed themselves. I'm looking forward to talking to (Razorback offensive coordinator Kendal) Briles more often.”
Hornsby, whose list of potential destinations is down to Arkansas, Baylor, Texas A&M and Purdue, has a relationship with Briles that goes back four years to when Briles was coaching at Houston.
"That relationship means a lot,” Hornsby said. “As everyone knows, Coach Briles has been recruiting me since I was a freshman and he was at UH. I've been the quarterback he's wanted for the longest, now I've only got two weeks left in my recruiting process.”
Florida graduate-transfer quarterback Feleipe Franks enrolled at Arkansas last week, a development that Hornsby says is a plus for the Razorbacks.
"It actually helps,” Hornsby said. “Like I said, I want to come in and play. But if I don't, if it's not like that I wouldn't mind learning from him."
Hornsby’s host at Arkansas was receiver Treylon Burks and he said the visit helped Arkansas “in all ways.”
“He's a great guy, he's fun to be around,” Hornsby said of Burks. “He's honest. We just enjoyed ourselves. He wasn't really being a recruiter, just building a relationship.”
He also enjoyed visiting with Arkansas coach Sam Pittman.
"He's funny,” Hornsby said. “He's a good guy, very outspoken and he's honest…The highlight of the trip was being in the stadium at nighttime when it turned red."
Hornsby has now taken official visits to North Carolina, Purdue, Texas A&M and Arkansas, and has plans to visit Baylor next weekend.
Baylor recently lost its coach, Matt Rhule, to the NFL’s Carolina Panthers and hired former LSU defensive coordinator Dave Aranda as his replacement.
"I guess everything goes through a change,” Hornsby said. “I knew Coach Rhule a lot. I guess I'll have to see when I go on the visit how it's going to be.”
Hornsby, who went 25-3 as starter over the last two seasons while amassing more than 5,000 yards of total offense with four interceptions, plans to announce his decision on Feb. 5, the national signing date.
In addition to playing in the U.S. Army game, Hornsby also played in the Polynesian Bowl in Hawaii.
“I enjoyed myself," he said. "It was my first time in Hawaii, but that flight there and back killed me."