University of Arkansas football Coach Sam Pittman's methods have one of the nation's top offensive linemen planning a visit to Fayetteville during the first week of April.
ESPN four-star offensive tackle Kingsley Suamataia got to know Pittman while attending a Georgia football camp last year. He's looking forward to seeing Pittman and meeting offensive line coach Brad Davis.
Kingsley Suamataia highlights
"Coach Pittman made a great impression on me when I camped at Georgia, and he offered me at the camp," Suamataia said. "Coach Davis sounds like he knows his stuff. I want to see what Arkansas feels like."
Suamataia, 6-6, 292 pounds, of Orem, Utah, received his scholarship offer from Arkansas on Feb. 12 to go along with others from Alabama, Oregon, Georgia, Florida, LSU, Michigan, Ohio State, Southern Cal, UCLA and numerous others.
Pittman and his wife Jamie made a strong impression on Suamataia during his Georgia trip.
"When I met Coach Pittman, he was able to speak to me about what I need to improve on as a player, but also as a person," Suamataia said. "He and his wife were great, and he teaches and coaches with sincerity that I can feel."
ESPN rates him the No. 10 offensive tackle and No. 81 overall prospect for the 2021 class.
He's getting to know Davis.
"Don't know too much about coach Davis, but if he's recommended by Coach Pitt, than I'm willing to listen," Suamataia said. "He sounds like a good guy when I talked to him on the phone."
Suamataia's uncle, Waqa Damuni, was the associate director for academics at Arkansas for five years until leaving in 2013 to go back to his alma mater of Utah State.
"He loved Arkansas and worked with Coach Pitt," said Suamataia, who has a 6-8 wingspan. "He said nothing's better than the people in Arkansas."
Hearing his uncle talk so highly about Arkansas carries weight.
"Real big. We are big on family and sounds like Arkansas is about that," said Suamataia, who has a 405-pound bench press. "I've known my uncle Waqa my whole life and trust what he says."
Other schools on his list to visit include Texas A&M, Texas, Oklahoma, Virginia and maybe Penn State. Suamataia, who has a 3.8 grade-point average, was nominated as a Junior Academic All-American.
He's unsure what he'll study in college, but he is looking into engineering.
"I like to build things, just like the smell of cut wood and new homes," he said while laughing.
Growing up in Laie, Hawaii, fueled his interest in building.
"I grew up on the beach in Hawaii. We built a lot of sand stuff and bridges and tunnels to let the water go through," Suamataia said. "That's still home to us."
Email Richard Davenport
at rdavenport@arkansasonline.com
Sports on 03/08/2020