Fort Pierce (Fla.) John Carroll junior prep defensive end prospect Wilky Denaud got his first look at Arkansas the past two days.
“It was definitely a different weather climate, just coming from Florida,” Denaud said. “This was kind of a straight heat, no wind. But I definitely like the scenery, all the mountains. It’s a different part of the country.”
Denaud (6-3, 245 pounds), a class of 2023 prospect who has 16 offers, is being recruited by Arkansas special teams coordinator Scott Fountain, who has ties to the area.
“When he first offered me (May 18), he was trying to get me to come up here right on the spot,” Denaud said. “I told him we could probably make something happen in the summer. Me and Coach Fountain and the other coaches got together and made it happen.”
Foutain has developed a strong relationship with Denaud.
“He was definitely one of the reasons I came up here. He’s talking to me constantly. I’d say we talked about once or twice a week,” Denaud said. “ He’s just asking me how I’m doing, how is life going, all those things. I feel like it’s a good relationship between me and him.”
The visit to Arkansas was an informative one for Denaud.
“It definitely helped me,” Denaud said. “Just trying to narrow my list down of schools I haven’t seen, this one is off the list now because I’ve kind of seen the area. I came in last night and it was nice seeing the view on the way to the hotel.”
Denaud has offers from Arkansas, Florida, Mississippi State, Miami, South Carolina, Penn State, Nebraska and others.
He has been on a visit tour since on-campus recruiting opened up on June 1. For more than a year prospects were not allowed to be hosted on campus.
Denaud said he has been to Florida, Mississippi State, Georgia and Georgia Tech.
“I’m just trying to see how things going around in the facilities, how things look, how things are being done there," he said. "Just the environment, the characteristics of the coaching staff, things like that.”
He is anxious to visit as many places as he can this month after a year curtailed by the coronavirus pandemic.
“I’ve kind of used this time to try to get around now because during quarantine time, everyone is on virtual Zooms, FaceTime, those things,” Denaud said.
“But now I get to see them in person and it’s a big difference.”
He enjoyed working in camp Friday with Arkansas defensive line coach Jermial Ashley.
“He was most definitely a good person,” Denaud said. “ He helped me work on some things that I could do better and some things he likes.
“Some things I need to work on are my stance, some moves that I can make, more of my hip work and those type of things I can do better.”
Denaud had 56 tackles, 17 tackles for loss and 9 sacks as a sophomore.
John Carroll finished 11-2 last season and made the regional finals, but lost several graduates off that squad.
“We most definitely have a younger group (now),” Denaud said. “I was part of an older group, I would say, when I came in as a freshman playing varsity. The team was junior, seniors. I would say we have a younger group coming back.”
After a month of sprinting around SEC states, Denaud is ready for some rest.
“I’m probably going to try to go out to a few more camps, but then after that I’m going to settle down,” Denaud said.
He visited Arkansas along with Fort Pierce Central 2022 defensive end Gabriel Jacas (6-4, 240) and Vero Beach, Fla., 2023 wide receiver Vandrevius Jacobs (6-1, 160).
“Right now I have 10 offers,” Jacobs said. “My latest were from Florida State and Miami. I’m hoping to get one from them (Arkansas). You never know. Time will tell.
“Florida State has been my dream school since I was a kid, so that was mind-blowing when I got (that offer). But I would love an offer from Arkansas.”
Jacas has offers from Mississippi State, Tulane and Georgia Southern.