The 2022 Arkansas football recruiting class took a big step forward on Saturday when head coach Sam Pittman landed the pledges of two more of the state’s best junior prospects.
Little Rock Parkview three-star tailback James Jointer (6-1, 210) and Maumelle four-star offensive lineman Andrew Chamblee (6-6, 284) committed together at DI Training in Little Rock.
Jointer is aware his chances for collegiate success are enhanced if his blockers include Chamblee and Joe T. Robinson’s E’Marion Harris (6-7, 338), two top 300 prospects nationally.
“I know my ability to get first downs, touchdowns and game-changing plays is much better if I have guys like that in front of me,” Jointer said. “I am very happy Andrew committed as well and you can be sure I am going to do my best to get the other big guy as well.
“In fact, I didn’t know that I would be committing this early and they didn’t pressure me to, but I think the time is right for me. I feel like I can now help Arkansas football get back to where it was when they had all the good in-state recruits.
“I can now be a great recruiter for all the other great players we have in this class in state and guys from other states as well. That’s my plan because if we get the best, we can start putting up more wins.”
Jointer, Chamblee and Harris all have offers from a large group of top programs.
Jointer narrowed his list to eight schools with Arkansas, Florida State, Missouri, Tennessee, Arizona State, Utah, Michigan State and Purdue.
Chamblee had a final seven of Arkansas, Auburn, Florida, Ole Miss, Tennessee, Michigan State and Penn State.
Harris has schools such as Arkansas, Alabama, Georgia, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas A&M, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, Miami, Missouri, TCU and Memphis pursuing him.
“Our guys here in Arkansas have been blessed with a lot of great opportunities, but it is important that we get them all and I am going to do my best to make that happen.”
The public announcements of Jointer and Chamblee give the Razorbacks six pledges in the 2022 class, including four of the nine in-state juniors they have offered.
They join Greenland defensive end JJ Hollingsworth (6-4, 250), DeWitt tight end Dax Courtney (6-6, 210), Duncan (S.C.) Byrnes offensive lineman Eli Henderson (6-5, 290) and Ellenwood (Ga.) Cedar Grove athlete Rashod Dubinion (5-11, 180, 4.3) as verbal pledges for the Razorbacks.
Clarendon wide receiver Quincy McAdoo has committed to Florida State while Harris, Maumelle defensive end Nico Davillier (6-5, 275) and the Fayetteville duo of wide receiver Isaiah Sategna (5-11, 175) and linebacker Kaiden Turner (6-2, 220) remain as the other in-state offers uncommitted.
Arkansas was ranked 23rd nationally (sixth in the SEC) in the 247sports composite team rankings before the Saturday announcements.
To put that in context, LSU is second nationally (10 commitments), Georgia third (6), Texas A&M sixth (7), Missouri 14th (5) and Alabama ranked 19th (4).
It’s clear that Pittman’s staff recruited Jointer harder than the previous staff led by Chad Morris.
“One reason why I chose Arkansas is how much love and how hard they recruited me,” Jointer said. “They call or text me every morning, every day at noon and after practice.
“They (the old staff) didn’t recruit me as hard as some other schools did, but that all changed with Coach Pittman and his coaches. They all make me feel like I can be successful there, not only on the field, but off of it.
“I believe in what Coach Pittman and his staff are doing at Arkansas and I believe I can help them change the game there.”
Maumelle head coach Kirk Horton is impressed with how Pittman and offensive line coach Brad Davis have been recruiting Chamblee as well as Davillier.
“I think Coach Pittman and Coach Davis are both in it for the kids,” Horton said. “I think they are two of the most genuine people that I have ever talked to as far as recruiting goes.
“Coach Pittman and his staff are doing some great things in Fayetteville and I think part of it is they are very real with the recruits. They are on the phone with Andrew as much as they can be and I think they are genuinely in it for the kids and shoot straight with them.
“If he ends up there, I think he would be happy and it would be a great place for him.”
Little Rock Parkview head coach Brad Bolding, who had quarterback Landon Rogers and tight end Erin Outley both sign with the Razorbacks in December, echoes the realness being offered up by the Arkansas staff.
“That’s just a group of great coaches and great men who are as real and genuine with these kids,” Bolding said. “It comes across. If you are not, these kids can see right through you. It’s clear that Arkansas coaches are doing things the right way and it’s paying off for them.”