Little did we know back in June just how important summer prospect visits were going to be in the big picture of Arkansas’ 2022 grid recruiting class.
The Razorback staff brought in 21 of its so far 23 official visitors during that month, something that turned out to be vital, because the home schedule would provide only one night game.
That night game, most optimal for in-season official visitors, was a 40-21 win over Texas on Sept. 11, when the last two of this recruiting cycle’s official guests were on hand.
The success of2019 current pledges in the 2022 class on campus during the month of June.
That’s a vast difference from the 2021 Razorback signees, most of whom didn’t get the chance to take official or unofficial visits to Fayetteville due to the covid-19 pandemic and a prolonged NCAA dead period.
It also prevented Arkansas coaches from being able to be on the road recruiting.
“It was big deal for us,” Pittman said of his staff’s work this summer. “If you look at our first class, maybe the first time we were able to look at them and really saw some of our guys, was the day they checked into the (housing) quad, because we couldn’t get out.
“This year having that opportunity was big and I think you are going to see less mistakes made in recruiting. You will be able to see more diamond-in-the-rough type guys from those you have on campus (and) you (can) feel a lot better about that than maybe what their tape even looks like. We are able to video them and things of that nature.
“I think having this summer was very, very big for us.”
Pittman and his staff talked this week about their summer 2022 camp plans.
“We have been talking about it and you have to talk about recruiting, because recruiting is work and it is a daily deal,” Pittman said. “We talked a little bit about camp (Tuesday) and setting it up and how can we increase the number of student-athletes on campus.
“We are talking about whether that is some type of team camp, which we didn’t have last year, but we need to, or maybe less 7-on-7 and more individual-type camps.”
Much has been made of a report about how Arkansas was the only SEC football program that did not have an official visitor on its campus in October.
The Razorbacks played at Georgia, at Ole Miss, in Little Rock and one game in Fayetteville. The lone on-campus game was at 11 a.m. and didn’t allow time for prospects to get in before kickoff.
That was less than ideal for Pittman, but he shrugged it off earlier this week.
“Ideally, if you want to recruit, the time would be a night game like Texas (was),” Pittman said. “And then unless a guy is just adamant that he wants to see a game or he is so far away, and he says, ‘Hey, I want to see the atmosphere,’ we would rather bring them in during December if we could.”
Pittman explains a December (or January) visit allows coaches more time to spend with the prospects and their family.
“That’s simply because you get 48 hours with the parents and the young man,” Pittman said. “The parents have earned that right to be on that wine-and-dine education-type visit. You can’t really do it that way because of a game, because of prep going for the next week. You do the best you can, but they get a lot better experience if you can wait until December. But kids aren’t doing that right now.
“We do have a few guys that we are trying to get in here in December now, but most of our official visits are over.”
Arkansas does have a 3 p.m. Saturday game with Mississippi State and Nov. 26 meeting with Missouri set to kick off at 2:30 p.m.
“We addressed that last week and we are trying to get as many recruits as we can in here for Mississippi State,” Pittman said. “We would anyway, but simply because of what (reasons) you just spoke about. I think we have a pretty fine list working right now to get the recruits here at 3 o’clock.”
Among this weekend’s unofficial visitors include three rated as 4-star junior prospects. They are Many, La., linebacker Tackett Curtis (6-2, 218); Baton Rouge (La.) Scotlandville junior quarterback Czavian Teasett (6-3, 190); Deatsville (Ala.) Holtville tailback Drew Pickett (5-10, 185); and Pearland (Texas) Shadow Creek 4-star sophomore safety Maurice Williams (6-2, 190).
Converse (Texas) Judson 3-star junior wide receiver Anthony Evans (6-0, 160), Ellenworth (Ga.) Cedar Grove junior linebacker Everett Roussaw (6-2, 215) and St. Louis (Mo.) Christian Brothers College sophomore wideout Jeremiah McClellan (6-1, 165) are also expected to be in Fayetteville this weekend.
Pulaski Academy junior defensive end Ramelo Bell (6-4, 230) is visiting along with a pair of linebackers – Shiloh Christian’s Kaden Henley and Fayetteville’s Mani Powell.