University of Arkansas Coach Sam Pittman, defensive coordinator Barry Odom and cornerbacks coach Sam Carter helped separate the Hogs from other schools pursuing freshman cornerback Keuan Parker.
“They were completely honest from the first time we visited up to his commitment and til now,” Parker’s father, Dwayne Whitaker, said. “They were the most consistent basically.”
Parker, 5-11, 175 pounds, of Tulsa Washington picked the Razorbacks over scholarship offers from Oregon, Baylor, Nebraska, Michigan State, Kansas, Iowa State and others.
Parker At a Glance
POSITION Defensive Back
HEIGHT/WEIGHT 5-11, 175 pounds
HOMETOWN Tulsa, Okla.
HIGH SCHOOL Washington
BIRTHDATE Born Oct. 10, 2002 (18 years old)
NOTEWORTHY Tom Lemming 4-star-plus recruit, ESPN 3-star prospect. … He had 96 tackles, 6 interceptions and 2 forced fumbles in three seasons. … Former high school teammate Gentry Williams is major 2022 target for the Hogs and an ESPN 4-star prospect.
He visited Fayetteville several times during the recruiting process, but his only visit with Pittman as Arkansas’ head coach came on March 7 of last year. The NCAA enforced a dead period six days later because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The Arkansas coaches let Parker know they needed his services.
“They’re trying to turn the program around,” Whitaker said of Arkansas’ selling points. “On the defensive side they want faster guys. Keuan fit what they were looking for.”
He credits Carter’s ability to connect with his son for being a major reason why Parker inked with the Hogs.
“I think it was coach Carter’s consistency in talking to Keuan every day and making sure to let us know he was a No. 1 priority,” Whitaker said.
Carter, who will turn 31 years old Oct. 30, is one of the best coaches when it comes to communication, according to Whitaker.
“I’ve probably dealt with over a 150 college coaches in helping kids in the past, and I’ll put coach Carter in at least the top three how he communicates every day,” Whitaker said. “It’s not just football with coach Carter.”
While others focused on football during the recruiting process, Carter was more than that.
“Coach Carter never really talks about [football], it’s about life,” Whitaker said. “It meant more.”
Whitaker’s relationship with Carter is also top-notch.
“I can call coach Carter and I know he’ll pick up the phone,” Whitaker said. “If he doesn’t and he’s busy, he’ll give me a call back.”
Parker’s friendship with Arkansas sophomore defensive back Myles Slusher also made Parker feel comfortable becoming a Hog.
“Myles Slusher being there helped out a lot, too,” said Whitaker, who coached Slusher in high school. “Their relationship is kind of like a best friend’s type of relationship.”
Parker reported to Fayetteville at the end of May for the first summer session while also taking part in summer workouts with Arkansas’ strength and conditioning coaches.
“He’s loving it, “Whitaker said. “He’s adjusting to a big change in his life which every freshman coming from high school does. Coming from a team where you’re the number one guy on the team and then going to college you got to fight and crawl everyday for a position Get noticed and get seen is the biggest adjustment.”
Teams avoided throwing Parker’s direction as a senior. He recorded 20 tackles, a tackle for loss, an interception and one forced fumble in seven games.
He had 45 tackles, a sack, 14 pass breakups and 2 interceptions as a junior.
Time management is often one of the more challenging parts of being a major college athlete. Parker is experiencing the demands of being a SEC football player.
“Being at the field all day long,” Whitaker said. “Waking up early. So many meetings, how physical practice is. So the biggest thing for him so far is just adjusting and getting use to it.”