The 80 or so prospects visiting Arkansas on Saturday heard of Sam Pittman being locked in with a contract extension at the beginning of the day.
ESPN 4-star offensive tackle Connor Stroh, 6-7, 355, of Frisco (Texas) Wakeland, made his third trip to Fayetteville and left feeling good about Pittman and the staff.
“Overall, just a very genuine group of guys that definitely feel like they are not going anywhere,” he said. “Definitely a sense of stability.”
Stroh has offers from Arkansas, Texas, Auburn, Florida, Ole Miss, Texas A&M, Florida State, Baylor, Colorado and other programs. ESPN rates him the No. 27 offensive tackle in the nation.
“It was a good day. Football-focused, for sure,” Stroh said. “I was able to meet early with Coach Pittman and (Cody) Kennedy, attend meetings, watch the scrimmage/practice and then finish with some film. The kind of visit I like.”
He also visited for Arkansas’ 31-28 victory over Mississippi State in November and the Jan. 15 Prospect Day.
Freshman offensive lineman Chauncey Gooden, 6-4, 315, of Nashville (Tenn.) Lipscomb Academy, had offers from Tennessee and Vanderbilt prior to visiting Arkansas and he left with an offer from the Razorbacks.
“I loved the facilities at Arkansas. I knew a couple of players that are on Arkansas and I know a coach. They made me feel really welcome. All around, I loved talking to everyone at Arkansas.
"I’m so glad Coach Kennedy and every other coach (in the room) offered me today. Had an amazing time.”
He knows Arkansas freshmen defensive backs Anthony Brown and Jaylen Lewis. Goodwin enjoyed his time with Kennedy.
“Amazing, funny, great vibe, coaches with passion. Really great coach to be around,” Gooden said.
Promising sophomore running back Aquavious Dunbar, 6-2, 210 pounds, of Lakeside High School in Lake Village, made his first visit trip to Fayetteville and was glad he did.
Running backs coach Jimmy Smith made him feel at home.
“Today was amazing,” Dunbar said. “I enjoyed the hospitality from the players and Coach Smith. I especially enjoyed the one-on-one interaction with the players. They were nice and open about practice and playing time.
"It was a great experience. Already trying to schedule my next visit on the Hill.”
Dunbar rushed 73 times for 870 yards – an 11.9 yard-per-carry average – and 17 touchdowns. He also had 47 tackles, 7 tackles for loss and 12 pass breakups at safety.
He is also drawing interest from Baylor, Arkansas State and Memphis. Smith did not expect Dunbar to look so impressive.
“He was surprised by my size,” Dunbar said.
Class of 2023 4-star receiver Ayden Greene, 6-1, 170, of Powell, Tenn., made his first trip to Arkansas
“I loved being here on campus and being able to meet the coaches and watch the scrimmage today,” he said.
He has offers from Arkansas, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, Mississippi State, Virginia Tech and other schools.
Defensive end/linebacker Caden Wiest, 6-4, 240, of Reed Springs, Mo., is an intriguing prospect who has a best of 23 seconds in the 200 meters. He has offers from Missouri State, Illinois State and Army.
“The people there were very nice and made me feel welcome,” Wiest said. “The facilities were outstanding to me. I enjoyed watching the practice. It was exciting. I love how they do things there.”
Wiest recorded 58 tackles, 8 sacks, 6 tackles for loss and 4 forced fumbles while also playing tight end on offense. He’s been communicating with assistant defensive line coach Keith Jones.
“He was super nice and sounds very interested,” Wiest said. “He said he would try to come see me at my school and get me back down this summer.”
Cornerback Dylan Smith, 6-0, 170, of Denton (Texas) Braswell, visited and has plans to visit Arkansas again. Pittman, cornerbacks coach Dominique Bowman and assistant defensive backs coach Mason Hutchins helped make his trip a good one.
“The hospitality of the defensive back coaches was wonderful” said Smith, who's cousins with former Arkansas safety Santos Ramirez. “Coach Mason made sure I saw everything I wanted and needed to see. I loved the energy of the scrimmage and the high competition. Had a great meeting with Coach Pittman talking about the direction of the program and just getting to know him.
"All the facilities were top tier, as well.”
He had 25 tackles, 18 pass breakups, 1 recovered fumble and 4 interceptions, including 1 for a score as a junior.
Smith has offers from Arkansas, Stanford, Colorado, Nebraska, Oklahoma State, Indiana, Louisville and other programs. He received his Razorbacks offer from Bowman on April 5.
“He’s a great coach with good energy and develops players well,” Smith said. “He's a really cool guy and I look forward to building this relationship with him.”
Defensive back Kamal Bonner, 6-2, 195, of Moultrie (Ga.) Colquitt County, added an offer from Arkansas during today's visit to go along with others from Colorado, Georgia Tech and Memphis.
"Coach Pittman and Coach Bowman, just having a firm conversation with them," Bonner said of the highlight of his trip. "The love they were showing. I love the facilities and everything about them."
Bonner added he plans to make his way to Fayetteville again.
On3.com 4-star receiver Brandon Heyward, 5-11, 165, of Oakridge, Tenn., has Arkansas, Tennessee, Michigan State, Georgia Tech and Kentucky offers.
"I had a great experience. Spring game went well, as I thought," said Heyward, who is planning a return trip. "Got to meet my position coaches and Coach Pittman. Starting to build that relationship with those coaches."
He is also rated the No. 29 receiver nationally.
Razorbacks target and 4-star receiver Joshua Manning made a visit to Arkansas and his mother's old stomping grounds.
His mother, Roxanne Manning, played basketball for the Razorbacks in 1994-95. On3.com rates him the No. 45 receiver nationally.
The open practice helped him get a look at the offense.
"(It) gave me a good look of their offense and how they run things," he said. "They like throwing the ball. Took a lot of shots."
Manning, 6-3, 190 pounds, of Lee’s Summit, Mo., has offers from Arkansas, Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Northwestern, Illinois, Washington, Colorado, Iowa State, Kansas State and other programs.
He liked meeting receivers coach Kenny Gution.
"Great guy and great coach," Manning said.
He had 69 catches for 900 yards and 11 touchdowns, and 12 carries for 64 yards as a junior.