What appeared to be an easy decision for kicking specialist Devin Bale was complicated when Arkansas special teams coordinator Scott Fountain convinced Bale to visit Fayetteville.
Bale announced he was leaving Northern Colorado and entering the transfer portal on Dec. 2.
“I’m from California, so I came back home and I got a (preferred walk-on) offer to San Diego State, so I was pretty excited about that,” Bale said. “Everything I needed was like right in front of me.
“I can live at home and I’m a San Diego native and play for the Aztecs, but I was also talking to Coach Fountian and the Razorbacks and he was like, ‘Just come out here and let me show you what Arkansas football is about. I think you’ll really like it.'”
He and his father made their way to Arkansas for an unofficial visit on Dec. 17 and they soon found out why Fountain wanted them to make the trip.
“Everything he said on the phone was amazing,” Bale said. “The coaches were incredible. They made me feel very at home and very welcomed. And just the opportunity to play at an SEC school and for Coach (Sam) Pittman and Coach Fountain, it’s incredible.
“They knew it was hard for me, especially coming from California, that I had the opportunity to play at San Diego State, but they prioritized me. They treated me really well.”
Bale, 6-2, 210 pounds, punted 51 times for a 41.08-yard average, and hee had 8 punts of 50 yards or longer and a long of 71 yards this season. He placed 14 punts inside the 20-yard line. Of his 41 kickoffs, 32 went for touchbacks.
Bale was Big Sky Conference special teams player of the week this season with his performance against Northern Arizona. He was also named a Big Sky honorable mention.
As a freshman, he averaged 41.2 yards per punt and pinned opponents inside the 20-yard line 15 times while having 10 punts over 50 yards. Bale was the school’s special teams MVP as a freshman and sophomore.
Bale announced his commitment to Arkansas as a preferred walk-on as a punter and kickoff specialist on Christmas Eve.
“My dad was there and he said he feels really good about me going to Arkansas,” said Bale, who holds the Northern Colorado record for longest punt at 84 yards. “He thinks it’s the right decision, and I do, too. I could really picture myself being a Razorback after the visit.”
Arkansas’ facilities and equipment impressed him, but life-after-football opportunities also stood out while in Fayetteville.
“There’s so much opportunity for success, especially even outside of football,” said Bale, who plans to enroll in January. “We met all the academic advisors at the Jones Center and talked about NIL deals and how you can do entrepreneurships and do internships with like Walmart and some of these big companies.
“They really care about setting you up for success outside of football.”