ESPN 4-star junior defensive tackle Jamaal Jarrett’s relationship with University of Arkansas defensive line coach Deke Adams and assistant defensive line coach Keith Jones has him considering a visit to Fayetteville.
“Coach Adams had a FaceTime call with my parents,” Jarrett said. “They had a pretty good 1-on-1 time. He and I have been kicking it. He’s the one that offered me. He watched my film and broke things down I need to work on.
"He’s new to the staff. He moved in and introduced himself, showed my film to the staff and they love me.”
Jarrett, 6-6, 340 pounds, of Greensboro (N.C.) Grimsley, has 20 other offers from school such as Alabama, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Georgia, Florida, Auburn, Penn State, Louisville, Michigan, Tennessee and others.
He feels a good connection with Adams.
“He keeps it straightforward with you,” Jarrett said. “He’s a big family man.”
Jarrett has been impressed with Jones during their communication.
“Coach Jones is pretty cool as well,” Jarrett said. “He’s one of those ones it’s all about the recruit and building a bond with the recruits. He’s real chill. He’ll text me like once or twice and I’ll call him at least once or twice a week. It’s pretty cool.”
Despite the Hogs offering Jarrett on Feb. 6, he’s been able to create a nice bond with Adams and Jones in a short period of time, and that has him considering a trip to Fayetteville.
“I’m definitely going to try this spring, but if not, I might save a visit for one of my officials or do an unofficial and drive up there,” Jarrett said.
Jarrett is planning to visit Tennessee on March 5 and Georgia on March 25 with visits to Clemson and Arkansas as possibilities.
ESPN also rates him the No. 16 defensive tackle, No. 214 overall prospect in the nation for the 2023 class and the No. 7 recruit in North Carolina. He has a 3.9 grade-point average.
“I’m trying to get that 4.0,” Jarrett said.
Jarrett is considering majoring in sports science or technical engineering after being exposed to a technology student association program in middle school.
“It’s like an engineering program,” Jarrett said. “We were hands-on like computer science and building robots and 3-D printers and things like that. I made my first website when I was in the seventh grade. I fell in love with computers, then I said I could see myself doing this in college.”
He’s looking to narrow his list to five or six schools this summer with academics, favorable weather and relationships with a school’s coaching staff being key factors when looking at schools.
“I can see myself fitting into that atmosphere,” he said. “I’ll consider them, but the ones with bad weather I can’t see myself at or if the coaches don’t really bond with the recruits. That’s a place I will cut out.”
Jarrett reports running a 5.2 seconds in the 40-yard dash at a camp. He has a 285-pound bench press and 515-pound dead lift.
“This is my first year lifting, at my previous high school we didn’t really have a weight room,” he said.
He credits his mother for his warm and friendly personality.
“My mom being a business owner,” Jarrett said. “She has to be able to communicate and talk to a lot of people so that rubbed off on me.”