University of Arkansas Coach Sam Pittman and his staff have 23 commitments for the 2023 class with more than half of the members coming on board since June.
The Hogs have landed 13 pledges since June 7 and ESPN has Arkansas No. 7 nationally and with the early signing period being about five months away.
The other three major recruiting services rankings have Arkansas an average of 11.3 nationally.
The Razorbacks have eight ESPN 4-star prospects, with five being in the top 300. ESPN rates the other 15 pledges as 3-star recruits.
The eight 4-star prospects are tight ends Luke Hasz, Shamar Easter, Jaden Hamm while offensive lineman Luke Brown, receiver Micah Tease, defensive lineman Kaleb James, quarterback Malachi Singleton and cornerback Dallas Young round out the 4 stars.
Arkansas has four others who are just shy of being 4-star recruits and could possibly see a bump when ESPN national recruiting coordinator Craig Haubert updates the rankings in the next week or so.
Linebacker Carson Dean, offensive lineman Paris Patterson, defensive lineman Quincy Rhodes Jr. and running back Isaiah Augustave are a point away from being 4-star recruits and cornerback Jaylon Braxton and safety TJ Metcalf are two points shy of being elevated from 3-star status.
Dean, 6-4, 232 pounds, of Carrollton (Texas) Hebron isn’t lacking in athleticism. He runs the second leg on his school’s 400-meter relay team and has recorded a 10.71-second split, and a 22.1-second split while anchoring the 800-meter relay.
He had accumulated offers from LSU, Ole Miss, Texas, TCU, Baylor, Missouri, Colorado, Nebraska and other programs before choosing the Razorbacks in March.
Patterson, 6-5, 341, of East St. Louis (Ill.) High School appears to be a prime candidate to see his his ranking increased.
He played his junior season at 370 pounds but lost about 30 pounds by this summer when he earned offers from Arkansas and LSU after showing excellent athleticism and mobility at June camps in Fayetteville and Baton Rouge.
Rivals is currently the only service that rates him a 4 star. He also had offers from Iowa State, Nebraska, Tennessee, Tulane and others prior to his commitment to the Hogs on July 4.
His extra mobility should improve his senior film and could see him add more offers in the future despite his commitment.
Rhodes, 6-6, 260, oozes potential with his size and speed. He recorded 77 tackles, 5 sacks, 3 forced fumbles and 1 recovered fumble as a sophomore while playing linebacker and on the line. Augustave, 6-2, 200 pounds, of Naples, Fla., is the lone running back the Hogs plan to take for this class. He’s seen his stock rise recently after attending a Football University camp and receiving an invite to the prestigious Under Armour All-American game.
247sports recently elevated him to a 4-star and others could do the same. He publicly committed to the Razorbacks over offers from Florida State, Tennessee, Kentucky, Oklahoma State, Pittsburgh, Maryland, Missouri, Louisville and other schools on June 7.
Braxton, 6-0, 175, of Frisco (Texas) Lone Star, picked Arkansas over approximately 30 scholarship offers from Michigan State, Ole Miss, LSU, Baylor, California, Nebraska, Oklahoma State, Penn State and others.
On3.com and 247sports rates him a 4-star prospect and an ESPN update could do the same. He recorded 10.83 seconds in the 100 meters and a 21.92 in the 200 as a junior.
Metcalf, 6-1, 188, of Pinson (Ala.) Valley could also challenge for a 4-star ranking.
He chose Arkansas over more than 20 scholarship offers from Florida State, Ole Miss, Michigan, Miami, Tennessee, Penn State, Mississippi State, Virginia Tech and others.
While Arkansas’ high 3-star prospects are candidates to be elevated to 4-star status, the Hogs’ current 4 stars might also see a change and could be lowered to a 3-star recruit.
The Razorbacks’ final national ranking will most likely change with schools like Southern Cal, Oregon, Florida, Michigan State, Louisville, Michigan, Florida State and others having 10 or more less commitments than Arkansas.
It’s unlikely the Hogs will stay within the top 15 nationally but a top 20-25 class is most likely once the 2023 classes are complete. The Hogs had 11 ESPN 4-stars in the 2015 class that ranked No. 22 nationally and 10 4-star prospects in the 2019 class which placed them No. 23 nationally.
The 2016 and 2017 classes had eight 4 stars and finished being the 24th and 26th best in the nation. So in order for the Hogs to break into the top 20 in the current class, Arkansas will likely have to see several more 3-star recruits elevated to 4-star status.