The Recruiting Guy

Razorbacks pick up 2 commits on defense

Arkansas coach Sam Pittman claps during practice Wednesday, March 16, 2022, in Fayetteville.

Arkansas Coach Sam Pittman and his staff got a double dose of good news Sunday with the oral commitments of linebacker Alex Sanford and defensive lineman Stephen Johnson.

Both made official visits to Arkansas over the weekend.

The family atmosphere in Fayetteville and a strong connection with Pittman and linebackers coach Michael Scherer helped Sanford’s decision.

“For one, me personally, I’m real family orientated,” Sanford said. “Come to Arkansas and it’s family everywhere. Coach Pittman, he’s like family. Coach Scherer, he’s like family. The players are like family. Everybody is straight family.”

Sanford, 6-3, 240 pounds, of Oxford, Miss., picked Arkansas over offers from Ole Miss, Tennessee, Memphis, South Alabama, Jackson State, Troy and others. He and his family previously visited the Razorbacks on March 12.

Last year’s defense saw linebackers Bumper Pool, Grant Morgan and Hayden Henry each record 100-plus tackles. The Arkansas defensive scheme also helped him decide to be a Razorback.

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“The way this defense is set up for me,” Sanford said, “it’s set up for linebackers to make plays. When you come here you’re going to make plays. You are going to get playing time, so there’s lots you are going to do here. That’s why I’m coming here.”

An On3.com 3-star prospect, he recorded 131 tackles, 25.5 tackles for loss, 4 sacks, 6 forced fumbles, 2 recovered fumbles and 2 blocked punts as a junior. Sanford helped lead Oxford to the Class 6A North state title as a sophomore and the semifinals last year.

Sanford, who was hosted by freshman linebacker Mani Powell, only needed one of his five allotted official visits to know his future school.

“The visit went great,” he said. “There’s no other experience like it. When you get here for the visit all the coaches, players, whoever is here, it’s going to feel like home.”

Johnson rated his visit a 10.

“It was a great visit, really,” Johnson said. “This one definitely got me opening my eyes about Fayetteville, Arkansas, I’ll tell you that. It was real good.

“I loved everything about it.”

Johnson, 6-5, 320 pounds, of Fayetteville (Ga.) Whitewater, chose the Razorbacks over scholarship offers from Maryland, Georgia Tech, Vanderbilt, Liberty and other schools.

He was one of eight uncommitted prospects visiting this weekend and three commits in defensive lineman Quincy Rhodes, linebacker Carson Dean and defensive lineman Kaleb James.

Johnson, who plans to graduate in December and enroll in college in January, enjoyed getting to know the committed prospects.

“They’re real cool. I could definitely see myself being with them, calling them my family, if I were to commit here,” Johnson said. “Everything was really good about every single last one of them, really.”

He recorded 65 tackles, 1 sack, 1 interception and 1 forced fumble while also blocking 1 field goal as a junior for the 11-2 Wildcats of Class 5A.

Johnson, who officially visited Maryland, likes how the Razorbacks are selective about who they recruit and extend offers to during the recruiting process.

“I talked to a few of the recruits, and they said that this school doesn’t just offer people,” Johnson said. “Once they offer you, they want you to be a part of the family. Definitely this visit really showed that.”

Sanford and Johnson are the 16th and 17th commitments for the 2023 class. Sanford is the third linebacker to pledge to Arkansas, while Johnson is the third defensive lineman to join the class.

Oral commitments are nonbinding.