Arkansas hosted 4-star running back Jadan Baugh for an unofficial visit Tuesday and Wednesday, and he’s planning to return to Fayetteville for another visit.
“I loved it. They showed me everything I needed to see,” Baugh said. “What really impressed me was how the people were here. Everybody is nice, everybody is genuine. What you see is what you’re going to get, and when we went to the dorm rooms, I was very impressed with those, too.”
He enjoyed sitting in on multiple meetings.
“We were in the special teams meeting, the running backs meeting and the team meeting, too,” he said.
Baugh, 6-1 and 215 pounds, of Columbia High School in Decatur, Ga., has more than 20 scholarship offers from schools including Arkansas, Georgia, Tennessee, Texas A&M, Michigan, Texas, South Carolina, Miami, Florida, Purdue and Mississippi State.
He liked how the Hogs practiced with intensity Tuesday.
“They are really competitive and they always have energy on the field even when it’s a simple drill, the energy is still there,” Baugh said.
The coaches and staff around the program made him feel at ease.
“Everybody was honest and transparent with us, and when they were showing us everything, it just stood out to us,” Baugh said.
While the four major recruiting services list him as an athlete, he’s being recruited to play running back at Arkansas. Baugh had 27 receptions for 442 yards 5 touchdowns, and rushed 15 times for 306 yards and 3 touchdowns as a junior.
Defensively, he recorded 54 tackles, 4 tackles for loss, 1 interception, 2 pass breakups, 2 forced fumbles and 1 recovered fumble.
ESPN rates him a 4-star recruit, the No. 20 athlete and No. 163 overall prospect in the nation in the 2024 class.
Seeing Arkansas running backs coach and lead recruiter Jimmy Smith in action during practice was a plus.
“I love the way coach Smith really gets detailed,” he said. “Also he makes sure you understand before he just puts you out there because he wants everyone to succeed.”
The Fayetteville area was a hit with him.
"I’m originally being from a country area and it gives me a home vibe when I’m down here,” he said. “I can definitely see myself being down here.”
The visit to Arkansas won’t be his last.
“I’m definitely going to do an official visit here,” Baugh said.
Looking to make his college decision in the spring, Baugh said spending time with Smith was great.
“Everything he said on the phone and how he acts on the phone, is what you’re going to get when you get here,” he said.