Woodson, Wilson discuss recruiting to Arkansas

Arkansas co-defensive coordinator Marcus Woodson and secondary coach Deron Wilson met with media members Wednesday and hit on several topics, including recruiting. 

Woodson wasn’t shy about his expectations of recruiting the nation's best to Fayetteville. 

“When it comes to defensive backs, we’re going to recruit the best ones available in the country, regardless of location,” Woodson said. 

A native of Moss Point, Miss., Woodson spoke about his recruiting background. 

“The Southeast is primarily the footprint of where I’ve experienced recruiting,” Woodson said. “Florida, obviously coming from Florida State, I had an area there. Mississippi is my home state. So I feel like any kid that’s an SEC-caliber player that can help us get better, we’ll have a chance to go into that state and compete.”

Wilson, who is a New Orleans native, was at Florida as a defensive quality control assistant for cornerbacks before coming to Fayetteville. 

He was defensive coordinator at McNeese State from 2020-21, and from 2016-19 he was at Texas-San Antonio, where he served as a defensive graduate assistant and cornerbacks coach the final two seasons.

Arkansas traditionally recruits the surrounding bordering states and the Southeast.

“I’ve recruited Dallas and some of the Texas area as well," Woodson said. "And obviously having Coach Wilson from Louisiana, that’ll be able to help us out in that area as well.”

Wilson thinks touting the Razorbacks as the state's most popular team is a good sales pitch in recruiting.

“In the state of Arkansas, you have the University of Arkansas,” Wilson said. “It’s the flagship school where kids want to come here growing up. Like, ‘I want to go to the University of Arkansas.’ Your No. 1 pitch is we are the pro team. The players, the coaches, they want to see us. That’s the No. 1 pitch.” 

Woodson sees the Arkansas coaching staff being a major asset in recruiting. 

“For us, it’s about the people,” Woodson said. “I feel like it’s the best staff in the country. With us, you get what you see. When it comes to being developed as a person, when it comes to being developed as a student-athlete, I feel like we’ve got the best staff in the country.”

Woodson also plans to recruit on the job prospects for Arkansas football players after college.

“You look at the resources, the connections and the network that you can develop at Arkansas, it can open up doors beyond football that can benefit you in life,” he said. “For us, that’s what it’s all about, just being who we are. This place, once you come and visit, it speaks for itself. That’s going to be the key for us, getting guys on campus and letting them be around who we are. When that’s the case, you don’t have to sell anything.”