THE RECRUITING GUY : Vols commitment visits Fayetteville, leaves impressed
Posted on Tuesday, January 29, 2008
College Park (Ga. ) Banneker wide receiver Steven Fowlkes made an official visit to Arkansas over the weekend along with teammate Alfred Davis, who orally committed to Arkansas on Sunday.
Fowlkes, 6-5, 213 pounds, 4. 65 seconds in the 40-yard dash, committed to Tennessee over the summer but was convinced to take a look at the Hogs by UA secondary coach Lorenzo Ward. He seemed happy he did.
"It was a good visit,"Fowlkes said. "It was a lot more than I expected. Everything was nice, from the facilities to the people. The facilities are real nice, seems like they have a lot of money and put a lot of money towards football. It must be a big thing from what I can see, from the weight room to the dorms and the food you eat. The coaches were real nice. The head coach and I had a good talk."
Fowlkes said Arkansas' facilities had a slight edge over Tennessee because of their newness.
Fowlkes played only basketball until Banneker Coach Benny Crane talked him into going out for football his junior year. He only played four games because of injury in the first year but had a very productive senior year, recording 53 tackles, 30 for losses, and 13 sacks. He had 24 catches and six touchdowns on offense. The Hogs are recruiting him as a wide receiver.
Fowlkes' expectations while flying into Northwest Arkansas weren't too high, but he liked what he saw once on the ground.
"Coming in on the flight,"Fowlkes said," I saw the land and I was like 'Oh cows and stuff like that' but when I got here it was real nice. I liked the players. The most impressive thing is how the players bonded with each other, though they came from different backgrounds. There was a homelike feeling."With Davis' recent commitment along with Fowlkes having a very good visit, it appears Arkansas' chances of gaining his signature appear to be better than 50-50. Fowlkes said he anticipates making a final decision around signing day, Feb. 6.
BOYD ENJOYS VISIT Highly-touted wide receiver Aaron Boyd of Lexington (Ky. ) Henry Clay made his way to Fayetteville over the weekend for an official visit.
Boyd believes he is more aware of what Arkansas has to offer, including possible playing time as a freshman.
"It went good,"Boyd said. "We touched bases on everything I wanted to hear. I toured the facilities and Coach [Bobby ] Petrino showed how I would get the ball different kind of ways. I've got more insight now, so I'm feeling good. He said anybody that's coming in as a freshman has a chance to play early. If I come in and work, then there's a chance I can start as a true freshman."
Boyd, 6-5, 195, 4. 5, recorded 49 catches for 1, 049 yards and 14 touchdowns during the regular season for Henry Clay. He had 37 receptions for 453 yards and 2 touchdowns his junior season.
Boyd said he sees a bright future for Arkansas under Petrino and likes how everyone focuses on the Razorbacks.
"No, no surprises,"Boyd said. "I knew about the University of Arkansas before I came. It's a real good program, and I'm pretty sure Coach Petrino will have the program running well and they will compete for a national title. There's pretty much nothing else around, except for the University of Arkansas. It's the only show in town, so people really care about this program and I really haven't seen anything like it."
Boyd headed to Oregon for an official visit immediately after leaving Arkansas. He previously visited Kentucky, Texas A&M and Missouri.
He expects to know where he'll attend college this week. "As soon as I get home, I'll have a family meeting and we'll narrow it down to where I want to go,"said Boyd, whose older brother Shane is a former Kentucky quarterback now with the NFL's Houston Texas. "I won't announce until signing day. Probably by the end of this week, I'll make my decision."
BIG MAN A BIG FAN North Little Rock defensive lineman Zach Stadther, who's considered one of the top defensive linemen in the state, received a visit from a couple of Razorbacks assistant coaches Thursday.
"Tim Horton and Garrick McGee came down last week,"Stadther said," and talked to me and said Petrino really likes me and [assistant ] Bobby Allen likes me. I told them how excited I was for them to come down. I told them all my life I've wanted to be a Razorback. I asked him what my chances were [for a scholarship offer ] and he said your chances are very high. He said they think I'm one heck of an athlete. I'm crossing my fingers and praying."
Stadther, 6-1, 275, 5. 1, is a twotime All-Arkansas selection by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. He had an amazing senior campaign with 100 tackles, 115 assisted tackles, 20 tackles for losses, 10 sacks and 4 forced fumbles.
Stadther, who orally committed to Kansas over the summer, is scheduled to take an official visit to Arkansas this weekend and is excited about getting to Fayetteville.
"Being a Razorback is my dream,"Stadther said. "I grew up being a Razorback fan. Ever since Coach [Houston ] Nutt and them turned me down, I kind of backed away and they got the new staff and I'm speechless. I'm excited. They said I have a high chance of getting an offer. I'm excited Petrino likes me. I can't wait to get up there."
Petrino and recruiting coordinator Horton will be making an inhome visit with Stadther tonight. If an offer is extended, Stadther said he will commit on the spot.
E-mail Richard Davenport at rdavenport@arkansasonline. com
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