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Petrino Reviews 2012 Signing Class

TipsterHog — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 22:39:01 +0000

ArkansasRazorbacks.com: 2012 Arkansas Razorbacks Signing Class

The Arkansas football team and head coach Bobby Petrino announced its 2012 signing class Wednesday in the Miller Room at the Broyles Center.

Also:

WholeHogSports.com (Video): Paul Petrino, Paul Haynes
Chris Bahn: Razorback Staff Turnover Might Have Helped Late Push For Key Defensive Additions, Arkansas Finishes Outside Top 25, In Bottom Half Of SEC In Rankings
Matt Jones: Fifth class resembles first for Petrino
Logan Wilson: Razorbacks sign three cornerbacks
Robbie Neiswanger: No DGB? Arkansas Says No Problem With 2012 Class, Green-Beckham Says ‘Staying Home’ Felt Right

Live Blog:

2012 Razorbacks National Signing Day

TipsterHog — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 13:07:06 +0000

We’ll be updating this post throughout the day with a list of Razorback signees as they are reported. We’ll also be regularly updating our Twitter feed.

Signee	Signee	Signee
Taiwan Johnson Jr., DE, Manvel (Tex.) HS	Eric Hawkins, WR, Longview (Tex.) HS	Jonathan Williams, RB. Allen (Tex.) HS
Deatrich Wise Jr., DE, Lewisville Hebron (Tex.) HS	Cordale Boyd, OL, Memphis (Tenn.) Ridgeway HS	Brandon Lewis, DE, Memphis (Tenn.) Ridgeway HS
Ray Buchanan Jr., CB, Peachtree Ridge (Ga.) HS	Keon Hatcher, WR, Owasso (Okla.) HS	Jeremy Ward, OL, Pottsville (Ark.) HS
Donovan Roberts, RB, Norman (Okla.) HS	A.J. Turner, LB, East Poinsett County (Ark.) HS	D’Arthur Cowan, WR, Olive Branch (Miss.) HS
Jared Collins, CB, Tulsa (Okla.) Booker T. Washington HS	Will Hines, CB, Waco (Tex.) HS	Otha Peters, LB, Covington (La.) HS
Nathan Holmes, ATH, Port Arthur (Tex.) HS	DeFonta Lowe, ATH, Bearden (Ark.) HS	Jeremy Sprinkle, ATH, White Hall (Ark.) HS
Vin Ascolese, LB, North Bergen (N.J.) HS	JaMichael Winston, DE, Prichard (Ala.) HS	Demetrius Wilson, WR, Glendale, (Ariz.) CC
Darius Philon, DL, Prichard (Ala.) HS

Updated 4:00 p.m.

Already Enrolled:

Austin Flynn, DE, LA Harbor (Calif.) CC
Demetrius Dean, TE, Fayetteville (Ark.) HS

The most recent updates will appear at the top.

What A Weekend

TipsterHog — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 13:35:33 +0000

Fayetteville was hopping this past weekend — an undefeated, record-breaking weekend.

With the gymnastics meet on Friday, the basketball game on Saturday and a star-studded lineup of football recruits here all weekend, it was a busy and exciting time on The Hill. Yes…we said gymnastics. Not something we usually cover in this space but when 5,537 fans come out to support a Razorback team, you have to at least give them a shout out.

As for the basketball game, a win is a win…especially on national television. While Hog fans would’ve been just fine if the blowout had continued, CBS had to be pleased that things tightened up. It was a good day overall for SEC basketball, as well. Along with the Razorbacks’ victory over a ranked B1G team, Tennessee, led by Jarnell Stokes, got the win over Connecticut that the Hogs wanted back in early December. (Think we could’ve used Jarnell?)

As many have said, it was like old times on Saturday in Bud Walton Arena. As football recruiting visit weekends go, however, it was a whole new ball game. Having several of the top players in the nation come into Fayetteville definitely got Razorback fans’ collective attention. Reports from a number of prospects after they returned home on Sunday were very positive, talking about how they were “blown away” by the reception they received from fans.

While no new verbal commitments were publicly made this weekend, stay tuned to our Recruiting News page and make sure and follow us on Twitter. We have a feeling there will be a lot of breaking news over the next two weeks.

And finally, since they left at halftime, the recruits didn’t get a chance to see “Super Fan” Bubba Hog perform his dance routine at the basketball game. The Michigan beat writers, however, weren’t so fortunate. As the Detroit Free-Press wrote:

“During one second-half time-out, a large, shirtless man danced, shown on the overhead screen, and held a sign showing support for “DGB,” Dorial Green-Beckham, Rivals.com’s No. 1 recruit in the country.”

Too bad DGB missed the tribute. We’re sure seeing the “support” of a “large, shirtless man” is all that was missing in order to lock up his commitment to the Hogs.

Pursuing The Elite

Walking on Sunshine — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 13:35:51 +0000

What a weekend this could be.

We typically don’t write a lot of recruiting stuff here on RazorBloggers — preferring to read our favorites Richard Davenport, Dudley Dawson, Trey Biddy and Otis Kirk. And judging by the hits on our Recruiting News links, a lot of you do the same.

But this weekend is different — our interest has gone to a new level. Twenty recruits are scheduled to be on campus, and they include some of the highest ranked players in the nation — including the #1 national recruit in wide receiver Dorial Green-Beckham (6-6, 220, 4.43).

Finishing in the top five of the polls shows you just how close the Hogs are getting to reaching the top of that mountain. A few key commits from this weekend’s list of visitors could help escalate that climb very quickly.

Much of the focus (rightfully so) will be on Green-Beckham, who has Arkansas in his top three (Oklahoma, Texas), and could immediately help a receiving corps that will graduate three superstars to the NFL.

Three other recruits, though, who will be in Fayetteville this weekend have piqued our interest. These guys, if they choose to be Hogs, could be difference makers at need positions.

OL Jordan Diamond (6-6, 289, Chicago, Illinois) — Rivals.com has Diamond a 4-star recruit, and when you look at his highlight video, all he does is deliver one pancake block after another. The Hogs are battling Michigan, Ohio State and Wisconsin for this prized tackle prospect.

LB Dalton Santos (6-2, 251, 4.65, Van, Texas) — Santos is the big, inside, run-stopping linebacker that the Hogs have been missing. Watching him run from sideline to sideline shows us why he is a coveted playmaker. The Hogs are hoping for a flip here as Santos is currently committed to Tennessee.

Note to Dalton and his family…distance from Van, Texas to Fayetteville = 353 miles. Distance from Van, Texas to Knoxville, Tennessee = 800 miles.

RB Trey Williams (5-8, 175, 4.4, Spring, Texas) — We can’t help it — even with all this passing — we are dazzled by elite running backs. Williams certainly fills that bill. A current commit to Texas A&M, Williams is ranked the #2 running back in the nation by Rivals. He has tremendous speed, and looks very elusive in space.

National Signing day comes early this year: February 1st. And if Coach Petrino and the staff have a good weekend, that day might turn out to be more like Christmas for Hog fans.

A New Sensation

Walking on Sunshine — Tue, 03 May 2011 12:43:57 +0000

As we will always tell you, we’re not recruiting experts here at RBN. We leave that to our favorites Richard Davenport, Trey Biddy, Otis Kirk and Dudley Dawson. But the announcement Thursday that running back Donovan Roberts (6-0, 200, 4.4, Norman, Oklahoma) committed to the Hogs piqued our interest.

We have heard that Bobby Petrino would like to sign a couple of running backs in this 2012 class. I think the expectation is that Knile Davis, with another good season, is ready for the NFL. The Hogs need to bolster this group in anticipation of that.

Roberts, who rushed for 2,002 yards and 32 TDs last year, is one of the top 3 running backs in Oklahoma. He hits the hole hard, reaches top speed quick, is elusive in the open field. With the film as his resume, may we introduce you to Mr. Donovan Roberts.

Remind anybody else of a “cat quick” back from Oklahoma that played a few years ago for the Hogs?

Under the Radar — The 2011 Signing Class

Walking on Sunshine — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 18:12:34 +0000

After looking over what Coach Petrino has called his “most complete class,” here’s five guys flying ‘under the radar’ in Arkansas’ 2011 Recruiting Class.

O-Linemen, O-Linemen, O-Linemen. While most of the pub has been centered around the ‘big 3 snowplows’ from Northwest Arkansas (Brey Cook, Marcus Danenhauer, Mitch Smothers), our attention was diverted Wednesday by Austin Beck (6-8, 300, 5.1, Nowata, OK).

Beck acquired instant Razorback folklore status as he rode to town, on a tractor, with 15 inches of snow on the ground just to get to a fax machine to send in his letter of intent. Now that boy wants to be a Hog!!!

The Wide Receiver aisle has been restocked. Great to see speedster Marquel Wade (5-11, 185, 4.34) back on campus. While four-star studs Quinta Funderburk and Keante Minor are ‘can’t miss guys’, Kane Whitehurst (6-0, 175, 4.38, Alpharetta, GA) may steal the show.

Whitehurst, who was not heavily recruited by the big time schools (other offers: Eastern Michigan, Tulane, Troy), looks like a steal for Bobby Petrnio. Kane’s YouTube is unbelievable, as he shows his elusiveness in the open field.

Bigger is better. While it is great to see cover corners Tevin Mitchel and Kelvin Fischer in the fold, giant safeties Brett Weir (6-4 ½, 217, 4.4, London Ontario Canada) and Jashaud Sims (6-5, 210, 4.5, Dickinson, TX) are eye-popping prospects.

Weir – already dubbed “Canadian Bacon” by the faithful – is by all accounts a tremendous athlete that was drawing late inquiries from Michigan and Ohio State. Sims possesses that same type of athletic ability, as he averaged 15 points and 11 rebounds for his basketball team last year.

Although these two may work their way toward the line of scrimmage at some point in their Razorback careers (ala Anthony Leon this season), it is always good to see some big hitters with size manning the secondary.

Speaking of big hitters, who’s taking Van Stumon’s spot at fullback you ask? Late find Kiero Small (5-9, 255, Baltimore, MD) looks to get first shot.

The Salinas (Calif.) Hartnell Community College linebacker/fullback is short in stature (5-9), but reportedly packs a heck of a punch. His 405-pound bench press and 500-pound squat are ‘o-line type’ measurements.

“We found some real gems, I think, late in the recruiting process,” Petrino said.

We couldn’t agree more.

2011 Razorback Football Signing Class

TipsterHog — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 01:14:19 +0000

ArkansasRazorbacks.com: Football signing day for the Razorbacks

The Arkansas football team and head coach Bobby Petrino announced its 2011 signing class Wednesday in the Miller Room at the Broyles Center.

Signee	Signee	Signee
Brandon Allen, QB, Fayetteville, AR	Horace Arkadie, DE, Irving, TX	Austin Beck, OL, Nowata, OK
Brey Cook, OL, Springdale, AR	Marcus Danenhauer, OL, Bentonville, AR	Demetrius Dean, TE, Fayetteville, AR
Kelvin Fisher, Jr., ATH, Gilbert, AZ	Trey Flowers, DE, Huntsville, AL	Quinta Funderburk, WR, Chesapeake, Va.
Rohan Gaines, S, Bainbridge, GA	Tyler Gilbert, LB, Charlotte, NC	Lonnie Gosha, DT, Lake Butler, FL
Brock Haman, LB, Scottsdale, AZ	Alonzo Highsmith, Jr., LB, Phoenix, AZ	DeMarcus Hodge, DT, Monroe, LA
Darrell Kelly-Thomas, DE, Lufkin, TX	Davyon McKinney, WR, Forrest City, AR	Keante Minor, WR, East Saint Louis, IL
Tevin Mitchel, CB, Mansfield, TX	Grady Ollison, DL, Malvern, AR	Jason Peacock, OL, Glendora, CA
Andrew Peterson, TE, Seagoville, TX	Jashaud Sims, ATH, Dickson, TX	Keiro Small, FB, Salinas, CA
Mitch Smothers, OL, Springdale, AR	Robert Thomas, DT, Coffeyville, KS	Marquel Wade, WR, New Berlin, NY
Kody Walker, RB, Jefferson City, MO	Brett Weir, S, London, Ontario, Canada	Kane Whitehurst, WR, Alpharetta, GA

Also:

ArkansasRazorbacks.com (Video): Bobby Petrino Press Conference, 2011 Football Recruit Highlights
Razorback Nation (Coaches Video): Garrick McGee, Chris Klenakis, Bobby Allen, Kris Cinkovich, Willy Robinson, Tim Horton, John L. Smith
Matt Jones: Arkansas Gets Its Quarterback
Otis Kirk: Razorbacks Build 2011 Class With Top In-State Talent
Jim Harris: Track Record Says Petrino Will Do Great With This Recruiting Haul
Robbie Neiswanger: Petrino: Arkansas Puts Together ‘Complete’ Class
Rivals.com: 2011 Razorback Commitment List
Scout.com: 2011 Razorback Recruiting Commits
Hog Database: 2011 Razorback Signee Profiles

2011 National Signing Day Discussion

TipsterHog — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 14:15:05 +0000

Open forum to discuss the events of the day. We’ll update this post with a list of Razorback signees as they are reported. We’ll also be regularly updating our Twitter feed.

Signee	Signee	Signee
Brett Weir, Safety, London, Ontario, Canada	Kane Whitehurst, WR, Alpharetta, GA	Grady Ollison, DL, Malvern, AR
Mitch Smothers, OL, Springdale, AR	Keiro Small, FB, Salinas, CA	Rohan Gaines, S, Bainbridge, GA
Trey Flowers, DE, Huntsville, AL	Tevin Mitchel, CB, Mansfield, TX	Kelvin Fisher, ATH, Gilbert, AZ
Horace Arkadie, DE, Irving, TX	Demarcus Hodge, DT, Monroe, LA	Brock Haman, LB, Scottsdale, AZ
Brandon Allen, QB, Fayetteville, AR	Marcus Danenhauer, OL, Bentonville, AR	Lonnie Gosha, DT, Lake Butler, FL
Demetrius Dean, TE, Fayetteville, AR	Darrell Kelly-Thomas, DE, Lufkin, TX	Jason Peacock, OL, Glendora, CA
Alonzo Highsmith, LB, Phoenix, AZ	Davyon McKinney, WR, Forrest City, AR	Andrew Peterson, TE, Seagoville, TX
Austin Beck, OL, Nowata, OK	Jashaud Sims, ATH, Dickson, TX	Kody Walker, RB, Jefferson City, MO
Keante Minor, WR, East Saint Louis, IL

Updated 3:30 p.m.

Already Enrolled:

Signee	Signee	Signee
Brey Cook, OL, Springdale, AR	Quinta Funderburk, WR, Chesapeake, Va.	Tyler Gilbert, LB, Charlotte, NC
Robert Thomas, DT, Coffeyville, KS	Marquel Wade, WR, New Berlin, NY

Also:

WholeHogSports.com: National Signing Day Coverage
The Recruiting Guy: National Signing Day Updates
ArkansasSports360.com: Arkansas’ 2011 Signing Class
Hog Database: 2011 Razorback Signee Profiles
Twitter Feeds: Richard Davenport, Dudley Dawson, Trey Biddy, Danny West
Rivals.com: 2011 Razorback Commitment List
Scout.com: 2011 Razorback Recruiting Commits
RBN: Recruiting News
Hogville.net: Recruiting Forum

RazorBits: Ratliffe To Visit, Hogs Go West

Walking on Sunshine — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 14:53:18 +0000

Here’s some RBN tidbits from around the web.

Ricky Don’t Lose That Number… — The news yesterday that Central Florida Community College forward Ricardo Ratliffe was planning to visit Fayetteville this weekend was great news in what has been a tough two weeks for Razorback Basketball.

Ratliffe, the 6-8, 238-pounder from Ocala, Florida is the nation’s top junior college player, and has narrowed his recruitment down to a final five: Arkansas, Florida, Alabama, South Carolina and Clemson. He is averaging 27.4 points and 11.2 rebounds a game.

Interesting that good friends and fellow coaches Donovan (Florida), Grant (Alabama) and Pelphrey will be vying for Ricardo’s services. Ratliffe is the kind of player that could help turn a program pretty fast.

Gone, But Not Forgotten — Saturday is Senior Day for the Razorback Basketball team as we say a fond farewell to Mike Washington, Stephen Cox and Stef Welsh. The game also marks the last regular season game for longtime “Voice of the Razorbacks” Mike Nail.

The first 3,500 fans through the gates Saturday get a free Mike Nail talking bobblehead doll — a collectors item for sure. No truth to the rumor that once you push the button to make him talk, the words come out 5 seconds later. Just kidding…Mike will be missed, and we wish him the best while he’s out fishing on Beaver Lake.

Rot’s Record In Sight — With two games remaining, Rotnei Clarke is five 3-point field goals short of tying Scotty Thurman’s single season record of 102 (1995). Clarke’s 3-point percentage has dipped in recent weeks to 43.5% (97-223), but he still has a good shot to own the record.

California Dreamin’ — The Diamond Hogs, now 6-1 on the season, have found their way out to Berekley, California for a weekend series with Cal, and the national media has taken notice. Rivals.com previews the series as one of the ten best matchups in the country this weekend.

Andy Wilkins, Zack Cox and Jarrod McKinney have all hit safely in the team’s first seven games. Wilkins has started the season on fire, with 11 RBIs in his last four games.

2010 Razorback Football Signing Class

TipsterHog — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 03:33:43 +0000

ArkansasRazorbacks.com: Football signing day for the Razorbacks

Wednesday marks the third National Signing Day for Coach Bobby Petrino at the University of Arkansas.

Signee	Signee	Signee
Calvin Barnett, DT, Tulsa, OK	Jatashun Beachum, DT, Dallas, TX	Eric Bennett, ATH, Tulsa, OK
LaCraig Brown, DT, Monroe, LA	Eduardo Camara, K, Cedar Hill, TX	Daunte Carr, S, Gainesville, GA
Luke Charpentier, OT, River Ridge, LA	Cam Feldt, OG, Pilot Point, TX	Courtney Gaston, LB, Fort Gibson, OK
Brad Hefley, TE, Joplin, MO	Javontee Herndon, WR, Jacksonville, FL	Zach Hocker, K, Russellville, AR
Julian Horton, WR, Norcross, GA	Maudrecus Humprey, WR, Hoover, AL	Jeremiah Jackson, DT, Hoover, AL
Byran Jones, DT, Junction City, AR	Jarrett Lake, LB, Jenks, OK	Braylon Mitchell, RB, Heber Springs, AR
Denton Simek, OL, Prague, OK	Chris Smith, LB, Mount Ulla, NC	Darrell Smith, S, Port Saint Joe, FL
Alan Turner, ATH, Junction City, AR	Garrett Uekman, TE, Little Rock, AR	Marquel Wade, WR, Jacksonville, FL
Jacoby Walker, QB, Houston, TX

Also:

ArkansasRazorbacks.com: Bobby Petrino Press Conference (Video)
AP: Petrino, Razorbacks Turn Attention to Defense on Signing Day
Razorback Nation (Players Video): Hogs Land Five In State Recruits, Braylon Mitchell, Maudrecus Humphrey, Byran Jones and Alan Turner, Calvin Barnett and Eric Bennett, LaCraig Brown, Zach Hocker
Razorback Nation (Coaches Video): Tim Horton, Steve Caldwell, Kris Cinkovich, Willy Robinson, Garrick McGee
Rivals.com: 2010 Razorback Commitment List
Scout.com: 2010 Razorback Recruiting Commits
Brady Holzhauer: 2010 Razorback Signee Capsules
Chris Bahn: Oklahoma Razorbacks? Tulsa Native Plays Big Role In Arkansas Recruiting, Razorbacks’ Robinson On Three vs Four Stars: ‘What the Hell’s the Difference?’
Jim Harris: Hogs and Petrino Don’t Come Close to ‘Worst Class Ever’ Label
WholeHogSports.com: Hogs hook up to Sooner State pipeline (Video)
Robbie Neiswanger: Arkansas Gets Defensive on Signing Day

2010 National Signing Day Discussion

TipsterHog — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 13:05:57 +0000

Open forum to discuss the events of the day. We’ll update this post with a list of Razorback signees as they are reported. We’ll also be regularly updating our Twitter feed.

Signee	Signee	Signee
Jacoby Walker, QB, Houston, TX	Julian Horton, WR, Norcross, GA	Daunte Carr, S, Gainesville, GA
Eduardo Camara, K, Cedar Hill, TX	Braylon Mitchell, RB, Heber Springs, AR	Darrell Smith, S, Port Saint Joe, FL
Jarrett Lake, LB, Jenks, OK	Zach Hocker, K, Russellville, AR	Brad Hefley, TE, Joplin, MO
LaCraig Brown, DT, Monroe, LA	Cam Feldt, OG, Pilot Point, TX	Maudrecus Humprey, WR, Hoover, AL
Byran Jones, DT, Junction City, AR	Alan Turner, ATH, Junction City, AR	Chris Smith, LB, Mount Ulla, NC
Luke Charpentier, OT, River Ridge, LA	Courtney Gaston, LB, Fort Gibson, OK	Marquel Wade, WR, Jacksonville, FL
Calvin Barnett, DT, Tulsa, OK	Eric Bennett, ATH, Tulsa, OK	Jatashun Beachum, DT, Dallas, TX
Garrett Uekman, TE, Little Rock, AR	Denton Simek, OL, Prague, OK	Jeremiah Jackson, DT, Hoover, AL
Javontee Herndon, WR, Jacksonville, FL

Updated 5:00 p.m.

Also:

ArkansasOnline.com: The Recruiting Guy
WholeHogSports.com: Signing Day Player Chart
Rivals.com: 2010 Razorback Commitment List
Scout.com: 2010 Razorback Recruiting Commits
RBN: Recruiting News
Hogville.net: Recruiting Forum
ArkansasRazorbacks.com: Signing Day Central

Who Is Marty Biagi?

Walking on Sunshine — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 14:45:43 +0000

None of us here at RBN consider ourselves ‘recruiting gurus.’ However, we do follow it religiously thanks to our favorites…Richard Davenport, Dudley Dawson, Trey Biddy…and, yes, even Otis.

It’s caught our attention, when reading their little tidbits about prospective recruits, the number of players who mention how much they like their lead Arkansas recruiter, Marty Biagi. That got us thinking…who the heck is Marty Biagi?

Biagi joined the Razorbacks as a graduate assistant in August last year. He works closely with Razorback Defensive Coordinator Willy Robinson in the secondary, and helps Kirk Botkin and John L. Smith with special teams.

We first noticed Biagi last fall during two-a-days working with the Razorback kickers. What caught our eye was after putting them through some normal kicking drills, Biagi had the punters working on properly fielding high snaps that had sailed over their head. Teaching them how to circle, scoop and kick on the run showed just how closely Bobby Petrino’s staff pays attention to detail. How many people would practice that? It was fun to watch.

Coach Biagi should know a thing or two about kickers. He was a kicker and punter, and was special teams captain for the Marshall Thundering Heard from 2005-2007. Knowing that coaching was in his future, Biagi, while still a player, assisted the Marshall staff by breaking down film and assisting with scouting reports during the season. He left — with one season of eligibility remaining — to pursue his career in coaching.

Instrumental in the recruitment of new Hog punter Briton Forester (5-10, 185, Palomar, Calif. Community College), Forester’s father Fred, owner of a California software company, was sold on Biagi.

Forester said his time spent in Fayetteville leads him to believe that Biagi has a very bright future in coaching. “I look for him to go far,” he said. “He’s like 24 years old and I’ve been to board rooms of Fortune 500 companies all over the country. He’s very mature.”

Biagi was also recently praised by current recruits, brothers Terry Lee and Terrence Talbot of Huber Heights, Ohio. Terry Lee (6-3, 270, 4.8), a defensive tackle, and Terrence (5-11, 170, 4.47), a defensive back, have offers from several schools including Michigan, Wisconsin and Illinois.

“He (Biagi) seems like a person you would like to get to know,” said Terry Lee, who reports a 405-pound bench press and 510 squat. “He’s the type you can talk to and rely on and get a good opinion.”

No doubt Biagi looks to be a rising star, perhaps following in the footsteps of some famous Razorback GAs — Pete Carroll and Jackie Sherrill just to name a couple. Hog fans should enjoy him, and the fruits of his recruiting, while he’s here.

Long: Razorback Athletics Will Be Getting More ‘Social’

TipsterHog — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 03:10:49 +0000

The most recent “Web Chat with Jeff Long” video was released on Friday and, with it, some interesting comments were made by the Arkansas Vice Chancellor and Athletic Director on the topic of social media.

After giving accolades for the accomplishments of the Razorback spring sports teams (gymnastics, golf, outdoor track, baseball), Long was asked about sites such as Twitter and Facebook:

“We can’t overlook it. [People] are looking for that direct connect between us — administrators, coaches, student athletes.

“They don’t want it filtered through the media outlets…some people. That’s what social media gives them the opportunity to do.

“We need to do more with it. We’re going to do more with it. It’s where things are headed and we need to be a part of that for our fan base.”

Long even revealed for the first time that he has his own Twitter account and plans to start using it in the future.

Perhaps coincidentally, one of the first Razorback head coaches to begin updating Twitter started on Friday evening. Swimming coach Jeff Poppell (@jeffpoppell) made his first few ‘tweets’ about three Razorback swimmers who will soon be competing in the World Championships in Rome.

Will Petrino or Pelphrey be following soon? Only time will tell, but Long recognized the growing importance that social media sites like Twitter are playing in the recruitment of future student athletes. Communicating with these new tools, Long said, was “second nature to them (young people).”

You can see the entire video web chat with Long here on RazorVision. And you can, of course, follow us ‘blogging the Hogs’ through @RazorBloggers on Twitter or by becoming a ‘fan’ of our page on Facebook.

RBN Virtual Interview: 2009 Basketball Recruiting Class

TipsterHog — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 03:04:50 +0000

Where we don’t actually interview John Pelphrey, but we make it sound like we do.

RBN: Coach Pelphrey, tell us about this year’s recruiting class?

John Pelphrey: “Anthony Borden has great, great physical size. [...] He’s well-proportioned. He can run and he can catch the ball. We hope he will give us some depth up front. I think in a year or so, he will be a major force for us.

“Jemal Farmer is a big, athletic wing. We needed that with the loss of Patrick (Beverley). I think he was the leading scorer in the Jayhawk Conference last year. He has a 40-inch vertical leap, and we expect him to fill some needs at the small forward spot.

“Marshawn Powell will help fill the power forward spot for us, which is an area where we definitely need help. I’m very, very excited about Marshawn. [...] I think he’s a consensus top 50 player. [...] He gives us a guy at the power forward spot that’s versatile from the perimeter. He can handle it, he can pass it and he can shoot it. He has a good understanding of how to play.

“We are very excited to have Julysses Nobles as a Razorback and in our program. [...] He’s a really good player and a tough kid. He’s committed to playing both offense and defense, and he’s committed to being a student-athlete. [...] He is a point guard from a great high school program, and helped lead Callaway to the overall state championship this past year. It was good for us to recruit and sign someone from Mississippi.

“Glenn Bryant is a 6-7 athlete who was one of the highest-rated high school players left unsigned. [...] He spent the last two years at arguably the best high school program in the country and played for legendary Coach Steve Smith. He is an uncanny shot blocker. He’s a tremendous athlete and we believe his best basketball is ahead of him.

“We are very excited to add Delvon Johnson to our team. [...] He will give us good front court depth. He’s a good player who we also believe has his best basketball ahead of him. He is a young man we will enjoy having around and representing the state of Arkansas. Not only is he willing to work on the court, he’s an outstanding student as well. He will help Arkansas.”

From:

ArkansasRazorbacks.com: Borden, Farmer, Powell sign for next season, Nobles joins hoops recruiting class, Hogs add two forwards to signing class
Forrest City Times-Herald: Pelphrey entertaining at Razorback banquet

2009 Razorback Football Signing Class

TipsterHog — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 21:40:45 +0000

ArkansasRazorbacks.com: Football signing day for the Razorbacks

Wednesday marks the second National Signing Day for Coach Bobby Petrino at the University of Arkansas.

Also:

ArkansasRazorbacks.com: 2009 Razorback Football Signees, Signing Day Media Packet (PDF), Press Conference Transcript, 2009 Football Signee Class Announced (Video)
RBN: RazorBloggers Network Recruiting News

Razorback Network Sites

HawgsIllustrated.com: 2009 Football Signing Class
HawgSports.com: 2009 Football Signing Class

ArkansasSports360.com

Chris Bahn: Razorbacks Go Outside State’s Borders To Fill Needs
Gary Campbell: Harrison’s Tate Fulfills ‘Dream’ of Joining Razorbacks
Brady Holzhauer: Fayetteville’s Berna Won’t Move Far To Continue Playing Career With Razorbacks
Andrew Bagley: Winston, Williams Lead Charge in Helena on Signing Day

Razorback Central

Alex Abrams: Fighter’s Mentality Helps Hogs On Signing Day
Paul Nielsen: Winston Signs With Razorbacks
Vernon Tarver: Long Wait Over For Berna

WholeHogSports.com

Nate Allen: Hogs scour length of the country for 2009 signing class
Brandon Marcello: Robinson’s connections lead to West Coast recruiting pipeline

Updated 2/5/09 8:35 a.m.

Shooting Stars

HogBlogger — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 12:05:08 +0000

Here’s a special guest post from my boy (and current UA student), HogBlogger Jr.

A new era of ‘Pig Men’ is soon to be upon us. The day known by many a collegiate football fan to be the start of something amazing or the realization of a dismal future is coming. Yes…I am talking about National Signing Day — February’s most important ‘man holiday.’ Well…besides the Super Bowl and February 13th — a.k.a. ‘desperation day.’

Rivals.com first started nationally ranking recruiting classes in 2002. Looking back at the top five classes each year, one will find a laundry list of BCS teams. Texas, USC-West, LSU, Georgia, and Florida frequent the top five year in and year out. And, not surprisingly, come next January we’ll expect to see those teams competing for the national title.

A few years ago, our fan base was happy to be in the top 30. We were led to believe that we were ‘just Arkansas’ by a few once prominent…and now ‘un-prominent’ men.

However, those men have moved on. One currently boasts the #37 class coming off a Cotton Bowl victory over one of the several overrated Big 12 teams. The other celebrated by bearing his name to a lot of grass that, coincidently, our new coach wants to rip up and turn to turf.

In spite of what once was believed, Head Coach Bobby Petrino is proving otherwise. To date, we boast the #14 class in the nation with the potential to crack the top 10 if the ‘stars’ align properly. In addition, there are several noticeable differences in Bobby’s first class and Houston’s last.

During Houson Dale’s last stand — coming off a 10-win season — we took in six two-star recruits, 17 three-star recruits (of which five were lost due to ineligibility or transfer), and four four-star recruits (two of which were tight ends — which would, of course, only be useful in a two tight end set).

Our 2007 class ranked #31 in the country. As of now, Head Coach Bobby Petrino boasts no two-star, 22 three-star, seven four-star and one five-star recruit after coming off a modest 5-7 record. That’s five less wins and over a half point increase in star power.

It appears Bobby Petrino and Thomas The Train hold the same “I think I can” philosophy.

Additionally, we are finally recruiting for need rather than to fill roster spots. In our current class, we have six defensive backs (all flaunting a ‘Florida-esque’ 4.55 or better speed) that collectively have been ranked as the #2 defensive backfield in the nation and #1 in the SEC. As we all recall from last year, outside of Ramon Broadway, our secondary was an issue.

Furthermore, we have realized that Michael Smith (another Thomas The Train follower), while similar to lightning, needs a thunder. Next year, that thunder will likely be in the form of either a 6’0″, 208-pound Knile Davis, 6’0″ 218-pound Jahron Brown, 6’2″ 215-pound Turell WIlliams, or heralded 4-star Ronnie Wingo, Jr. — a 6’3″ 212-pound St. Louis phenom.

Finally, Coach Petrino has understood that our offensive line, while mighty at heart, was small in stature. Correcting this, we now will boast six mammoths between 6’4-6’8 in height and collectively weighing 1,786 pounds. (Luckily I’ve heard our new quarterback is quite tall.)

As the eternal optimist, I believe this class will finish up even stronger, as a few other renowned recruits should be crying “pig sooie” in the next few days. Now all we have to do is sit back and let Coach Petrino continue to mold this team…and maybe wish on a few stars.

Message Received

HogBlogger — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 15:00:37 +0000

Now that national signing day has come and gone, it’s pretty clear to me that the Razorback football program has stepped it up a few notches.

A few things that are different:

Professionalism from the coaching staff instead of emotional ‘rah-rah.’ There is a real ‘buckle down’ and ‘get ‘er done’ mentality — letting their actions and results do most of the talking.
There will be no backing down or ‘settling.’ These coaches are confident recruiting against anyone. They set out to take Joe Adams back from USC and they did it.
Campus visits were well run, and they really sold the school, the fans, and the facilities. It was obvious that the ’100-yard weight room’ was a talking point, as it was repeated by several recruits. Watching film with recruits, simulating game day, calling the Hogs at the basketball game — these guys know how to sell.
The reputation of the coaching staff and the expected style of play has athletes interested in coming here. That hasn’t been the case for the last few years.

While signing day is just part of a start and not anywhere near a finish, the tone has been set. It’s apparent that Bobby Petrino’s expectations match up well with Arkansas fans.

He wants to win and win big.

2008 Razorback Football Signing Class

TipsterHog — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 21:57:45 +0000

Hogwired.com: Arkansas Signing Day Central

Arkansas inked 25 future Razorback football players on Wednesday as part of national signing day.

Also:

AP: UA snags some in-state stars to round out recruits
USA Today: Petrino ‘pulls a big surprise’ in Arkansas recruiting debut
RBN: RBN Recruiting News
TodaysTHV.com (Video): Signing Day Press Conference, Signing Day Report

Razorback Network Sites

HawgsIllustrated.com: 2008 Football Signing Class
HawgSports.com: 2008 Football Signing Class

ArkansasSports360.com

The Morning News

Alex Abrams: Petrino’s Offense Takes Shape
Robbie Neiswanger: Mallet’s Impact Felt on Signing Class
Ryan Malashock: More Recruits Flip To Arkansas Than Away
Dudley Dawson: Hogs Already Starting On Next Class
Leland Barclay: Greenwood QB Signs With Arkansas

Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

Tom Murphy: Sending a message
Bob Holt: State’s top talent sticks with Hogs
Richard Davenport: Recruiting analysts like Petrino’s 1st UA class
Tim Cooper: New components tilt Adams to UA
Chris Cocoles: Wilson: Petrino made difference
Doug Crise: South Arkansas sweep
Wally Hall: Petrino unveils star-studded class — on paper
Nate Allen: First class
Terry Wood: UA staff overcomes late start on recruiting

Updated 2/7/08 7:50 a.m.

2008 Razorback Basketball Early Period Signees

TipsterHog — Fri, 23 Nov 2007 02:35:27 +0000

Hogwired.com: Pelphrey Signs Six Future Hogs During Early Recruiting Period

Arkansas head basketball coach John Pelphrey took a huge step toward replacing the six seniors on this year’s team with the signing of six players to national letters of intent during the early signing period, which ended on Wednesday.

[...] “We’re excited about this class,” Pelphrey says. “Our assistants did a very good job of getting us involved with good players who are high-character guys. This is an important class because of what we are losing. All of them have the chance to make an immediate impact their first season. We talked about that during the recruiting process.”

Also:

Scout.com Profiles: Andre Clark, Rotnei Clarke, Courtney Fortson, Brandon Moore, Terrance Joyner, Daniel Payne
Rivals.com Profiles: Andre Clark, Rotnei Clarke, Courtney Fortson, Brandon Moore, Terrance Joyner, Daniel Payne
KTUL.com (Video): Clarke Picks Hogs Over OSU, ORU
YouTube (Video): Rotnei Clarke Highlights, Courtney Fortson Highlights
Richard Davenport: Point guard Fortson signs, sets lofty goals, New Orleans forward signs with Hogs, Razorbacks’ Pelphrey clutch recruiter, Razorbacks add 2 signees to class
Otis Kirk: Payne getting high marks
Dudley Dawson: UA nabs Fortson, Joyner, Future Razorbacks
The Montgomery Advertiser: Former JD basketball star Fortson signs with Arkansas
RBN: Recruiting News Archive

Updated 11/22/07 9:45 a.m.

Loading Up

TipsterHog — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 11:05:10 +0000

As always, it’ll be a big day on Thursday when Razorback football players report for fall practice. But, as hard as it is to believe, there’s a story that’s been unfolding over the last few weeks that’s even bigger.

As of today (and the numbers seem to be going up by the hour), there are 19 players verbally committed to sign with the Hogs as part of the football recruiting class of 2008.

To put that number in perspective, a year ago on August 1, 2006, there were just eight players committed to the 2007 class. The Hogs didn’t receive their 19th commitment until mid-January. This year…heck…in just the last two weeks, ten players have committed to play for the Hogs. Wow.

How do these numbers compare to the rest of the conference? According to Rivals.com: Kentucky currently has two commitments and Florida has four. South Carolina has five and Auburn has seven. Tennessee has eight, Vanderbilt has 11 and Alabama has 13. LSU and Mississippi State have 14 each and Georgia has 17. Only Ole Miss has more commitments than the Hogs with 20.

We’ll leave it to the recruiting gurus to explain all of this. Quantity and quality, of course, are not the same. (Although there are arguably several top notch players who are now committed.) But no matter how you look at it, the sheer number making early verbal commitments to the Hogs this year is a dramatic difference from years past.

You can read more about many of the new Razorback football recruits in the RBN Recruiting News section.