Last weekend might have been forgettable on the diamond, but it could prove to be massive for the Arkansas football program.
Not only did the Razorbacks land a pair of 2025 commitments from athlete Quentin Murphy and offensive lineman Blake Cherry on Saturday, but they also hosted a loaded group of 13 official visitors.
Two of the recruits who were in town have now set announcement dates.
First up is Logan Schram, a four-star offensive lineman from Boerne, Texas. He is set to choose between Arkansas, Texas Tech and TCU on Sunday. Listed at 6-foot-6, 328 pounds, Schram has played left tackle for his high school the last two year, but is projected to be an interior offensive lineman in college. That’s a common move, as most high-caliber offensive line recruits play left tackle in high school because they’re usually their team’s best lineman.
He previously visited the Red Raiders and Horned Frogs, so that means the Razorbacks got his final visit. Auburn, Missouri, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas A&M were among his several other offers.
Then, on July 2, four-star linebacker Tavion Wallace will announce his commitment between Arkansas, Florida, Florida State and Georgia.
Wallace made the trip to Fayetteville from Jesup, Ga., this past weekend, but has visits to his other three finalists coming up in the next few weeks. The Seminoles will get the last of those visits and they currently have the lone Crystal Ball prediction on 247Sports.
Throw in the fact that he’s the No. 36 overall recruit and No. 3 linebacker in the Class of 2025, according to 247Sports, and Arkansas seems like a long shot to land his services, but at least it got him on campus.
Landing either or both of those four-star prospects would be a big-time boost to the Razorbacks’ efforts on the recruiting trail. The eight-man class currently doesn’t have any 247Sports Composite four-star commits and is ranked 39th nationally.
Although that is good for 11th in the SEC, Arkansas is the only team in the league without at least one four-star commitment. Even Vanderbilt has one.
As rumors and reports swirl regarding the status of Auburn coach Gus Malzahn following a disappointing and underachieving 7-5 campaign, nothing has changed as of this time according to a spokesman for Auburn president Steven Leath.
Reports about Malzahn’s standing with the university less than a year into a new seven-year, $49 million deal surfaced on Monday suggesting the sixth-year head coach was on the hot seat. Then, on Tuesday, Auburn Undercover reported that Malzahn was set to agree to new terms — including a reduced buyout and other changes — to remain with the program for 2019 and beyond following a Sunday meeting with Leath.
AL.com emailed Leath’s office on Wednesday requesting comment regarding Malzahn’s status and asking if anything has changed since Leath and athletics director Allen Greene said publicly in recent weeks that Malzahn would be the Tigers’ coach next season.