Razorbacks 2016 Recruiting Class Coming Together

This past Saturday, the Arkansas Razorbacks blasted the UTEP Miners 48-13 thanks to a very impressive showing by Hogs QB Brandon Allen. The Razorbacks offense looked dynamic, and reporters and analysts took notice. The Hogs were all over ESPN and social media for their surprising passing game numbers and performance. The 2015 season holds great opportunities for this Razorback team.

The 2016 season is shaping up to be something special as well with the addition of McTelvin Agim on Saturday. Agim, a defensive end from Hope, Arkansas, committed to the Razorbacks at 2:00 Saturday afternoon, and has officially shut down his recruiting. He is the #1 player in the state of Arkansas, the #2 DE in the country, the #9 overall player in the country, and the highest rated recruit Arkansas has signed since ESPN started doing recruiting analysis.

Agim will certainly be the headliner in a class that is shaping up to be special for Coach Bret Bielema and the Razorbacks. Agim joins fellow Arkansan Austin Capps and Briston Guidry from Louisiana to possibly close out the defensive line group for the 2016 class, and what a group it is. Capps and Guidry are both highly recruited composite 4 star defensive linemen in their own right, and all have the potential to play right away for the Hogs. This added depth to an already impressive Arkansas defensive line should make opposing offensive coordinators nervous.

Dec 29, 2014; Houston, TX, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks cornerback Henre

Also committed to the Razorbacks are 3 star linebackers Alexy Jean-Baptiste from Florida, and De’Jon Harris from Louisiana. The Razorbacks are looking to potentially add another linebacker to this class as well, but as it stands, AJB and Harris would be welcomed additions to the depth chart for Coach Hargreaves and Coach Smith. Rounding out the defensive recruits is 3 star Florida safety Deon Edwards, who holds 15 D1 offers and has committed to the Razorbacks.

On the offensive side of the ball, the Hogs are adding some serious playmakers from the state of Arkansas. Little Rock’s TJ Hammonds and Smackover’s Jordan Jones are both 4 star receivers on ESPN, and they round out the top 4 recruits inside the state for Bielema.

What would an Arkansas class be without offensive lineman? Of course Coach Bielema is looking to add mass to his roster, and he’s got 2 highly sought after recruits on the commitment list. 4 star guard Jake Heinrich from Iowa and 3 star tackle Kellen Diesch have called the Hogs from outside the state. Heinrich is the #2 player in the state of Iowa and and #11 overall guard in the nation. Diesch is more of a project thanks to his size. The top 50 player stands at 6’7, 270 pounds and has over 30 D1 offers from across the nation.

The size of Disech is staggering, but so is the size of Louisiana QB commit Cole Kelley. The 3 star QB stands at 6’7 and weighs 230 pounds, and has a cannon for an arm. Kelley will probably red shirt behind the impressive Razorback depth chart at QB.

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Rounding out the offensive recruits for the Razorbacks is 3 star Mississippi tight end Grayson Gunter, 3 star Texas receiver Kofi Boateng, and 3 star Missouri fullback Hayden Johnson. Gunter committed to the Hogs early, and stands at 6’5, 230 pounds. He will bring some nice blocking and playmaking ability to an already deep tight end roster. Boateng’s situation is odd to me, personally. The speedster from Texas is a borderline 4 star player, and has offers from over 30 D1 schools, including every SEC West school. (I’m assuming that if he had committed to Alabama, he would have been bumped up to a 4 star player.) Boateng is flying just under the radar, but could turn out to be the gem inside this class for the Hogs passing game. Finally, Coach Bielema is very happy to have walked into Columbia, Missouri to poach 6’3, 255 pound Hayden Johnson. The defensive standout was recruited by the Hogs as a fullback, and the prospect of playing early and contributing immediately stood out to Johnson, who committed to the Razorbacks over Nebraska and Florida State.

The future, both immediate and long term, is bright for the Razorbacks. The 2015 season is off to an impressive and unexpected start, and with about half the 2016 class in place, the Hogs are positioned to have their highest rated recruiting class EVER, not just under Bielema. Woo Pig, indeed.

Next: Big Surprise from the UTEP Game