Many Hog fans are ready to transition from football to basketball after a rollercoaster of a season. One of the only things that could push them further away from the gridiron midseason is bad recruiting news, and that's exactly what they received on Monday.
On the same day Arkansas basketball pulled in one of the highest-rated recruits in its history, football lost its only five-star player in the 2025 class. Kicker Evan Noel announced on X (Twitter) that he's flipped his commitment to SEC rival Florida.
The leading special teams evaluator in the country, Kohl's Professional Camps, ranked Noel as the second-best kicker in his class. In a time when Arkansas is dying to have a reliable place kicker, the Mississippi native would've been in a position to start as a true freshman. He would've had to compete against another former five-star prospect, Charlie Von Der Meden, for the position, but he would've been talented enough to win.
A few weeks ago, Noel went viral on social media for setting a Mississippi high school state record. He knocked down a 61-yard field goal, which would tie the SEC record.
5 ⭐️ kicker Evan Noel set the Mississippi high school record with a 61-yard field goal on Friday night.
— Matt DeGregorio (@Matt_DeGregorio) September 21, 2024
The Arkansas commit’s kick would’ve tied the SEC record, and certainly had the distance to match the NFL record (66 yds).
🎥 Carlos Hurtado (St. Stanislaus) pic.twitter.com/UjfbosvFhz