Arkadelphia junior linebacker receives long-awaited Razorback offer

Years of 'hard work' waiting on dream offer pays off for talented defender

Arkansas Razorbacks coach Ryan Silverfield visiting with fans at basketball game against Fresno State at Simmons Bank Arena in North Little Rock, Ark. | Ted McClenning-allHOGS Images

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Arkadelphia junior athlete Mario Brownlee has spent the past 2.5 years putting the work in to receive a scholarship offer from Arkansas and Saturday it came to fruition with running backs coach David Johnson giving him a call.

"The offer from Arkansas means the world to me," Brownlee told Arkansas Razorbacks on SI. "Everything I have worked so hard for has come true. All glory to God!"

I’m Truly Blessed to receive a offer from the University of Arkansas after a great conversation with @CoachYACJohnson pic.twitter.com/2N01EROrT7

— Mario Brownlee (@BrownleeMa59318) December 27, 2025

Brownlee transferred from Class 3A Prescott to Class 4A powerhouse Arkadelphia over the summer and was quite productive with 87 tackles, 20 tackles for loss, four pass breakups, five forced fumbles and two sacks.

He helped the Badgers to an 11-2 record overall with a run to the 4A state quarterfinals, losing 13-10 to Elkins, the eventual champions.

"I was happy so happy to receive the offer," Brownlee said. "But, humble because this is just gonna make me grind even harder. I plan on taking an unofficial visit in January."

While Brownlee has yet to receive a rating from any of the three major recruiting publications, it would make sense for him to make his debut as a consensus 3-star based off his tape and proven production at two separate high school classifications.

2027 LB Mario Brownlee (@BrownleeMa59318) 💪🏾💪🏾 pic.twitter.com/frc0TnCnd5

— Earl Gill (@EarlGill10) December 11, 2025

As a sophomore at Prescott, he recorded 121 tackles, 11 TFL, five QB hurries, four PBU, two sacks and two forced fumbles with teams such as Missouri, LSU, North Texas, Oklahoma State, Miami (OH), Charlotte, Yale (FCS), UT-Martin (FCS) and North Alabama (FCS) expressing interest in him.

The Razorbacks previous sucess at linebacker under Sam Pittman was a big reason for his early interest. With a renewed interest of what in-state athletes have to offer, new coach Ryan Silverfield has a chance to make Arkansas a "dream" school for many of his homegrown athletes.

Strong In-state Class

The state of Arkansas has quite a handful of uncommitted Power Conference such as running back Trey Stewart (Little Rock Central), quarterback Hank Hendrix (Fayetteville), running back Jeremiah Dent (Arkansas), running back Carter Wallace (Valley View) and running back Micah Gamble (Fordyce).

Joe T. Robinson junior wide receiver Hakim Frampton was offered by the Razorbacks in January 2024, but committed to longtime Arkansas rival Texas A&M on Sept. 27.

The 2027 cycle will have a chance to set the tone for the Razorbacks' program under Silverfield with several high level prospects likely to see their recruiting stock rise ahead of their senior seasons.

The Razorbacks currently hold the No. 35 ranked recruiting class nationally, according to 247Sports and have commitments from Sheridan offensive lineman Bradley Sturdivant and Tampa, Florida quarterback Joaquin Kavouklis.

There are quite a few additional offers to out-of-state prospects over the past month since Silverfield's takeover Nov. 30. One name to keep an eye on is Bryson Brown, who's made several trips to campus during former coach Sam Pittman's tenure.

Brown currently attends high school in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma and released his top 12 schools of Arkansas, Kansas, Penn State, Wake Forest, UCLA, Vanderbilt, Ohio State, Kentucky, Missouri, Oklahoma State, Nebraska and Purdue.

He is the No. 267 ranked prospect in the country, No 30 among cornerbacks and No. 5 player in the state of Oklahoma, according to Rivals.