Recruiting Rundown: Hogs' Latest Activity with Offers, Visits

Razorbacks' coaches pursue prospects all over country this week including several sophomores with promising futures
Arkansas Razorbacks offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino and coach Sam Pittman during first practice of fall camp in Fayetteville, Ark.
Arkansas Razorbacks offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino and coach Sam Pittman during first practice of fall camp in Fayetteville, Ark. | Andy Hodges-Hogs on SI Images

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FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Arkansas coaches have hit the roads throughout the country this week with stops recruiting hotbeds across the country.

Many of these recruiting visits take minutes and sometimes hours evaluating players through tape, offseason work or simply checking in to see what some high school's have to offer. Coach Sam Pittman, whether through the air or on ground, has been across the south over the past week starting in Arkansas before branching to Texas, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Florida and South Carolina in search of potential Razorbacks.

2026 quarterback commit Jayvon Gilmore

Gilmore received a visit from Pittman Wednesday following his junior season. The 6-foot-5, 180 pound dual threat passer threw for 2,510 yards, 26 touchdowns and eight interceptions at prestigious Gaffney High School in South Carolina.

DL Kamhariyan Johnson, Muscle Shoals, Alabama

Highly sought after, the junior defensive lineman received a visit from Razorbacks defensive line coach Deke Adams along with Pittman this week. The Muscle Shoals, Alabama native holds 17 offers including Arkansas, Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Missouri, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Tennessee and Washington.

He recorded 47 tackles and 13 tackles for loss and 11 sacks in 2024. The 6-foot-5, 250 pound prospect recently visited Missouri for its Junior Day Jan. 18.

OL Bear McWhorter, White, Georgia

The 3-star tackle initially committed to Arkansas early on as a sophomore but reopened his recruitment a few months later.

McWhorter appears to remain on the table as a possible commitment as Arkansas coach Sam Pittman continues to make him a priority for the 2026 class. Alabama, Tennessee, Clemson and LSU have made recent stops at his high school for visits and spent last weekend at Michigan for an unofficial visit.

CB Zyan Gibson, Gadsen City, Alabama

The current Alabama commitment and top-100 prospect was paid a visit from new defensive backs coach Nick Perry who previously played for the Crimson Tide during its early dynasty days under Nick Saban. Gibson produced 17 tackles this season along with a fumble recovery.

OL Kaden Moody, Broken Arrow, Oklahoma

Junior lineman Kaden Moody has received a lot of attention this offseason from Arkansas, Big 12 and American Athletic programs. The 6-foot-6, 300 pound prospect allowed zero sacks in 2024 as a team captain.

Moody was one of the many 2026 prospects who braved the snowy roadways to make it to Fayetteville for its first Junior Day of the offseason Jan. 11.

DE Jamarion Matthews, Harvest, Alabama

Junior defensive end Jamarion Matthews received a visit from Razorbacks coaches this week. The 6-foot-2, 240 pound edge rusher holds 19 scholarship offers from Alabama, Arkansas, Clemson, Auburn, Florida, LSU, Ole Miss, Penn State and many others.

Matthews was very productive this season with 57 tackles, 29 tackles for loss, 17 sacks and 15 hurries and one forced fumble. He finished 2024 ranked No. 81 nationally and No. 7 in Alabama for sacks.

QB Jack Spaeder, Coconut Creek, Florida

Coconut Creek, Florida sophomore quarterback Jack Spaeder is off to a solid start in his prep career passing for 2,787 yards, 25 touchdowns and eight interceptions during his first two season. The 6-foot-3, 185 pound passer possesses 10-inch hands and rocket arm with multiple launch angles.

While other schools appear to have expressed interest in Spaeder, Arkansas is his first FBS offer. He plays in Florida's second-highest classification and led his Monarch High School team to a 7-4 overall record with a trip to the playoffs.

QB Joseph Allen, Melbourne, Florida

Another sophomore quarterback to keep an eye on is Joseph Allen of Melbourne, Florida who was offered by offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino this week after a workout. He started as a true freshman last season and has proven to be a prolific passer with 4,550 yards and 55 touchdowns early on in his high school career.

He possesses a powerful arm featured in the video below. Allen currently holds 14 scholarship offers including Arkansas, Syracuse, Kentucky, UCF and Purdue.

ATH Jacob Eberhart, St. Louis, Missouri

Arkansas, Oregon, Iowa State and Ole Miss are some of the latest schools to jump into the recruitment of Missouri athlete Jacob Eberhart. The 6-foot-3, 200 pound Kirkwood High School product is one of St. Louis' top players with ability to play either offense or defense.

OL Ashley Walker, Hollywood, Florida

Hollywood, Florida 2026 offensive lineman Ashley Walker is one of the latest junior prospects to see his recruitment explode with offers of late. The 6-foot-7, 290 pound tackle was first offered by Georgia followed by Arkansas, Ole Miss, Kentucky, USF and UCF.

TE Razhzario Edwards, Sacramento, California

2027 prospect Rahzario Edwards became one of the best receivers in the country this season. The 6-foot-6, 215 pound pass catcher out of Sacramento can play tight end or wide receiver at the next level.

Edwards caught 48 passes for 900 yards and 14 touchdowns as a sophomore with offers coming from Florida, Oregon, USC, Arkansas, Cal and Texas A&M since the season came to a close.

RB Virgil Lemons, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida

Football powerhouse St. Thomas Aquinas sophomore running back Virgil Lemons is a bulldozer and Arkansas is one of his latest suitors. The 5-foot-9, 170 pound prospect runs low to the ground and possesses good balance after contact and very quick once in the open field.

Along with the Razorbacks, other programs to offer Lemons are West Virginia, Missouri, Purdue, Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois and many others. He totaled 202 yards and three touchdowns in a loaded backfield this season.

ATH Aiden Evans, Lewisville, Texas

2027 athlete Aiden Evans attends the same high school current Arkansas quarterback Taylen Green is from which opens up the Razorbacks chances drastically. Evans can play multiple positions on offense and defense following a breakout season with 48 tackles, two interceptions, three forced fumble, seven pass breakups and three total touchdowns on the way to earning a top-10 ranking among Texas sophomores.

DE Ronelle Johnson, Blue Springs, Missouri

Blue Springs, Missouri standout 4-star defensive end Ronelle Johnson earned an offer from Arkansas this week which is No. 8 for the junior. The 6-foot-4, 245 edge rusher reports a 345 pound bench and 580 pound squat in the weight room.

Johnson finished 2024 with over 60 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, five sacks, three forced fumbles and one safety. Along with Arkansas, he currently holds offers from Iowa, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Missouri, Nebraska and Oregon.

WR Aljour Miles, Kaufman, Texas

Three-star wideout Aljour Miles earned his second scholarship offer from and SEC program when Arkansas called Wednesday. The 6-foot-2, 200 pound pass catcher already has 23 offers and should receive more after catching 60 passes for 1,114 yards and 11 touchdowns as a junior.

DL Mark Matthews, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida

Another St. Thomas Aquinas prospect to watch is 2027 defensive lineman Mark Matthews who is expected to reach 5-star status before his prep career is over, according to national analyst Tom Lemming. The 6-foot-6, 270 pound sophomore has a total of 15 offers including Auburn, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Kentucky, Florida, Miami and West Virginia.

Matthews also excells on the hardwood and recorded two tackles and one sack in limited defensive reps. He did play at offensive tackle where he punished defenders with four pancake blocks.

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Jacob Davis
JACOB DAVIS

Jacob Davis is a reporter for Arkansas Razorbacks on SI, with a decade of experience covering high school and transfer portal recruiting. He has previously worked at Rivals, Saturday Down South, SB Nation and hosted podcasts with Bleav Podcast Network where his show was a finalist for podcast of the year. Native of El Dorado, he currently resides in Central Arkansas with his wife and daughter.