Lockett Zeroed In on All-American Goal

The St. John Bosco star committed early and won’t waver as recruitment tarries on

Author:
Jacob Davis
Publish date:
Jan 18, 2024 8:33 AM EST

In this story:

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — When a player commits as early as Tay Lockett did there always seems to be a catch with fans. They doubt whether he’ll make it to campus or decommit when times get tough.

Talking to Lockett, the realization is he wants to be great while doing so with the Razorbacks. National media pundits consider Arkansas to have some of the finest facilities in America despite their on-field record over the past decade.

“Me and Bear [McWhorter] are just telling the truth about the University of Arkansas,” Lockett said. “Not what we see on Saturday on the TV, but the whole process that you don’t see, like the state of the art weight room.”

The Razorbacks made a conscious effort during former athletic director Jeff Long’s tenure to upgrade everything on campus when it came to sports. The new weight room, student development building and expansion of Razorback Stadium are a few things spearheaded by Long.

A head coach is only as good as his assistant coaches. Right now, Sam Pittman has hired awfully well on the defensive side with Travis Williams and Marcus Woodson serving in dual coordinator roles. Both coaches have experienced success in recruiting, building relationships that will improve the long-term health of the Razorback program. These two made it an easy choice for Lockett to return home.

“Being from California but choosing Arkansas was pretty easy over time,” Lockett said. “Relationships I have built with Coach Williams and Coach Woodson has made everything so much easier on me being more comfortable and having trust in those coaches into developing me into the player and man I want to become.”

While he is firmly committed to the Razorbacks, that doesn’t mean other schools have stopped contact.

“There is schools still reaching out like Auburn, Georgia, Arizona, and Washington,” Lockett said.

It makes plenty of sense for programs to pursue Lockett as he has already been named a two-time All-American during his brief high school football career.

As for goals going into his junior and senior seasons, Lockett plans on honing his craft as a player and being the leader of his team. Those two things together could make him a player coaches don’t want to have just standing on the sidelines in the fall of 2026.

“My goals for myself are to be receive All-American honors all four years in high school,” Lockett said. “Just be the best overall teammate to my team. Getting my body and mind into the best possible position to be able to be a day one starter in college.”

Like any normal athlete in high school, it’s rare that they find free time to do much, so, when Lockett is free he enjoys a quiet world.

“Outside of football I like to just play video games and take some time to be alone,” Lockett said. “That is when I find so much peace with myself and it makes my mind feel free from all of the sports world.”