Arkansas Lands 285-Pound Fullback in June Recruiting Surge

Evangel Christian standout Ashton Dawson joins Razorbacks as a rare fullback commit, boosting a class loaded with defensive talent

Ashton Dawson X: AshtonDawson26

The fullback position is not commonly used in football anymore. Despite that, the Arkansas Razorbacks have attempted to revive that position. In addition to bringing back fullbacks Maddox Lassiter (listed as a tight end on the official roster) and Kyle Thompson from last season, the Hogs bring in one more.

Meet the New Recruit...

Ashton Dawson is listed at 6-2 and 285 pounds, hailing from Shreveport, Louisiana. At Evangel Christian Academy in Shreveport, Dawson plays both the defensive tackle and fullback positions. On the defensive side of the ball, Dawson registered 103 total tackles and 17 tackles for loss in 2024, but several other Division I schools have offered him as a fullback.

Troy University was the first D1 school to offer Dawson back in April, a day before receiving an offer from Grambling State. He also sported offers from Jackson State and Florida State, who offered the 2026 prospect almost a month before committing to the Razorbacks earlier on Friday.

Dawson had turned heads at a 7-on-7 tournament that was held at the University of Arkansas campus this past week. In 2024, with Evangel, Dawson carried the ball twice for 24 yards and caught two passes for 15 yards and one touchdown.

Dawson joins Keivay Foster (DB, Muscle Shoals, Alabama), Cameron McGee (DT, Loganville, Georgia), Blair Irvin III (WR, Bentonville, Arkansas), Daylen Green (LB, Quincy, Florida), Caleb Gordon (LB, Gastonia, North Carolina), and Bryce Gilmore (OL, Prosper, Texas) as players having committed to the Razorbacks so far in June.

As it stands, Dawson could team up with another Shreveport native, LJ Prudhomme, a freshman offensive lineman for the Razorbacks who played at Captain Shreve High School. Captain Shreve and Evangel Christian are conference opponents and are set to face off on October 10th.