It struck out on three targets, but Arkansas football still got some Fourth of July fireworks in the form of four-star wide receiver Ashton Bethel-Roman.
The Razorbacks went just 1 for 4 on the holiday, as defensive lineman Alex Foster, linebacker D’Angelo Barker and cornerback Chris Johnson II pledged to Baylor, Auburn and Arizona State, respectively, in addition to the one who announced he’ll be heading to Fayetteville next year.
Bethel-Roman, who has NFL bloodlines, gives Arkansas a four-star commitment on Independence Day for the second straight year. However, there’s still a long time until the Dec. 20-22 early signing period.
Last year, the Razorbacks landed offensive lineman Paris Patterson and wide receiver Micah Tease on July 4. The former stuck with them, but the latter ultimately flipped to Texas A&M. A few years earlier, four-star athlete Kelvontay Dixon committed to Arkansas’ 2020 class on the holiday only to de-commit and eventually sign with Texas.
As for the 2024 class, Arkansas football is up to 15 total commitments, but that number includes defensive tackle Dion Stutts, who tragically died in an ATV accident last month.
Ashton Bethel-Roman Picks Arkansas Football
A standout at Ridge Point High School in Missouri City, Texas, Ashton Bethel-Roman is a unanimous four-star and top-250 prospect. He is actually ranked in the top 100 nationally by 247Sports and On3.
Oregon and Texas Tech were the other finalists for Bethel-Roman, who joins a pair of in-state recruits — Courtney Crutchfield (Pine Bluff) and CJ Brown (Bentonville) — as the third wide receiver to pick the Razorbacks in the 2024 class.
It is an elite group for wide receivers coach Kenny Guiton, as Crutchfield checks in at No. 62 in the 247Sports rankings (not the Composite) and Bethel-Roman is No. 92. They are the two highest-ranked receivers to commit to Arkansas during the 247Sports era, which began in 2010. The previous high was No. 129, which is where Treylon Burks was in the 2019 class.
On3, which is a much newer outlet, actually has Bethel-Roman a little bit higher, as he’s No. 83 in its rankings.
He’s coming off a junior season in which he caught 37 passes for 892 yards and eight touchdowns for a Ridge Point team that went 10-3 and reached the third round of the Texas Class 6A-Division I playoffs. That’s an impressive 24.1 yards per reception.
It’s also worth noting that Bethel-Roman has excellent bloodlines. His father, Mark Roman, was an All-SEC defensive back and second-round pick out of LSU in 2000. He then had a 10-year career in the NFL, playing with the Bengals, Packers and 49ers.
Check out some highlights of new Arkansas football commit Ashton Bethel-Roman:
Hogs Miss Out on Talented Trio
Landing the likes of Ashton Bethel-Roman and Chris Johnson II certainly made it a big day for the Arkansas football program, but it wasn’t a perfect day.
Alex Foster, a three-star defensive lineman from Mississippi, originally told reporters he’d announce his decision on July 10, but moved it up a few days to do it on the holiday. He picked Baylor over Arkansas, Georgia Tech, Kentucky, Louisville and Mississippi State.
Listed at 6-foot-5, 270 pounds, he was considered a defensive end by some recruiting services, but could slide inside as a tackle – a position at which the Razorbacks have no commitments after the tragic death of Dion Stutts. They do, however, have two really good defensive end commits in Kavion Henderson and Charleston Collins.
A few hours later, D’Angelo Barber announced his commitment to Auburn. The Razorbacks went after the four-star linebacker hard, but it wasn’t enough for him to leave his home state, as he plays at Clay-Chalkville High in Pinson, Ala.
The night ended with Chris Johnson II, a high three-star cornerback by most services and a four-star by On3, picking Arizona State over Arkansas and Oregon. In doing so, he turned down the opportunity to play with Aledo, Texas, High School teammate Jaden Allen.
Upcoming Announcements for Arkansas Football Targets
The month of July is shaping up to be a big month when it comes to Arkansas recruiting. Four announcements on the 4th — plus one a few days earlier — were just the start.
On top of the three who committed elsewhere Tuesday, the Razorbacks also saw four-star offensive lineman Jac’Qawn McRoy announce his pledge to Oregon over the weekend.
They’ll hope for better news in the trenches when four-star offensive lineman Fletcher Westphal announces his decision on July 10. However, the Razorbacks — who got his final official visit — have stiff competition, with Auburn, Clemson, Florida and Georgia making up the rest of the top five for the standout from Tuscarora High in Leesburg, Va.
He will be the first of five announcements over an 11-day span. Here’s a look at the others:
- July 12: Four-star linebacker Brian Huff out of Valley View High School in Jonesboro will choose from a final four that includes Arkansas, Missouri, UCF and UNLV.
- July 14: Four-star running back Braylen Russell, who was previously committed to the Razorbacks until packing off his pledge last October, is set to choose between Arkansas, Baylor, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas A&M. He began his high school career at Hot Springs Lakeside, but is now at Benton.
- July 15: Four-star defensive back Ashton Hampton out of Florida State University School in Tallahassee, Fla., has announced a top six of Arkansas, Clemson, Florida, Florida State, LSU and Miami (Fla.), but also took an official visit to Louisville last month. He is the son of UAPB head coach Alonzo Hampton.
- July 20: Four-star defensive lineman Kendall Jackson out of Buchholz High in Gainesville, Fla., hasn’t officially named his finalists, but he officially visited Arkansas, Florida, Kentucky and Miami (Fla.) last month and is expected to choose one of those four schools.
Arkansas Football Commits in Class of 2024
The Razorbacks entered Tuesday with a 2024 recruiting class ranked anywhere from 21st to 30th in the country by various services. The rankings will likely change quite a bit over the course of Tuesday, as the Fourth of July is a popular commitment date.
- DE Kavion Henderson — Leeds (Ala.) — Nov. 6, 2022
- DT Dion Stutts — Memphis (Tenn.) University School — March 11, 2023
- NOTE: Stutts tragically died in an ATV accident on June 13.
- ATH Noreel White — Ocean Springs (Miss.) St. Martin — March 13, 2023
- ATH JuJu Pope — Batesville (Miss.) South Panola — April 8, 2023
- QB KJ Jackson — Montgomery (Ala.) St. James — April 9, 2023
- CB Jaden Allen — Aledo (Texas) — April 21, 2023
- DE Charleston Collins — Little Rock (Ark.) Mills — April 21, 2023
- WR Courtney Crutchfield — Pine Bluff (Ark.) — April 21, 2023
- CB Tevis Metcalf — Birmingham (Ala.) Parker — April 22, 2023
- ATH Jadan Baugh — Decatur (Ga.) Columbia — May 19, 2023
- ATH Ahkhari Johnson — Texarkana (Texas) Pleasant Grove — June 14, 2023
- WR CJ Brown — Bentonville (Ark.) — June 15, 2023
- OL Kobe Branham – Fort Smith (Ark.) Southside – June 26, 2023
- OL Zuri Madison — Lexington (Ky.) Frederick Douglass — June 27, 2023
- WR Ashton Bethel-Roman — Missouri City (Texas) Ridge Point — July 4, 2023
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