Arkansas football received some good news Thursday when defensive back Kyndrick Williams became the sixth member of its 2026 recruiting class.
The Fayetteville High product is not rated by any of the major recruiting services, but did have one other offer than the Razorbacks — from UNLV and Barry Odom. (Coincidentally, Odom’s son, Garyt, is Fayetteville High’s quarterback and currently committed to join his father with the Rebels next year.)
It was a nice surprise for fans as Arkansas prepares for its SEC opener at Auburn on Saturday, but the recruiting scene in Fayetteville was already hot from last weekend. While most of the focus was on the Razorbacks’ struggles during a sluggish win over UAB in their home opener, the future of Arkansas football stood watching on the sideline.
After an uninspiring first half, fans were eager to welcome the 2024 Arkansas Hall of Honor Inductees onto the field at halftime, with the likes of Dave Van Horn, the late Alex Collins and Kareem Reid being honored. Also among the nine new members of that prestigious club was former quarterback Matt Jones.
Jones’ appearance might have piqued the interest of one particular visitor in Grayson Wilson, a 2025 four-star quarterback who committed to the Hogs back in April of 2023. Wilson’s productivity at the prep level is similar to that of Jones, who totaled nearly 6,000 career passing yards and more than 2,500 more on the ground in his time with the Razorbacks.
While not known for his legs as much as Jones was, Wilson is certainly a true dual-threat quarterback. As a junior at Central Arkansas Christian, he completed 67.8% of his passes for 3,413 yards while also racking up 837 yards on the ground. That helped him accumulate 57 total touchdowns.
After taking the jump from 4A to 7A – the largest classification in Arkansas high school football – over the summer, Wilson now leads the Conway Wampus Cats, one of the best teams in the state, led by legendary coach Buck James. Wilson completed 11 of his 19 passing attempts last Friday night for 256 yards and three touchdowns, one of which came on the ground, in just one half of play in a 49-7 win over Marion and LSU commit Carius Curne.
Other Visitors for Arkansas vs UAB
Also among the multitude of highly talented recruits in town last Saturday was four-star defensive line commit Kevin Oatis.
The trip to Fayetteville came on the heels of another impressive showing by the Class of 2025 ESPN300 prospect from Hattiesburg, Miss. Oatis notched a late sack to help seal a 27-21 win over rival Oak Grove High on Friday night.
The big man took official visits earlier in the summer to USC and Mississippi State before verbally committing to Arkansas last month.
Oatis measures 6-foot-2, 295 pounds, but unlike most big defensive linemen, you’ll find him wearing No. 1 on his jersey. Marcus Woods, Arkansas’ co-defensive coordinator and the primary recruiter of Oatis, knows all too well that he earns his single-digit number with a seemingly innate ability to penetrate offensive lines.
Another commit back in town over the weekend was defensive back Tay Lockett, a two-time MaxPreps All-American in the Razorbacks’ 2026 class.
After playing his sophomore season at powerhouse St. John Bosco, Lockett has transferred back to University City High in San Diego and has been putting on a show as a junior. Just three games into the 2024 season, Lockett has 23 tackles, a pass deflection, a fumble recovery, as well as 270 receiving yards on the offensive end with four touchdowns and a kick return for a touchdown.
Update on Top In-State Products
Sam Pittman and his staff are making a push for multiple recruits that have not yet made their commitment, including some in-state talent, which Pittman badly needs to secure to please some Razorback fans who point out the recent recruiting misses among blue-chip native Arkansans.
Razorback fans have been hearing the name Kane Archer for a long time, the Greenwood native has been hearing from coach Pittman and staff since he was in eighth grade, and has since yet to lose a game as the Bulldogs’ starting quarterback.
A member of the class of ‘26 and now a composite four-star prospect, Archer put on a clinic on Friday night against Springdale Har-Ber, completing 23 of his 28 passing attempts for 358 yards and six touchdowns en route to a 56-19 blowout win.
Others including Kentucky, Tennessee, Michigan, Ole Miss, and Florida State are pursuing Archer, as well. The Hogs already having the commitment of 2026 quarterback Jayvon Gilmore makes it less unlikely that Kane Archer will find himself in an Arkansas uniform in two years time.
Pittman and offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino have their sights set on another in-state recruit in the class of 2026. Terry Hodges, a four-star running back from Marked Tree has been catching the eyes of recruiters across the nation:
Hodges possesses elite speed, running a state-qualifying 10.91 in the 100m last season. That speed shines through on the gridiron as well, and top programs across the country are taking notice of Hodges’s talent. He now holds offers from Baylor, Auburn, Washington, and Florida State in addition to the Razorbacks.
Other Arkansans who should be making it to the Hill soon include four-star defensive lineman Danny Beale out of Cherry Valley. Offensive line coach Eric Mateos has been hot the trail of Beale, who is a top-100 prospect in the class of 2026, according to 247Sports.
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Check out some highlights from Arkansas commit Grayson Wilson’s first three games this season:
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