If you’re an Arkansas football fan who even casually follows recruiting, the following statement likely won’t come as much of a surprise.
Tavion Wallace, the crown jewel of the Razorbacks’ 2025 class, has recently plummeted in the rankings on two major recruiting sites.
In its latest update, 247Sports dropped the four-star linebacker a whopping 137 spots to No. 176 overall, while also lowering his grade from 94 to 92. He experienced a similar drop at On3, falling from No. 44 at the time of his commitment to Arkansas down to No. 138 — a 94-spot tumble.
Prior to those changes, Wallace was set to be one of the highest-ranked prospects the Razorbacks have landed out of high school since the turn of the century. His .9720 rating would have made him their 11th-best recruit in the history of the 247Sports Composite — and the fourth-best from out of state.
With two of the outlets that factor into that metric dropping him significantly since his surprise July 2 commitment, Wallace’s rating is now .9494. That’s still good for No. 111 overall, easily making him the best player pledged to the Razorbacks in 2025, but no longer historic.
Rivals has him ranked the lowest at No. 183, but that’s only four spots lower than where he was at the time of his commitment. Wallace has also seen a minor dip on ESPN, going from No. 37 to No. 45.
Those two drops can be explained away as the result of other players across the country shooting up the rankings, rather than a reflection on Wallace himself. Falling 94 or 137 spots, though, has brought up a familiar sentiment among Arkansas football fans: “He dropped because he committed to the Hogs!”
Having worked for two of the four major recruiting services — Rivals and 247Sports — in the past, I can confirm that where a recruit commits, or the offers he receives, is not supposed to influence his position in the rankings or how many stars he receives.
At the same time, though, I feel those things tend to subconsciously impact some people in charge of recruiting rankings. If Nick Saban lands a 3-star recruit, don’t you think that’d make analysts reconsider their evaluation of said recruit, given Saban’s track record?
Of course, it’s hard to see a player like Wallace — who has been clocked at 22.1 mph during a game this season — drop so far without at least wondering if his commitment to Arkansas, as opposed to Georgia or Florida State, played a role.
This isn’t the first time it’s happened, either.
In the 2023 class, Luke Hasz checked in at No. 59 overall in the 247Sports Composite at the time of his commitment, only to be down to No. 202 by end of the cycle. A couple years before that, Hudson Henry went from No. 50 to No. 132.
However, it’s important to remember that’s just anecdotal evidence of a conspiracy against the Razorbacks, and it’s much easier to remember the times when a player was slighted than those who have climbed the rankings.
Just look at the most recent classes for some prime examples of the opposite thing happening. Last year, Charlie Collins climbed from No. 221 at the time of his commitment to No. 81. In the class before that, Isaiah Augustave was a mid-tier three-star when he committed, but evolved into a bonafide four-star, top-300 prospect.
(READ NEXT: Tavion Wallace was one of many people impacted by Hurricane Helene this fall.)
Grayson Wilson Update
The Razorbacks’ lone quarterback pledge in the 2025 class, Grayson Wilson, has been dealing with a sprained shoulder for about the past month, a source told Best of Arkansas Sports.
The injury, which he suffered early in Conway’s 56-7 blowout win over Cabot on Oct. 11, has prevented him from leading the Wampus Cats’ offense the last four weeks.
Conway beat Little Rock Central, Pulaski Academy and Little Rock Christian without him, improving to 9-0, before losing to Bryant 49-14 in the regular-season finale. Wilson dressed out and went through warmups prior to that game, and has been practicing, but was held out for precautionary reasons.
As the 2-seed from the 7A Central, Conway received a bye into the quarterfinals of the playoffs and awaits the winner of Friday’s matchup between Little Rock Southwest and Rogers. That game is scheduled for Nov. 22, so Wilson has an extra week to get healthy.
According to our source, an MRI and ultrasound have revealed no structural damage in his shoulder and it’s just a matter of time for him to recover, similar to a sprained ankle. The usual recovery time is 6-8 weeks, but Wilson has been doing treatment to expedite the process.
Arkansas Makes Top 6 for 4-Star WR
With the 2025 class mostly in the books and set to sign next month, Arkansas football has shifted most of its focus to the Class of 2026.
The Razorbacks already have six juniors committed and recently made the cut for a big-time wide receiver out of Texas.
London Smith included Arkansas in his top 6 alongside Baylor, Ole Miss, Tennessee, Texas and Texas A&M. A standout at University High in Waco, Texas, he is ranked No. 40 overall by Rivals.
Coming out on top for such a highly ranked player will be tough, though, especially with three of his finalists being in-state programs. That includes his hometown school of Baylor, which just so happens to be where he parents attended.
Smith’s father, Rodney Smith, played football and basketball for the Bears, while his mother, Stacey Smith, was an NCAA champion in the triple jump.
Hogs Lose Kicker Pledge
Despite a couple of blowout losses that have led to some fans jumping off the bandwagon, Arkansas has mostly kept its 2025 recruiting class intact.
The Razorbacks suffered a blow earlier this week, though, when kicker Evan Noel flipped his commitment to Florida on Monday.
Considered by some as the No. 1 kicker in the country, it’s an especially tough loss for Arkansas given its struggles at the position this season. Click here for a more in-depth look at what may have led to the de-commitment.
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