Nutt pleased with shape class of 2000 is taking

FAYETTEVILLE -- Everyone has an opinion about recruiting, but only Houston Nutt's really matters.
And Nutt, Arkansas' second-year coach, has a high opinion of the Razorbacks' developing 2000 recruiting class.
"I think we'll have a Top 10 class in the nation, although we won't be ranked that high," Nutt said as the Razorbacks prepare to enter the final two weeks of recruiting before the Feb. 2 national signing day.
Arkansas has 14 oral commitments from recruits, including 10 from in-state prospects. That ratio is mostly responsible for the low prestige of Arkansas' class, because state recruits do not typically rate high on the national level.
Nutt said he trusts his ability to evaluate prospects and those of his staff much more than those of national recruiting services. Nutt didn't name names but said several of Arkansas' in-state commitments would be highly rated if they played in Dallas, for example.
"They don't know them like we know them," Nutt said. "We probably don't have a lot of Top 20, Top 50, Top 100 [nationally ranked prospects]. What if our players had gone against Tennessee and said, 'I don't know if we better show up because the last three or four years they've had a Top 10 class in America and Coach Nutt's class has been in the last 10 in America.'
"We won that game. ... What I'm saying is I wouldn't get so caught up in national rankings."
The Razorbacks have 23 official visits remaining for the last two weekends in January and plan to use all of them. Nutt said the Razorbacks have just six or seven scholarship slots remaining and have to be selective in filling them.
Nutt said the Razorbacks' Cotton Bowl victory against Texas has left them with a nice problem of having more willing prospects than positions for them.
"We would much rather be in that situation than having to take whoever," Nutt said. "That bowl game is going to help us get probably three or four guys we wouldn't have got. That's what I believe. Get them signed as a Razorback."
The Razorbacks have lost six coaches and graduate assistants since the end of the regular season, but Nutt said that shouldn't have an adverse effect on recruiting. Nutt said what was most important was that Arkansas won three of its last four games, including the Cotton Bowl.
"Fitz Hill has done a good job of keeping it together," Nutt said about the Razorbacks' recruiting coordinator's work during the staff changes. "We've all been recruiting pretty hard. It has been nothing but positive since the Cotton Bowl. That's what winning does."

Defensive lineman Rodney Clark of Elaine said he will report to Arkansas on Saturday. Clark (6-5, 300) signed with the Razorbacks in February 1999 but delayed his enrollment for a semester.
Clark said he will probably be a walk-on this semester. He said former Arkansas assistant Clifton Ealy told him that might happen during Clark's recruitment a year ago.
"He told me there was a chance I wouldn't be on scholarship until fall," Clark said. "He never said I wouldn't have one, but I knew there was a possibility. That's fine. I can work through it."

Former Hamburg safety Marques Williams is examining his options after failing to achieve a qualifying score on his latest ACT attempt. Williams said he is still a few points shy of the required 68.
Williams said he wants to enroll as a part-time student at Arkansas and continue to try to pass the ACT.
"I want to be up there," Williams said. "If I can't, I'll have to go somewhere else. I'm going part-time somewhere."
Hamburg Coach Bob Davis said Williams probably couldn't afford to be even a part-time student at Arkansas.
"Fayetteville is where he wants to go," Davis said. "Some people just don't do well on that test. I thought if I could get him into a college, they could help him. He's definitely a great prospect, and he'll go by the wayside if nothing happens."

Linebacker Carlton Baker of Belle Glades (Fla.) Glades Central said Arkansas is his favorite by default.
Baker (6-1, 215, 4.6 seconds in the 40-yard dash) has visited just one school, Arkansas. He will visit West Virginia this weekend before taking trips to Louisville and Kansas State the last two weekends of this month.
"If I had to pick today, I'd pick Arkansas," said Baker, who needs to pass the ACT to qualify. "I like Arkansas a lot. I know for a fact I can get in right away."

Contact Marty Cook at: marty_cook@adg.ardemgaz.com.

FOOTBALL COMMITMENTS NAME SCHOOL POS. HT. WT. 40 Shane Collins Mountain Home LB 6-2 197 4.67 Arrion Dixon Wynne DL 6-4 248 5.1 Elliott Harris Marianna LB 6-4 227 4.8 Lee Hayes Hopkinsville, Ky. DB 5-11 177 4.4 Brian Hill Harrison OL 6-6.5 297 5.44 LeRoy Hood McGehee DB 6-0 183 4.58 Jayson Johnson LR Fair DL 6-3 270 5.33 Brandon Mayweather Crossett LB 6-2.5 194 5.01 Bo Mosley Osceola CB 5-10 165 4.5 Brennan O'Donohoe El Dorado K 5-10 220 5.18 Jason Peters Queen City, TX TE/DE 6-5 270 4.6 Rylan Reed Crossett OL 6-6 235 5.03 Steve Spivey Conyers (Ga.) Heritage OL 6-4 300 5.2 James Toussaint* Hayward (Calif.) Chabot JC TE 6-6 245 4.8 Bryan Watson Houston Robt. E. Lee DL 6-4.5 275 4.9 *Walk on

This article was published on Friday, January 14, 2000

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