HawgBeat - In-state WR talks Arkansas visit, offer
Bentonville WR CJ Brown talks visit to Arkansas and getting an offer from the Razorbacks.
arkansas.rivals.com
Arkansas has shifted its recruiting focus heavily to the 2024 class, and one beneficiary of that is Bentonville wide receiver CJ Brown, who received an offer from the Hogs during a visit to Fayetteville last weekend.
Though 6-foot-1, 180-pound pass catcher said getting an offer from the Hogs meant a lot.
"Originally, I'm from Cleveland, but I moved here when I was young," Brown said. "But I've lived here all my life. As you can assume, it means the world to me that my team that lives 20 minutes down the road from me offers me to come play at their school where I can stay close. It means a lot to me and my family."
Brown has visited Arkansas a three times now, but Saturday's visit definitely meant just a little bit more when he was offered a scholarship. His relationship with receivers coach Kenny Guiton continues to grow.
"I liked it a lot," Brown said. "Obviously this is third time that I've been up there. I like Coach Guiton, Coach Pittman. I haven't gotten the chance to meet with (Dan) Enos yet, but I'm sure he's a good guy. I really like their coaching staff, and it was a great visit on Saturday."
Guiton has proven his ability to recruit at a high level by bringing in three big-time transfers for the 2023 roster. Brown said Guiton — a former quarterback at Ohio State — is a younger coach that is relatable for players that want to be around the sport for a long time.
"I think he's a young guy, but he's a successful guy that's young," Brown said. "I think that's inspiring to me and a lot of guys. Obviously when you get done with football, a lot of people want to stay around the sport...He's a fun guy to be around and talk to, and he's funny."
As far as his personal game goes, Brown seems confident in his ability to make a play when he's given the opportunity — which was often during his 2022 campaign with Bentonville. Brown caught 75 passes for 1,284 yards and 16 touchdowns to earn a First-Team 7A-West All-State selection.
During Bentonville's 45-0 win over North Little Rock in the second round of the 7A playoffs, Brown had 205 receiving yards and four touchdowns in the first half alone.
"I think I'm fast," Brown said. "I'm physical. I make the play when it's there. I definitely make the most out of the opportunities that I do get. I get a lot of opportunities, but I think I make the most of them. I'm good after I catch the ball. I think that's my strong point is I can go up and get a ball, I can run past you and I can make you miss when I catch it."
Brown said he doesn't have any upcoming visits set in stone, and he's open to all colleges who are interested in him. Having visited Arkansas twice before last weekend, Brown is familiar with former Arkansas offensive coordinator Kendal Briles.
"I'm sure I'll get down to, or I know I'll get down to TCU at some point with Briles," Brown said. "I talked to him the other day. And then I'll just see what else lines out."
With plenty of time left in his recruitment, Brown made it clear that his options are open. But the location of Arkansas and the in-state factor seems to have an impact early on.
"The thing about Arkansas and Northwest Arkansas is that I know the area and I wouldn't have to adjust a ton," Brown said.
Brown is currently not rated by Rivals, but another recruiting service has him rated as a three-star prospect.
