- If you missed it in the other thread, Urbandale (Iowa) offensive lineman Jake Heinrich tells me he's now done with visits and will be announcing his decision "in the very near future." He just visited Oregon over the weekend and had a good trip there. He did admit Arkansas, Iowa State and Oregon are kind of the three teams sticking out at this stage. Heinrich said he's stayed in touch with Arkansas OL coach Sam Pittman every week and actually had two long conversations with him last week. The dead period began today and runs through July 12, for what it's worth. He said when he gets ready to announce he'll call all of the coaches and then make his decision known via Twitter. If I had to guess, I'd guess Arkansas but with no guarantees. I just feel like Pittman has done another fantastic job with this one.
- Beaumont (Texas) Central RB Devwah Whaley said he included Arkansas in his top five because of their proven history with tailbacks and offensive linemen. He said he hopes to get up here in the weeks ahead but also plans to take official visits at all five of his favorites (Arkansas, Texas, Texas A&M, Oklahoma and Georgia). Whaley said he doesn't see his top group changing at this point. He's remained in constant contact with Arkansas' staff and said they've done a great job of making him feel like a priority.
- Manvel (Texas) RB D'Vaughn Pennamon said again that the Texas A&M offer didn't impact his process the way Arkansas fans may have anticipated it would. He said Arkansas is still right there at the top. Pennamon said, "They're Running Back U. They just are." Pennamon said his recent trip to Fayetteville went well and for now he's just taking the process as it comes. He has another visit at Texas A&M this Thursday but nothing else beyond that this summer.
- Fort Worth (Texas) All Saints Episcopal DT Michael Williams said he's been talking to all of Arkansas' coaches every week for awhile now. He said if he's not able to make an unofficial trip in July then they'll get one of his five official visits. He was at the Texas A&M game last year and said, "I feel like they should have demolished them. Arkansas was the better team," he said.
- 2017 four-star OL Trey Smith of Jackson (Tenn.) University School visited Arkansas two weeks ago and loved it, he said. One thing that stood out in his mind is how guys like Sebastian Tretola and Dan Skipper came up to him and spoke to him during his locker room tour. He said most places have designated people waiting to do that sort of thing, but Arkansas' players took the initiative and made him feel at home all on their own. The facilities were better than he expected, and Bret Bielema and Sam Pittman's presentation of linemen he's sent to the league really caught his attention. His decision will come down to the coaching staff and the school, he said. Very bright young man, FWIW.
- Moultrie (Ga.) Colquitt County wide receiver/athlete Kiel Pollard tells me he still wants to visit this summer but it's just a hard trip to take from where he's from. He said he's hearing great things about Arkansas from his former teammate and Arkansas freshman T.J. Smith.
