FAYETTEVILLE — The Arkansas basketball program announced several new additions to first-year head coach John Calipari's staff Friday.

A press release stated that five new assistants have been added to the program, though HawgBeat previously reported several of those names were added to the staff directory on May 23.

James "Bruiser" Flint was announced as Special Assistant to the Head Coach, Chris Woolard was named Men's Basketball General Manager and Lunetha Pryor was named Men's Basketball Chief of Staff.

Additionally, Kevin Butty and Kevin Gallagher were named Video Coordinator and Assistant Video Coordinator, respectively. The duo also held similar roles under Calipari while he was at Kentucky.

According to the UA, Woolard will handle day-to-day operations of the Arkansas basketball program as the general manager, and will also serve as executive director of the Calipari Foundation. Woolard worked with Calipari for the last 13 seasons at Kentucky.

Pryor has spent 24 years working for Calipari and will work closely with Woolard in coordinating Calipari's schedule while assisting him with his travel and recruiting responsibilities.

Butty, as video coordinator, has worked in a similar role with the Rio Grande Vipers, Los Angeles Lakers and San Diego State. He served in the same role with Kentucky last season.

Gallagher has spend the last six years with Kentucky as a manager (2018-21) and graduate assistant in the Kentucky video department from 2021-23.

Other assistants previously announced include associate head coaches Kenny Payne and Chin Coleman, assistant coach/recruiting coordinator Chuck Martin, assistant coach/director of on-court player development Brad Calipari.

Another piece to Arkansas' non-conference puzzle was revealed on Friday, as HawgBeat can confirm a report made by Jon Rothstein that the Razorbacks are expected to face off against the in-state Central Arkansas Bears in Little Rock during the 2024-25 season.

The matchup would mark the ninth time the two schools will face off, with the Razorbacks holding an 8-0 record over the Bears, including victories in two recent meetings during the 2020 and 2021 seasons.

RELATED: Report: Arkansas could face Big 10 team in upcoming basketball season

Prior to those games, the two schools had not played each other since 1947. It also marks the first time the Razorbacks will play against an in-state opponent in the central part of Arkansas in the 21st century.

According to Rothstein, an official date for the Little Rock showdown is to be determined. Last season, the Razorbacks played Bradley in North Little Rock on Dec. 17.

The Bears are led by first-year head coach John Shulman, who accepted the job after leading the University of Alabama-Huntsville (DII) to five consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances. He will meet first-year Arkansas coach John Calipari, who left the University of Kentucky to lead the Razorbacks.

As of now, the Razorbacks do know their 2024-25 conference opponents at home and on the road. Arkansas will have home-and-homes with LSU, Missouri and Texas, plus they will host Alabama and Oklahoma while taking trips to Kentucky and Tennessee, among others.

RELATED: Calipari reveals notable schedule details for Arkansas

Other confirmed non-conference opponents include Oakland in Fayetteville, Michigan at Madison Square Garden, Illinois in Kansas City and Miami as part of the ACC/SEC Challenge.

Arkansas still has four scholarship spots remaining on its 2024-25 roster and the full schedule is yet to be finalized, so be sure to follow along at The Trough premium message board for updates on all the offseason action.

The NCAA recruiting dead period begins on Monday and will run all the way through July 25, which means head coach Sam Pittman and his staff will host one final group of official visitors from the class of 2025.

Arkansas has hosted dozens of visitors since the official visit weekends began on May 31, and so far the Razorbacks have gotten seven commitments from their efforts.

Click here to see Arkansas' full 2025 commitment list.

This weekend's official visit list mostly contains recruits already committed to Arkansas. The highest-rated prospect will be quarterback Grayson Wilson, the Razorbacks' lone four-star recruit in the class so far.

Right now, the Razorbacks have the No. 35-ranked class in the class of 2025 with 13 total commitments.

HawgBeat has a breakdown of the official visitors for this weekend:

Antonio Jordan - Wide Receiver​

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Rumored to be the next great athlete out of Warren since former Hog receiver Treylon Burks in the class of 2019, Antonio Jordan is taking his official visit to Arkansas this weekend.

Jordan's recruitment has been perhaps the quietest out there, as he doesn't have much presence on social media.

There are four reported offers for him, though it's likely there are more: Arkansas, Florida State, South Carolina and LSU. A source told HawgBeat earlier this week that Arkansas was in a "good position" for his services.

Reginald Vaughn - Defensive Lineman​

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Arkansas already has three defensive linemen in the class of 2025, but could make a splash with four-star defensive tackle Reginald Vaughn.

Vaughn has taken several unofficial visits to Arkansas, most recently during the spring to watch practice. Now, he's back on campus for an official visit.

Last season, Vaughn racked up 80 total tackles, 20 tackles for loss and 10 sacks.

Arkansas defensive line coach Deke Adams will have to fight off the usual suitors for Vaughn's services, as the Madison, Mississippi, product holds offers from Auburn, Georgia, LSU, Florida and more.

Grayson Wilson - Quarterback Commit​

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Along with being the highest-rated recruit in the class, Grayson Wilson is the longest-tenured. He committed to the Razorbacks on April 15, 2023, and has not wavered in his decision slightly.

Wilson, who recently transferred from Central Arkansas Christian to Conway for his senior season, told HawgBeat recently that he's planning to enroll early and will be on campus ahead of spring practice in 2025.

As a junior, Wilson threw for 3,413 yards and 41 touchdowns with just two interceptions. He added 837 yards and five scores on the ground.

Evan Noel - Kicker Commit​

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Evan Noel is actually Arkansas' lowest-rated recruit by Rivals' standards, but that's mostly because kickers don't get big star ratings.

Kohl's Kicking Camps ranks Noel as a five-star recruit and the No. 2 kicker nationally. He handles place kicking, punts and kickoffs for St. Stanislaus and averaged 38.6 yards per punt as a junior.

On field goals, Noel was 8-for-12 with a long of 49 last season. He was 42-of-43 on extra points in 11 games.

Noel committed to Arkansas out of S. Stanislaus High School in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, on Oct. 21, 2023. He chose the Razorbacks over a scholarship offer from his home-state school Ole Miss Rebels.

Jayden Shelton - Linebacker Commit​

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Jayden Shelton was the second Texas recruit to hop on board for Arkansas' 2025 class, and was the lone defensive commit at the time.

Shelton, who plays for South Oak Cliff High School south of Dallas, chose Arkansas on April 15 over offers from Auburn, LSU, Missouri, Ohio State, Notre Dame and many others.

He earned those offers with a stellar junior season, as the linebacker accumulated 119 total tackles and 13 tackles for loss, while he also intercepted two passes and recorded one sack.

Markeylin Batton - Athlete Commit​

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Markeylin Batton is the cousin of former Arkansas great Jason Peters, and is an athlete out of Atlanta, Texas.

Batton will have some flexibility on what position he plays when he gets to Arkansas, but it's expected he'll start in the running back room. He plays both running back and defensive back right now.

The Arkansas baseball brand is once again expected to be well-represented at this year's Major League Baseball Draft Combine, which will be held June 18-23 at Chase Field in Phoenix for the second year in a row.

In total, 319 draft-eligible players received invites, and 171 over those are ranked in MLB Pipeline's top-200 draft prospects list.

Arkansas players on the list of combine participants include outfielder Kendall Diggs, pitcher Mason Molina, infielder Peyton Stovall, pitcher Brady Tygart and catcher Hudson White. Notably not included is left-handed pitcher Hagen Smith, who is a virtual lock to be a top-10 selection, and he currently ranks No. 6 on MLB Pipeline's prospect list.

Four signees were invited from Arkansas' 2024 recruiting class, which ranks 16th nationally on Perfect Game. The list includes RHP Carson Wiggins, SS Gabe Fraser, LHP Cole Gibler and SS Tyson Lewis.

Last year, the Razorbacks had four players and a whopping 12 signees invited to the MLB Draft Combine. Names that made it to campus include Ryder Helfrick, Gabe Gaeckle, Nolan Souza, Hunter Dietz, Adam Hachman and Tucker Holland.

According to the MLB, the draft combine offers an opportunity for players to interview and interact directly with MLB general managers and scouting directors, as well as take part in a series of medical and performance assessments and educational programming designed to prepare them for careers in professional baseball.

Players will also have opportunities to be featured on MLB social media channels, in addition to receiving personal branding training and access to real-time content and custom video for their own platforms.

The MLB Draft will be held July 14-16 during the league's All-Star Week in Arlington, Texas. The first round will begin at 4 p.m. CT on Sunday, July 14.

Below is the full list of Arkansas players and signees invited, along with their MLB Pipeline prospect ranking.

Players

INF Peyton Stovall - No. 74

RHP Brady Tygart - No. 180

LHP Mason Molina - NR

OF Kendall Diggs - NR

C Hudson White - NR

Signees

SS Tyson Lewis - No. 46

RHP Carson Wiggins - No. 77

LHP Cole Gibler - No. 130

SS Gabe Fraser - NR

From @RileyMcFerran


The Arkansas baseball team has finally fallen victim to the transfer portal, as Razorback outfielder Hunter Grimes has hit the portal, according to D1Baseball's transfer database on Friday.

A 6-foot-1, 185-pound redshirt senior, Grimes is looking for greener pastures after not seeing action during the 2024 season. Grimes did play in 19 games in 2023, and slashed .185/.368/.259 with five hits, one triple and seven RBI in that span.

Grimes is the first Razorback player to enter the transfer portal following the conclusion of the season, and his departure officially makes Arkansas the final high-major program to have a player leave using the portal since it opened on June 3.

Before becoming a Diamond Hog, Grimes was a member of the UTSA baseball program from 2018-2021 and McLennan Junior College in 2022.

For McLennan, Grimes put up a monster season with a .366 batting average and 17 homeruns to boot in 50 games. The Texas native racked up 66 RBI in 191 at-bats and walked (21 BBs) slightly less than he struckout (24 Ks).

Head coach Dave Van Horn and the Razorbacks have already received two transfer portal commitments over the offseason in BYU two-way prospect Kuhio Aloy and Florida Gulf Coast outfielder Charles Davalan.

Arkansas has also picked up multiple JUCO commitments such as Florida Southwestern State outfielder Justin Thomas, New Mexico J.C. infielder Brent Iredale, Coffeyville C.C. infielder Carson Schrack, Crowder C.C outfielder Kolton Reynolds and Seward County C.C. infielder Trenton Rowan.

The Hogs will have many more roster fluctuations over the coming weeks, so be sure to follow along at The Trough premium message board for updates on all the action.

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Really great stuff here from Ross:

"If they reject a proposed settlement offer, officials from the NCAA and power conferences stand to face a catastrophic $20 billion in back damages as well as risking a bankruptcy filing, according to documents obtained by Yahoo Sports."

"Industry leaders describe the next two weeks as, perhaps, the most consequential in college athletics history."

Cliffs:

~ New documents specify that total amount in back damages owed to athletes for use of NIL before NCAA lifted probibitions in 2021 is $2.776 billion, which the NCAA will be responsible paying off over 10 years
~ As a result, power leagues are expecting a $1-2 million reduction per year in distribution (could be larger with a shorter timeline if a loss in court)
~ Estimated $20 billion would likely be payable "immediately" after final judgement and not 10 years, which could result in NCAA filing bankruptcy
~ Court is expected to reaffirm the NCAA's rules around compensation. Collectives won't be eliminated, but schools will have incentive to bring them inside University
~ Settlement develops a new "enforcement infrastructure", which targest pay-for-play rules, potentially resolving the "Wild West" environment in athletics
~ As part of terms, plaintiffs will agree to cooperate with NCAA's effort "regarding antitrust exemption", NCAA and conference leaders hope that Congress will codify or at the very least grant the NCAA protection to enforce its rules and deem athletes as students and not employees
~ Settlement still leaves open the possibility of athletes being deemed employees later on
~Document reveals details around an annual revenue-sharing cap that schools are permitted to distribute to athletes (22% of average power conference school's media rights, ticket sales and sponsorships)
~ Projected revenue cap in Year 1 (2025) is $21 million
~ Document isn't perfect, doesn't protect NCAA from future lawsuits
~ Title IX "remains at the campus level to be applied"
~ As much as $300 million per school over the 10-year settlement agreement
~ As part of new model, officials plan to lift scholarship limitations and implement roster limits (schools can offer schollies to entire roster)
~ A trial that results in an NCAA loss will be catastrophic

Want to know the board's thoughts for those who watched the first two episodes last night. I haven't watched much Star Wars content in a long time but I really enjoyed the first two episodes.

Gotta find a way to shoehorn those mediocre power conference teams in there I guess.

Former Arkansas kickoff specialist Jake Bates is signing a two-year deal with the Detroit Lions after spending the spring 2024 season with the UFL's Michigan Panthers, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Saturday.

The move to the NFL comes after a standout season handling place-kicking duties for the Panthers, something he did not do during his lone season with the Razorbacks in 2022.

In Bates’ first game with the Panthers, he drilled a 64-yard game-winner against the St. Louis Battlehawks. That field goal was the longest in UFL history and is the second-longest in professional football history, just behind Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker's 66-yarder in 2021.

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The ball Bates kicked is now on display at the Pro Football Hall of Fame as part of its "Pro Football Today" exhibit. The Panthers play their games at Ford Field, the home of the Detroit Lions. Coincidentally, Tucker's 2021 kick also came at Ford Field against the Lions and was also a game-winner.

Bates was 17-of-22 on field goals throughout the season, including two more 60-yard field goals. He was named to the All-UFL team on June 5.

The Tomball, Texas, native has had a non-traditional route to the NFL. He started out his college career playing soccer at Central Arkansas for two seasons before he transferred to Texas State to play football, where he only handled kickoffs in the 2020 and 2021 seasons.

He transferred to Arkansas in 2022 and once again only handled kickoff duties, mostly because the Razorbacks had Cam Little, who was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the seventh round of the 2024 NFL Draft.

"I thought I was ready to kick field goals (at Texas State and Arkansas), but I was behind two guys who were really good ... at Arkansas, I was behind Cam Little," Bates told the Pat McAfee Show earlier this year. "It was tough because I'd go to camps and kick with other guys, and I thought I deserved a chance, but it wasn't my moment. God had another plan for me."

While handling kickoff duties at Arkansas, Bates was the kicker who recovered an onside kick in the Razorbacks' comeback attempt against Alabama in the 2022 season.

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Following the 2022 season, Bates was named First Team All-SEC. He joined the Houston Texans as an undrafted free agent, but was released on Aug. 12, prior to the start of the season.

Once he signs with the Lions (on June 18, per UFL rules), he'll be the third kicker on the roster, joining veteran Marvin Badgley and undrafted free agent James Turner.

The Lions will have three former Razorbacks on their roster, as Bates will join offensive linemen Frank Ragnow and Dan Skipper. Former Arkansas defensive back Jerry Jacobs was on the roster last season, but is currently an unrestricted free agent.

The 2026 contact period opened up yesterday, and here is who I've been able to confirm contact directly or who has been publicly posted:

Tyran Stokes: No. 2 - five-star
Caleb Holt: No. 4 - five-star
Alex Constanza: No. 10 - five-star
TJ Crumble: No. 15 - four-star
Chris Cenac Jr.: No. 17 - four-star
JJ Andrews: No. 21 - four-star
Deron Rippey Jr.: No. 26 - four-star
Jacob Lanier: No. 42 - four-star
Aidan Chronister: No. 47 - four-star
Gabe Weis: No. 70 - four-star
Anthony Hester (unranked)

Doesn't include all offers so far, as Sam Funches is missing, but I am waiting to hear back from him.

Certainly seems like a different approach from Muss on contact period days. Shorter list, more concentrated efforts. Zero courtesy contacts. Will work on polishing the 2025 big board and creating the 2026 this weekend.

From @DanielFair


In-state recruiting is a crux for the majority of college football programs across the country, but even more so for the Arkansas Razorbacks with there being a smaller pool of Division I-level talent in the state.

Rivals recently released its updated state rankings, and it featured only five four-star prospects in the state of Arkansas. Of those, only one is committed to Arkansas at the moment — quarterback Grayson Wilson.

That number stands in stark contrast to other states, like Georgia, which has 46 four-star prospects and three five-stars in the same class. Texas has 68 four-star prospects and four five-stars as well.

Suffice to say, when there's that massive a discrepancy between Arkansas and other states, keeping in-state talent home has to be a priority for Sam Pittman and the Razorbacks.

Right now, Rivals only has the top five players in the state of Arkansas, but that will likely grow as signing day draws closer in December. Here's a look at the five:

No. 1 — Omarion Robinson — Little Rock Parkview​

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The Razorbacks got one step closer to landing Omarion Robinson's services when his teammate — three-star athlete Quentin Murphy — committed to Arkansas on June 1.

Robinson has an official visit scheduled to Arkansas for this coming weekend, and has a commitment date of June 29. He'll choose between Arkansas, LSU, Oregon and Oklahoma.

Current intel says the race is mostly between the Razorbacks and Sooners, but Oregon is also one to watch down the stretch.

Robinson is one of four Parkview athletes in the class of 2025 that Arkansas is pushing to get, and if the Hogs can land more of those teammates it bodes even better for Robinson, who is ranked the No. 121 player in the nation according to Rivals.

No. 2 — Carius Curne — Marion​

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Curne has already jumped on board for the Razorbacks once, as he committed on Feb. 7 but later walked back that decision on March 25.

Dozens of programs have reached out to Curne for his services. He took an official visit to Missouri this past weekend and is set to be at Arkansas this coming weekend.

Curne is also scheduled to take an official visit to LSU the weekend of June 14.

It's not everyday Arkansas is able to come back around on a recruit who de-commits, but because it happened so early in the cycle, the Arkansas coaches had time on their side and are making strides to bring Curne back into the fold.

Missouri does look to be formidable competition, mainly because of defensive line coach Al Davis, who has a strong reputation in the high school ranks in Arkansas after playing for the Razorbacks from 2009-2012 and working for Fayetteville High School after his playing days were done.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE

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Probably no reason to freak out just yet, but screw me. Kid worked his ass off all offseason. Hopefully nothing too crazy.

Offers:

6'8" 200 SF AJ Dybantsa - five-star No. 1
6'9" 225 PF Cameron Boozer - five-star No. 2
6'5" 195 SG Darryn Peterson - five-star No. 3
6'9" 200 PF Caleb Wilson - five-star No. 4
6'4" 170 SG Meleek Thomas - five-star No. 5
6'8" 220 PF Koa Peat - five-star No. 6
6'2" 170 PG Darius Acuff Jr. - five-star No. 9
6'4" 170 PG Jasper Johnson - four-star No. 13
6'5" 205 SG Trey McKenney - five-star No. 14
6'9" 220 PF Chris Cenac Jr. - four-star No. 17
6'4" 205 SG Cayden Boozer - four-star No. 21
7'1" 220 C Malachi Moreno - four-star No. 24
6'8" 170 PF Terrion Burgess - four-star No. 57*
6'5" 180 SG Isaiah Sealy - four-star No. 77*


*denotes in-state prospect

Holdover offers:

6'5" 190 SG Jerry Easter II - four-star No. 28
6'7" 190 SF Hudson Greer - four-star No. 34
6'10" PF Nigel Walls - four-star No. 51
6'5" SF Jermaine O'Neal Jr. - four-star No. 79
6'5" 170 SG BJ Davis-Ray - four-star No. 80
6'6" 190 SF Cam Ward - four-star No. 81
6'2" SG Kayden Edwards - four-star No. 93
6'5" 170 SG Bryce Heard - four-star No. 95
6'10" 235 C Parker Jefferson - four-star No. 122
6'7" 195 SF Jai'Chaunn Hayes - unranked*
6'3" 185 PG Gregory Lawson - unranked

If we were to assign numbers to past, present, and future events on Earth (finite), within the infinite sequence of numbers is everything that has happened, or will happen.

Nm