From @masonchoate:

Arkansas head coach Dave Van Horn and his staff managed to get a few of their top high school recruits from the 2024 class to campus, including a pair of stud pitchers in Carson Wiggins and Cole Gibler.

Van Horn and pitching coach Matt Hobbs have seen freshmen arms put together big-time first seasons in recent memory, including names such as Hagen Smith, Brady Tygart and Gabe Gaeckle, to name a few.

ALSO READ: Transfer pitcher Zach Root has big shoes to fill

The younger brother of former Razorback pitcher Jaxon Wiggins, Carson Wiggins was rated by MLB Pipeline as the No. 79 overall prospect for the 2024 MLB Draft.

The 6-foot-5, 220-pound right-hander out of Roland, Oklahoma, was rated by Perfect Game as the top pitcher in the state of Oklahoma for the 2024 class.

RELATED: Ryder Helfrick primed for sophomore jump

"I think he’s going to be a starter eventually here," Van Horn said Oct. 4. "It could be this year. We have some good options if everybody stays healthy. With the schedule we’re playing this year in ’25, we’re going to need them all."

Wiggins appeared four times and threw 3.2 live innings in the fall, according to stats compiled by local media. He gave up five earned runs on six hits while striking out five and walking none. Wiggins pitched a perfect inning of relief with two strikeouts in the Oct. 4 Fall Classic at Baum-Walker Stadium.

ALSO READ: Arkansas returns intriguing group of second-year pitchers

"The stuff’s amazing," Van Horn said Oct. 4. "Obviously he’s 18-years-old. You don’t know how they’re going to respond out here in this atmosphere. He’s gotten hit a little bit, but his stuff’s been amazing in our scrimmages. Tonight, they didn’t hit him. Fastball is 97, 98 miles an hour. Throwing strikes. Got a good breaking ball. Looked like a guy that can help us right away tonight."

Wiggins also touched 101 mile per hour, according to TrackMan data, during the Oct. 11 exhibition win over Oklahoma State at Baum-Walker Stadium in Fayetteville. He will be a draft-eligible sophomore in 2026, as his birthday lands within 45 days of the draft.




Rated by MLB Pipeline as the No. 128 overall prospect in last year's draft, Cole Gibler hails from Blue Springs High School in Blue Springs, Missouri. Perfect Game rated Gibler as the No. 1 left-handed pitcher prospect in the state of Missouri for the 2024 class.

Gibler was arguably as successful as any Arkansas pitcher in the fall, as he gave up just two earned runs on three hits across five total appearances, four of which were starts. He pitched 7.2 total innings and tied for a team-best 14 strikeouts to go with five walks.

ALSO READ: Wehiwa Aloy looking to put things together in 2025

"Gibler’s been amazing," Van Horn said Oct. 4. "He’s been 94-95 almost all fall for us. These guys are working and lifting, I don’t know, maybe a little tired. But yeah, he’s been real reliable. I think he threw five balls in a row (today). We hadn’t seen that all fall. Then he got it back together. That was good to see. He’ll be a big part of our staff in the spring."

MLB Pipeline said Gibler has good depth on his curveball, which sits around 80 miles per hour, plus he has a "bat-missing sink" to his changeup, which will be in the mid-80s.

Perfect Game put out preseason rankings of the top-75 freshmen in college baseball, and Wiggins checked in at No. 12, while Gibler was ranked 57th.

The Razorbacks will open their season Friday, Feb. 14, against Washington State at Baum-Walker Stadium in Fayetteville.

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In his inaugural Swatter's Club meeting of the 2025 season Monday, Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn keyed in on the strides some returning Razorbacks made during the offseason.

One of those players was sixth-year senior right-handed pitcher Will McEntire, who has made 65 appearances on the mound for Arkansas with a career 4.23 ERA, 204 strikeouts and 70 walks in 197.2 innings pitched.

ALSO READ: Oregon State transfer pitcher remains ahead of schedule for Diamond Hogs

"Will McEntire is back for his 16th year (laughter), I mean sixth," Van Horn said. "I wrote it down wrong. Love having Mac around. The great thing is, he's worked harder this year than he ever has, and he's throwing good. His fastball — last year's issue was, the cover pitch he has is really good, but when that's what you throw for a strike all the time, they just sit on it and they figure it out now that you've been around."

Last season for Arkansas, McEntire racked up a 5-0 record and a 4.83 ERA behind 65 punchouts and 18 free bases. In the two seasons since his immaculate 2022 campaign (2.59 ERA), McEntire has allowed more hits (148) than innings pitched (141), but an uptick in control and velocity for his fastball this offseason, according to Van Horn, should help curb that issue in 2025.

"Well now (McEntire is) throwing his fastball for a strike and he's throwing it harder than ever, and it's still not 95, but he's gotten up to 92, throwing 90 most of the time," Van Horn said. "When you're sitting on that other pitch, it's 83, 84, it looks like it's 95. He's done a good job."

RELATED: Arkansas preseason odds to win College World Series, via BetSaracen

According to stats compiled by local media, McEntire finished the 2024 fall schedule with a 9.00 ERA in 7.0 innings pitched thanks to 10 allowed hits despite eight strikeouts and zero walks. The Bryant native has bounced back in his two preseason spring appearances, though, with seven strikeouts, one walk, three hits given up and a 2.25 ERA in four innings, according to the GameChanger app.

Known for drawing swings and misses from his off-speed pitches due to his aforementioned usually high 80s-low 90s fastball, McEntire's improvements with the heater have forced batters to respect it more, according to Van Horn.

"Well, it’s just that he’s throwing it for a strike," Van Horn said. "Last year, he left it high or throwing it too far out, trying to throw the ball away. Our guys are sitting on that cutter a little bit, then that fastball comes and they don’t catch up to it. It just keeps them off balance and that’s what he was missing last year. That’s the key for him."

ALSO READ: Can Souza, Helfrick make Year 2 jump?

Arkansas will open its season Friday, Feb. 14, against Washington State at Baum-Walker Stadium in Fayetteville.

Click here to read more of HawgBeat's content previewing the 2025 season for the Diamond Hogs.

Let me start by saying I'm all for Cal succeeding at Arkansas and I support him fully. However, JUST IN CASE Cal is not here next season who would we go after?

From @masonchoate:

While the Arkansas Razorbacks have been hitting the transfer portal hard, it is partially as a result of having more than 20 scholarship players decide to enter the portal after a 6-6 regular season that was capped off with a Liberty Bowl win over Texas Tech on Dec. 27.

The transfer portal officially opened Dec. 9 and it was open for a 30 day window through Dec. 28. There is also an additional five-day window for players to enter once their season is over, plus there will be an additional 10-day portal window from April 16-25.

ALSO READ: Arkansas Football 2025 Roster Tracker

HawgBeat provides a look at where former Razorbacks have transferred so far...

Note: "GP" denotes games played. Even if a player appears on special teams, that counts as a game played.

OL Patrick Kutas - Ole Miss​

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From: Christian Brothers High School (Memphis, TN)
Transferred to: Ole Miss
Seasons spent at Arkansas: 3
Career Stats: 25 GP

TE Luke Hasz - Ole Miss​

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From: Bixby High School (Bixby, OK)
Transferred to: Ole Miss
Seasons spent at Arkansas: 2
Career Stats: 17 GP, 42 REC, 577 YDS, 7 TD, 13.7 YPC


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Bentonville High School is just 23 miles up the road from the University of Arkansas, and Razorback offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino recently made that trek to deliver a scholarship offer to 2026 wide receiver Blair Irvin III.

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The good news came on the morning of Jan. 7, and it made Irvin the 10th in-state recruit in the 2026 class to receive a scholarship offer from Arkansas.

"My first period of class, I got called out," Irvin told HawgBeat. "He came up to the school and him and my head coach were in the office. I went up to the facility and we were talking like normal stuff, casual conversation about his coaching career and what they offer and bring to the table.

"At this moment, I didn't know that I was going to receive the offer. It was more of just a good conversation with Coach Petrino. He basically said he was going to offer me a full ride scholarship. It's an offer I've been waiting for, obviously, because it's my home state."

Petrino is familiar with Irvin, who goes by "Tre." Back on Nov. 8, the Hogs' offensive coordinator made an appearance at Bentonville's 42-13 win over Bentonville West.

"It was hardcore raining, so he couldn't stay for the whole game, but he planned on staying for the whole game," Irvin said. "He came to watch me warm up actually, and I had no idea. I was warming up and I looked over and saw Petrino, so that was a good feeling. Fast forward, he said before he offered me that he really didn't have to see much after I warmed up and he liked what he saw."

Irvin caught 50 passes for 850 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns as a junior in 2024. He made all-state in the 7A classification and helped lead Bentonville to the 7A state championship game, which the Tigers dropped to Bryant. He said Petrino complimented him during their discussion Jan. 7, but also told him what to work on.

"He had all good things to say about me," Irvin said. "He said with every freshmen they need to work on their lower half going up to the next level, and I'm going to work on that. He said he liked the way my change of direction was, my quickness and he'd love to have me up for a visit."

Part of Petrino's recruiting pitch was a natural result of fielding a top-10 total offense in the country, plus having wide receiver Andrew Armstrong lead the SEC with 78 catches for 1,140 receiving yards and one score in the 2024 regular season.

"This year, Armstrong made a big impact for Arkansas and I liked the way he played," Irvin said. "He was leading the SEC in receiving yards and that caught my eye, so when I went to the games, I watched him. He's a smooth receiver, gets in and out of his breaks and he can catch the ball."

Another benefit for Petrino is having former Bentonville Tiger receiver CJ Brown on the roster as a true freshman in 2024. The former three-star recruit caught four passes for 50 yards in the Hogs' Liberty Bowl win over Texas Tech, and he'll be right in the mix with a strong group of transfers to contribute next season.

"When I was a sophomore and freshman, (Brown) kind of took me in and showed me the ropes of recruiting," Irvin said. "Obviously I had no offers at the time and everyone gets down about that. He told me to just keep my head up and they'll come, because he saw the talent.

"I've always looked to him when it comes to football and asking questions when it comes to recruiting, and he gives me all the answers. He's been a good friend. Even when he is still at Arkansas, we still stay in touch, play the game. We have a good relationship."

Irvin credited his position coach, Rod Washington, for the Tigers producing talented wide receivers. Washington was promoted to offensive coordinator by Bentonville on Jan. 15.

"One thing about him, he'll never give us props," Irvin said. "He'll never tell us we're good. He's going to work us like we're not top tier athletes. He's hard on us. CJ was committed to Arkansas and right when he committed to Arkansas, coach treated him like he was an SEC receiver. He won't let us skip a rep. We've got to do everything by what he says. It's super demanding. Off the field, he's a great guy. Even on the field, he's a great guy."

Though he has lived in Bentonville for a majority of his life, Irvin probably wouldn't call himself a Razorback fan. He said he has never really had a favorite team, but he does root for individual players. Two former Hogs that he said he's enjoyed watching include Armstrong and Jadon Haselwood.

Irvin said he plans to be on campus this weekend for the Razorbacks' second Junior Day of the month. The hope is to continue to build a relationship with wide receivers coach Ronnie Fouch while he's there.

"I haven't talked to him a lot," Irvin said. "Through CJ, I've talked to the previous receivers coach more than him, but I plan on building that relationship more. He called me the day before I got offered and kind of just told me that Petrino would be up there and for me to let him know when I got the good news. Right after the offer, I called him. He's a great guy."

Irvin also holds offers from Arkansas State, Kansas State, Minnesota and UNLV.

From @DanielFair:

Two signees in Arkansas basketball’s 2025 recruiting class were named to the prestigious McDonald’s All-American Game rosters Monday.

Shooting guard Meleek Thomas and point guard Darius Acuff Jr. found their names among the nation’s best players in the class. They’re ranked No. 7 and No. 13 in the nation, respectively, according to Rivals.

The McDonald’s All-American Game will be played on April 1 at the Barclay’s Center in Brooklyn, New York. The two future Razorbacks will be pitted against each other, as Acuff was selected to the East team and Thomas was selected to the West team.

Along with the two signees, one priority target — five-star forward Nate Ament — was also named a McDonald’s All-American. He’ll play alongside Acuff with the East team.

Thomas plays for the City Reaperz in the Overtime Elite system and has put on a show this season. He’s averaging 26.5 points, 8.5 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game, and has scored over 30 points six times.

The 6-foot-4, 171-pound scorer was the second and most recent commitment to the Razorbacks, and he went public with his decision on Nov. 11. He chose Arkansas over a Top 5 that included Pittsburgh, UConn, Alabama and Kansas State.

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Acuff plays for IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, and leads the team in scoring at 21.6 points per game on 42% shooting. He also leads the team in assists at 5.33 per game.

A native of Michigan, Acuff was the first domino to fall in Arkansas' 2025 class. He chose the Hogs on July 26 over offers from Kansas, Michigan, UConn, Alabama and many others.

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Arkansas' 2025 class also includes four-star Springdale native Isaiah Sealy, and as mentioned above, head coach John Calipari is still pursuing five-star forward Nate Ament as well as several other targets.

Be sure to stay tuned to HawgBeat for the latest developments in Arkansas basketball's 2025 class.

We'll hear from Kenny Payne at 11:45 this morning and will have updates ITT.

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We'll have video and updates from Arkansas head coach John Calipari's press conference previewing the game at Kentucky on Saturday. Should start around 11 a.m. CT.

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I've been critical of this team for a minute.

BUT our fans have been as about equally as bad in terms of creating a home court advantage.

There will be a light crowd for the game tomorrow. Lot of folks who planned to drive over for the game won't because of the weather.

I will be there. I'll try my best to be apart of the old fans who get on their feet for defense, call the Hogs when we can, and for the love of god let the band play more.

I don't even know what color I'm supposed to wear for the stripeout, doesn't matter.

Let's give it a try tomorrow to bring back BWAs notorious atmosphere.

Highlights of another road win, enjoy!

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Montana state junior transfer tight end Rohan Jones has signed with Arkansas, he announced Sunday.

A 6-foot-3, 235-pound native of Montreal, Quebec, in Canada, Jones caught 30 passes for 470 yards (15.7 AVG) and nine touchdowns in 2024. One of his top performances came against Idaho State on Sept. 28, when he made two grabs for 93 yards and a score.

Jones was named an honorable mention AP FCS All-American for his efforts, which included a three-catch, 19-yard, one-touchdown outing in the FCS Championship game against North Dakota State on Jan. 6.

Before his time at Montana State, Jones played two seasons with the Maine Bears (2022-23). There, he totaled 31 catches for 363 yards and seven touchdowns.

Since entering the transfer portal Wednesday, Jones has reported offers from Arkansas, Wake Forest, Houston, Louisville, UCLA, North Carolina and Kentucky.

For more updates on Arkansas' offseason recruiting action, be sure to follow along at The Trough premium message board.

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Man, Arkansas is really gonna Arkansas when it lets the big hitters take total charge.

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