HawgBeat - 2026 OL Bear McWhorter talks picking Arkansas, recruiting others
Bear McWhorter committed to Arkansas because he wanted to play for Sam Pittman.
arkansas.rivals.com
Putting up a billboard along I-49 with the words "Coach Pittman, I want to be a Hog" is not why Bear McWhorter earned a scholarship in 2020, but it does show how long Arkansas has been at the top of his mind.
After announcing his decision to commit to Arkansas on Sunday, McWhorter told HawgBeat he turned down all the schools that had offered him for one simple reason: He wanted Sam Pittman to be his head coach.
“I wasn’t looking for something crazy, the best facilities or something like that,” McWhorter told HawgBeat. “Coach Pittman is the guy I want to play for and Arkansas has everything that I need. It’s a place I can flourish as an offensive lineman. Those schools have great stuff and great people but it didn’t feel the same for me as Arkansas.”
McWhorter is one of the more highly-recruited prospects in the country in the class of 2026, as he held offers from Alabama, Georgia, Florida State and others in addition to Arkansas.
He visited campus multiple times, a total of eight to be exact. His most recent trip came during a camp in June, which is when he decided Fayetteville was the place to call home.
“It was me, my dad and sister (on the visit),” McWhorter said. “Just the time coach Pittman spent with us, it was unlike any other place I’d been to. Just seeing how much he cared, not just for me, but my family, it made me realize this is where I need to be and who I need to play for.”
McWhorter is the second commit in the class of 2026 since Thursday, as he joins defensive back Tay Lockett out of St. John Bosco in California. McWhorter said he’s working to grow the class as well, starting with Greenwood quarterback Kane Archer.
“Kane for sure,” McWhorter said. “I’m also trying to get my boy (DeZephen Walker) from Missouri. He was my running back for the FBU All-American game. He’s picked up a few offers already. Trying to get him to the Hill.”
As for the billboard, McWhorter said his dad was behind it.
“My dad was in the billboard business for a while, he owned a company,” McWhorter said. “So that was kind of his expertise. After I visited all my schools that summer, he had that idea. He asked what school I wanted to do it on, and Arkansas was my favorite.”
While the 2026 class is off to a hot start, the 2024 and 2025 classes will likely remain a priority.
"You’re so much further ahead in recruiting now than you’ve ever been," Pittman said Monday. "It’s just like the second signing date, I don’t know you’d have to look it up. 50 percent of the people probably don’t sign anybody the second signing date. Maybe they do, one or two. So it’s over.
"Remember when we used to have the celebrations and all of that the first Wednesday and all of that? We didn’t sign a player last year. So, I think everything pushing up you'll start seeing that two and three years ahead guys trying to solidify their spot. Especially if they were able to go around the country and see what they like. And then I guess a lot of it has to do with stability of coaches and things of that nature if you can sell that."
