HawgBeat - Arkansas leaves solid impression on 2023 4-star OL
Arkansas hosted 4-star OT Charles Jagusah last Friday. Here's what he had to say about his time in Fayetteville.
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Jagusah, out of Rock Island (Ill.), named Arkansas along with Michigan, Missouri and Notre Dame as his top contenders, choosing the foursome over 13 Power 5 offers, including Auburn, LSU, Tennessee and Vanderbilt. As well as his favorable disposition towards what the Head Hog has to offer, offensive line coach Cody Kennedy received some praise from the four-star prospect.
"Obviously Coach Kennedy is a good dude," Jagusah said. "I’ve gotten to talk to him a good amount and I like him.
"Coach Pittman, I like the style that he plays. I like what they do with the offense and also just kind of academically. They have a good business program, which I might be looking at. They’ve got a lot going for them."
Pittman, who spent more than 20 years coaching the offensive line prior to accepting the Arkansas job, has had quite the run-on offensive lineman in his time. As well as putting forth the SEC's leading rushing attack in 2021, Pittman has produced 17 NFL draftees, with seven coming in the first round.
"Definitely," Jagusah said. "You want to go a place where you know you’re gonna get good coaching, and he’s had a great track record with them (offensive lineman) and he works a lot with them still even though he’s the head coach, so it’s definitely intriguing."
In addition to being Rivals' No. 116 overall player in his class, Jagusah was able to display dominance in another sport this winter as well.
The 6-foot-6, 330-pounder posted a perfect 41-0 record on the mats, capping off his season with a state championship in his division. Despite an ever-growing movement towards the specialization of talented high schoolers, Jagusah has opted to approach football and wrestling as a tandem.
"I think for O-Line it’s simply the biggest cause a weight class like mine - like heavyweight, it’s a lot more pushing and movement and stuff like that, and kinda trying to turn corners and get angles," Jagusah said.
"So I think it helps for that in football, but at the same time you really have to translate it, and think about translating it into the game because it’s a great sport for football but at the same time I’ll have plays where it’s almost the similar technique to wrestling but I just don’t use that technique and I kinda waste it."
Though the reigning state champ will almost certainly be the cornerstone of a Power 5 class in '23, he says additional hours requirements at his private high school will prevent him from enrolling early at his school of choice.
That caveat isn't stopping his decision-making process, however, and Jagusah plans on narrowing his list to one well before National Signing Day hits on Feb. 1, 2023.
"I was hoping to kind of have a good idea by the end of the summer before senior camps, just so I don’t have to lose my mind going all over the place again during the season," Jagusah said.
"You know it really will just play out however it plays out, and I’m not trying to rush anything."
It was a busy fall indeed for the four-star tackle, as he made trips to Arkansas, Iowa, Nebraska, Notre Dame and Ohio State around his Alleman Pioneers' eight-game schedule.
This spring, after adding Michigan, as well as a return trip to Notre Dame to his list, Jagusah has some criteria ready to help him feel confident keeping that senior camp deadline.
"What’s right for me academically," Jagusah said. "The right coach, that I feel like I can trust and be around. The right players to be with me, at least from an offensive line standpoint, just the right guys in the room with me. And then just finding a place that feels like even if I’m not playing football I could be happy at, and then from there (I’ll) just kinda figure things out."
Pittman and Kennedy will have their chance to prove that Arkansas is that place for Jagusah when he makes the trek to Fayetteville for his official visit June 13th and 14th - though he made clear that those dates are changing on a near-daily basis.
"For me, (it's about) just kind of meeting people and seeing if it’s the right feel, and if it is then that’s a place I’m gonna look at - a lot," Jagusah said.
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