The Recruiting Guy
Today at 5:00 a.m.
by Richard Davenport
Arkansas is expected to host eight prospects for the last weekend of official visits in June.
The Razorbacks have hosted 34 prospects for official visits this month and are currently hosting an offensive lineman and Minnesota commitment Nelson McGuire III, 6-5 and 305 pounds, of Midlothian, Texas, for an official visit.
He arrived Wednesday and will leave Friday.
Four commitments and four targets are planning to arrive Friday for official visits and will leave Sunday.
Quarterback Grayson Wilson was the first commitment for the 2025 class when he pledged to Arkansas on April 15 of last year.
Wilson, 6-3 and 205 pounds, chose the Razorbacks over scholarship offers from Illinois, Pittsburgh and Central Arkansas at the time of his commitment. Oklahoma State offered him in June after his pledge.
He completed 209 of 308 passes for 3,413 yards and 41 touchdowns against 2 interceptions for Central Arkansas Christian as a junior. Wilson also rushed for 837 yards and 15 touchdowns, and led the Mustangs to a 4A quarterfinal appearance.
He plans to play his senior season at Conway.
Wilson was named the MVP at his position at the U.S. Army Bowl combine on Dec. 16-18 at The Star in Frisco, Texas, the Under Armour Next Camp in Dallas on March 10 and All American Bowl combine in San Antonio.
ESPN and Rivals rate him a 4-star recruit. ESPN rates him the No. 15 pocket-passer and the No. 243 overall recruit while Rivals rates him the nation’s No. 6 dual-threat quarterback.
Linebacker Jayden “JJ” Shelton committed to the Razorbacks on April 15.
Shelton, 6-1 and 200 pounds, of South Oak Cliff High School in Dallas, had scholarship offers from Arkansas, Ohio State, Auburn, Notre Dame, TCU, Baylor, SMU, Michigan, Texas, Texas A&M, Stanford, Oklahoma, Nebraska and others.
He is a consensus 3-star prospect by the four major recruiting services. ESPN rates him the No. 14 inside linebacker for the 2025 class.
Shelton recorded 119 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, 1 sack, 1 quarterback hurry and 2 interceptions while helping the Bears a Texas 5A D-II state runner-up finish last season.
Kicker Evan Noel pledged to Arkansas in October of last year. At the time he was rated No. 1 at his position nationally by Kohl’s Kicking.
He is currently rated the No. 2 kicker nationally in the 2025 class.
Noel, 6-2 and 155 pounds, of Bay St. Louis (Miss.) Saint Stanislaus Catholic, chose the Razorbacks over an offer from Ole Miss and interest from Georgia, Florida and other programs.
Noel made 8 of 12 field goals with a long of 49 yards and had 49 touchbacks in 63 kickoffs as a junior. He has a career-long field goal of 50 yards, which he made as a freshman and sophomore.
Running back Markeylin Batton committed to Arkansas on Feb. 4.
Batton, 6-0 and 170 pounds, of Atlanta, Texas, chose the Razorbacks over offers from Missouri, Texas Tech, Michigan State, Oregon State, Houston, Tulsa, Texas-San Antonio and others.
He had 81 carries for 610 yards and 9 touchdowns, and 16 receptions for 255 yards and 4 touchdowns as a junior. He also had 17 tackles, 2 pass breakups and 1 forced fumble on defense.
ESPN rates him a 4-star recruit, the No. 19 athlete and the No. 280 overall recruit in the nation.
The other three recruiting services rate him a 3-star recruit.
Defensive lineman Reginald Vaughn will be making his third visit to Arkansas this weekend.
He made a two-day visit to Fayetteville in March and visited last Wednesday.
Vaughn, 6-3 and 260 pounds, of Flowood (Miss.) Hartfield Academy, is a 4-star recruit by two recruiting services. ESPN lists him as the No. 21 defensive tackle and the No. 250 overall prospect in his class.
He has offers from Arkansas, Georgia, LSU, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Penn State, Texas, Auburn, Tennessee and others.
Vaughn plans to make official visits to Ole Miss, LSU and Mississippi State in the fall.
Warren receiver Antonio Jordan, 6-4 and 210 pounds, has been flying under the radar for much of his recruitment but will make an official visit to Fayetteville this weekend.
Arkansas was the first school to offer him as a sophomore. He also has offers from Florida State, Ole Miss, Tennessee, South Carolina and LSU.
Four-star defensive back Timothy Merritt will return to Fayetteville this weekend after visiting in March.
Merritt, 6-2 and 180 pounds, of Birmingham, (Ala) Parker, has offers from Arkansas, Tennessee, Ole Miss, Clemson, LSU, Florida, Miami, Tennessee, Penn State and others. He pledged to Miami on June 9 after an official visit.
Rivals rates him a 4-star recruit and the No. 40 cornerback in the nation while the three other services rate him as a 3-star prospect.
Defensive lineman Trent Sellers will be making his first visit to Arkansas this weekend.
Sellers, 6-6, 233 pounds, of Mobile, (Ala) Faith Academy received an offer from Arkansas on May 11. He has others offers from Ole Miss, Nebraska, Mississippi State, UAB and others.
His official visit to Fayetteville will be the first he has taken.
An On3.com 3-star recruit and the No. 38 edge rusher in the nation, Sellers plans to set up other official visits later this year. He recorded 69 tackles, 10 tackles for loss and 5 sacks as a junior.
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