Arkansas Football Recruiting Report with Otis Kirk (9-01-24)

welcome back into the pig trail show and welcome into another Arkansas football recruiting report that's Otis Kirk I'm Jacob Morris and Otis some big time recording news another recruiting win for the Hogs this week Kevin Otis a defensive lineman from Mississippi commits to the Hogs a fourstar kid top 10 kid in Mississippi massive win for deak Adams massive win for the Hawks a consist is fourstar defensive Tack and I'm gonna tell you Kevin I'm Jacob I'm sorry I just talked to Kevin on the phone so I'm sorry I called him G big T man my manam what you doing he startled me with his when I called him but uh he is going to be on here later on I I wasn't calling him about being on today I mean I I only talked to him about 10 minutes till one uh but uh I'm gonna read you some of the they beat Mississippi State and Southern cow for him and he visited those here's the other here's just a sample of the other this isn't all of them LSU Alabama Georgia Florida state Florida Michigan om Miss Texas Texas I mean basically all the SEC and a lot of the elite and ACC and other places National Champion Michigan he got offer he could have gone anywhere he wanted go this a consistent fourstar this kid when on August the 3 I predicted I told Arkansas fans you're G they're GNA get two needle movers kids are going to move the needle in recruiting these are not your great commits these are these are kids that the leag get and it was Colton yardboro yard BR of dwit I mean of Durant I'm sorry Durant Oklahoma and uh sorry I just lost a and dit so I was thinking dit I had that on my mind Durant Oklahoma and then Kevin of course we from Hattisburg Mississippi that was the two I was talking about uh it took a while to get Kevin he he gonna do it and then in about two weeks and then he decided to do it at his first pepper Alle which was Friday and I had given people notice expect something on Friday but deck Adams got both of those kids and both of them to the man to the kid mentioned deck Adams and Sam Pitman I mean they said that was the difference they love those two guys they love the staff at hard T well and all of but de both C and Kevin it was it was uh deck Adams and Sam Pitman they said they're just different they they talked about family these are kids are family driven and just and they're great football players we're talk we're not talking a normal even fourstar man these are great football players and for Arkansas to come off a 4 and8 season all the negative recruiting uh just a lot of things look Bleak when those two kids from Parkview went to uh in Kansas State he started looking Bleak and since then uh they've had they've basically gotten every commitment except one and that was a defensive back out uh from Rustin Louisiana who stayed and played for LSU and uh so no no fault losing to your home state school but and in Mississippi offered this kid too not just Mississippi State but uh but Kevin's going to help Arkansas he's probably about about 62 now he told me he's up to 300 lbs now and uh they won yesterday they played pedal Mississippi I don't have a score I'm sorry I don't have a score on I should have asked Kevin I know they won and there's a bunch of pictures of him on on X of him s he even did a wo Pig su he after the game so this this kid's all bought he's all in uh they had to work to get him all the predictions from the national recruit reporters went to Mississippi State all of them there was no predict I think Arkansas had like a 1.6 chance of getting him and that show I mean that's just like what people call me a hack report or something for predicting Arkansas's going 84 I think I know I nobody knows what Arkansas's record gonna be but they had a one a 1.6 chance of getting Kevin I mean I'm just telling you I I don't deal with percentages or stuff I deal with stuff I know inside information facts and stuff and I said I called it on August 3D so not trying to Pat myself on the back but I'm just saying you know I mean you'll call me a hack reporter I may pack myself on the back every once in a while so anyway uh the just for Dee and you know what it ain't just Kevin and Colton de has gotten man they it's the entire staff I mean t- wheels on these kids too but he may be up for SEC recruiter a year ke de Adam if there's any justice because I'm telling you you pull and he's not getting these are not inate kids these are you know that you know that are big- time recruits Jacob so it's not like he's getting these kids from next door like bable high school which I'm not knocking fan but I'm just saying you know he's going into other states and getting these players and uh you know and he it's not just them he's gotten a lot of other players he's got a this defensive line is getting ready to be something else coming it's pretty good right now but it's getting ready to be even better gonna be deeper he's getting a lot of players and you know they've struggled the last year or so getting defensive lineman till this year and I'm telling you de is hitting a lot of home runs and for them to be coming off of a 4 and8 season negative recruiting against them saying Sam's not going to be here the staff's going to be G and for all the things they're fighting against and for Dee and and Sam and T will and the staff Bobby all of them to get these type recruits is amazing and so but yeah that's that's the deal with Kevin he and are coming on and I think that's just I think what that does that gives the people in the National know what Arkansas's doing when they look at getting kids like that I think it'll wake them up I mean because they're having a b and look I'm not I'm not criticizing anybody in the National media because Arkansas went for and hate and with pathetic times doing it so I'm not saying they J they deserve to be publicly praised but I'm just saying getting kids like that will I think wake them up and say there's some good in fact I've had one tell me man there's some good things going on in Arkansas right now and he made the same comment he just said for Arkansas to be doing this after 4 and8 season negative recruiting and I just yeah I mean de and Sam and those guys are doing a heck of a job I mean t will goes and gets wallet the Tavon wallet out Georg you know the fourstar linebacker they're getting some good players Jacob and and and at the end of the day great coaching and great players make a good mix and uh Arkansas's getting there and uh we'll see how Happ it's going to be interesting this Saturday and every Saturday from here on out there's no more uaps on the schedule but but but there again I mean it's just going to be amazing you know but we may on the team but yeah uh I but that's pretty much what I wanted to say about Kevin is just that Arkansas got a great one there not a good one then you know something about Kevin and Colton we've had Colton on there but you know something about Kevin and Colton they're not just great players those are great people too great persons kids they really are Jake you had Cameron setts on here last week what a kid I mean clap had Yale offer I believe it was had an Ivy League offer come on here could have probably easily could have replaced me could replace a lot of people on TV me too yeah great delivery I mean this gets sharp and and and that's what Sam and that staff is getting and I see people criticizing Sam look T's great Bobby Pino's great but Sam's the one to putut this stuff together so Sam Pitman deserves a lot of credit for you can you can blast him for the 4 and8 season if you want to that's fine but let's let's move forward four and eight in the past right now but Sam deserves credit for putting his staff here because I'm G tell you he upgraded in the off season in some ways Sam is probably fortunate that Danny was hired didn't cost him his job last year I mean he really is and I don't mean it's slammed anybody but I'm just stating a fact but for him to hire Bobby Petrino and Ronnie Fouch you know uh and then uh you know Eric matteas you know Kobe Smith and Adam with uh Morgan Turner I mean you know and and thing about t- he was able to keep that defensive staff together which I think is huge Jacob I mean really so I really like what they're doing and we'll see what happens going forward yeah yeah yeah that defensive staff sticking together was obviously massive for on the field results last year last year the only attorney was deak Adams the other guys were all learning Arkansas learning every all the stuff and now T will Mark Wood and Darren Wilson's had a year here and of course deck's been here a few years for a while that defensive line job was a revolving door changing every year and Dee came in and solidified that and man has he ever solidified like I said if there's any justices world deck Adams should be if there is such thing he should get consideration for SEC recruiter of the year I don't even know if there is such a war I think there is but if there's not maybe they can start one with him they can ask me I'll give them my opinion you know unbiased of course unbiased opinion yeah yeah yeah he's got Otis's vote for the uh for the new recruit of the year yeah I'll tell you when you were listing off before we got on and when you were on when you were listing off the the offers that Kevin has if you pull up the top 25 kind of side by side it's pretty much the same thing everybody that's there you had an offer from them so it was pretty much the same thing with with coach and yro I mean kids just you know I mean he visited Georgia that week visited Arkansas at the hogw hangout and committed to Arkansas while here and uh it's just these kids are not Rune meal kids they're they're not just kids at some recruiting service like the big time the top 25 schools like you said these are the schools that liking him or the kid the big time schools so yeah it's big time yeah yeah and I know this is going to make some people mad and I understand the importance of recruiting the state I really do but you know it you pointed it out there was such backlash when Arkansas lost those kids right but it's how you respond to things like that and going and getting a top 10 player out of the state of Mississippi and then or rather getting the top player in Oklahoma and Colton and then turning around getting a top 10 player out of Mississippi and Kevin is a really impressive way to respond to that the staff doing a really good job there yeah and that's the way you quiet critics you you shut them up by producing and and that's what it's all about you've got to produce I mean as I said that's why I don't I don't I don't know I mean I don't care people are criticized them for last year last year they were 4 and8 and deserved to critici but what I'm saying move forward you know and it's a fresh start and they didn't have Bobby patrino they didn't have you know Ronnie Fouch and Eric mess you know last year Arkansas rushed for 2.8 yards a carry against uh uh the the the West the Carolina yeah and they're like 10 point 11 yards they had nine rushing touchdowns in 2023 they had eight the other night so I mean it's a this is a different year and that's all I'm saying Jacob this is a different year let's J just going forward and and I realize they be the team that the easiest team by far on their schedule but I'm just saying let's see what happens to you know let's let's see what happens going don't don't stay mad over last it shorten your life you know I mean just being mad all the shorten your life enjoy it can't I mean they're G they're gonna lose games enjoy it and go on man I mean that's the way it goes but these guys are doing a good job recruiting they really are that's not me hyping it I mean it's produced by when you're beating top 25 teams probably have no business beating you know you know you probably have no business honestly beating some of these schools for these kids and yet they yet de and the staff is speak volumes yeah absolutely well we'll see if they can continue that but speaking of a couple other recruiting targets and commits for the Razer backs let's talk quarterbacks I know you want to talk uh obviously the beginning of high school football and Grayson Wilson Javon Gilmore Kane Archer the whole host of quarterbacks in action for the Razer backs how' they do week one yeah jvon was 15 uh let's see all three1 good Jones I mean Conway beat jonesb uh uh uh Conway beat Jonesboro 4221 uh uh GFF South Carolina won 4240 and uh Greenwood beat Bentonville West 70- 35 uh J let's start with Brayson Wilson he was 228 yards passing two touchdowns rush for 33 yards and two touchdowns this is in one half he didn't play the second half not bad lead so 228 passes two touchdown 33 rush in two touchdown so Grayson in his first game at Conway in one half for do some big numbers and they won the game and they're goingon to win some more Conway's got a really and getting Grayson and then getting the coach from Bryant I think that really solidifi okay let's go to Jayvon Gilmore he's 2026 committed 15 to 30 for 277 yards and three touchdowns and eight yards I mean eight carries 18 yards rushing so so he didn't have the rushing wow the wue but he uh he did pass for uh 277 yards in three touchdown yeah and then Kane as as usual just Mr Mr kids never lost a high school game and I look they're gonna lose a lot of players after this year Greenwood is some good players I'm not sure this kid will ever lose a high school game at Greenwood and that speaks by and I'm talking about ninth grade on yeah but he is 24 of 30 against bville West 281 yards three touchdowns zero interception fact fact none of those kids threw an interception another three he rushed 12 times for 108 yards and another another touchdown so I'm just telling you man these three quarterbacks and they I mean Kane's not committed I mean but but I hope they I know they got the 26 kit but I hope they find a way for Kane to wear a Razer back H his brother cash moved to line moved to linebacker this season is making a trans he had five tackles three for loss but three sacks four quarterback hurries a force F and then recovered that f b so you know he and then Grant Carin the rece Greenwood has a pwo preferred walk on offer he has seven catches from 45 yards and a touchdown and four kickoffs for returns for 75 yards so they all had good games they did what and all three of the kids won the quarterbacks won and Kevin the lineman won uh so it was a good weekend for all those kids they got off a good start for their seasons and we're looking forward to to uh keeping up with this but yeah it they're really the quarterbacks really played well the biggest thing that I take out of that is is two things Jacob they won and none through an interception yeah they won and none of them thre an interception and when you can do that you're making the other team beat you and I don't care what what league we're talking about or what Universe when you don't beat yourself you make the other team beat you that's really huge man and and I really like all three of those quarterbacks I love Kane Archer I hope there's a way to get him to Arkansas I mean you know I mean he's got options and there's going to be some lucky schools don't to get him whether Arkansas whether SMU Missouri whoever somebody gonna get a really good quarter and know that like I said it's just like what just like grce and Jayvon not just just like Kevin and Colton they're good they're good kids too yeah great players but great kid these are all great kids a cash is a great kid great car is a great kid there're just good kids and I and I definitely pull for good kids I really do I mean the fact that they're great football players adds to it but fact they're even probably all these kids are better off the field and Y own it that's that's something you say and Sam has a tendency to recruit that way Sam Pitman yeah he put a pretty good player you don't have very many problems over our univers serious problems I'm not saying they don't have some every problem when you get a hundred kids that age 18 to 23 or whatever it is I guess in Monte Harrison 29 you don't you have I'm sorry my but no you you you'll have a few is but they they have very few and you know now tonight there'll probably three of them get dwir after I'm saying this but I'm just saying for the most part they make good decisions and they're not bad they're good kids over there they're F in interviews you were over there at the interview I'm in the the kids are polite and in SEC Sam said something about that last the other day he said that the kids seem very mature when they're being in the interview room they Sam watches that stuff what they say and but you had uapb receiver run his mouth about about Arkansas was big but slow yeah you you man you just don't really no matter who you are you don't really want give the other team bulletin board material and you can't say anything anymore with all the cameras and smartphones and and and stuff with the social media you can't say anything and that knock it out now man and the truth is you say something they may get twisted around so make it even worse you better off just be show good character and and be smart with your interviews and that's what Arkansas players really are yeah yeah know the coaching staff is really intentional with the charactera part of recruiting we asked I want to say it was Travis we asked him about or I asked him about just strategy in the portal and I know it's not exactly the same thing as high school but it's the same idea where yeah where coach Pitman you know he said hey like I think our hit rate is really high in the portal and so I asked Travis I said why do you think that is and he said that the character part plays such a massive role in that and he said there were guys that they watched tape of and I'm sure it's the same thing for high school guys they watched tape of and said hey that's a take on the field but when they ran into character issues they just said we're not going to take him it's about more than that you got to fit into the team you got to fit into the culture it's the same thing when it comes to high school recruiting and seems like they're playing it out the same way I'll tell you what also quickly I was over I caught a quarter of the Greenwood bville West game and you're exactly right man what stands out about Kane is he is way too composed for a high school kid it's nuts nothing affects him I mean he's got he's got rushers coming off the edge all around him just scrambles out moves picks up 20 on a rush finds his check down he is as composed as I've seen from a high school quarterback going out of bounds state championship game out of bounds and all of a sudden he raises up and hit his receiver like 15 20 yard pass against uh uh in that championship game A Little Rock and I believe they were playing I mean just to do that it's composure because not only are you worried about keeping your feet b or the normal person would he doesn't seem worried but yeah Kane does that and he got and look Brayson Wilson's the same way now I'm not am with Jayvon you know but I I've seen I've seen I've seen Grayson play football I mean basketball and baseball now I've seen Kane I've seen Kane repeatedly play since he was in the eighth grade play football I went to when he was eighth grade and played for the ninth grade Greenwood team against Shiloh Chris they I was up there and they gave Shiloh their first loss in in in a long time first loss in many years in ninth grade football and uh Kane uh Kane just his composure like I said Grayson's the same way and I I imagine Javon is but I just know those two because I've just seen so much of and yeah you you've got to have and they're leaders too at quarterback kids like those guys they like Grayson they like uh Kane they like great Javon that that to me is important because you get a quarterback the team doesn't like him or the players don't like him it hey it affect you we we've seen that at Arkansas that's say but we've seen that at Arkansas and that is that position is so much more than just throwing and running football at quarterback position if your quarterback's not a leader you know I don't know that you're Long Snapper or your uh back you know your safety even have to be leaders but your quarterback's got to be a leader Jay yeah I think more leaders you have the better but you've got to have that from the quarterback position yeah Landon Jackson said it best at SEC media days people we asked him about you know how tailon had come in and taking the team over right and he said you know I think myself as a massive leader on this team but he said he said in order for a football team to be successful it has to be led by its quarterback and that's the type of guys we're talking about here that's the type of guy you're talking about with taon it just has to be the case it's just the way football works you got to have a guy that leads by example and by uh voice as well well that's even true in junior H because like I said when I saw Kane that night that's the first time I'd never met the kid ever met him I talked to him I believe he and had him on the phone I'm pretty sure I had but first time yeah I know I have because I told him I but to watch him as a eighth grader playing against ninth graders with ninth graders but playing against N3 and he was so composed that night I mean they were coming in there and S had a good team and and it was a close game if I remember right that's been four three years ago but I think it was pretty close game but man Kane was just so composed that night and every time I've ever seen him he's composed even Fable out here I went to the when they played Fable the other night in that scrimmage game I went out got there and he threw an interception and but after that what'd he do he put up about 40 straight points you know he threw he threw a pick six it got called back because it was past interference but then he threw another interception but the kid but he didn't he didn't let that ruin his night infect him after that Kane tuck fail I mean tuck Greenwood down Time After Time After Time to scored and that's just a very good faval team like I told Cam last week I feel like that's two of the best teams in Arkansas along with Mark Conway and uh uh Bryant and no school and by the way Parkview and cam won last night I forget the score I think it was 2720 but settles and and and Quenton they won last night and against Melissa Texas a really good program out of Texas and they were in Melissa Texas and they did win I think it was 2720 Jacob sorry they did win I think that's I'm looking it up right now I'm trying to see they did win yeah hold on I'm G find it um yeah I I just I think from the standpoint I me I know we sound a little bit like a broken record but it's I mean you just the team responds to the quarterback right it's like these football cliches are cliches for a reason so when you got a guy like that the whole entire team responds and all three of those guys but specifically Kane Archer have that quality and they have in droves it's just it's impressive there's no way around it that's what I like about Kan he's not the tallest 27 just found it okay I thought it thought it was I I talked I me I checked with K cim and Quinton and wish them good luck Bry but uh you know but those are yeah you know and parkie's got a good and like I said they've got a linebacker uh who's a junior this year be up next year and maybe Arkansas can get him because he's a really good player too but those are all good good teams and uh for the most part A lot of these kids won this weekend so it was good to see the but High School back razor backs are back a lot of lot of winds gets tougher going forward obviously for Arkansas but we'll be in Still Water I know we'll all be in Still Water Saturday and I've never been to Ste water so I'm actually looking forward to it I talked to Jason the other day and uh yeah I'm looking forward to going over because I've never been to steel water for any event I know Dudley and John went there for the baseball I know some of you guys went there for the baseball a few years ago but I've never been Still Water yeah pass Tula over that direction yeah it's a it's a bucket Lister for me I love what I've heard is the uh it's similar to Old Miss similar to War Memorial I guess as well where the the fans are right on top of you so you got the back of the end zone then you've got five six yards and there are the fans with the paddles so it'll be a heck of an environment for the Razer backs hey quickly before we go you got a prediction for me Otis they get it done yeah I'm going yeah Arkansas 3521 wow 14 you think two touchdowns I'm Arkansas 3521 yeah I'm going with it I I watched a lot of that Oklahoma State game yesterday and they played a really good team I South Dakota State's a lower division team you know one though yeah they're number one but I I think Arkansas uh you know uh you know our Maris has promised me a win so if he's leading me astray Mr Maris Robertson better Dodge the field leaving because I me get him he promised me a win so man I'm a hold Maris to it and I'm going 35-21 all right Mar won 33 and S last year down there South Alabama and he's promised me that will beat Oklahoma State so unless Maris lets me down I'm going 35-21 man he didn't give me that score that's my score but I'm I I he did he he guaranteed me a win so we'll see if how his guarantees if they're like Joe neth and those guys per Maris Robinson per Otis the hog geted done on Saturday we're gonna come back to that we'll see how it goes anything else you would to hit before we go no I just I remember Arkansas went 9 and4 in 2021 I'll be quick with this they played uapb let's play compare apples to apples Arkansas won 45 to3 that day Jacob they did not score in the second half and that team was a was by far the best team Sam Pitman had at Arkansas up to this point and they went nine and4 that season and they did uh they they did not score in the second half and Arkansas scored 10 out of 10 possessions of the night and pitched a shut out on defense so Bobby patrino and t- whe those guys deserve a pat on the back that was one heck of an effort on both sides of the football and even special teams other than other than two penalties on pun return turns everything looked perfect down there the other night that that was the biggest disappoint was those two penalties on Bryce and and Isaiah those were the two negatives rest of it pretty much pretty positive yeah yeah business as usual for I guess you shouldn't say as usual but business completed for the Razer backs week one now it gets real for the Razer backs Oklahoma State and still water on Saturday that's going to do it for this week's Arkansas football recruiting report that's Otis Kirk I'm Jacob Morris more Pig tril show coming up on the other side of the break