Hogs will have 21 new recruits enroll at midterm

FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas signed 24 recruits on Wednesday with 21 set to enroll at midterm.

The only recruits not enrolling at midterm are Harding Academy linebacker Wyatt Simmons, 6-3, 215, New Orleans (La.) Holy Cross wide receiver Krosse Johnson, 5-10, 170, and Missouri City (Texas) Ridge Point wide receiver Ashton Bethel-Roman, 6-0, 171.

Both quarterbacks will be ready to go for spring ball. Boise State quarterback Taylen Green, 6-6, 221, and Montgomery (Ala.) St. James Academy four-star KJ Jackson, 6-3, 215, will compete with Jacolby Criswell and Malachi Singleton for the job.

Green played in 13 games with 12 starts this season at Boise State. He completed 121-of-212 passes (57.1%) for 1,752 yards and 11 touchdowns on the year. Also rushed for 436 yards and nine touchdowns on 78 carries (5.6 ypc).

Jackson threw 130 touchdown passes in his career at St. James Academy. As a senior in 2023, led St. James to 11-3 overall record. Completed 147-of-259 passes (56.8%) for 2,951 yards and 43 touchdowns. Ran for 665 yards and 14 touchdowns on 147 carries (4.5 ypc).

Benton four-star running back Braylen Russell, 6-2, 230, is, for right now, the lone running back in the class. Russell chose the Hogs over Tennessee, South Carolina and many others. As a senior, ran the ball 167 times for 1,359 yards and 20 touchdowns. Added 18 receptions for 351 receiving yards and five scores as a senior.

Wide receiver CJ Brown, 6-1, 185, will be the only one of the three high school prospects to enroll at midterm. Brown is a three-star recruit. Finished senior season with 55 catches for 1,254 yards (22.8 ypc) and 15 touchdowns. He also completed one pass for a 62-yard touchdown. In addition, Brown rushed twice for 81 yards and two scores. Returned five kickoffs for 373 yards (74.6 avg) and three touchdowns.

Eastern Michigan tight end Andreas Paaske, 6-6, 255, will also arrive at midterm. This past season he logged four catches for 39 yards (9.8 ypc) on the year. Saw action in all 13 games in 2022. Recorded 10 receptions for 206 yards and two touchdowns on the year.

The five offensive linemen will all be enrolling at midterm. They are Michigan State transfer Keyshawn Blackstock, 6-5, 315, San Jose State transfer Fernando Carmona, 6-5, 315, Tennessee transefer Addison Nichols, 6-5, 327, Fort Smith Southside’s Kobe Branham, 6-6, 320, and Lexington (Ky.) Frederick Douglass’ Zuri Madison, 6-3, 315.

Arkansas will add a pair of talented defensive ends at midterm. Mills four-star Charlie Collins, 6-5, 265, and Leeds (Ala.) four-star Kavion Henderson, 6-3, 250. On3 and Rivals rank Collins the No. 1 player in Arkansas.

Colllins finished his high school career with 239 total tackles (113 solo), 77.0 tackles for loss and 24.0 sacks in 23 games. He also had one interception, eight pass breakups, six fumble recoveries and three forced fumbles in his career. As a senior, totaled 115 stops (57 solo) with 31.0 tackles for loss, including 12.0 sacks, over 11 games. Added four pass breakups, three forced fumbles,
one fumble recovery and one blocked extra-point during the 2023 season. Offensively, caught one pass for an eight-yard touchdown and rushed 12 times for 49 yards (4.1 ypc) and three touchdowns.

As a senior, Henderson recorded 45 total tackles with 10.0 tackles for loss and seven sacks, Credited with two quarterback hurries. Recorded one forced fumble. Offensively, logged a one-yard rushing touchdown.

All three linebackers will enroll at midterm. For complete update on the three linebackers click here.

In the secondary, Arkansas will bring in former Tennessee standout Doneiko Slaugther, 6-0, 190, Temple (Texas) Lake Belton cornerback Selman Bridges, 6-3, 170, Aledo (Texas) cornerback Jaden Allen, 6-0, 163, Texarkana (Texas) Pleasant Grove’s Ahkhari Johnson, 5-11, 179, Clay (Ala.) Clay-Chalkville’s Tevis Metcalf, 5-10, 181, and Batesville (Miss.) South Panola’s JuJu Pope, 6-0. 195,

As a senior at Tennessee, Slaughter finished with 32 total tackles (26 solo), including one sack, in 10 games on the year.

As a senior, Bridges finished with 19 total tackles (16 solo), three pass breakups and one interception. Also returned two kickoffs for 101 yards during the 2023 season.

Allen totaled 127 tackles (95 solo) with 3.5 tackles for loss, including 0.5 sacks, over 43 career games, Seven career interceptions, 21 pass breakups, one fumble recovery and one forced fumble. As a senior, finished with 43 total tackles (30 solo) and 0.5 sacks in 11 games.

Johnson did a little of everything for Pleasant Grove. Completed 135 passes for 1,274 yards and 32 touchdowns as a senior. Also ran 126 times for 857 yards and 18 touchdowns in 2023.

Metcalf recorded 11 total tackles and one pass breakup as a senior in 2023. Younger brother of current Razorback defensive back TJ Metcalf.

As a senior, Pope had 24 carries for 129 rushing yards and three touchdowns over two games. One 100-yard rushing performance on the year. Defensively, totaled three tackles (two) solo with one tackle for loss.

Arkansas signed Matthew Shipley, 6-1, 190, from Hawaii to replace the departed Cam Little. Appeared in all 13 games starting at both kicker and punter. He was 14-for-18 (77.8%) on field goal attempts with a season-long 51-yard made field goal. Shipley was 30-for-31 on point after attempts. Punted 60 times on the season, averaging 39.5 yards per punt. Finished with 10 punts of 50+ yards, including a season-long 56-yard punt and pinned nine punts inside the 20-yard line.