Arkansas is first SEC offer for TN linebacker

Linebacker Deon Meadows out of Smyrna, Tenn. has been dominating the camp circuit for two years now and has followed that up with productivity on the football field for one of Tennessee's best programs. Up until recently though, Meadows was without any scholarship offers. That changed recently with offers from MTSU and Ohio. Over the weekend, the ante was upped with his first SEC offer.

"I checked the mail Saturday afternoon because I was bored and I had a white envelop from Arkansas in it," Meadows said. "I thought it was a summer camp thing and I opened it and started reading it and it said they were offering me a full ride. I just started jumping around I was so happy."

Growing up in SEC country, Meadows has plenty of familiarity with the conference and picking up an offer from an SEC program was big.

"It's a big one because I want to stay in the SEC because it's a hard division and I want to play in a hard division with all that good talent," he said. "I want to put my talent up there with them and play with the best."

Though he has some familiarity with the Razorbacks, Meadows is hoping to learn more in the near future.

"I haven't been down there much but I heard that it's a good school, a good program and a nice campus," he said. "I plan to go down there and check it out this summer."

Despite some outstanding camp performances and strong film, Meadows plays the linebacker position slightly undersized. Without the prototypical body, he has had to hit the road and prove himself to coaches and scouts. He will likely put together a hefty camp schedule this summer for that reason.

"The average linebacker is 6-3 or 6-2 and I'm only six foot but I can lay a hit and I can get to the ball real quick and I'm a good captain," he said. "I feel like I'm a great football player so I want to get out and show people that I'm better than they are. I think we're going to go to Vandy and probably gonna hit up a lot of schools. It's going to be a busy summer for me and the other guys."

Along with his offers, Meadows is hearing fro Vanderbilt, Duke, Auburn, Clemson and others. Though he was born in Georgia and grew up a fan of the Bulldogs, Meadows is wide open in the recruiting process.

"Just whoever offers me, I'm just going to look into it and see what fits my personality and what can be my second home because I'll be there for four years," he said. "I'm not really a picky guy."