Hauling in the Hawgs

Since hiring Houston Nutt in December 1997, Arkansas has been steadily creeping up on the Southeastern Conference's elite programs on the playing field and in the recruiting rankings.

Thirty wins and four straight bowl appearances have quietly marked the Razorbacks' game day success under Nutt, but their success on the recruiting trail is starting to sound like an all-out rumble.

Coming on the heels of four straight national top 30 classes, Arkansas has already collected nine verbal commitments for the Class of 2003, including six top in-state players. That shows the Hogs are defending their turf from rival programs that have raided the home-grown talent in the past and may also indicate they'll be prime players on the national scene this fall.

Among the early in-state verbals are athlete Herb Grigsby (6-0, 155, 4.4) from Mayflower, fullback Farod Jackson (6-1, 235, 4.6) from Little Rock Mills, defensive lineman Marcus Harrison (6-4, 290, 4.9) from Little Rock Mills, defensive lineman Keith Jackson Jr. (6-2, 260, 4.7) from Little Rock McClellan, linebacker Rodney Giles (6-4, 230, 4.5) from Hot Springs and offensive lineman Nate Garner (6-7, 310, 5.5) from Pulaski Robinson.

Grigsby, an elusive runner who could play a number of positions for the Razorbacks, has been a jack-of-all-trades for Mayflower. He accounted for more than 1,800 total yards as a junior and also had seven interceptions playing the defensive side of the ball.

Those that have watched him closely rave about his quickness, saying he may play even faster than his 4.4 time indicates, compensating for his small frame.

Farod Jackson is the perfect fit for what the Razorbacks were seeking at fullback. Big, strong and fast, he rushed for 854 yards on only 104 carries as a junior at Mills. He scored 12 touchdowns and also displayed nice hands, catching 18 balls for 250 yards.

Giles, an all-state selection as a junior at Hot Springs, has the look of a classic linebacker at 6-4, 230 and 4.45 speed.

Harrison and Keith Jackson Jr. address one of Arkansas' pressing needs, the defensive line. The Razorbacks lost two starters from the front four last year and will see four more depart in 2002. Jackson is the son of former NFL standout Keith Jackson. Both he and Harrison bring power and quickness (typical of the SEC in recent years) to the position, which will continue to be a target for the Arkansas staff.

They hope to sign at least six next February.

Another target area is offensive line, and they don't come much bigger than Garner.

That is, of course, until you look at one of the early out-of-state commitments.

Texas standout Kharylake Martin - all 6-foot-6, 345 pounds of him - could team with Garner to give Arkansas a pair of bookends for years to come.

Martin is described by his high school coach, Jerry Stewart, as a "mountain of a man" with very little fat on his huge frame.

Look for two or three more O-linemen to be signed by the Razorbacks in February, including one or two the caliber of that might be able to contribute as true or redshirt freshmen.

Two players could provide immediate help from the junior college ranks. Shermar Bracey and David Dobbins are slated to join the Razorbacks from Coffeyville (Kan.) Community College and Foothill (Calif.) College.

Bracey is an exceptional all-around athlete who helped lead Rison (Ark.) High School to the Class 2A state championship two years ago, but failed to qualify academically.

When he returns, he could project as a star at tailback, wide receiver, linebacker or defensive back.

Dobbins, the most recent Arkansas commitment, originally signed with Tennessee-Martin out of Paducah (Ky.) Tilghman, but transferred to Foothill after one season. He projects as a free safety for the Razorbacks.