Arkansas Coaches Trying Keep Track Of Recruit

FAYETTEVILLE -- Arkansas interim coach Reggie Herring said he has no "illusions of grandeur" about the position he's in after Houston Nutt resigned Monday night.

That includes the sticky situation on the recruiting trail, where 19 prospects who had verbally committed to the Razorbacks may rethink their futures.

"At the end of the day, it's natural, there's going to be some casualties," Herring said. "You just don't know how many. You just hold your breath and here you go."

Herring said Arkansas' staff is doing its best to salvage relationships for the school even though there's little guarantee they'll see the fruits of the labor. It's an interesting dilemma, which comes with another intriguing twist since Nutt was introduced as the new Ole Miss coach Wednesday.

With some of Arkansas' current staff expected to join Nutt at Ole Miss in the near future, who exactly are the assistants recruiting for these days? Herring said the topic is being handled with extreme care by the Razorbacks.

Nutt was asked the same question in Oxford. He said it was "difficult" to answer.

"The ones that are committed, you try to tell them, 'Hey stay with your commitment. You chose Arkansas for a reason,'" Nutt said. "If there is mom or dad or someone saying, 'Hey we chose Arkansas for Houston Nutt,' now it can be a little bit different and we will welcome that visit."

Herring said defensive line coach Tracy Rocker was in Georgia and Florida on Wednesday, visiting some of the Razorbacks' oral commitments. He said other coaches have been manning the phones, hoping to keep prospects informed.

Herring said he has asked coaches to talk to parents and assure them that Arkansas' commitment to their children remain. He also said the Razorbacks are trying to reschedule official visits for early January. None of the work is easy.

"If you could imagine a piece of meat thrown in a pack of wolves right now," Herring said. "There's not anybody asking when to take their turn. They're being attacked by all schools and anybody around the country. It's a vicious job, recruiting."