Hogs Football Lands Sixth Commitment

FAYETTEVILLE — A flurry of activity for the Arkansas football program continued this weekend when the Razorbacks got a commitment from Harrison tight end Austin Tate.

Tate (6-foot-6, 225 pounds), somewhat of an unknown in the state, got an offer from Arkansas State on Friday morning, but then took an already scheduled unofficial visit to Fayetteville.

Tate, who caught 42 passes for 708 yards and 12 touchdowns last season, got an offer after leaving and didn't wait around to make his choice.

“I got the offer about an hour ago and know that I want to be a Razorback,” Tate said. “So I didn’t waste any time.”

Tate committed after touring the campus with Arkansas offensive line coach Mike Summers.

“I have been over there a lot and have just been a fan all my life,” Tate said. “This is exciting for me.”

Harrison head coach Tommy Tice says Arkansas is getting quite the athlete in Tate, who was all-state in football, basketball and baseball.

“He’s a heck of an athlete whose a very good player right now and is someone whose best days are ahead of him,” Tice said. “He plays football, basketball and baseball and was all-state in all of those. Once he concentrates on one sport — and it now appears it is going to be football with Arkansas — it is just going to keep getting better and better and better.”

Tice sees Tate staying as a tight end and not turning into an offensive lineman in college.

“He has great hands, runs great routes and is a big kid who makes a lot of plays,” Tice said.

Tate is the sixth commitment in the UA's 2009 recruiting class and the second to pledge this week following Caddo Mills (Texas) defensive end Ryan Calendar (6-8, 220).

The Razorbacks also landed a late 2008 signee in Camden (NJ) High wideout and track star Matt Marshall (6-3, 210, 4.41), who will be on campus on July 6 and eligible to play next season.



Gulley Commits To Oklahoma State

Many expected Fayetteville High junior basketball star Fred Gulley would end up playing his basketball in the Big 12. Just not at the place the 2009 prospect is going to be doing it.

Gulley, who averaged 18 points per game last season for the Purple Bulldogs, committed to Oklahoma State University and new head coach Travis Ford on Friday.

“I know it's surprising,” his father, Fred Gulley Sr. said. “We had been kind of keeping (Oklahoma State’s interest) quiet, but he thinks it’s the place for him.”

It was thought the Gulley’s long relationship with former Arkansas assistant and current Missouri head coach Mike Anderson would lead the prospect to Columbia, Mo.

Gulley also had offers from Stanford, Virginia and Arkansas, which signed two point guards in its 2008 class in Courtney Fortson and Rotnei Clarke.