Razorback All Over

In his weekly recruiting column, Dudley E. Dawson chats with Alabama prep defensive tackle and Arkansas commit Jeremiah Jackson. This story is free and sponsored by the Arkansas Toyota Dealers. Click on the Arkansas Toyota banner.

The last couple of weeks there’s been a very interested family in Alabama watching the University of Arkansas play football on TV.

That’s because Hoover Spain Park defensive tackle Jeremiah Jackson (6-4, 260) already considers himself part of the Razorback family.

Thus the UA commit and his family have been tuned in for the program’s 44-23 rout of Auburn and its heartbreaking 23-20 loss at No. 1 Florida.

“I was already very proud to be a Arkansas commitment and I certainly am even prouder after these last two weeks,” Jackson said. “They are playing great. The defense has been outstanding. I mean they got six sacks and caused four turnovers against Florida. I can’t wait to be a part of that.”

Jackson was supposed to be on hand for the Arkansas-Auburn game, but the move to an 11 a.m. start kept that from happening.

“My parents and I are still talking it over, but we are hoping to get up to one of the home games before the season is over,” Jackson said. “I have loved watching that atmosphere on TV and I can’t wait to play before the Arkansas crowd.”

Jackson, who was recently selected to the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Game and is one of 13 current Razorback commits, has his team off to a 6-2 start so far this season.

“We are playing pretty well, but like everybody else we want to be playing our best as the season comes to the finish,” Jackson said. “I feel like I have played very well so far this season, but the most important thing is our team getting wins and not my stats.”

Arkansas got Jackson’s commitment back in June – he was the fifth at the time - and edged out Ole Miss, Auburn, Kentucky, Vanderbilt, Duke and UAB for that verbal pledge.

"There is no use in anybody else even calling me,” Jackson said. “I am going to be a Razorback and that is as solid a commitment as there has ever been. There is no reason for them to worry, no reason for the fans to worry. I am one of them. I'm Arkansas all the way."

O o o

Because of his comments at the time he committed to Arkansas, Oxford (Ala.) defensive end Dimitri Orr had always been considered what is known as a soft verbal.

Considering the fact that he has announced this week that he will now choose between Florida State and Auburn, he is no longer even that and leaves Arkansas with 13 commits.

He visited Alabama last week, but does not have an offer from the Crimson Tide at this point.

"I do think I will make a decision very soon," Orr told Scout.com’s Andrew Bone. "I am not sure when it will happen, but I think it's coming. It's still between Auburn and Florida State."

O o o

Tallahassee (Fla.) Community College basketball standout Marvell Waithe will announce his decision between Arkansas and Rutgers on Wednesday, which doubles as his birthday.

Waithe, a 6-9, 215-pound combo forward, averaged 18.9 points last season for TCC and has visited Arkansas and Rutgers the past two weekends.





Jeremiah Jackson