Recess Is Over

In his weekly recruiting column, Dudley E. Dawson writes about how athletes in the state of Arkansas - many that are Razorback commits are targets - are getting back into action after a mandated dead period. This story is free courtesy Fayetteville Autopark. Click the banner to learn more.

Now that the state’s high school athletic dead period is over, there will be plenty of action involving the state’s top talent the rest of the month.

That includes this weekend’s Southwest Elite 7-on-7 event in Springdale, the Arkansas Wings AAU basketball team playing at the Mullins High Profile event in Tulsa, the Vype 7-on-7 in Bentonville on July 15th and 16th and the upcoming Razorback One-Day football camp on July 17th.

The Southwest event will feature such standouts as the Fayetteville duo of quarterback Brandon Allen (6-3, 215) and Razorback tight end Demetrius Dean (6-3, 260) – both Arkansas commits - and top junior wideout prospect Dorial Green (6-5, 210) of Springfield Hillcrest, who already has offers from Arkansas, Oklahoma and USC.

Heritage Hall running back Barry Sanders, Jr. – son of the former Oklahoma State and NFL great - and Auburn quarterback commit Kiehl Frazier of Shiloh Christian are also scheduled to compete in the 16-team event.

Action gets underway Friday at 2 p.m. with pool play through 6 p.m. and again on Saturday morning at 9 a.m.

A single-elimination tournament will get underway at 1:15 and settle the event championship.

Joining Fayetteville and Shiloh Christian as Arkansas teams competing are Bentonville, El Dorado, Rogers Heritage, Springdale, Central Arkansas Christian, Green County Tech, Mayflower and Arkansas Baptist.

Oklahoma high schools Muskogee and McAlester are also in the field.

Olive Branch – featuring junior quarterback Todd Mays – is the lone Mississippi representative.

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Many of those same teams will participate in the 32-team Vype 7-on-7 event in Bentonville on July 15-16.

The games will get underway at 9 a.m. on Thursday morning.

That leads right into the Arkansas Elite Camp on July 17th in Fayetteville.

It has traditionally produce several commits from the event because a lot of the players are targeted prospects and going up against the best competition.

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The Wings will return to action in Tulsa on Friday with Arkansas commit Hunter Mickelson leading the way.

The 6-10 Mickelson – recently tabbed a top 50 player player by Scout.com – won’t be joined this weekend by fellow Razorback pledge Aaron Ross (6-6, 225), who is attending a family reunion.

The Wings will play pool games Friday at 1 p.m. and 6:30 at ORU’s Mabee Center and another Saturday morning at 11 a.m. before getting into bracket play.

Arkansas continues to recruit Wings players Hooper Vint (6-10, 210), David Rivers (6-6, 175) and Darian Griswold (6-5, 240) although none have been extended offers from the Razorbacks as of yet.

This is an open period for college coaches.