Hogs lose another in-state recruit, continuing problem

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — There’s been a lot of talk about Arkansas’ struggles to attract high school players from the central Arkansas region, particularly in football. It’s a problem Sam Pittman will likely talk about when he’s retired and on Lake Hamilton.

Coaches have sometimes used the excuse that they don’t think they can play at the level the Razorbacks need to win. Apparently, LSU, Oklahoma and Note Dame think they can play there. Use your own criteria to determine whether it’s better or worse.

Omario Robinson committed to Oklahoma on Saturday afternoon. Bauxite’s Marcus Wimberly has already committed to the Sooners. It’s starting to feel like 1984, when Keith Jackson left Little Rock Parkview for Barry Switzer’s Oklahoma team and became the best tight end in school history. Mark Hutson became a solid offensive lineman on a national championship team.

Pittman isn’t the only Razorbacks coach with this problem of losing out-of-state players. Frank Broyles put up a barrier, but there have been occasional fumbles, going back to the 1960s, when Jonesboro’s Chuck Latourette became an All-SWC returner at Rice. There have been others.

But overall, the Hogs don’t have much success with in-state players. Don’t ask me for a magic answer. There are several possibilities, and I don’t have a definitive answer. There’s certainly no reason why so many players are leaving the state for Missouri these days.

Oh, I’ve heard all the excuses. A lot of Great Unwashed fans think that not playing in Little Rock is the biggest problem. Sorry, I don’t believe that and I haven’t for almost 50 years because that’s about how long War Memorial has been a dumping ground. The Razorbacks can’t use it for recruiting and don’t get much out of it other than losing the potential revenue and recruiting benefits of a home game.

In other words, rookies will have just as much of a chance to stay home and watch a game on TV as they will in the stands and will get better replays. Given that coaches can’t talk to rookies during the game, other than maybe a quick wave (if that) and they don’t have the money to play in a stadium that’s not SEC-standard at all, what exactly do the Hogs get by playing there?

Arkansas has a problem that needs to be solved quickly in football. As for basketball, well, everything is different there and they are preparing to become national title contenders. No one knows if the resources are sufficient for that and all one can do is speculate.

None of this, by the way, helps the Razorbacks win anything. Somehow, it seems to have fallen off the radar.

FEED FOR PIGS:

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