Defensive tackle says yes to Hogs

Defensive tackle Carl Williams dreamed about Arkansas after he went to bed Monday night, and Tuesday he orally committed to the Hogs.

Williams, 6-4, 324 pounds, of Lufkin, Texas, chose the Hogs over 12 other offers from schools such as Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Ole Miss, Minnesota and Houston. He made an official visit to Fayetteville on June 7-9.

“I actually had a dream about Arkansas,” Williams said. “I just woke up thinking about it and all the amazing things they have to offer. The coaches there are amazing. It feels like home.

“I feel like it was a sign. When I was dreaming about it, it was like a mini flashback. I’ve seen myself playing for Arkansas. That’s a once-in-a-lifetime dream.”

Associate head coach and running backs coach Jeff Traylor has strong east Texas ties and is Williams’ lead recruiter.

“I’ve been talking to coach Traylor for a good while,” Williams said. “He recruited me first from SMU. We’ve been talking for a good minute. I really feel like we have a trust and a bond.”

He has a 360-pound bench press, 655-pound squat and a 640-pound dead lift

Williams, who had 56 tackles, 6 tackles for loss, 4 sacks and 3 forced fumbles as a junior, said there’s a comfort level with Traylor and other coaches on the staff from east Texas.

“They have a lot of east Texas coaches,” Williams said. “That makes it feel better. It makes me feel good that there’s someone I can confide in.”

He’s the No. 8 commitment for the 2019 class. Oral commitments are nonbinding.