Memphis linebacker finds connection with Chavis
Linebacker Eli Neal attended camp at the University of Arkansas in June and because of his performance, he received a scholarship offer from the Hogs on Aug. 7.
Being able to work and learn from defensive coordinator John Chavis highlighted his two-day visit to Fayetteville.
“This offer actually means a whole lot to me,” Neal said. “Coach Chavis was able to tell me things that was wrong about my game that I thought only I knew. He was able to help me fix it. So we were clicking like I had known him my whole life and I had just met him.”
Neal, 6-1, 211 pounds, 4.7 seconds in the 40-yard dash, of Memphis White Station has 16 offers from Marshall, East Tennessee, Southern Illinois, Western Illinois, Central Arkansas and Eastern Kentucky among others.
He’s also drawing interest from Memphis, Texas A&M, Tulsa and Mississippi State. Neal, who recorded 90 tackles, 4 sacks and 2 interceptions as a junior, said Chavis made him feel at home.
“Talking to Coach Chavis and actually sitting in the film room and watching film and the way we were going back and forth in communicating to get things right, I felt like I was at home already,” Neal said. “I didn’t feel like I was somewhere else just doing something, I felt like I was at home.”
The Hogs are recruiting Neal’s teammates in highly recruited junior offensive lineman Ray Curry Jr. and evaluating defensive back Rod Farmer. Arkansas has extended several other offers to Memphis prospects in the 2019 and 2020 classes.
“Arkansas is one of many schools trying to make pipeline into Memphis,” Neal said.
Arkansas basketball Coach Mike Anderson and his staff are hot on the trail of several of the top prospects in the nation for the 2019 class.
Center Will
Baker, 7-0, 240 pounds of
Austin (Texas) Westlake has scholarship offers from Arkansas, Texas, UCLA, North Carolina, Kansas, Stanford, Virginia, Texas A&M and numerous others. His sister Amy is a junior business major at Arkansas.
ESPN rates Baker a 4-star prospect, the No. 8 center and the No. 28 overall prospect in the nation. ESPN National Director of Recruiting Paul Biancardi said Baker is very skilled, including being a great passer.
“One of the more skilled bigs in the class in terms of really can read the game offensively in the low post,” Biancardi said. “That’s unusual today because most bigs don’t want to play with their back to the basket. He can play with his back to the basket and he can face up. He has a beautiful touch and he has good low post moves, and he knows how to get guys off their feet with the shot fake. When he’s not open he recognizes it and when others are open he recognizes it.”
Forward CJ Walker, 6-8, 183 pounds of Orlando (Florida) Christian Prep, is another Arkansas target with more than 40 scholarship offers, including the Razorbacks, Florida, Ole Miss, Texas, Florida State, Texas A&M, Georgetown, LSU, Louisville and others.
“He’s becoming one of the most improved players in the class,” Biancardi said. “He always had elite athleticism and developing skill. He started out as a high-level prospect and now he’s developing as a high-level player. The scoring instincts have improved and the athleticism is coming out all the time now because he’s utilizing his athleticism because his work ethic has really jumped.”
ESPN rates Walker a 4-star prospect and the No. 10 power forward the No. 45 overall prospect in the nation.
“I tell you what makes him stand out: He can take one dribble from anywhere on the court and cover so much ground,” Biancardi said. Center-forward Kai Jones, 6-10, 192 pounds, of Brewster Academy in New Hampshire is an ESPN 4-star prospect and the No. 25 center nationally.
He has offers from Arkansas, Stanford, Florida State, Arizona, Georgetown, Kansas, Oregon, Texas and numerous others.
“I saw him a year ago and his only offer was Buffalo,” Biancardi said. “He has emerged, elite athlete, elite shot blocker. He can really run … and defensively he’s looking to change your shot. He just rebounds, runs and finishes. He’s become a high major recruit.”
Baker, Walker and Jones said in late July that they expected to narrow their list of schools in the near future.