Young players earn UA offers

The University of Arkansas wrapped up a strong January of hosting top young talent and two football prospects left Fayetteville with scholarship offers from the Hogs.

Class of 2026 running back Raycine Guillory Jr. received his first SEC offer from Arkansas Coach Sam Pittman and running backs coach Jimmy Smith during last Saturday’s Prospect Day.

“The offer,

I mean that caught me off guard. But I’m very blessed and humble for the offer,” Guillory said.

“I was happy to get offered from an SEC school as a freshman.”

Guillory, 5-10, 170 pounds, of Aledo, Texas, had scholarship offers from Texas Tech, SMU and Prairie View A&M prior to Arkansas’ offer. TexasSan Antonio also extended an offer Wednesday.

He played last season at Lake Ridge High School in Mansfield, Texas, where he had 125 carries for 769 yards and 9 touchdowns, and 18 receptions for 154 yards and 3 touchdowns as a freshman. Guillory had 21 carries for 198 yards and 3 touchdowns in a loss to Mansfield.

“I love everything about it. Coaching staff showed love. The energy felt like family,” Guillory said of Arkansas. “Look forward to coming back.”

Guillory also said he sees a lot of things he likes in Smith as a potential coach.

“Coach Smith is a great person,” Guillory said. “I like everything about Coach. He keeps it real, he sets high standards and goals for his running backs and that’s something I’m looking for in a coach — cool and caring of his running backs.”

Reynolds Razorback Stadium, the Jerry and Gene Jones Academic center and the backdrop of the Ozark mountains also grabbed his eye during the visit.

‘The stadium is huge and I say the mountains in the background of the school and the Jerry Jones center,” he said. “I was impressed about the whole thing. I mean everything was special.”

Sophomore receiver Corey Simms Jr. also left Fayetteville with a scholarship offer from the Razorback last weekend.

Simms, 6-3, 180 pounds, of Christian Brothers College High School in St. Louis, had offers from Missouri and Marshall before he added one from the Hogs.

“The facilities were nice and I learned that the football team has a 100% graduation rate,” said Simms, whose father played basketball at Nebraska in the early 2000s. “The coaches and panel of current athletes were very informative with the information they shared. The weight room and stadium really stood out. I appreciate the conversation with receivers coach Kenny Guiton and head coach Sam Pittman.”

Simms recorded 32 receptions for 446 yards and 3 touchdowns while returning 4 kickoffs for 49 yards last season.

Guillory