More with Dean Campbell

July 18, 2008 – 6:00 am

Picking up where we left off with Dean Campbell, Arkansas’ director of high school relations…

Scholarships offers are only made after the recruiting coach and position coach approve the offer.
“Then of course we try and get as many of them to Coach (Bobby) Petrino. Coach Petrino has the final say.” Campbell said.
Should Arkansas receive a video from an athlete outside an area where the Hogs has a full-time recruiter, the recruit’s position coach will handle the recruiting.
Each school had four weeks for coaches to go on the road see to prospects during the spring evaluation period April 15 to May 31. After the period ended, Razorback coaches determined who’s on the priority list and on the offer list. The ranking of prospects by position will also take place.
“We may take the offensive line one day and just look at offensive linemen, the top 20 to 25 offensive linemen,” Campbell said. “[We] rank them in order we think they are and we try to go through every position. Then things change as you go into the fall, some kids are committed to other schools. You’ll hang on to them as long as you think there’s still a chance or some point you may drop off or you may stick with them until the end like a Joe Adams.”
Campbell said some offers are made on the condition that the recruit’s academics are in order. Other offers can be rescinded should character issues arise.
“We also tell them when we offer this scholarship offer is not there forever,” Campbell said. “We can only sign so many and we’re only going to take so many at each position. So if you’re interested in making a commitment you need to seriously consider doing it early before we fill up at your position. They understand that.”
One of the more difficult aspects of recruiting is trying to figure when or if an athlete will take an offer.
“Those offers aren’t on the board until signing day,” Campbell said. “It just depends on the numbers you have to sign each year and the numbers you want to take at each position. It’s a hard game to play because you don’t know which kids are going to take an offer early or which kids are going to say ‘I appreciate the offer but I’m going to visit 5 schools and I’m going to wait until signing day’. You’re always trying to figure out where you stand with those kids and all that and try to make it work the best you can for you.”
Prospects often times will make an early oral commitment only to a school only change their mind and choose another school later in the recruiting process. Because colleges risk a public relations nightmare with a recruit’s high school, it’s far less likely the same will happen to an athlete.
“I’ve always said the shoes on the other foot because kids can commit to us and change their mind as often as they want,” Campbell said “But if we offer them a scholarship and went back and renege on it, we get criticized. We don’t look as good at that school if you go back. That’s just the recruiting game you play. There’s no scientific way to do it.”