re: Arkansas Football 2022 Recruiting Thread *JUCO DT Taylor Lewis Commits*

quote:

---

Making the Case: Four-star safety Myles Rowser

---

quote:

---

ARKANSAS
“When I last talked to Rowser, he told me Arkansas’ recruitment of him was ‘overall the best,’ so it’s tough for me to bet against the Razorbacks right now. I think they’ve made a strong case for themselves with Jalen Catalon’s All-SEC performance as a freshman last season, but it is obviously further from home than Kentucky and Michigan State.

"It sounds like a full staff effort to get him on board so for now, I lean toward the Hogs landing their first Michigan commit in the Rivals era. It’s a state the Hogs have made a much stronger push in since Sam Pittman arrived." – Nikki Chavanelle, HawgBeat.com

---

quote:

---

Four-star LB Jaron Willis turns focus towards six schools

---

quote:

---

THE SITUATION: Six schools are still in play for Jaron Willis. The four-star linebacker out of Leesburg (Ga.) Lee County has all but eliminated around two dozen schools, and is now down to Arkansas, Florida, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Kentucky and Ole Miss.

The 6-foot-2, 215 pound athlete has played rush end, linebacker and safety the last two seasons, and his versatility, athleticism and potential has some ACC and SEC schools in pursuit with a decision likely coming by early fall.

---

quote:

---

IN HIS OWN WORDS: "The communication I have with these six schools was big in my top five," said Willis. "This is really my final six. I like the coaches, I like how they see me fitting into their defense, and I think it will be one of these schools when I commit.

"I want to commit early in the season. I am planning to take visits in the summer, then commit in August or September.

"I have one official visit set up right now, and that is to Georgia Tech June 4. I am talking with all the other schools about official visits, but no dates have been set yet. I am working on getting those set soon.

"Georgia Tech is a school in my home state, and I love the city. I have been up in Atlanta a lot, and I like where Georgia Tech is. I like what they are doing, they show me a lot of love, and coach Collins knows defensive backs, and he wants me to play safety. I can tell he really wants me.

"The only schools I have visited so far are Florida and Florida State. I was able to walk around each campus earlier this year, so I have seen a little bit, but I want to go back and take official visits to both schools.

"Florida State was my favorite school growing up. I visited when I was little, so I have been around there before, so I know about Florida State. Coach Marve, coach Woodson and coach Norvell are always in contact, and I have great relationships with them. I like all three, and I really like the fit at linebacker in their defense.

"Coach Robinson is my guy at Florida. He has shown me a lot of love, we have talked about what all I could do in football and with academics there, so I like the total fit at Florida. I got to walk around the campus, I saw the stadium, and everything looked great.

"Arkansas and Ole Miss are two other SEC schools I like. I have always liked the SEC football, and how they play, so both of these schools stand out for that. I also like how coach Pittman recruits me for Arkansas. He calls me his son, he makes me feel important, and having the head coach recruit me like he does means a lot. He has always been 100% with me too.

"Coach Partridge is my guy at Ole Miss. I like him, his energy and how he recruits me. He and Ole Miss see me as a true hybrid guy in their defense, and I like that a lot. That is what I played in high school this past season, so I like how they want to use me. I have learned about the education part at Ole Miss, and I like that too.

"Kentucky is one of my top schools too. The reason is that they show me a lot of love, and they have shown me what a great opportunity I have to come in a start. Coach Sumrall is my guy, and I like him a lot. He has shown me what they can do for me education wise as well.

"The official visits will be important to me. I told my mom that I will not commit to a school until I can take my official visits. I have walked around a couple of schools, and I have learned about all five schools on the list, but I need to take visits.

"Other than the visits, and how I feel at the schools, where I can get on the field early is important to me too. I am looking for the best opportunity to play, so that is big in my decision."

RIVALS REACTION: This is really wide open. Willis made this list based on communication, and opportunity, so who will impress most when they get him on campus? That is what it may come down to. He grew up a big Florida State fan, so he has that love for the Seminoles down deep, but he is not letting that play into his decision. This will be one to track closely once he is out taking visits, because that is where this battle is likely to be decided.

---

quote:

---

Myles Rowser

---

quote:

---

Belleville (Mich.) class of 2022 safety Myles Rowser announced his verbal commitment to Arkansas on Sunday.

The 6-foot-1, 185-pound four-star chooses the Razorbacks over 27 other scholarship offers. A one-time Michigan commit, Rowser had narrowed his schools to Arkansas, Michigan State, Alabama and Kentucky in advance of this commitment. Notre Dame, Arizona State, Purdue, Virginia, Arizona, Boston College, Florida, Florida State, Nebraska and others were also part of his offer list.

Defensive backs coach Sam Carter and head coach Sam Pittman were a big part of this commitment. Rowser noted how they were in frequent contact, not just with him, but with his family also.

"The realness of staff and the overall recruitment [is why I chose them]," Rowser said. "They were the best fit out of all the schools."

New Director of Player Personnel Butler Benton is a Detroit native who was another familiar face to Rowser. He has an official visit set with Arkansas for June 4th-6th.

The staff has told Rowser that they see him as an immediate impact player. His versatility is a big reason for that. He showed that recently by being a top performer at the Rising Stars Midnight Madness showcase, which allowed him to demonstrate his man to man skills which are not always as apparent on his highlight tape.

His high school coaches note his physicality, tackling ability, and football I.Q. among his chief assets.

"I can play corner, nickel, free safety, anywhere they need me," he said.

Academics also played a part in this decision.

"The team holds a 3.4 GPA and work hard on and off field," Rowser previously told 247 director of recruiting Steve Wiltfong. "I see myself in the SEC then the NFL. The coaches and staff a see the same. It’s an amazing opportunity and a great fit overall."

Rowser is the eighth commitment for Arkansas in their 2022 recruiting class. He is their first from Michigan or the Midwest. He hopes to recruit fellow top prospects to Fayetteville with him, and not only players from his home state.

"Hawg calls to real dawgs (sic) only," he said. "Everywhere, Michigan, Florida and the [world]."

Rowser finished his junior season with 61 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 2 forced fumbles, 3 interceptions, 1 sack and 10 pass break-ups making The Detroit News' Dream Team and helping his team to the state semi-finals in the process. He was a starter at Belleville his freshman and sophomore years, briefly transferred down to IMG Academy and then came back to the Tigers for that junior season.

He is a four-star prospect per both the 247Sports Composite and 247Sports. The Composite ranks him the No. 131 overall recruit in the country, No. 9 safety in his class and No. 3 junior in the state of Michigan.

---

quote:

---

Arkansas nabs first top-100 commit of Pittman era, Michigan DB Myles Rowser

---

quote:

---

Just a few hours removed from advancing to the Elite 8 in men's hoops, the Razorbacks got another big win on Sunday morning in the form of a commitment from 4-star safety Myles Rowser. The Michigan native chose to call the Hogs over the other programs in his top 4–Kentucky, Michigan State and Alabama.

Rowser, at No. 86 in the Rivals100 rankings, is now Sam Pittman's highest ranked commit since he came to the Hill. There are still several rankings cycles to go before they're official but Rowser is the highest ranked Hog commit since McTelvin Agim in the 2016 class.

At 6-foot, 185-pounds the Belleville, Michigan native can play every position in the secondary. Listed at safety where he's playing the majority of his high school snaps, Rowser has been recruited by corners coach Sam Carter–although it was an all hands on deck effort.

“It was really the relationship," Rowser said. "Coach (Sam) Carter is one of the best DB coaches, I feel like. We communicate every week and I talk to coach (Sam) Pittman, almost every week too. I’m feeling like they want me there. It is an amazing, big campus. I never seen Arkansas before, so (the virtual visits) were my first time seeing it and it was an amazing sight."

Racking up 26 DI offers since his freshman year, including five from the SEC, Rowser was at one point committed to the homestate Wolverines but backed off the pledge in June of 2020 to continue exploring his options.

Despite not making a new top eight that the 4-star posted in late January that included Penn State, Notre Dame and others, Arkansas made a huge impression over virtual visits and secured his pledge without an in-person visit. Rowser has already locked in his official visit to Fayetteville for June 4-6.

With Hog safety Jalen Catalon looking like a potential early departure for the NFL Draft after the 2021 season, Rowser could come in to help bolster the group immediately.

Rowser makes eight commitments for Sam Pittman's 2022 class and the second 4-star. He joins Rivals250 running back Rashod Dubinion (GA), 3-star offensive linemen Andrew Chamblee (AR) and Eli Henderson (SC), 3-star tight end Dax Courtney (AR), 3-star linebacker Kaden Henley (AR), 3-star running back James Jointer (AR) and 3-star defensive lineman JJ Hollingsworth (AR). If Rowser makes it to signing day, he'll be the first Michigan prospect to join the Hogs in the Rivals era.

As a top-100 recruit, Rowser adds 155 points to the Hogs' team recruiting total–pushing the class up from No. 22 in the nation to No. 15, tied with Alabama and Boston College early.

Arkansas has never had eight commits with nine months still to go until early signing.

---