re: Arkansas Football 2023 Recruiting Thread **WR Dazmin James Commits**

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Ashdown (Ark.) four-star tight end Shamar Easter has committed to the Arkansas Razorbacks. Easter, 6-5, 225, went public with his decision on Friday, becoming the Hogs’ first verbal pledge for the Class of 2023.

Easter chose the home state Razorbacks over an impressive offer list that included Auburn, Florida State, Michigan State, Ole Miss, Tennessee, and Texas A&M. He also received heavy interest from Clemson after visiting the Tigers earlier this offseason.

Easter informed Arkansas head coach Sam Pittman of his decision during a Zoom call on Friday. The tight end revealed a t-shirt he had made with Pittman's catch phrase "Yes Sirrr" printed on top of a Razorback logo.

Easter’s decision comes less than two weeks after his second unofficial visit at Arkansas this summer. The four-star target made the trip in late June, then made a quick turnaround visit for the Razorbacks’ end-of-summer cookout on July 31.

The Ashdown product was recruited by first-year tight ends coach Dowell Loggains, who received high praise from Easter following his most recent trip to the Hill.

"I'm really liking the coaches," Easter said. "The coaching staff is great. That's the main part about it, it feels like home. So, that makes it even better. That's about it. I mean, but everything else falls in place. One, the coaches, and everything feels good for you."

"Coach Loggains, great guy," Easter said. "I mean, all the things he has under his belt, he can teach me a lot. So, I need to lock in, stay focused and do what I keep doing, and hopefully I make it to where I want to be."

According to the industry-generated 247Sports Composite rankings, Easter is the No. 110 player in the country, the No. 7 tight end in the nation, and the No. 1 prospect in Arkansas for next year’s recruiting class. 247Sports gives him a similar ranking at No. 103 in the nation, No. 9 among all tight ends, and No. 1 in the Natural State.

While it's still extremely early for the 2023 cycle, Easter's commitment gives Arkansas a starting point of No. 10 in the nation and No. 5 in the SEC.

In Fayetteville, he will follow in the footsteps of another pair from Ashdown who have made names for themselves as Razorbacks in cornerbacks Montaric Brown and Ladarrius Bishop, both of whom stand a chance of starting at each corner spot for the Hogs this season.

Easter was considered a top priority at tight end for Arkansas in next year’s class. The Razorbacks have also made at least two others priority targets in Luke Hasz of Bixby (Okla.) and Jaden Hamm of Eudora (Kan.).

Hasz, who has a sister attending the UA, made two unofficial visits with the Hogs this summer while Hamm also got his first look at Fayetteville in June.

Arkansas is signing a pair of tight ends in the Class of 2022, with verbal commitments from Tyrus Washington of Leesburg (Ga.) Lee County and Dax Courtney of Clarendon (Ark.).

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