Looking ahead to 2023 Prospects

With many colleges and universities having already completed the 2021 recruiting class and the 2022 taking shape, a look ahead to the top prospects of the 2023 class is necessary. The 2023 class in Arkansas, is heavily offensive based at this early point. We are going to examine at five of the top talents in the state at this point in the recruiting process. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="75127" first="Shamar" last="Easter"]- Ashdown</strong> <strong>          </strong>Over the past few years, the town of Ashdown, in the southwest corner of the state of Arkansas has started to become a recruiting hotbed. The Arkansas Razorbacks have dipped into Ashdown in signing starting cornerback Montaric Brown. [player_tooltip player_id="75127" first="Shamar" last="Easter"] is the next talent to come out of Ashdown. Easter is labeled as an athlete by many; however, he has the frame to play the tight end position. At 6-5 and 205 lbs, Easter is a matchup nightmare for the opposing secondary. Easter is the type of player that could start on Saturdays early in his career. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="75132" first="Willie" last="Eackles"]- Little Rock Parkview</strong> <strong>          </strong>Little Rock Parkview has produced plenty of recruits that play on Saturdays as well. [player_tooltip player_id="75132" first="Willie" last="Eackles"] will be the next Parkview running back to keep an eye on. Parkview has done a good job of lining Eackles up all over the field and taking advantage of his 4.5 speed. Eackles is rarely brought down by the first defender and he has the skill set to make defenders look silly. Eackles has already received an offer from the University of Memphis, but it is unlikely that will be his last offer. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="75129" first="DeAndra" last="Burns"]- El Dorado</strong> [player_tooltip player_id="75129" first="DeAndra" last="Burns"] is a wide receiver that has game breaking speed. Burns can leave a defender behind him. Burns is a dangerous return man and can make special teams defenders look silly in some of his returns. He has a knack for making the difficult receptions look routine. Burns has already earned an offer from the University of Arkansas and is target that offensive coordinator Kendall Briles wants to keep instate. Burns will earn more offers and has an excellent shot at earning some playing time early in his career if he continues to work for it. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="75128" first="Darien" last="Bennett"]- Jacksonville</strong> In what is a deep running back class in the state of Arkansas for 2023, [player_tooltip player_id="75128" first="Darien" last="Bennett"] has the potential to headline the class. Bennett has excellent burst, and he is a load to bring at 225-pounds. Bennet over a seven-game period this year has rushed 774 yards and 10 touchdowns. He is one of those running backs that will give you the feeling he can take it the distance from anywhere on the field. The University of Arkansas was the first to extend a scholarship offer to Bennett, however it will not be the last. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="75130" first="Cedric" last="Simmons"]- Malvern</strong> <strong>          </strong>The 2023 quarterback class is not without its share of talent. [player_tooltip player_id="75130" first="Cedric" last="Simmons"] is the true definition of a dual-threat quarterback. Simmons forces the defense to account for his rushing ability. He has the speed to leave defenders and is a difficult player to bring down. Simmons posses a strong and accurate arm. The University of Kansas was the first school to pull the trigger and make a scholarship offer. Simmons is too talented to stay under the radar and it will be a busy summer for him this offseason.