Arkansas’s Top 2023 Prospects

Identifying key players starts early in the freshmen and in this case the sophomore talent pool. The 2023 class is shaping out to be a talented one in the Natural State and we are going to be introduced to a few players already standing out to coaches and scouts. The 2021 recruiting period is beginning to wind down which means that 2022 and 2023 prospects are getting ready to have a spotlight pointed in their direction. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="75140" first="D’Kylan" last="Hildreth"]-Wide Receiver-Smackover</strong> Hildreth has impressive athletic ability. He has the ability to highpoint the football and is nightmare for opposing defensive backs to cover. Hildreth does a great job of being able to create separation using his speed. What will catch people off guard about Hildreth is just how fast he is in a game. He pulls away from defensive backs using his speed. The athletic ability in the red zone is another factor that is going to make Hildreth a sought-after recruit. [player_tooltip player_id="75140" first="D’Kylan" last="Hildreth"] is a recruit that fans and college scouts are going to want to make a note of to watch and check in with through the course of the offseason. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="75136" first="Garrion" last="Curry"]-Running Back-Magnolia</strong> The one position that the state of Arkansas never seems to have a problem producing is the running back position. Curry has talent as a player that cannot be taught. He is an instinctive runner that always finds the correct rushing lanes. Curry’s vision is strong, and he shows maturity for a running back that was only a sophomore this season. The Magnolia coaching staff has done a terrific job of being able to get Curry involved in the passing game. Curry is a good receiver and uses his speed to create separation from the defense. He has the hands to be a great receiver out of the backfield and his open field running is a nightmare for the defense to contend with. Curry will get high level division one coaches after him as his recruiting takes center stage. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="75141" first="Donovan" last="Whitten"]-Quarterback-Arkadelphia</strong> Over the past few years, Arkadelphia has built a powerhouse program. Quarterback [player_tooltip player_id="75141" first="Donovan" last="Whitten"] has the dual-threat talent that many college football teams are looking for to take over the signal caller role. At 6-3, Whitten does a good job of using his legs to extend plays and when needed pick up first downs. Whitten has an accurate arm that is only going to get stronger the more snaps he takes. He throws good intermediate and deep routes, and he will have an opportunity to make some noise over the next few seasons. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="91975" first="CJ" last="Turner"]-Safety/Linebacker-Star City</strong> Being versatile is an effective way to get more eyes on you as a player and [player_tooltip player_id="91975" first="CJ" last="Turner"] fits the versatile description well. From a defensive back perspective, Turner’s size and speed make him a difficult matchup for opposing wide receivers and running backs. At 6-2, Turner can also move up and play the linebacker position and he is not afraid to deliver a blow. He has strong coverage skills from either position. Meanwhile, he is not afraid to separate the ball from the wide receiver. Turner is going to be a player to keep an eye on over the next few seasons. The upside he has is impressive.