Recruiting News and Notes

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We are coming off of the heels of the late national signing day and Prep Redzone Arkansas had plenty of 2024 prospects sign letters of intent. Recruiting news and prospects putting in work in the lab will start to dominate the football headlines over the next few weeks. In this article, we have signing news, commitments, and scholarship offers being earned that we will focus on this week.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='221290' first='Michael' last='Hayes']-Defensive Back-Joe T. Robinson-2025</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Over the past few years, [player_tooltip player_id='221290' first='Michael' last='Hayes'] has proven to be a cornerback that can effectively shut down one side of the field. Hayes is an aggressive defensive back that does an impressive job of making plays on the ball. He rarely misses tackles and has the ability to separate the ball from the ball carrier. On Friday, Hayes earned a scholarship offer from the University of Central Arkansas. Hayes is a prospect to watch out for over the next couple of months. I expect him to have a strong senior season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1155131' first='TJ' last='Hodges']-Running Back-Nettleton-2026</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The class of 2026 is shaping up to be a strong one as 2025 and 2026 begin to take center stage. Hodges is a dynamic running back that identifies the rushing lane and explode through the hole. He is able to shift direction and causes the opposing defenders to miss tackles. Hodges is a prospect that does a nice job of catching the ball out of the backfield. He is a running back that can hurt an opposing defense in a variety of ways. Over the weekend, Hodges earned a scholarship offer from the Baylor Bears. He has the potential to light up Friday nights this fall.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>DeKaleb Rudolph-Defensive Line-Cabot-2024</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>During his high school career, DeKaleb Rudolph was a force on the defensive line for the Cabot Panthers. He is quick enough to use his speed to separate from blocks. Meanwhile, he has the strength to push opposing blockers into the offensive backfield. Rudolph is a prospect that can stuff the run or rush the passer. He signed his national letter of intent to play for Northwest Missouri State last week. Rudolph is a prospect with the potential to do some big things on Saturday in the future.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='646483' first='Gideon' last='Tate']-Kicker-Heber Springs-2024</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>One of the most accurate kickers in the state of Arkansas signed his national letter of intent a few days ago. [player_tooltip player_id='646483' first='Gideon' last='Tate'] has a strong leg and can kick with accuracy from 40-plus yards away. The Heber Springs kicker connected on numerous big field goals throughout his career. Last week, Tate signed his letter of intent to play his college football at Henderson State University. Watch out for Tate over the next few years.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='721208' first='Caleb' last='Blankenship']-Long Snapper-Ashdown-2024</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='721208' first='Caleb' last='Blankenship'] has been a valuable weapon for Ashdown over the past few years. The snaps on field goals and punts have been tremendously accurate. He delivers the ball with accuracy and does not have bad snaps. The Ole Miss Rebels recruited him hard and landed the talented deep snapper. Blankenship signed his national letter of intent to play for the Rebels last week. Congratulations go out to the talented deep snapper.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->