Arkansas 2029 Prospects That Razorbacks Fans Need To Know Early

The University of Arkansas football program hasn't had the smoothest sails over the last 10 seasons--going 50/50 for finishing above .500 and having a winning record in conference play only once (2015). Yet, the Razorbacks faithful always show up and with this look towards the distant future below, it may give fans something to shoot for. The five class of 2029 (8th grade) prospects below all call the Natural State home, and each of the five have displayed early talent that Razorbacks fans should light up recruiting message boards about.    There's not many 6-foot-4 and 180-pound 8th grade (class of 2029) athletes in the state of Arkansas. For the select few more that are that big, I'm skeptical as if they have the athletic ability and versatility of [player_tooltip player_id='1251947' first='Bryson' last='Allen']. The future Searcy Lion is an impressive multi-sport athlete, but even on the football field his ability is diverse. Take this first game action of the 2024 season, which happened on August 29th. He played QB in the 8th grade game, which was unfortunately called with 1 minute left in the opening quarter due to weather. However, his stat line is awesome: 3/3 passing for 129 yards and 2 TD's, 1 carry for 50 yards, a 2pt conversion and a kick return for 25 yards. He then played in the 9th grade game and hauled in two receptions for 74 yards. Bottomline, people in Arkansas will be hearing about Allen for a long, long time.     Looking at the Grimsley Junior High roster, there is a ton of unique talent on this squad. The Grizzlies have a lot of prospects with bright futures at key positions--prospects like [player_tooltip player_id='1409100' first='Zavion' last='Honeycutt']. A 6-foot-3 and 165-pound prospect, Honeycutt was one of the first players I noticed on tape because of his size. The multi-sport athlete (also a standout basketball player) is a physical mismatch on the outside and has been one of the go-to targets for talented QB [player_tooltip player_id='1179231' first='Logan' last='Hart']. His film is fun to watch--as it shows his ability and willingness to block. It also shows off his natural ability to high-point the ball on passes to him, in addition to creating after the catch. He currently lines up as a Wide Receiver (as of August 2024), but I can easily a world where he becomes a Tight End as he progresses. If he can/when he increase(s) his speed, he'll go even further.     Quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='1251945' first='Bryson' last='Kennedy'] is a video game cheat code brought to real life at Maumelle Middle School. At 6-foot-2 and 190-pounds in 8th grade, he's the little brother of [player_tooltip player_id='413517' first='Anthony' last='Kennedy'], the No.1 ranked 2026 Defensive Linemen in Arkansas. The younger Kennedy is well on his way in terms of size, but couple that with his ability and that's what makes him special. Based off last year's highlights I would have considered him a dual-threat because of the plays he made with his legs. Now, after watching some practice clips from early this season, it really showcases the cannon he has for a right arm. Bottom line being, he's about as balanced a Quarterback as I've seen early in this 2024-2025 season/cycle. It's hard to stop a Quarterback with a great arm, that looks like a Defensive End and can run like a Running Back.     While [player_tooltip player_id='1247300' first='James' last='Jones'] may be somewhat of a common name, the on-field ability of White Hall Middle School's [player_tooltip player_id='1247300' first='James' last='Jones'] is far from common. In Jones, the Bulldogs have an athlete that can play all over the field, at nearly any skill position. On the offensive side of the ball, while he spent much of the off-season/7on7 season working on his route running as a Wide Receiver, all signs point to him taking significant reps as a Running Back. Early clips from this summer and beginning of the season show a prospect that darts to the outside like a bat in the night sky. His acceleration and ability to get to full speed quickly is evident. Defensively, his skillset is somewhere between a Safety and an Outside Linebacker. His speed and field vision make him a natural as a Safety, but he can come down and lay the wood in the box like an Outside Linebacker.     While it's very early in this 2024-2025 season/cycle, I'm not going to hold my breath on finding a better 2029 Offensive Tackle in Arkansas than [player_tooltip player_id='1409130' first='Devin' last='Smith']. The 6-foot-3, 275-pound Smith will be at Left Tackle for the uber-talented Grimsley Junior High Grizzlies and should give playmakers like QB [player_tooltip player_id='1179231' first='Logan' last='Hart'] and WR/TE [player_tooltip player_id='1409100' first='Zavion' last='Honeycutt'] ample time and space to get busy. As of August 2024, he checks all the boxes on film: size is obvious, feet are great for his size/age and his fundamentals are nearly perfect. Doubling down on my thoughts of him as an O-Linemen, he must be in the conversation for best interior Defensive Tackle in the state, too. Everything about him is very advanced from an X's and O's stand point. He's certainly one I'd be getting on campus early, if I were a college football program.

The University of Arkansas football program hasn't had the smoothest sails over the last 10 seasons--going 50/50 for finishing above .500 and having a winning record in conference play only once (2015). Yet, the Razorbacks faithful always show up and with this look towards the distant future below, it may give fans something to shoot for. The five class of 2029 (8th grade) prospects below all call the Natural State home, and each of the five have displayed early talent that Razorbacks fans should light up recruiting message boards about.