Eldon Thompson

[Luke Matheson]

has committed to Tulsa http://arkansasvarsity.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=963553

[OLDHOG]

Did we offer this kid?

[bighog77]

No

[gohogsgo006]

congrats to him. Tulsa is good school if no other offers come along for him

[OLDHOG]

Well congrats, then. Thanks BIGHOG77.

[bythelake]

Why didn't we offer?  6-3 235  4.6 forty??? and 3 star

[oldman1015]

Why didn't we offer?  6-3 235  4.6 forty??? and 3 star

i'll call bobby and ask him. do you want me to tell him we should offer?

[gohogsgo006]

Why didn't we offer?  6-3 235  4.6 forty??? and 3 star

because we are probably after a 6-4 240  4.5 forty   recruit

[3pigsinafountain]

Don't know the specifics  of why not, but the coaches have certainly been aware of him from the very beginning, best of luck to him.

[jj202020]

He man-handles Antwan Harding--a Razorback recruit from Warren--on a regular basis.  UA wants him at DE and he wants to play LB.  Tulsa told him he could.  That's the issue.

If Thompson toughens up a little, the Hogs will regret their decision. 

[beansandtaters]

He man-handles Antwan Harding--a Razorback recruit from Warren--on a regular basis.  UA wants him at DE and he wants to play LB.  Tulsa told him he could.  That's the issue.

If Thompson toughens up a little, the Hogs will regret their decision. 

IF the queen had a ---- she'd be the king

[Luke Matheson]

That is it in a nutshell. UA wants him as a DE and he wants to play LB, and has made it his personal goal to prove he can.

[tulsafan101010]

This is a good one.  I hope he works out as well as the last Arkansas kid who wouldn't change positions in exchange for an offer.

[Hawg-U]

I really wish we would offer him. I think he can play.

[Jim Harris]

I call bull on this change of position crap. I don't know if Tulsa has ever signed a guy with more hype though. And that includes having such future pro studs as Steve Largent, Drew Pearson. Even Charles Clay didn't get the amount of pre-senior-year ink that this guy has gotten.

[Luke Matheson]

I call bullcrap on this change of position crap. I don't know if Tulsa has ever signed a guy with more hype though. And that includes having such future pro studs as Steve Largent, Drew Pearson. Even Charles Clay didn't get the amount of pre-senior-year ink that this guy has gotten.

I was standing in the field house at Warren the day 3 SEC coaches told Bo Hembree they wanted Eldon to move to DE. It is not just Arkansas who said it, but Ole Miss and Auburn as well.

[Greenhog]

I call bullcrap on this change of position crap. I don't know if Tulsa has ever signed a guy with more hype though. And that includes having such future pro studs as Steve Largent, Drew Pearson. Even Charles Clay didn't get the amount of pre-senior-year ink that this guy has gotten.

I don't know they signed Rickey Johnson, the stud who was an Arkansas commit, and he was highly regarded in Louisiana.

[Clint Alan]

I call bullcrap on this change of position crap. I don't know if Tulsa has ever signed a guy with more hype though. And that includes having such future pro studs as Steve Largent, Drew Pearson. Even Charles Clay didn't get the amount of pre-senior-year ink that this guy has gotten.

Somewhat agree here.....You can prove you can play LB anywhere......nothing is set in stone in the recruiting process.....99.99% of kids from very small schools, will switch positions in a heartbeat to play in a conference like the SEC......

Dakota Mosely for example......say he has an offer from Arkansas to play OL, and then only one other offer from ULM to play TE......where do you think he will go?

[Tomhog™]

Watch his video and you'll see why Arkansas has not offered.  It has nothing to do with his stats.

[Luke Matheson]

Watch his video and you'll see why Arkansas has not offered.  It has nothing to do with his stats.

His video is rough, but at the same time, it was his first couple of games in 4A. He was still adjusting from 2A to 4A and learning the system at Warren. At least that is what the Warren D-Co told me

[gohogsgo006]

His video is rough, but at the same time, it was his first couple of games in 4A. He was still adjusting from 2A to 4A and learning the system at Warren. At least that is what the Warren D-Co told me

what about when he is transitioning from 4a to SEC?  Can he do it?

[Luke Matheson]

what about when he is transitioning from 4a to SEC?  Can he do it?

Yes, I feel he could. He is the type of kid who will do what he puts his mind to.

He is also still planning on attending the one day camp coming up.

[Dalt21]

Yes, I feel he could. He is the type of kid who will do what he puts his mind to.

He is also still planning on attending the one day camp coming up.

I wouldnt be surprised to see him get an offer if he performs well.

[japhog]

This is a good one.  I hope he works out as well as the last Arkansas kid who wouldn't change positions in exchange for an offer.

i don't believe we promised to to offer if he switched positions, i just think we for sure won't offer as a lb...   

[jj202020]

i don't think so, either.  they were very interested in him as a DE---not at LB.

as of last fall, he wasn't physically tough enuff to play LB in the SEC.  The body is there, though.

[Zen_Hog]

His video is rough, but at the same time, it was his first couple of games in 4A. He was still adjusting from 2A to 4A and learning the system at Warren. At least that is what the Warren D-Co told me

You can not be serious. High school playbooks aren't that complex anyways. 2A to 4A? LMAO

[tulsafan101010]

Arkansas doesn't recruit against Tulsa.  We recruit against OU.

Who exactly is choosing Arkansas over OU?

[COCHISE]

Who exactly is choosing Arkansas over OU?

David Gordon, Knile Davis, and Ronnie Wingo Jr. come to mind.

[Luke Matheson]

You can not be serious. High school playbooks aren't that complex anyways. 2A to 4A? LMAO

Who said anything about a playbook? I'm talking about the caliber of talent and the speed and physicality difference between the two.

[passinghog]

He man-handles Antwan Harding--a Razorback recruit from Warren--on a regular basis.  UA wants him at DE and he wants to play LB.  Tulsa told him he could.  That's the issue.

If Thompson toughens up a little, the Hogs will regret their decision. 

This is interesting to me. I'm curious to know why him being able to man-handle someone he plays right beside is important. If Jerry Franklin was able to man-handle Freddy Burton, would that be very important? After all, Harding and Thompson are on the SAME TEAM, and play the same position, right?
Not meaning to nitpick, but I'm trying to figure out the relevance of that.

[Jacob "2 Scoops" Johnson]

David Gordon, Knile Davis, and Ronnie Wingo Jr. come to mind.

Not to mention Cam Feldt, Brad Hefley, and Jordan Rainey from this years class

[jj202020]

doesn't matter.  just strange that UA wants the weaker of the 2 players.

dang---are you that dense?

[Jim Harris]

His video is rough, but at the same time, it was his first couple of games in 4A. He was still adjusting from 2A to 4A and learning the system at Warren. At least that is what the Warren D-Co told me

wouldn't his talent and athleticism show up in either classification. It's still not like he's moving up to 7A., and even then, if he's a big-time SEC athlete like a Cedric Houston, wouldn't that show up no matter where he was playing?

[Clint Alan]

Who said anything about a playbook? I'm talking about the caliber of talent and the speed and physicality difference between the two.

Im sorry, but the talent level he played in at Bearden, isnt that much different than what he plays in at Warren......Bearden is in the toughest 2A conference in the state.....Junction City, Strong, Bearden, Smackover, Woodlawn.....take a look at the pre-season top 10.....there is a ton of talent/speed/size in that conference.....

[Killean]

doesn't matter.  just strange that UA wants the weaker of the 2 players.

dang---are you that dense?

High School isn't college, obviously the coaching staff here isn't offering the weaker of 2 players, they probably have more to go on with their evaluations.

[Luke Matheson]

Im sorry, but the talent level he played in at Bearden, isnt that much different than what he plays in at Warren......Bearden is in the toughest 2A conference in the state.....Junction City, Strong, Bearden, Smackover, Woodlawn.....take a look at the pre-season top 10.....there is a ton of talent/speed/size in that conference.....

My high school (Rison) dominated that conference in the 90's and early 2000's. I know all about that conference, and JC and Bearden are the only decent teams in that conference. Strong is starting to come on, Smackover couldn't do much after moving down from 3A, and Woodlawn only won their conference titles because they were in a 4 team conference, and when they played JC and Bearden, they were beat pretty handily.

Put Bearden or JC in the conference Warren plays in, and they would be lucky to win 5 games.

[Luke Matheson]

wouldn't his talent and athleticism show up in either classification. It's still not like he's moving up to 7A., and even then, if he's a big-time SEC athlete like a Cedric Houston, wouldn't that show up no matter where he was playing?

Yes, and it has. But even Cedric Houston had to adjust to the speed of the game, as does every athlete who moves to a higher level.

I took a friend who played 4A ball to a Rison game one night, and he laughed and said it looked like a fast Jr high game. Rison happened to go 15-0 and win state that year.

[Clint Alan]

My high school (Rison) dominated that conference in the 90's and early 2000's. I know all about that conference, and JC and Bearden are the only decent teams in that conference. Strong is starting to come on, Smackover couldn't do much after moving down from 3A, and Woodlawn only won their conference titles because they were in a 4 team conference, and when they played JC and Bearden, they were beat pretty handily.

Put Bearden or JC in the conference Warren plays in, and they would be lucky to win 5 games.

I seriously have to laugh at this......Junction City wins weight lifting meets yearly, that has all classifications in it.......4 of those teams(Smackover, JC, Bearden, & Woodlawn) made the final 8 teams last year in the playoffs.....It is a tough conference......and it isnt that big of a jump, athlete wise, to what Warren plays in.....if anything, the kid doesnt play both ways, and should be BETTER, than what he was at Bearden....

Also, Im sorry, but Rison didnt dominate anything when I was in school....We were 2-1 against them.....Rison wasnt much after 1995

[HOG FAN 4 LIFE]

Yes, and it has. But even Cedric Houston had to adjust to the speed of the game, as does every athlete who moves to a higher level.

I took a friend who played 4A ball to a Rison game one night, and he laughed and said it looked like a fast Jr high game. Rison happened to go 15-0 and win state that year.

If he is 6' 3" 235 lbs at linebacker, it really shouldn't matter what type of class he is playing in high school.  He should dominate them all.

[Luke Matheson]

I seriously have to laugh at this......Junction City wins weight lifting meets yearly, that has all classifications in it.......4 of those teams(Smackover, JC, Bearden, & Woodlawn) made the final 8 teams last year in the playoffs.....It is a tough conference......and it isnt that big of a jump, athlete wise, to what Warren plays in.....if anything, the kid doesnt play both ways, and should be BETTER, than what he was at Bearden....

Also, Im sorry, but Rison didnt dominate anything when I was in school....We were 2-1 against them.....Rison wasnt much after 1995

State Champs in 2000. defeated Shiloh Christian, and Never lost a conference game from 2002-2004 went 15-0 won state in 2003. They wasn't much?

And you are sadly mistaken if you think athlete wise that a conference with JC, Bearden, Strong, Woodlawn, Smackover, Hampton, Norphlet, and Dermott is equal to a conference with Warren, Dollarway, Star City, Dumas, Fordyce, Hamburg, McGhee, and Lake Village

[rzbk]

Let me make the following points and you guys, and then I'm leaving this thread. 

1. Eldon Thompson WAS being recruited heavily as a DE by Arkansas.  He wanted to play LB, it was a personal choice, and he'll do well there at Tulsa, especially with his work ethic.  Those calling BS on that can believe what you want, but that's the 100% truth.

2. He has the size, he has the talent to play SEC ball. He's HUGE, but you ALL need to realize that in a Razorback uniform his speed would increase to 4.5 or so.  He would be a DEFINITE redshirt candidate at Arkansas, but I felt like he would have been a GREAT addition to the LB core - why? Because he plays hard, he has the talent, and he has the work ethic.

3. The one thing Eldon has going against him is that he is VERY raw.  That's why I said he'd redshirt at linebacker.  It would take him some time to get used to the game speed and playbook used in SEC college football, but guys, he's no different from any other high school player, it WILL take some time to adjust.

4.  FINALLY, for all of you that believe Bobby Petrino ONLY signs 5 stars and 4 stars, get off your high horse.  Arkansas will NEVER only have a class of 4 and 5 stars.  A lot of recruiting gurus believe that Eldon Thompson had the talent and guts and put out the effort to be an above average D-1 player.   YOU HAVE TO HAVE DEPTH.  Only USC has 4 and 5 stars at every position, and THEY ARE THE SUBJECT OF AN NCAA INVESTIGATION that will result in the utmost punishment to their program.  That's not how Arkansas does things, and Bobby Petrino is a better man that.

Finally, I won't question the coaches on evaluation.  If they didn't see him as the future at LB, that's fine, but THEY DID NOT DENY his talent as a football player.  They wanted him to work out at DE and give him a chance to be a Razorback, but I don't blame Eldon for not going with what he loves.  How can you fault him? 

Recruiting needs to be barred from message boards.  Posters should not be able to talk recruiting, including myself - because too many people bash kids, bash schools, and bash each other without any understanding.  Only recruiting writers should be able to post here.

[Clint Alan]

State Champs in 2000. defeated Shiloh Christian, and Never lost a conference game from 2002-2004 went 15-0 won state in 2003. They wasn't much?

And you are sadly mistaken if you think athlete wise that a conference with JC, Bearden, Strong, Woodlawn, Smackover, Hampton, Norphlet, and Dermott is equal to a conference with Warren, Dollarway, Star City, Dumas, Fordyce, Hamburg, McGhee, and Lake Village

Okay, so they were good for 2 years.....Giving me records from this decade, doesnt really help your cause for saying they dominated in the 90s, which is what you said, which is when I played, which is when we were 2-1 against Rison.......

2/3rds of the teams you listed from that conference, are whipping boys, and whipping boys to teams from 2A ball.......If you write about high school football in this state, you should know this.....Fordyce is falling back to 3A next year.......

[Luke Matheson]

Okay, so they were good for 2 years.....Giving me records from this decade, doesnt really help your cause for saying they dominated in the 90s, which is what you said, which is when I played, which is when we were 2-1 against Rison.......

2/3rds of the teams you listed from that conference, are whipping boys, and whipping boys to teams from 2A ball.......If you write about high school football in this state, you should know this.....Fordyce is falling back to 3A next year.......

Fordyce is still 4A THIS year though.

From 1990 till now, Rison has 5 State Championships. How many does your team have?

[Clint Alan]

Fordyce is still 4A THIS year though.

From 1990 till now, Rison has 5 State Championships. How many does your team have?

So basically, you are proven wrong on something you write about, and tuck tail and run with this retort?

Go away guy, pimp your high school website some place else......

[Clint Alan]

BOTTOM LINE

There is not that much difference in the athletic ability of where he came from, to where he went......the competition in the conference he came from, and the one he went to, is not that much different......

LIKE I SAID BEFORE, if anything, he should have gotten better at Warren, because he doesnt have to play BOTH WAYS, like he had to at Bearden....

There is a reason Arkansas didnt offer him......There is a reason Tulsa did.....

[Luke Matheson]

So basically, you are proven wrong on something you write about, and tuck tail and run with this retort?

Go away guy, pimp your high school website some place else......

I tuck tail and run? You are the one who is yet to answer the question.

Rison

1990 11-3 State Champs

1991 12-0-1 State Champs

1992 7-4

1993 10-3

1994 31-1

1995 15-0 State Champs

1996 8-4

1997 6-6

1998 6-6

1999 8-4-1

2000 14-2 State Champs

2001 9-3

2002 11-1

2003 11-1

2004 14-0 State Champs


Need I go further. Once again, I ask, who is your school, since Rison hasn't done anything?

[Luke Matheson]

BOTTOM LINE

There is not that much difference in the athletic ability of where he came from, to where he went......the competition in the conference he came from, and the one he went to, is not that much different......

LIKE I SAID BEFORE, if anything, he should have gotten better at Warren, because he doesnt have to play BOTH WAYS, like he had to at Bearden....

There is a reason Arkansas didnt offer him......There is a reason Tulsa did.....

Once again, he HAS gotten better at Warren, he just does not want to play DE like Arkansas, Ole Miss, and Auburn asked him to.

[Clint Alan]

I tuck tail and run? You are the one who is yet to answer the question.

Rison

1990 11-3 State Champs

1991 12-0-1 State Champs

1992 7-4

1993 10-3

1994 31-1

1995 15-0 State Champs

1996 8-4

1997 6-6

1998 6-6

1999 8-4-1

2000 14-2 State Champs

2001 9-3

2002 11-1

2003 11-1

2004 14-0 State Champs


Need I go further. Once again, I ask, who is your school, since Rison hasn't done anything?

This went from you trying to explain why in the world your boy Thompson didnt want to play at Arkansas, to you trying to pimp your old High School.....

So, I guess you would agree there is not much difference on where he came from, to where he is now.........

Ill take that as a yes......

[The Galloping Ghost]

This is not the thread, but I wish you guys would start a debate over in natural state football about the difference in the conference Eldon came from vs the one he went to. I wanna hear some more of that one.

[Clint Alan]

Once again, he HAS gotten better at Warren, he just does not want to play DE like Arkansas, Ole Miss, and Auburn asked him to.

Dont use that as an excuse on why he chose Tulsa.....

What is your agenda? To pimp Tulsa? Or to make Eldon look better since he chose Tulsa, and make excuses on why he isnt getting an offer from Arkansas?