Dardanelle offensive lineman Matt Hall to commit to Hogs

[The Recruiting Guy]

Just talked to Matt about his upcoming commitment to the Hogs. Matt is 6'9 and half and 305 with 5.6 speed. Matt is a Jr. to be and will be signing in the 08 class.




TRG: When do you plan to commit?

Matt: I'll commit at the USC game.

TRG: Tell me why Arkansas?

Matt: I loved the camp. It was unbelievable. It's the only school that allowed campers contact.I really like the coaches. The school is great and good facilities.

TRG: What other schools were contacting you?

Matt: I got letters from Notre Dame, Tulsa, Auburn, Fla. State, Kansas State, LSU, Ole Miss. 

TRG: Where do the Arkansas coaches project you to play?

Matt: Offensive Tackle.


Matt ran the shuttle in 5.46. His vertical was 24 and his 40 time at the Arkansas camp was 5.7. Matt told me that doctors were unsure if Matt was through growing or not. Matt was a very nice young man. I enjoyed our conversation.

[spe450]

Not through growing?  He's huge!

[Zen_Hog]

Yeah he's a mammoth. It's a good pickup, hopefully he has a meanstreak.

[The Recruiting Guy]

Not through growing?  He's huge!

Doctors are unsure. He saw a specialist at Childrens Hospital and the doc was unsure one way or another.

[whatsshakinbacon]

Nice work again TRG.  Thanks!

Bacon out...

[Ugly Uncle]

With that size...can he play basketball also?  Put him in there against "Big Baby"

[Adam Stokes]

  Notre Dame, FSU, Auburn, LSU, those are some big schools!  Glad we are getting to him early.

[Broken Trigger]

With that size...can he play basketball also?  Put him in there against "Big Baby"

That's what i was thinking, that maybe we need him on the basketball team.  The second coming of Big O.

[paragould25]

That is a large child.

[mossfan3]

Glad to have him.  Have any of you guys seen him play?

[hogs25]

What's that AU OT that's like 9ft. tall?  When I read he was 6'9 1/2 I thought about the guy from Auburn.

[BigoBoys]

Where is he from? 

[The Recruiting Guy]

Glad to have him.  Have any of you guys seen him play?

Matt is going to try and send us some tape.

[hOUSTon NUTT]

Where is he from? 

Dardanelle...or the other side of the beanstalk...

[J.A.Y.]

How big a boy are U?

[hawgdaddy306]

Glad to have him.  Have any of you guys seen him play?

Watched him quite a bit last season.  He needed to work on his footwork and speed.  Was a bit uncoordinated.  Thats to be expexted out of a (then)6'7" 15  year old.  I understand he worked hard all of the off season, including a couple D-1 camps, and has really improved the footwork.

Dardanelle...or the other side of the beanstalk...

Easy there feller, we grow some big ol'boys over here.

[Kilgor]

That's great news!

[SwinerBock]

Football?  Basketball?  Puh-lease.  The boy has WWE written all over him.

[thahawg]

Congrats to Matt!

This is good news going after the 08' class.

[hog caller]

the Sand Lizards are across the river from the Crimson Cyclones. good fishig from both sides of the river.

[hogsmaster]

I read one of The Sporting News high school football recruiting magazines recently, and they had Matt ranked in their Top 25 national list of prospects for the 2008 class.

[Hogstocking]

Excellent news...Welcome aboard Matt.

Dayum thats a big kid.

[stronguard]

Hu-Hu-Hu-Huuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuge

[scorekeeper]

That is a large child.

THAT'S A HUGE Young Man!

Come on he is going to be a future Hog!!!!

[Tomhog™]

WOW!  Our first commit for the 2008 season.  And it's still a year and a half until signing day....

[BigPapaHawg]

What a monster, it will be great having him in the Razorback family!

[Occams Razor]

I read one of The Sporting News high school football recruiting magazines recently, and they had Matt ranked in their Top 25 national list of prospects for the 2008 class.

From what I'm hearing, this is similar to getting Ziemba. A big kid with a huge upside. Apparently he really impressed the coaches at the HDN camp.

[The Coletrain]

Great news!!  Welcome to the team, Mr. Hall!  He will more than likely be the second consecutive OT to be ranked as the top prospect in the state.  Always good to have big OL.  And he's got a lot of time to settle into that massive frame.  He should be an absolute speciman by the time he arrives to fall camp two years from now.  No telling how big he'll end up with 4-5 years in our weightroom.  

[Swino]

It is good to have kids wanting to be Hogs so bad. 

[forrest city joe]

                                 Thanks recruiting guy. this is a big commit for the class of 2008. if we get Lee ziemba, we are going to have a monster OL in a few years. things are looking up.

[PigPusher]

Wonder what the advantage is to be 6'-9" and be an offensive linemen. I would think it would be harder to get down in your blocks.

[whatsshakinbacon]

                                 Thanks recruiting guy. this is a big commit for the class of 2008. if we get Lee ziemba, we are going to have a monster OL in a few years. things are looking up.

Bacon out...

[SultanofSwine]

Welcome aboard Matt.

[Squealers]

Where is he from? 

Dardanelle...or the other side of the beanstalk...

+1 for the creative name

[The Coletrain]

Wonder what the advantage is to be 6'-9" and be an offensive linemen. I would think it would be harder to get down in your blocks.

L-O-N-G Arms.  Hard to get around a guy like that - even if his feet are a touch slow being that massive.  You have a much greater margin for error when you have that type of length and strength (potentially).   

[SPAL]

                                 Thanks recruiting guy. this is a big commit for the class of 2008. if we get Lee ziemba, we are going to have a monster OL in a few years. things are looking up.

Bacon out...

NOW THAT IS FUNNY...+1

Great size, maybe he can shave a little off his 40 time...Dardanelle is a 5 minute drive from russellville, so ill go check him out this season.

[RAZORBART]

                                 Thanks recruiting guy. this is a big commit for the class of 2008. if we get Lee ziemba, we are going to have a monster OL in a few years. things are looking up.

Bacon out...

NOW THAT IS FUNNY...+1

Great size, maybe he can shave a little off his 40 time...Dardanelle is a 5 minute drive from russellville, so ill go check him out this season.

5.7 forty thats pretty slow isn't it ?

[pseudorabies]

                                 Thanks recruiting guy. this is a big commit for the class of 2008. if we get Lee ziemba, we are going to have a monster OL in a few years. things are looking up.

Bacon out...

NOW THAT IS FUNNY...+1

Great size, maybe he can shave a little off his 40 time...Dardanelle is a 5 minute drive from russellville, so ill go check him out this season.

5.7 forty thats pretty slow isn't it ?

He is an 08 prospect.  He will have time to shave off a couple of tenths.

[Razorback_Z71]

Great pickup.....  Now, if we can land LZ our OL will have a lot of size to open up some big holes for the RBs.  Hopefully this will help us land a 5* RB in 2008.

[Zen_Hog]

Great pickup.....  Now, if we can land LZ our OL will have a lot of size to open up some big holes for the RBs.  Hopefully this will help us land a 5* RB in 2008.

coughDENNISJOHNSONcough

[bigran]

6' 9'' That's one big ole boy!! I'm glad he is going to be a Razorback!!!

[fiend]

I'm not sure basketball is an option.  I coached his Boy's and Girls Club basketball team, and he really isn't coordinated enough to play basketball at that level.  If he could learn to get position on his rebounds, he would be a beast, but there is a lot of footwoork in that. 

By the way, I've never seen a basketball goal move as much from a one handed dunk as it did when Matt got a hold of it. 

[Cresthog]

A junior to be already commits. I love it. I also heard before hearing of his committment that he will be a big time top prospect throughout the nation. Glad we got him!

[The Coletrain]

40 times are a pretty good measuring stick for most, but I really don't care what my LT can or can't run in a 40-yard sprint.  The only time he'd be running that far is if he's chasing a defender who just picked off our pass and is undoubtedly heading into the endzone (a 5.7 40 won't catch my grandmother).  But if he's got decent feet in tight space and can maybe kick out a LB once in a while I'm all over him.  Can't teach 6-9 300+.  And I love the fact he wants to be a Hog and will be leading the pack in '08 class!! 

[hogsmaster]

40 times are a pretty good measuring stick for most, but I really don't care what my LT can or can't run in a 40-yard sprint.  The only time he'd be running that far is if he's chasing a defender who just picked off our pass and is undoubtedly heading into the endzone (a 5.7 40 won't catch my grandmother).  But if he's got decent feet in tight space and can maybe kick out a LB once in a while I'm all over him.  Can't teach 6-9 300+.  And I love the fact he wants to be a Hog and will be leading the pack in '08 class!! 

While offensive tackles do not pull as much as guards, they do pull some so having speed can be helpful.  But agree with you that I am glad he want to be a Hog.

[The Coletrain]

40 times are a pretty good measuring stick for most, but I really don't care what my LT can or can't run in a 40-yard sprint.  The only time he'd be running that far is if he's chasing a defender who just picked off our pass and is undoubtedly heading into the endzone (a 5.7 40 won't catch my grandmother).  But if he's got decent feet in tight space and can maybe kick out a LB once in a while I'm all over him.  Can't teach 6-9 300+.  And I love the fact he wants to be a Hog and will be leading the pack in '08 class!! 

While offensive tackles do not pull as much as guards, they do pull some so having speed can be helpful.  But agree with you that I am glad he want to be a Hog.

Agreed.  That's what I meant when I said he'd have to kick out a LB once in a while.  But even then it's not as much about pure speed as it is quickness to the spot and managing to stay in front of the guy.  Which again, that is a lot easier to do when you're a freakin' monster!!  Even your balance and coordination doesn't have to be as good because you're so wide to get around.  A lot of tacklers won't even be able to see the ballcarrier because they can't see around Jumbo Hall.  It truly is a lovely advantage.

[Burnt Orange Sucks]

Yeah he's a mammoth. It's a good pickup, hopefully he has a meanstreak.

Hey, I'm a Dardanelle Alum from '92, we have got some mammoths there!!!!

[whatsshakinbacon]

Yeah he's a mammoth. It's a good pickup, hopefully he has a meanstreak.

Hey, I'm a Dardanelle Alum from '92, we have got some mammoths there!!!!

It's all the farm fertilizers in the air.

Bacon out...

[SL04]

Great size, maybe he can shave a little off his 40 time...Dardanelle is a 5 minute drive from russellville, so ill go check him out this season.

You will be far more impressed with C.J. Chaten than Matt Hall, I promise you that.

I never thought I'd see the day, but congrats to Matt.

And yeah, we usually have some size in Dardanelle. The average line the past few years has averaged 6'3" 250 or so.

[SL04]

http://www.couriernews.com/story.php?ID=12503

Article from the Russellville Courier:

Dardanelle's Hall commits to Arkansas

By Quinton Bagley
Editor Post Dispatch
FAYETTEVILLE -- Although the Razorbacks lost against USC Saturday night, they won the race to gain an oral commitment from Dardanelle junior lineman Matt Hall.

Hall (6-9, 320) received lots of attention over the summer as he attended numerous football camps in the south including the LSU camp right before the beginning of two-a-days. In Baton Rouge, he received the camp's MVP award.

With his size and strength, Hall was on many NCAA Division I coaches' wish lists at offensive tackle. Houston Nutt and the Arkansas Razorbacks offered Hall earlier this summer after an impressive performance at the Houston Nutt Football Camp.

"I have received letters from Arkansas, Notre Dame, Florida State, Kansas State and Auburn," Hall said. "But the only one that offered me anything was Arkansas."

Hall was pleased with his performance at the Razorback camp but disappointed the same couldn't be said about his time in Baton Rouge.

"In Fayetteville, I had a good camp against some really good seniors and I held my own," Hall said. "At LSU, I didn't do as well as I had hoped. It was a lot of work."

Being recruited by some of the biggest schools in the country would have many high school athletes reeling with all the attention, but Hall took it all in stride and now looks forward to his junior season. He hopes things go better for him and his teammates than they did a year ago.

"We started the season off on the right football by beating Danville. Winning a conference title and going to state would be nice also," Hall said. "I also hope to improve my footwork, my hands and holding my blocks this season."

Being the biggest guy on his team and more than likely one of the biggest guys in Arkansas high school football this fall, Hall could take the "I" approach into the season but realizes that it is a team game. The success of the Sand Lizards is dependent on him being a team player.

"We (the offensive line) work as one. We have a lot of good linemen," Hall said. "C.J. (Chaten) only needs a little room to get through, but we have to do our job."

Sand Lizard Coach Paul Wilson has high praise for Hall but is quick to point out that his team's success depends on teamwork.

"We expect good things from Matt this fall," Wilson said earlier this summer. "We also expect good things from the rest of the offensive line."