Bret Bielema and his staff at Arkansas are again engaged in another solid, building-block type recruiting class and quite honestly beneath all of the hype, that is fundamentally what recruiting is all about: filling needs and building numbers. The rest of success lies in player development and talent maximization.

The Hogs sit at No. 23 nationally for the 2016 cycle and have again done well in-state — landing the top four prospects in Arkansas. Here are the key questions (and answers) about Razorbacks recruiting as we inch closer to national signing day.

Who has been the biggest commit so far?

Four-star running back Devwah Whaley from Beaumont Central in east Texas. The 6-foot, 209-pounder is an excellent blend of power and speed and is just what the doctor ordered at the position for Arkansas after the departure of Alex Collins to the NFL. Whaley was committed to Georgia, but opened things up after the coaching transition there. The Hogs took advantage and secured a big commit from Whaley during the Under Armour All-America Game. He’s a candidate to play right away and certainly fills a position of need. Also he comes from a talent-rich recruiting region that is important for the Razorbacks and many other programs.

What position is the strength of this class?

Right now, the defensive line group stands out. McTelvin Agim is one of the best defensive ends in the country and the Razorbacks kept the Hope, Ark., star at home, which is always paramount. Another in-state defensive tackle — Austin Capps from Star City — is probably a bit under-appreciated on the national level and could develop into an outstanding interior defensive lineman in college.

And getting Briston Guidry out of Louisiana — taking advantage of the fact the Pelican State is extremely deep at defensive tackle this cycle and LSU certainly can’t take them all — is another big get.

When you look at the receivers — Kiel Pollard (have to hang on to him, though), Jordan Jones and Kofi Boateng all have good skill sets and could definitely surprise.

Can Arkansas have a big finish?

There are prospects who could make this a very good finish. Four-star running back Kyle Porter out of Katy (Texas) is scheduled to visit this weekend and we’ve already discussed the importance of the running back position this cycle for the Razorbacks.

Arkansas is battling North Carolina for defensive end Allen Cater out of the Atlanta area. Cater, a former Indiana commit, is a 6-foot-5, 240-pound multi-sport athlete with a high upside. Certainly, through the years, Arkansas has had plenty of guys with his skill set blossom in Fayetteville.

Houston wide receiver commit Tyrie Cleveland is in play, but the Razorbacks are very likely behind TCU at this point. Still, the Under Armour All-American would be a great late get.

Your overall impression of the job Bielema has done recruiting?

He hasn’t been given enough credit. In his first season, he played a ton of freshmen, which tells you that the roster left by Bobby Petrino and John L. Smith for a year wasn’t in great shape at all, yet here we are three years into his tenure and at the two spots that are the hardest to evaluate and keep quality numbers — quarterback and offensive line — Arkansas has been completely rebuilt and has as good of a situation roster-wise at those two spots as most SEC programs.

I’ve often said that Bielema was a good hire because the plan to win the Big Ten at Wisconsin — land the players that there are within the state and then go national and hit talent pockets to fill it out — is the same as the plan to win the SEC at Arkansas.

The Razorbacks have improved every season and though the start to 2015 featured some bumps, they got back on track and ended up being a pretty good football team. The key now is to continue to recruit and build to maintain contention in the nation’s toughest division.