Top 10 recruits from the state of Arkansas in 2017

The talent expected to come out of the state of Arkansas in 2017 is very much a work in progress.

History teaches us, however, not to worry. For proof, look no further than the 2016 class, which saw Arkansas native McTelvin “Sosa” Agim earn the state’s fifth-ever five-star status in 247 Sports’ final composite rankings.

The state’s 2017 class is thin on rated recruits — with just six showing up on 247’s composite state ranking. All six are rated three stars.

Bret Bielema’s Arkansas program, for instance, has 103 offers outstanding right now, according to 247 Sports, but only two are to in-state players. As a result, Arkansas ranks penultimate in the SEC to Vanderbilt in the early 2017 recruit class rankings.

But that’s not to say the state is bereft of talent.

Among the two homegrown players Bielema has offered scholarships to is Jarrod Barnes, the first in-state player to both be offered and to accept the Razorbacks’ invitation.

The Razorbacks appear to be winning the tug of war of sorts with Alabama over safety Montaric Brown. The Ashdown, Ark., prospect is the other in-state player that Bielema has offered a scholarship.

Barnes lists as an athlete after having played quarterback for Cabot High School, where he ran for 1,050 yards and scored 17 touchdowns, to go along with 223 yards passing and a pair of scoring tosses as a junior. He’ll likely be asked to play wide receiver for the Hogs, who have eight receivers from their 2015 roster who will be seniors this year.

Bielema has in-state options at receiver, if he decides to offer scholarships. Early candidates include athletes three-star athletes Darius Hopkins and Monta Thomas, as well as wide receiver Koilan Jackson.

Arkansas has seen its share of players leave. Most notably to Auburn, which poached Arkansas’ highest-ranked player three times in the past decade. That group includes maligned running back Michael Dyer, who broke Bo Jackson’s program record for freshman rushing yards and was offensive MVP in the Tigers’ BCS National Championship win over Oregon. It didn’t quite work out Dyer in the long term, but his raw talent coming out of Little Rock was indisputable.

The 2017 version of Auburn might be Washington State, which is in the mix for three Arkansas recruits.

Bielema is the front-runner to land two touted three-star talents, one on each side of the ball, including defensive tackle Akial Byers, who is also mulling offers from Alabama and Florida State. The Hogs also are the early favorites for Taylor Powell, a pro-style quarterback drawing offers from coast (Maryland) to coast (San Diego State).

Here’s a look at 10 of the top 2017 recruits out of the state of Arkansas.

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Chris Wuensch

Chris Wuensch is a contributing writer for Saturday Down South. He covers South Carolina and Tennessee.