On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine: Arkansas trending for two coveted recruits

Sam Pittman and Arkansas have gotten off a strong start in the 2024 recruiting cycle, grabbing five early commitments and ranking No. 17 nationally in the On3 Industry Team Recruiting Rankings. This weekend, that hot start could get a whole lot better.

According to the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine (RPM), the Razorbacks are now favored to land two coveted targets who are both set to commit on Friday: four-star Pine Bluff (Ark.) athlete Courtney Crutchfield and four-star Pine Bluff (Ark.) Wilbur D. Mills defensive lineman Charleston Collins.

The RPM gives the Razorbacks a 62.1 percent chance of securing Collins’ commitment — with two expert picks going in UA’s favor in recent days — and a 98.4 percent chance of landing Crutchfield.

#AGTG I will be announcing my commitment April 21. @SWiltfong247 @samspiegs @ChadSimmons_ @adamgorney @LrMillsFootball

— Charleston (Charlie) Collins (@Charleston_C10) April 17, 2023

The 6-foot, 170-pound Crutchfield is the No. 371 overall prospect in the 2024 class, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He ranks as the nation’s No. 18 athlete and the No. 5 recruit in Arkansas.

Collins, meanwhile, checks in as the No. 204 overall prospect, No. 23 defensive lineman and No. 2 player in Arkansas, according to the Industry Ranking.

On3 is higher on him than other recruiting services though, tabbing him in the most recent On300 rankings as the country’s No. 124 prospect, No. 11 lineman and the top recruit in Arkansas.

Arkansas has made both recruits a top priority

Alabama, Auburn, LSU and Oklahoma are the other finalists for Collins, but the Razorbacks have made him a major target of theirs, from the top of the coaching staff all the way down.

“The whole defensive staff, including (Travis Williams) were on a FaceTime call with me telling me how much I mean to them,” Collins previously told On3 on Feb. 8. “They’re applying a lot of pressure. They’re making it hard on some other schools.”

This winter, Collins visited Arkansas on back-to-back weekends and it only reinforced how much they wanted him.

“It really showed me how much of a priority I am for them and their program,” Collins said about a conversation he had with Williams. “They had a bunch of top athletes and recruits on both offense and defense, and he took the time in his day to say he was gonna spend the day with Charlie, and it really showed me something and meant a lot to me. It wasn’t forced and it was all smooth.”

Collins and Crutchfield are close friends and previously played at the same high school. Now, they’re trending to team up together at the college level.