With the cornerback position being an area of need for Arkansas in this year’s recruiting class, Coach Bobby Petrino and his coaching staff will be hosting highly-touted cornerback Tevin Mitchel, who’s orally committed to Nebraska, for an official visit this weekend.
Mitchel, 6-0, 170, 4.44 seconds in the 40-yard dash, of Mansfield, (Texas) Legacy has about 15 scholarship offers but will chose from Arkansas or Nebraska. He lived in Little Rock before moving to Texas in 2007, and has not forgotten his roots to the state.
“Arkansas is the school I wanted to go to as I was growing up and watching football games with my mom,” said Mitchel, whose father Eric played quarterback for the Pine Bluff Zebras before playing for Oklahoma in the late ’80s. “I use to tell her all the time that I’m going to do whatever I can to play football and maybe one day I’ll play for the Razorbacks. She would tell me to keep doing what you’re doing and stay humble.”
CBS College Sports national recruiting analyst Tom Lemming said Mitchel is the taller cornerback that colleges hope to land in order to go up against the bigger receivers.
“He would be a real good catch for Arkansas,” said Lemming, who has over 30 years of experience. “He’s a quick twitch athlete with long arms and explosive speed. He’s one of Nebraska’s better recruits for this year.”
In the first 9 games of the season, Mitchel recorded 38 unassisted tackles and 35 assisted tackles for the Class 5A Broncos. Despite his pledge to the Cornhuskers, the Hogs appear to still have a great opportunity to sign him, because of close proximity to home.
“I know I committed to Nebraska, but Arkansas has always been in my heart because that’s where I’m from, and it would be real nice to be closer to family and my mom and my dad,” Mitchel said.
Mitchel, who made an official visit to Nebraska when the Cornhuskers played Texas in October, will be visiting Fayetteville for the first time.
“I can’t wait to get there and take a look at Fayetteville,” he said.
