Arkansas Sports 360 - ArkansasSports360.com

7/20/2010 at 12:01am

Greenwood (Ind.) Community High School offensive lineman Nick Rice was among both the biggest and best campers at the University of Arkansas Junior-Senior Prospect Camp last Saturday.

Rice (6-foot-7, 325 pounds, 5.6 in the 40-yard dash) attended the Troy-Arkansas game last fall in Razorback Stadium and liked it well enough to return Saturday.

“They're definitely nice facilities and better than where I've been before,” Rice said. “I have been to IU [Indiana University] and there's no comparison. I came down to a game last year and the stadium was very impressive.”

Rice said he's hoping to have a strong senior season and attract the type interest he wants from the major colleges across the nation, including Arkansas.

“We went 3-8 last year and I made all-county,” Rice said. “Still, it wasn't very satisfying. Hopefully, it will be better this year. Last year we struggled with the new system they were putting in. This year we have some faster kids, so hopefully we'll be a bit better.”

Rice has the size to play at any school in America but now must show the recruiters the talent to match the bulk.

“I have good feet and I'm very strong and stout,” Rice said. “I have good size and [am] very hard to move out of the way for any defensive lineman.”

Rice said at this time his favorite schools are Arkansas, Southern Illinois, Indiana and Western Kentucky. Rice said a few factors will go into his decision-making as far as a choosing a college.

“I'm looking for a place where I can win, have good experiences and get a great education,” Rice said.

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One of the top juniors in Arkansas this fall is expected to be Jonesboro athlete Zac Brooks (6-2, 180, 4.47), who was good enough to get a scholarship offer from the Razorbacks during his sophomore season.

Brooks, who was one of the elite juniors attending Arkansas’ camp on Saturday, can play at the next level at running back, wide receiver or in the secondary. As a sophomore, Brooks caught 38 passes for 679 yards and 5 touchdowns.

“They're wonderful,” Brooks said of Arkansas' facilities, “especially the weight room facility up there. I have never seen anything like that. [The weight room] would help me because I use track for speed buildup. I could use the things they have here to build muscle.”

Brooks, having grown up in the state and seen the Razorbacks send players to the NFL, said the offer from Arkansas that came during the school year was extra special for him.

“It means that I was doing something worthwhile,” Brooks said of the UA offer. “It gave me motivation to want to keep doing more.”

Arkansas Coach Bobby Petrino doesn't hand out many scholarship offers to sophomores, and Brooks said he realized it was something special and rewarding to get the early offer.

“I never expected it," Brooks said.

Brooks, who says speed is his strength, said he has a few things on his list he's looking for in a college and a place to play football while getting a degree.

“I want to go to a very good academic school,” Brooks said. “In football, I want to make sure I can play if I get on the team.”

Brooks said that where he plays on the field isn't important right now, but in the next two years of high school he may end up settling in on one spot.

"As of right now, I want to see how my season goes at safety, running back and receiver," Brooks said. “So, I'm just not decided yet. Right now, I like offense better than playing defense.”

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Quick hits:

* Arkansas has dipped into Florida for commitment No. 12 with Orlando Dr. Phillips safety Roderick Ryles(6-1, 185, 4.5). Ryles chose Arkansas after attending the camp in Fayetteville on Saturday. His teammate, safety-outside linebacker LaQuentin Williams (6-1 1/2, 215, 4.5), may be the next to pull the trigger on an offer as well.

* Arkansas reportedly was set to send out some scholarship offers Monday from the camp. One who confirmed an offer Monday was Las Vegas Liberty defensive end Sam Tai (6-4, 233, 5.0). Tai has been a regular at Arkansas' camps for years. He now has double-digit offers and the Razorbacks are getting strong consideration.

* It appears that Clarksville cornerback Wesleigh Foster (5-11, 193, 4.4) could be getting closer to an offer from the Razorbacks after another strong camp showing. Foster is a standout prep running back but will play cornerback some this year for the Panthers. Arkansas supposedly wants to see Foster hit and tackle before offering him. UA coaches want to see how physical he is on defense.

* The Razorbacks reportedly expected 250-300 athletes Saturday, but it appears the excitement about the 2010 season carried over into the camp as well. The number of campers on hand appeared closer to 350-400 athletes than 250.

Otis Kirk covers Razorback recruiting for Rivals's premium UA site, HawgSports.com, where his posts and other feature stories can be read.

Tagged: Otis Kirk, Recruiting, Arkansas Razorbacks, Bobby Petrino, Wesleigh Foster, Sam Tai, Roderick Ryles, Zac Brooks, Nick Rice