Arkansas lineman no longer flying under the radar

When things got rolling for Conway, Arkansas offensive lineman Robert Scott’s recruitment, it started rolling fast and is showing no signs of letting up.

On February 3rd, the 6-6, 300-pound Scott landed his first offer. It was from Louisiana Tech. To date, Scott now has over a half dozen Power 5 offers with more expected to come.

“That first SEC offer came and then the second one came, I was like, ‘Man this is no joke.’ When you get more than one SEC offer you know it’s no joke,” Scott said.

The other realization that his recruitment was different is that over the last six weeks Scott has gone from 25 followers on his Twitter page to over 700 followers.

So in a world of few secrets and a recruiting world where fewer and fewer guys are discovered late in the process, how does a 6-6, 300 pound offensive tackle get discovered late by the current recruiting calendar standards? Scott doesn’t know and frankly doesn’t really care.

“I just see it as more of a blessing. Down here in Conway, Arkansas we aren’t known for having a bunch of big time college recruits. Peyton Hillis was the biggest name to come through here. So we aren’t the first school college coaches come and visit.”

But everyone is visiting now, including Tennessee’s David Johnson, who was buy early in the week and offered Scott a scholarship to Rocky Top.

“When I got the offer, I was shocked. They showed up out of the blue at the school and they offered,” Scott said. “I have talked some to coach Johnson and he seems like he’s a real cool guy."

Scott credits his coaches and basketball as two factors as to why he’s getting so much attention. As a 10th grader, Scott was playing defensive line and a little offense. His coaches told him a full time move to offense would give him a real shot at being a college football player. And the hoops work has helped the 300 pounder stay light on his feet.

“I think it’s my athleticism,” Scott said of what schools like. “I can bend and I can run. It come from basketball. My mindset is to be the best I can be on every play.

The mindset to be the best on every play is a product of his mother, Nasha Scott.

“She works really hard for me,” Scott said. “She’s done so much for me. That’s how she has raised me. If you work hard, things pay off.

“My mom keeps her knee in my back. She stays on me. I’m blessed to have a great mom. She’s always pushing me.”

Scott has already been Louisiana Tech, Arkansas, Mississippi State and Missouri. He hopes to make it to Tennessee soon. His decision making process will include his coaches who he says gives him great advice and it will include his mom.

“We have a gameplan,” Scott said. “Can I see myself playing there with the coaches and the players. While I’m checking out all the football things. My mom is checking out all of the academics. What kind of academic support system do they have and things like that.

“Everyone would love to win. For me the biggest thing is can you see yourself playing with the players and it being a brotherhood. You can’t beat that,” Scott said.

As Scott and his mother look for the right place, it appears more options will be coming his way as more coaches find their way to Conway, Arkansas.

“It’s amazing,” Scott said of the options and attention. “But in my household, you stay humble. You are going work hard whether you have an offer or not.”