How Sam Pittman's 2023 class can give Arkansas football recruiting first top 20 finish in over a decade

Arkansas football received a flurry of commitments in its 2023 recruiting class in June and already has added four more in July.

Four-star athlete Micah Tease committed on July 4, the highest-rated recruit to commit this summer. The same day, three-star offensive lineman Paris Patterson committed. The pair followed three-star safety TJ Metcalf and unrated athlete Dylan Hasz, both of whom committed July 1.

Arkansas' 10 commitments since June have propelled the Razorbacks to a 247Sports Composite ranking of No. 6 in the nation. Twenty players are committed to Arkansas, and with the NCAA's elimination of signing and initial counting limits, the Razorbacks could add plenty more.

A lot will change in the rankings between now and the early signing period in December, but the Razorbacks' class is shaping up well. Arkansas could have its first top-10 class since recruiting rankings have existed as we know them today. More likely, the Razorbacks could finish in the top 20, which they haven't done since 2009.

Here's what coach Sam Pittman and his staff can do to maintain a top-tier class.

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Get Jaylon Braxton

Arkansas has six four-stars in its class, and it will need to add at least one more to stay high in national rankings.

Four-star cornerback Jaylon Braxton is one of Arkansas' best bets in terms of high-rated recruits. The Lone Star High School prospect from Frisco, Texas, is announcing his commitment on July 9 after decommitting from Michigan State.

Braxton is the No. 27 corner in the country and the No. 44 player in Texas. If he commits to Arkansas, he would be the fourth-highest graded prospect in the 2023 class.

The addition of Braxton would push Arkansas' class to a score of 232.62. Last season, that would've put the Razorbacks at No. 19 nationally and No. 9 in the SEC.

Five other four stars Arkansas has offered are classified as having a "warm" interest in the Razorbacks by 247Sports: running back Javin Simpkins, receiver Joshua Manning, offensive tackle Miles McVay, offensive lineman Madden Sanker and linebacker Raul Aguirre.

Add key three-stars

Arkansas has 13 three-star commits. While adding one or two more won't move the needle much for the Razorbacks in terms of national prowess, a handful of three-stars in addition to key players such as Braxton would be a boost.

One to watch is offensive tackle Vysen Lang. The Pike Road, Alabama, product has visited Arkansas twice and plans to make an official visit. Lang has offers from 10 other SEC programs.

Three-star corner Rickey Gibson of Trussville, Alabama, is another recruit with keen interest in Arkansas. The Razorbacks are one of seven SEC offers for Gibson, and he visited on June 24. Lang and Gibson are the No. 25 and No. 29 players in Alabama, respectively.

Avoid decommits

Decommits are common and not necessarily the end of the world, but Arkansas has kept them to a minimum under Pittman.

In the 2021 and 2022 classes, only two players decommitted, according to 247Sports. The 2021 decommit was Landon Rogers, and he later recommitted and remains on Arkansas' roster.

Two players have decommitted from Arkansas this year: four-star receiver Anthony Evans from Texas and three-star linebacker Everett Roussaw from Georgia.

If Arkansas can avoid losing any of its six current four-stars, the Razorbacks will be in good shape.

Christina Long covers the Arkansas Razorbacks. You can email her at clong@swtimes.com or follow her on Twitter @christinalong00.

This article originally appeared on Fort Smith Times Record: How Arkansas football can sign a top 20 recruiting class in 2023