ESPNU 150 2012: Loss of 2 Top-10 Prospects Will Kill Arkansas' Recruiting

If the Arkansas Razorbacks can't sign Dorial Green-Beckham or Davonte Neal, they can consider their 2011 recruiting period a failure. With National Signing Day only hours away, the Razorbacks may be staring at a year where they were unable to sign any top-20 prospects.

According to ESPNU's 150 top prospects, DGB (3rd) and Neal (8th) are the only players the Razorbacks are in serious contention for.

In the SEC, that means a down period is coming, unless talent evaluators have drastically missed the mark. That is always possible, but successful recruiting is based on grabbing the big fish, and up until now, the Razorbacks haven't snagged any.

Teams like Alabama, LSU and even Georgia simply retool every year, grabbing their share of the blue-chip athletes in the country. If Arkansas is to compete on that level, it must grab some of these players.

Alabama has already gained commitments from three of ESPNU's top 150 in Cyrus Jones, Eddie Williams and Landon Collins. LSU is actually having a rare down year, as it appears it may also be shut out of the top-20 players; but the Tigers just played for a BCS National Championship, and overall they have the 12th best recruiting class in the nation according to Rivals.com,

Alabama is No. 1. Arkansas is currently 31st, and that just won't cut it if the Razorbacks plan to win the SEC,

Alabama and LSU are the two powers in the SEC, and both are in better current positions and better spots as it relates to 2011 recruiting. The Razorbacks aren't gaining ground.

So far this year, the best Razorbacks' recruits are WR Courtney Gardner and RB Johnathan Williams. Both players have speed to burn, with 4.4 and 4.5 40 times respectively, and both should be fine players. Still, neither represents the splash that snagging two top-8 players on National Signing Day would.  

There is also a void on the defensive side of the ball for Arkansas. The Razorbacks gave up just under 25 points per game to SEC opponents this season. Compare that to eight points allowed by Alabama and 11 points by LSU, and the difference is obvious.

Of the two big-name recruits Arkansas is chasing, Neal projects as a corner, and possibly a two-way player. He would go nicely with the Razorbacks 3-star commits like Ray Buchanan Jr., and Jared Collins, all future members of the Razorbacks secondary.

Still, those players are 3-star players (per Rivals.com) and not considered as having quite the impact that Neal would. North Carolina may be poised to snatch Neal up, as he sounded very impressed with the Tar Heels' pitch on his visit. Losing Neal would be a huge blow to the Razorbacks.

DGB is the most high profile player in the recruiting season; Rivals.com actually lists him as the No. 1 player in the nation. At 6'6" 220 pounds, good speed, great hands and leaping ability, he is a beast waiting to be unleashed.

He is deciding between Arkansas and his hometown Missouri Tigers. Signing a player of DGB's caliber is obviously a help on the field, but it would mean so much for Arkansas' reputation.

Signing the highest profile player in the class would send a message for future recruits, as you can believe the best juniors and sophomores in the country will be watching.

The Arkansas recruiting class needs some star power for its effect on the present and future. Without them, the Razorbacks' plans to close the gap between themselves and the SEC's elite is dead for yet another year.