BBrown: M finished a narrow 2nd for DT Hjalte Froholdt
A couple of weeks ago Warren, Ohio, DT recruit Hjalte Froholdt surprised quite a few people by committing to Arkansas over thought-to-be front-runners Michigan, Florida State, Alabama, and Ohio State.
I spoke with Hjalte today. Froholdt told me that it just came down to "a gut feeling," which probably isn't as interesting to you as the fact that Michigan finished an extremely close 2nd place to the Razorbacks:
"I just had a feeling that Arkansas was a better fit for me. Just the whole feel of Arkansas. I could just picture myself there for the next 4-5 years. The campus was just awesome to me and the coaching staff is excellent there. Michigan was so close though, it was marginals separating the two. They are both great and amazing schools!"
Froholdt was a great kid to talk to and had a really unique preparation and recruiting process being a native of Denmark. He went to high school for one season in Ohio and is now back in his home country finishing high school. He will return to the US for his college football career with the Razorbacks.
December 21st, 2013 at 1:25 PM ^
December 21st, 2013 at 4:00 PM ^
December 21st, 2013 at 5:15 PM ^
December 21st, 2013 at 6:28 PM ^
December 21st, 2013 at 1:31 PM ^
I ain't mad at him.
December 21st, 2013 at 1:33 PM ^
We have an impressive list of recruits who had us #2 which is frustrating to be sure.Any idea if there is another team that has such a list? Any reason why these guys come sooo close but in the end go somewhere else?
December 21st, 2013 at 1:40 PM ^
I'm pretty sure every team that recruits at a high level has a long list of top recruits who had them as their second team.
December 21st, 2013 at 1:41 PM ^
Yes, every team has tons of players they finish a close second. Last year, we offered 153 kids and signed 27, meaning that most of the kids we pursue will go elsewhere. This is true for every school, and will continue to be true in the future.
Also, most kids have about 8 'close seconds'.
December 21st, 2013 at 2:26 PM ^
and our play improved by the end of the season, and we had a BCS bowl game. I'm sure many of these kids would have had us number 1 on their list and we would be turning them away, since we would have reached our limit of scholarships. May be in 2015 we can turn the tide and win 10 or 11 games, win the B1G and have the top recruits lined up to play here. We could return to a top 5 recruiting class.
December 21st, 2013 at 3:15 PM ^
The current class is superb as were the previous classes. The 15' class, even without Campbell, is off to an outstanding start with Harris and Crawford.
December 21st, 2013 at 11:33 PM ^
UM is recruiting at a high level. Apparently this fact upsets them.
December 22nd, 2013 at 3:49 AM ^
I agree: I don't understand why you were downvoted. But suck it up, and don't ask why. It happened.
You obv. have irritated some people. Maybe they feel Michigan is doing a lousy job recruiting. (We didn't get Hand!! We didn't get Froholdt!! Campbell decommitted!! The sky is falling!!)
Maybe what you point out doesn't fit their narrative. (Hoke sucks!! Fire Borges!! Lloyd Carr was great!!)
Regardless, qvetching about points and why you were downvoted doesn't work, and sometimes leads others to pile on.
December 21st, 2013 at 5:22 PM ^
December 21st, 2013 at 1:34 PM ^
December 21st, 2013 at 1:48 PM ^
maybe he knew that?
Good Luck to the kid
December 21st, 2013 at 3:52 PM ^
but Bielema was pretty darned successful at Wisconsin, and by all accounts his players liked and respected him. Am I missing something (besides the feud between his wife and UW fans)?
December 21st, 2013 at 3:58 PM ^
December 21st, 2013 at 5:26 PM ^
By the time this kid is a senior at Arkansas, Bielema will be long gone and a coordinator in the MAC.
December 21st, 2013 at 1:35 PM ^
are always competing well in the strongest man contests. Maybe somebody ought to fly to Europe with a suitcase full of Krone (no Euros for Denmark) and meet his father.
December 21st, 2013 at 1:39 PM ^
can't really change his mind now. Best of luck anyway.
December 21st, 2013 at 1:44 PM ^
December 21st, 2013 at 1:52 PM ^
This worked so much better when I had a CRT monitor. The flatscreens just tip over.
December 21st, 2013 at 2:04 PM ^
It's much more effective.
December 21st, 2013 at 4:39 PM ^
December 21st, 2013 at 1:55 PM ^
Thanks for the info, Brandon. I wish Hjalte the best of luck in the future, except if Arkansas ever plays Michigan.
December 21st, 2013 at 2:00 PM ^
2018 Michigan will be hosting Arkansas. Unless Michigan plays AR in a playoff or bowl game, that will be the best chance, if he's on a five year plan.
December 21st, 2013 at 2:18 PM ^
I forgot that game is already scheduled. Well if he's still around, I hope we destroy his team and make Brett Bielema's wife so distraught by the loss that she tweets nasty things to Arkansas fans who will be calling for her husband to be fired. /
But until that day, best of luck.
December 21st, 2013 at 2:04 PM ^
here's hoping Bielema gets canned!
December 21st, 2013 at 2:06 PM ^
but you have to wonder what the rush for a decision is if he was so close on the two options.
I wish him the best regardless.
December 21st, 2013 at 2:22 PM ^
Maybe he was worried about the exchange rate on his bag of cash? I keed, I keed, I make a little joke.
December 21st, 2013 at 2:32 PM ^
Arkansas? How does that school/campus compare favorably to anywhere? It's the end of the earth. Seriously.
December 21st, 2013 at 2:39 PM ^
December 21st, 2013 at 2:58 PM ^
This. Fayetteville is an amazing college town and the U of A has an incredibly scenic and fun campus. Northwest Arkansas (Fayetteville, Rogers, Bentonville) is completely isolated from the rest of the state and is a very educated and prosperous pocket of the South.
December 21st, 2013 at 3:26 PM ^
December 21st, 2013 at 3:27 PM ^
December 21st, 2013 at 6:06 PM ^
December 21st, 2013 at 10:41 PM ^
Free shotgun, I mean c'mon man.
December 21st, 2013 at 2:42 PM ^
December 21st, 2013 at 3:23 PM ^
I don't understand. I thought Europeans enjoyed culture.
December 21st, 2013 at 5:58 PM ^
Is Arkansas really that much less cultured than SE Michigan? Fayetville is a lot like Ann Arbor, in that it is a "liberal" college town surrounded by a bunch of nothing. Towns like Jackson, Albion, Ypsilanti, etc... aren't much different than what you would find in Arkansas.
December 21st, 2013 at 3:34 PM ^
One of my good friends in Chicago is from Denmark and works at the Danish Consulate. Another buddy just married one of the Danish interns. I'll see what I can do to influence this situation...
I'm kidding, obviously, but I do find it odd that he would choose Arkansas over the Midwest. I asked my Danish friends about it and they said, "whats there to do in Arkansas??". To each their own I suppose.
December 21st, 2013 at 3:49 PM ^
Still bummed because I take pride in my Danish name and heritage. I would have loved a Dane on our football team.
December 21st, 2013 at 4:12 PM ^
He would be living in a state populated by people who trace their origins to Scandinvia.
December 21st, 2013 at 4:01 PM ^
December 21st, 2013 at 4:12 PM ^
How much is second place worth?
December 21st, 2013 at 4:17 PM ^