Razorbacks, Two SEC Teams in Chase for Highly Recruited DB

Marcus Woodson has Arkansas in mix for highly recruited cornerback prospect ahead of Saturday commitment date

Arkansas Razorbacks defensive backs coach Marcus Woodson during first practice of fall camp in Fayetteville, Ark. / Andy Hodges-Hogs on SI Images

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — 2025 3-star cornerback Aidan Anding is down to three schools ahead of his scheduled commitment day of Aug. 24. The 6-0, 170 pound defender will make his college choice between three SEC schools: Arkansas, LSU and Texas after making several visits to the respective programs.

Anding ranks as the nation's No. 401 overall prospect for the 2025 class, No. 37 among cornerbacks and No. 13 player in Louisiana, according to On3's Industry Rankings.

He visited during Arkansas' final recruiting hoorah of the offseason at the Hog Wild Hangout, which closed July with a bang. The Razorbacks received glowing reviews from the event including a pair of commitments for both 2025 and 2026 classes.

A Ruston, Louisiana native, Anding is a 3-star prospect but is just outside 4-status with multiple recruiting services. The expectation was for him to commit earlier this summer but an offer from LSU made him reevaluate his recruitment and reschedule an announcement.

Early predictions for Anding had him set to land with Texas to bolster its secondary which ranked near the bottom of the FBS at No. 118. Arkansas is considered a wildcard thanks to the coaching staff's ability to kindle strong relationships with its recruits and players.

The Razorbacks improved drastically in pass defense last season with the help of expert recruiter and co-defensive coordinator Marcus Woodson along with defensive back coach Deron Wilson. Arkansas ranked dead last in passing yards per game in 2022 before surging to No. 32 in 2023.

Woodson ensures that his players compete and succeed in a system that's predicated on football IQ instead of assignment driven schemes. The secondary took a huge jump last year in overall production as a unit which is exactly what he wanted before the 2023 season began.

"I tell the guys all the time, if you want to go far, go together. If you want to get there fast, go by yourself," Woodson said during fall camp in 2023. "But it’s a long journey and we want to go far, so we’re going to go together. It’s a brotherhood, and it’s amazing how much you can accomplish just by bringing guys together. I’m excited about the chemistry in the room and where we’re going. They know it’s going to be a collective deal for us to be successful. It’s a 'we' and 'us' mindset and not an I and me."

Confidence is huge for restoring culture and winning games. The next step for Arkansas this fall is winning on the field and that alone will help the Razorbacks secondary remain in the mix for impact recruits each cycle.

Razorbacks 2025 Defensive Back Commitments

3-star Taijh Overton, Mobile, Alabama
3-star Nigel Pringle, North Shore High School, Houston
JUCO Shannon Blair, East Mississippi Community College

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