Offer from Arkansas Razorbacks is all 2027 Sheridan OL Bradley Sturdivant needed

Sturdivant is Arkansas Razorbacks football's first pledge of the 2027 class
2027 Razorbacks commit Bradley Sturdivant
2027 Razorbacks commit Bradley Sturdivant / Bradley Sturspanant/Facebook

When 2027 Sheridan offensive lineman Bradley Sturdivant, 6-foot-3, 300 pounds, gave his commitment with a handshake to Arkansas Razorbacks head coach Sam Pittman last Saturday, it marked the sixth time in the past seven years that the first pledge for the next cycle came from a homegrown prospect. 

The Razorbacks were the first college program to make an offer Sturdivant (on Jan. 16), and that was the only one he needed to decide where he would spend his college career. 

“I grew up here (in Sheridan) and I always had a dream of playing for the Hogs and playing for my home state trying to represent them as best I could,” Sturdivant said. 

Sheridan OL Bradley Sturdivant (@BradleyStu20314) committed to @RazorbackFB at Junior Day.

The 6-foot-3, 300-pounder is the first pledge for the Hogs' 2027 class. #arpreps @coachkelley1 @CoachSamPittman @CoachMateos

🎥 @DeltaplexNews pic.twitter.com/8elqlbYWXC

“The first week Coach Kelley got here, he told Coach Fountain that he had three sophomores that he wanted to show to him,” Sturdivant said. “Coach Fountain talked to us and invited us to a summer camp, so we went up there and worked. 

“From there, they said they liked me and that I worked hard.” 

Neither Stephens nor Cowden has an offer from Arkansas, but Stephens has reported Division I offers from Arkansas State and Southern Methodist.

One of Kelley’s more recent former offensive linemen to suit up for the Razorbacks was Luke Jones, who signed with Notre Dame in 2018 out of Pulaski Academy and later transferred to Arkansas, where he played from 2019-22. Another was Jonathan Luigs, who went from a lightly-recruited two-star prospect to a consensus All-American and Rimington Trophy winner, given annually to the nation’s best center, in 2007. 

When the Razorbacks went to Memphis in December to play in the Liberty Bowl, a mass exodus of opt-outs and transfers forced them to do some reshuffling on the offensive line. Three of the five starters up front were Arkansas natives — center Brooks Edmonson (Bryant) who had recently been put on full scholarship, Kobe Branham (Fort Smith Southside) at right guard and E’Marion Harris (Joe T. Robinson) at right tackle. That group helped paved the way for an offensive explosion, putting up 559 total yards en route to a 36-29 victory over Texas Tech. 

“I looked at them and that is what I want to push myself to be,” Sturdivant said. “I want to go in as an Arkansas kid, make the program better and represent the program like those guys are right now.” 

Having started as a sophomore, plus getting moved up in his final game as a freshman to the varsity squad along with Stephens and Cowden, Sturdivant is no stranger to playing early. Despite finishing 3-8, the Yellowjackets showed drastic improvement in the first season under Kelley, particularly on offense as that unit averaged more than 500 yards and 39 points per game. 

“When Eythan, Isaiah and I got moved up, we were mostly the same size as everyone else, but we did not have the skill that they did,” Sturdivant said. “Every day I would come in with Coach Kelley after we practiced and he would tell me what I did wrong with my feet.”

With Sturdivant and two of his classmates all having potential bright futures playing big-time college football, it is new for Sheridan to get this level of attention as the program has experienced its share of struggles in the 21st century. Sturdivant hopes his situation will create paths for others. 

“I just want to open up a door for players to follow me,” Sturdivant said. “In the weight room I am going 110% and on the field so that people do not see me as someone who is just trying to get by. I want them to see that I earned it to get there and I want them to work as hard as me or even harder.”

On a similar note, now that Sturdivant has his college plans lined up as the Razorbacks’ first commitment, he hopes to get some of his peers — whether on his team or elsewhere — on board. 

“That is definitely one of my goals,” he said. “I think it would be pretty cool for me, Eythan and Isaiah to go play together already being at the same school, best friends and all of that. I feel like we could all represent the state well since we are all Arkansas kids.”

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Kyle Sutherland, SBLive Sports
KYLE SUTHERLAND, SBLIVE SPORTS

Kyle Sutherland is a prep sports journalist and broadcaster. Along with High School on SI, his work has been featured in outlets including the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Arkansas PBS, Best of Arkansas Sports, Hooten's Arkansas Football and The Natural State Sports Network. He is also the color commentator for 103.7 The Buzz's high school football Game of the Week.