Friday was a big day for Arkansas football coach Sam Pittman and the Razorbacks. The Hogs landed two 4-star recruits, Selman Bridges and Braylen Russell to jump up nine spots in the 2024 recruiting rankings. Arkansas football now has the No. 16 recruiting class in the 2024 cycle, per 247Sports.

16 players have now committed to Arkansas, and nine of them are 4-star recruits.

Cornerback Selman Bridges is the highest-graded prospect in Arkansas' class. He's the No. 6 corner in the nation and the No. 1o player in Texas. At 6-3, 170 lbs, Bridges is really tall and really long for his position.

He'll need to put on some weight to compete every day in the SEC, but his physical tools and feel for the game are impressive. Bridges projects to be a frustrating zone coverage threat for opposing quarterbacks to face. His length and his ball skills will allow him to excel in short yardage situations, particularly at the goal line.

Bridges also plays basketball and runs track in high school. He credits Razorbacks' co-defensive coordinator Marcus Woodson with bringing him in. “Coach Woodson has believed in me,” Bridges said.

“We’ve been building a relationship since January. It’s been real with him. He came to my school and saw me face to face and ever since then nothing has changed, he’s kept the same energy and never switched up. He’s always been the same, real straight-forward.”

Running back Braylen Russell also possesses a unique build for his position at 6-1, 230 lbs. He's the No. 4 prospect in the state of Arkansas and the No. 22 running back in the nation.

Russell is huge for a running back, so he will likely be a great short-yardage back almost immediately at the next level. Despite his size, Russell projects to be a versatile back that can catch the ball out of the backfield better than expected. His athleticism and strength will make him a tough back to take down, and he'll likely pick up lots of yards after contact. Still, he will likely need to improve his agility and quickness to be an elite every-down back.

Arkansas football is getting two good ones with Russell and Bridges. The Razorbacks finished 7-6 last year, which is respectable in the SEC but also probably a touch below their potential ability. Arkansas is building a strong program down in Fayetteville, but they'll need to keep adding strong talent to compete with teams like Alabama.