With the 2024 season complete, the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff now turns its attention toward constructing the 2025 roster.
The early signing period for Division I football is scheduled for Dec. 4-6. Coach Alonzo Hampton said the Golden Lions had a lot of young players this season, and now they need to find others to help them.
“Those babies are growing up, and now we gotta go get some daddies, some war daddies to help these babies, give them a little more confidence,” Hampton said. “We’re going to get the war daddies on the O-line, D-line. Obviously, the portal open up. Hope we don’t lose many, but man, that’s the game we live now. It is what it is. Hey, if you lose one, go get one better.”
Hampton has made it clear for weeks the Golden Lions’ biggest recruiting priority will be offensive and defensive linemen. UAPB struggled in the trenches regularly this season.
The Golden Lions rushed for 118.4 yards per SWAC game, the third fewest. The Golden Lions’ offensive line also gave up 28 sacks in conference play, tied with Prairie View A&M for the most.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
The defensive line made five sacks in SWAC games, the fewest of any team. UAPB’s opponents rushed for 220 yards per game, the third most.
Hampton said he is optimistic the Golden Lions will be able to improve in those areas.
“Some of our younger offensive linemen, you didn’t see them play, but we watched them in practice,” Hampton said. “The most important thing, we’re going to be thankful for Thanksgiving and go enjoy our families, but as we’re thinking about Thanksgiving and telling everybody we love them, we’re going to be calling recruits.”
These days, though, recruiting isn’t just about adding new players. It is also about keeping the ones already on campus.
Star wide receiver JaVonnie Gibson announced Monday he will enter the transfer portal when it opens next month.
After transferring to UAPB from the University of Arkansas at Monticello, the redshirt sophomore finished the 2024 season with 70 receptions for 1,215 yards and nine touchdowns. He finished tied with Willie Young for the second-most catches in a single season by a Golden Lion.
The transfer portal will be open from Dec. 9-28. Hampton said UAPB doesn’t have money to offer players to keep them in Pine Bluff. He said his pitch to his players is how much he and UAPB will value them compared to “bigger” schools.
“You can go to a bigger place, but I can promise you this, because I’ve been at them: You are just a number,” Hampton said. “So, if you’ve made your name here, and you may be a guy that only have one year left, you gotta realize that you’ve put yourself in position to be the man. You may go get the money somewhere else, but you’re just another guy.”
Hampton said he has shown his players stats from others who have dominated at one school then transferred to a higher level. He is encouraging them to stay if they are planning to leave for the NFL Draft after next season.
He used Alabama A&M left tackle Carson Vinson as an example. He said Vinson chose to stay at AAMU rather than transfer, and now he has been invited to the Senior Bowl with a chance to potentially be drafted.