Razorbacks latest linebacker commits over LSU, Missouri

A native of Theodore, Ala., Bush chose the Razorbacks over a slew of other offers including fellow SEC schools Missouri and LSU. The Hogs also beat out other Power Four Houston, Georgia Tech and Colorado, among others.

"I just knew I was going to play in the SEC [as a kid],” Theodore said in an interview with WALA after his commitment. “That was just my dream to play in the SEC, the best conference in college football in the country. It feels good. 

"Just the coaches for real," Theodore said about what made Arkansas the right choice. "They develop players good. When I went on the visit, I’ve been out there three times. Every time I went, it was great. It was nothing bad about Arkansas."

Bush is either a four-star a three-star recruit depending on which database you use. Rivals has Bush listed as a three-star and the No. 25 overall recruit from the state of Alabama. On3's industry ranking has him as a four-star and No. 370 nationally in the class of 2026.

Listed at 6-foot-3, 210 pounds, Theodore is Arkansas' 25th commit for the Class of 2026 and coach Sam Pittman, which is the second most across the SEC, only behind Georgia with 26. According to 247Sports, their composite rank for the class sits 22nd nationally and eighth in the SEC.

There's been a lot of noise on the recruiting trail around the Razorbacks, most of it about players the Razorbacks failed to get, instead of players that they do have. Arkansas passed on four-star wide receiver Chase Campbell, a legacy recruit with ties with the Razorbacks.

Bush brings some much-needed good news on the recruiting trail for Pittman and the rest of the coaching staff as they try to build a program from the ground up that has managed just 10 wins in the regular season over the past two seasons.

Arkansas got just their fourth four-star recruit out of the 25 in the class in Bush. That ranks towards the bottom of the SEC behind just Vanderbilt, Kentucky, Mississippi State and Auburn. Some of that is due to different timelines and approaches for the how to approach a recruiting class.

Schools like Auburn and Missouri have just six and nine commitments respectively, but it is worth noting that four of the nine Mizzou players are four-star. That's the same number that Arkansas has with their 25 commits. The Hogs are tied with Mississippi State with the most three-stars with 22.

Bush is the second linebacker in the class, joining three-star
Caleb Gordon from North Carolina.

"You definitely going to get a dog in the classroom and on the field and off the field,” Bush said. “So you are going to get that too.”

The 2025 football season is now officially less than two months away. The Hogs start the season against Alabama A&M at home inside Razorbacks Stadium August 30.

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