One of Navy’s key recruiting strategies over the last several years has been to identify areas of the country that aren’t recruited as heavily as they should be relative to the quality of football that is played there. Tennessee is the most prominent example of this, having produced such Navy standouts as Jabari Tuani and Keenan Reynolds. The 2016 Navy roster included 17 players from the Volunteer State, including standouts D.J. Palmore, Andrew Wood, Sean Williams, and Amos Mason. The state has become a cornerstone of the Navy football program.

Today, there are signs that the Navy coaching staff might be looking to make similar inroads in another state: Arkansas.