FAYETTEVILLE — Ashdown four-star tight end Shamar Easter officially became a Razorback on Thursday night when he held a signing ceremony at his school.

Easter, 6-5, 225, committed to Arkansas on Aug. 13, 2021. He didn’t sign early because he opted to take an official visit to South Carolina after his lead recruiter, Dowell Loggains, left for Columbia. However, he then took an unofficial visit to Arkansas on Sunday, Jan. 15, and that solidified his pledge to the Hogs. Easter talked to Jay and Jacob Bunyard on Thursday night about the facilities at Arkansas.

“They are great,” Easter said. “The weight room the way it’s set above the indoor (practice field). The biggest weight room in college length wise.”

As a senior, Easter made 15 catches for 160 yards (10.7 ypc) and rushed six times for 116 yards and a touchdown. He was responsible for 12 pancake blocks. As a junior, caught 30 passes for 519 yards (17.3 ypc) and five touchdowns. Easter, like many in Arkansas, has dreamed of running through the A for the first time a Razorback.

“I will feel great,” Easter said. “It’s like I’m at home. The same thing.”

For the Panthers, Easter spent time at both tight end and wide receiver. He talked about how he thinks the Hogs will use him.

“I figure they will look at me for both, but I’m not sure yet,” Easter said. “I bring speed and agility (to tight end).”

Easter was asked what he learned growing up in being a Panther for Ashdown High School.

“That sports isn’t everything,” Easter said. “It can be a big factor in your life, but it’s not going to take over because you are going to stop playing it one day.”

Easter has made a big impact off the field in Ashdown as well as on it. He is admired by youngsters everywhere he goes in town. He had a message for those youngsters who some may grow up to be a Razorback much like him, Montaric Brown and LaDarrius Bishop.

“I would say don’t give up and don’t listen to what other people say about you,” Easter said. “You can do things that you don’t imagine.”

Sam Pittman credited Morgan Turner, the new tight ends coach, for the recruiting job he did on Easter once he was hired.

“Well, Coach Turner did a great job — I mean, he really did — of building a relationship,” Pittman said. “I think Shamar wanted to come to Arkansas. You’d have to ask him, (but) I think he wanted to come to Arkansas for a long, long time. Any time there’s change, sometimes there becomes panic in it.

“Obviously recruiters will tell you, ‘You need to go visit here, you need to visit there.’ If you trust those people, then you do. But certainly Arkansas and Coach Turner… Coach Turner’s got a way about him. Obviously he’s got a lot of guys that went to the NFL, so he had that, but as a person, knowledge, coach, he’s really, really good and I think Shamar thought once he went and visited another school and came back, I think he thought he could benefit staying at home a little bit more.”

Easter was one of 20 high school recruits signing with the Razorbacks.