Prospect with outstanding speed, seems to go back to Arkansas

One of the nation’s finest ’26 O-linemen receives VIP treatment during Arkansas visit

Zaden Krempin, a highly recruited 4-star offensive lineman, received VIP treatment during his visit to Arkansas for the Red-White spring game on Saturday.

Much of his interest at Arkansas stemmed from his previous relationship with offensive line coach Eric Mateos at Baylor.

Krempin and his family were immediately led to coach Sam Pittman’s office when they arrived.

“When we got there, we went straight to Coach Pittman’s office,” Krempin went on to say. “I was quite impressed with Coach Pittman and Coach Mateos. I appreciate that Coach Pittman works with the offensive line during individual sessions at every practice. He’s a true offensive lineman to the bone. They made me feel really welcome and want me to become a Razorback.

Krempin, 6-5, 265, of Prosper, Texas, has received 26 scholarship offers from Arkansas, Oklahoma, LSU, Southern California, Ole Miss, Auburn, Florida State, Tennessee, Oregon, Penn State, and others.

Rivals ranks him as a 4-star recruit, the No. 13 offensive tackle and the No. 102 overall prospect in the country for the 2026 class.

Mateos’ one-on-one tour demonstrated that he was a priority for the Razorbacks.

“Coach Mateos took us on a tour of the entire campus after the game,” said Krempin, who has a 3.9 GPA. “The campus is lovely, and the student-athlete center was quite cool. I also visited with the strength and conditioning coach and thoroughly enjoyed the weight room. Overall, today was fantastic. Arkansas was previously at the top of my list, but after today, I’d say they climbed up.”

When asked what else drew his interest, Krempin stated that the Arkansas coaches stood out.

“I guess the biggest thing is the coaches,” that’s what he said. “I really enjoyed the private time I had with coach Pittman. I’ve gone to a lot of institutions, and while they’re all lovely and have all the bells and whistles, it’s the coaches and culture that really make the difference.”