Southside's Kobe Branham set to live out dream, sign with Arkansas football
In so many ways, Wednesday will be a full-circle moment for Southside High School offensive lineman Kobe Branham.
When Branham puts pen to paper and officially joins the Arkansas football program, he will be living out a childhood dream. Even when college offers began to stack, Branham patiently waited for the Razorbacks to come calling for his services.
Branham will sign with the Razorbacks at Fort Smith's Evans Boys and Girls Club. He started playing sports there in kindergarten, and his entire family has spent time working at the club. It's an appropriate place to turn dreams into reality.
More: Arkansas football's 5 biggest positions of need in the transfer portal
More: What we know and don't know about Arkansas football's future offense under Bobby Petrino
And finally — thanks to a recent addition by Arkansas — Branham will sign to play for one of the coaches that first showed interest in the 6-foot-6 lineman that starred for the Mavericks.
"It's just going to be great playing for Coach (Bobby) Petrino. When he was at Texas A&M, he was one of the first coaches to reach out," Branham said. "It was cool having him in for a visit with Arkansas. It just felt right."
According to the 247sports.com composite rankings, Branham is the 11th-ranked prospect in Arkansas and the No. 78 interior offensive lineman across the country. He committed to Arkansas on June 26 and helped Southside run for a whopping 3,685 yards in a 6-6 season.
Branham played guard in his final two seasons with the Mavericks, but he started his varsity career at tackle. He still doesn't know where he'll play with the Razorbacks, but he's got full confidence in Sam Pittman and new offensive line coach Eric Mateos to help mold him.
"I put all my faith in Coach Pittman. He's such a great guy," Branham said. "Then meeting Coach Mateos, you could tell how much he knows about football. He's going to get the offensive line room turned around."
Branham will enroll in January and is planning on rooming with fellow commits CJ Brown, Akhari Johnson and quarterback KJ Jackson.
Branham tore his meniscus during the fall and had surgery two weeks ago, but he's already close to full sprinting and should be ready for spring ball. He's looking forward to getting a head start on the 2024 season.
But thinking about the future can wait. Wednesday will be a time for Branham and his family to savor a journey that's moving about 60 miles north, from Southside High School to Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium.
"I'm very pumped about signing," Branham said. "It's just going to finalize a lot of things that I worked hard for. Getting to Arkansas was always the goal."
This article originally appeared on Fort Smith Times Record: Southside's Kobe Branham set to live out dream, sign with Arkansas football
