A couple weeks ago, college football recruiting analyst Tom Lemming arrived in Union County to meet a pair of 2023 football prospects.
Lemming took a trip to Smackover to visit sophomore receiver D’Kylan Hildreth and also met El Dorado’s All-State sophomore receiver De’Andra Burns.
In both cases, the co-host of the Lemming Report on CBS Sports Network liked what he saw.
While Burns has become known state-wide since receiving an offer from the University of Arkansas during the season, Hildreth was more of an under-the-radar talent.
That was before Lemming came to town.
“One of the more underrated offensive players in the Southwest,” Lemming said on his Twitter page. “(He’s) certainly someone to watch. After my visit I came away convinced he is a power five talent at WR. Explosive with good hands, he can run a 4.55.”
The 6-4, 190-pound receiver also played safety for the Buckaroos and has started since he was a ninth grader.
“D’Kylan is a special player. He has the ability to make an impact play anytime he touches the ball,” said Smackover football coach David Osborn. “He is one of those guys that you have to find a way to get him the ball. He has size and speed. He made some big plays for us during the last two years. D’Kylan is just an all-around athlete. He is a very polite young man who works hard and has a great future ahead of him.”
Hildreth is a three-sport athlete. In a shortened football season, he had 21 receptions for 478 yards and six touchdowns. He’s currently averaging 20.5 points and 8.1 rebounds for Smackover’s basketball team. He’s also a sprinter in track.
“He can get up and go. He gets those long legs strided out, he’s pretty fast,” said Smackover basketball coach Caleb Spradlin. “He is a special athlete. There’s no doubt about it. He has some physical tools. He’s a joy to coach. He’s a competitor. You don’t have to beg him to want to compete and play. What I’m seeing right now in our conference play, against the best teams, he’s taking his game to another level.”
Hildreth has drawn interest from several schools, including Arkansas, but hasn’t received an offer, yet. Osborn believes interest will crank up, however.
“During this past summer we were limited and D’Kylan wasn't able to attend camps with them being shut down due to COVID. He hasn't really been seen a whole lot due to that,” said Osborn. “A few recruiters have started to pick up on him and his film and that's how the word got to Tom Lemming for him to stop by.”
With notoriety comes expectations. How Hildreth handles the attention over the next year could be pivotal in his continued development.
“D’Kylan has handled the attention like he's handled his everyday work. He works hard everyday and wants to better himself and his future,” said Osborn. “He continues to show up everyday and goes to work like he has from day one in our program. He's one of those young men that will not let the publicity influence his actions. He is grateful for the attention and schools being interested in him, but it won't change his work ethic and his mindset. He works hard on the field and off and is a leader.”