Arkansas defensive line coach Deke Adams and offensive line coach Eric Mateos are recruiting consensus 4-star lineman Danny Beale III to play on either side of the ball.

“They’re trying to get me to play both sides of the ball,” Beale said. “I like both coaches.”

Beale, 6-4 and 330 pounds, of Cross County has 18 scholarship offers from schools like Arkansas, Southern Cal, Oregon, Georgia, Ole Miss, Florida, Oklahoma, Auburn, Mississippi State and others.

He said Mateos likes to have fun with him.

“Coach Mateos calls me like, ‘You feel like an O-lineman today,’ ” Beale said. “He’ll say ‘You feel like a Razorback O-lineman.’ We’ll just be playing. He tells me that all the time.”

Beale, who recorded 26 tackles, 4 tackles loss, 3 sacks, 4 quarterback hurries and 1 forced fumble as a sophomore, said Ole Miss, Arkansas State and Mississippi State are also recruiting him to play both sides of the ball.

“I think I have more of a defensive mindset,” Beale said.

Beale said Arkansas has invited to him attend the Hogs’ game against Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Thursday night in Little Rock, but he has decided against the travel to and from the game to avoid getting home late before he and his teammates kickoff against Harrisburg on Friday night.

He is looking to attend a Razorback home game while also looking to visit Southern Cal, Georgia and Oregon along with other SEC schools this season.

On3.com’s industry ranking, which combines all four major recruiting services, lists Beale the No. 8 defensive lineman and the No. 82 overall prospect in the nation for the 2026 class.

ESPN’s ranking is the highest among the other services. The site lists him the No. 2 defensive tackle and the No. 71 overall prospect nationally. ESPN and the other three services rate him the top prospect in Arkansas.

He visited and camped at Ole Miss and Missouri during the summer. He’s planning to make official visits to his top schools next spring and in the summer.

Beale, who plans to enroll at his school of choice in January after his senior season, has a 335-pound bench press, 585 squat and 285 power clean. He also recorded 13.72 seconds in the 100 meters.

He along with other prospects around the country get somewhat star struck during the early part of the recruiting process when meeting the high-profile coaches who are pursuing them.

“It’s unreal, it just feels different,” said Beale, who has a 3.8 GPA. “Like seeing them on TV and how they are and then seeing them in person, it’s different. Them actually talking to you one-on-one.”