Arkansas has announced the 2024 inductees for the UA Sports Hall of Honor.
Eight former University of Arkansas student-athletes and a legendary coach have been selected for the 2024 class of the University of Arkansas Sports Hall of Honor.
The inductees include Ravin Caldwell (football), Alex Collins (football), Matt Hemingway (men’s track and field), Matt Jones (football), Kareem Reid (men’s basketball), Coach Dave Van Horn (baseball), Devon Wallace (softball), David Walling (baseball), and Wendi Willits (women’s basketball). Alex Collins will be inducted posthumously. The formal induction ceremony will take place on Friday, September 13, 2024, at the Walton Arts Center in Fayetteville, the evening before the Arkansas-UAB football game at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium.
Inductees are chosen for the UA Sports Hall of Honor through a vote by former Razorback letter winners in conjunction with the A Club.
“The University of Arkansas Sports Hall of Honor represents the best of the best in the history of our program,” said Vice Chancellor and Director of Athletics Hunter Yurachek. “This year’s talented class features a Hall of Fame coach and some of the most dynamic athletes in Razorback history, including national champions, Olympic medalists, and standouts from six of our programs who helped lay the foundation for our success. We look forward to celebrating these men and women and their many accomplishments during our Hall of Honor weekend.”
Additional information, including how to secure tickets for this free event, will be released in the coming weeks. Sponsorships for the banquet are available by contacting the Razorback Foundation at (479) 443-9000.
2024 UA Sports Hall of Honor Inductees
Ravin Caldwell, Football
Caldwell played for Arkansas from 1982 to 1985, contributing to the Razorbacks’ 32 victories and two top-12 final rankings. The 1982 team finished the season ranked No. 9 with a 9-2-1 record, culminating in a win over Florida in the Bluebonnet Bowl. Caldwell’s Razorback career included 153 tackles, 20.0 tackles for loss resulting in 110 yards lost, five fumble recoveries, six forced fumbles, 16 pass breakups, and one interception. As a junior, he led the team with 5.5 sacks, 10.0 tackles for loss, and four fumble recoveries, alongside 65 tackles and three forced fumbles. He was selected in the fifth round of the 1986 NFL Draft by the Washington Redskins, where he helped secure victories in Super Bowls XXII and XXVI. Caldwell’s NFL career spanned from 1987 to 1992, during which he appeared in 79 games and recorded 8.5 sacks.
Alex Collins, Football
Alex Collins, one of the finest running backs to ever don the Razorbacks uniform, made a significant impact on the football field from an early age. Born in Miami, Collins was honored in both his youth football cities and at South Plantation High School, where his jersey is retired. As a true freshman, he made SEC history by becoming the first player to rush for 300 yards in his first three games. Named SEC Freshman of the Year, Collins went on to rush for over 1,000 yards in each of his three seasons with the Razorbacks. In his junior season, he set a program record with 20 rushing touchdowns.
Collins ranks second on the Razorbacks’ career rushing list and is one of only three players in SEC history, along with Darren McFadden and Herschel Walker, to start their careers with three consecutive 1,000-yard seasons. Over his 38-game collegiate career, he amassed 3,703 yards and 36 touchdowns on 665 carries, finishing as the SEC’s active leader in career rushing yards. He is second all-time in Razorback history for career rushing yards (3,703) and 100-yard games (17), and fourth in rushing touchdowns (36).
Selected by the Seattle Seahawks in the fifth round of the 2016 NFL Draft, Collins played for both the Seahawks and the Baltimore Ravens. In his five-season NFL career, he rushed for 1,997 yards and 18 touchdowns, and accumulated 467 receiving yards with one touchdown. In 2023, Collins signed with the Memphis Showboats of the United States Football League (USFL).
Matt Hemingway, Men’s Track and Field
An Olympic medalist and SEC champion, Matt Hemingway was a standout high jumper for Arkansas’ renowned men’s track and field program from 1992-96. A four-time All-American, he contributed to three consecutive NCAA Outdoor team titles and one NCAA Indoor championship during his Razorback career. In 1995, he captured the SEC Indoor High Jump title with a jump of 7-4.5, a mark that still ranks No. 6 on Arkansas’ all-time list. Hemingway earned silver and bronze medals in the high jump at the SEC Outdoor Championships, a silver medal at the 1996 NCAA Outdoor, and tied for a bronze at the 1995 NCAA Outdoor. He also earned bronze at the 1995 NCAA Indoor.
During his senior year at the 1996 Olympic Trials, Hemingway finished fourth, matching the winning height of 7-6.5 (2.30), a height that earned him a school record he still shares with three other Razorback high jumpers. He went on to a successful professional career, setting a personal best of 7-9.75 (2.38) to win the 2000 USATF Indoor title after not competing for the two previous years. The highlight of his illustrious career came in 2004 at the age of 31 when he placed second at the U.S. Olympic Trials, earning a spot on Team USA for the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece. On the biggest stage in sports, Hemingway excelled, winning a silver medal in the high jump and finishing as the top American in the field.
Matt Jones, Football
Arkansas’ all-time rushing quarterback leader, Matt Jones, was one of the most dynamic players ever to take the field for the Razorbacks. A four-year letterman, he led the Hogs to victories in two of the NCAA’s longest games on record, each lasting seven overtimes. His career Razorback stats include 417 completions on 755 pass attempts, 5,857 passing yards, 53 passing touchdowns, 2,535 rushing yards, and 24 rushing touchdowns. He rushed for more yards than any quarterback in SEC history. His 7.38 yards-per-play average in total offense ranks second in SEC history, behind only Florida’s Danny Wuerffel (7.75).
Jones finished his career as the Razorbacks’ career leader in total offense (8,392 yards) and touchdown responsibility (77). He ranks fourth in the UA record book with 53 passing touchdowns. In 2004, he was voted to the All-SEC second team by the coaches. The Fort Smith, Arkansas native served as team captain in 2004 and during his four years helped the Razorbacks compile a team record of 30-20 (.600), while appearing in three bowl games. Following his career at Arkansas, Jones was drafted in the first round of the 2005 NFL Draft by the Jacksonville Jaguars as a wide receiver. In his four-year NFL career, he earned 2,153 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns. He was inducted into the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame in 2023.
Kareem Reid, Men’s Basketball
A dynamic point guard for the Razorbacks from 1995-99, Kareem Reid is Arkansas’ all-time assists leader and ranks second in SEC history with 749 career assists. He also scored 1,475 points over his four-year career, placing him 14th on the school’s all-time list, and had 251 career steals, ranking third in school history. Reid was a three-time NABC All-District selection (1997, 1998, and 1999). He led the team in assists and steals each of his four years, including an SEC-best 183 assists in 1997. Reid was the team’s leading scorer in 1996 (426 points) and was named to the SEC All-Freshman team. Reid ranks 11th in SEC history for career assists per game (5.7) and eighth in career steals.
During his tenure, Arkansas finished among the top 25 three times, and Reid was named to the SEC All-Tournament team. The Razorbacks played in the postseason all four years, including an NIT Final Four appearance in 1997 and an NCAA Sweet 16 berth in 1996.
Dave Van Horn, Baseball
Dave Van Horn, a three-time SEC Coach of the Year, has transformed Arkansas into one of the nation’s top college baseball programs since returning to his alma mater to succeed legendary coach Norm DeBriyn. As of his 22nd season in 2024, Van Horn, the second-winningest coach in Arkansas baseball history, has led the Razorbacks to seven College World Series appearances, including a runner-up finish in 2018 and four top-five finishes (2009, 2012, 2018, 2022). His tenure also includes 20 NCAA Tournament berths, three SEC overall titles, eight SEC Western Division championships, one SEC Tournament title, and 883 overall wins, with 353 SEC victories. With 1,468 career wins, Van Horn is the winningest active Division I head coach and one of only five head coaches in college baseball history with 300 or more SEC wins.
Van Horn consistently produces nationally competitive teams and develops elite student-athletes both on and off the field. His tenure has seen two Golden Spikes Award and Dick Howser Trophy winners—outfielder Andrew Benintendi (2015) and pitcher Kevin Kopps (2021)—as well as numerous All-Americans, All-SEC performers, and future professional baseball players. Under his leadership, 35 Razorbacks have earned All-America honors, 52 have received All-SEC recognition, and 136 have been drafted into Major League Baseball.
Devon Wallace, Softball
Devon Wallace played for the Razorback softball team from 2012-2015 and holds the school’s career records for slugging percentage (.671), on-base percentage (.557), runs scored (184), home runs (47), walks (235), and total bases (378). The Double Oak, Texas native ranks second in batting average (.357), third in RBIs (130), and eighth in hits (201). Wallace is a three-time All-SEC selection, a four-time NFCA All-Region honoree, the 2012 SEC Freshman of the Year, and the 2015 SEC Co-Scholar Athlete of the Year. Her 2013 season was the most decorated in program history, leading the nation and setting a single-season SEC record with 79 walks. Her on-base percentage of .627 that year was the highest in the country and the second-highest single-season mark in SEC history. Wallace ranks second in SEC career history for on-base percentage and walks, with her 235 free passes being the sixth-most in Division I history. She was selected 20th overall in the 2015 NPF Draft by the Pennsylvania Rebellion.
David Walling, Baseball
David Walling pitched for the Razorbacks for two years under head coach Norm DeBriyn from 1998-99. Walling was outstanding in both seasons, maintaining a 29.0 consecutive scoreless innings streak as a junior in 1998, the longest ever by a Razorback pitcher. His performance improved further in his senior year, when he set a then-school record with 155 strikeouts in 121.1 innings, surpassing his previous record of 128 strikeouts set in 1998. Before Walling, the single-season Arkansas strikeout record was 111 by Matt Carnes in 1995. Walling holds the program’s No. 2 single-season strikeout mark and ranks fourth in career strikeouts with 283, a mark that was second when it was set. He pitched in a milestone game, striking out 16 Eastern Illinois batters to help Coach DeBriyn achieve his 1,000th career victory. Walling was an All-American in both 1998 and 1999, earning first and second-team All-SEC honors in those respective years. Walling was drafted 27th overall in the first round of the 1999 MLB Draft by the Yankees, after previously being selected in the 13th round by the Mets in 1996 and the 27th round by the Angels in 1997.
Wendi Willits, Women’s Basketball
During her time at Arkansas, Wendi Willits was a starting player for four years and continues to hold the record for the most three-pointers made in the Razorbacks’ history with 316. She played from 1998 to 2001, starting her career on one of Arkansas’ most iconic teams, the 1997-98 squad that made a historic run to the Final Four, the program’s only appearance to date. Known for her scoring ability, Willits ranks seventh on Arkansas’ all-time scoring list, totaling 1,574 points during her collegiate career. Her record of 104 three-pointers in a single season stood for nearly two decades until it was surpassed by Amber Ramirez in 2020. In her sophomore year, Willits was among the top five in the nation for both three-point shooting percentage and total three-pointers made. She was also honored with the Ed Steitz Award by the Basketball Hall of Fame, recognizing her as the top three-point shooter in the country.
Her uniform, which featured her distinctive headband, was exhibited at the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts, during the 1999-2000 season. Willits maintained consistency throughout her final three years at Arkansas, averaging more than 13 points per game and shooting over .397 from beyond the arc each season. Following her collegiate career, she joined the Los Angeles Sparks for a season and contributed to their 2001 WNBA Championship campaign.
