The story of Arkansas running back signee Alex Collins dominated headlines last week.

Collins, who attends South Plantation High School in Plantation, Fla., had committed to the Razorbacks two days before signing day and was set to sign with Arkansas on Feb. 6. But Collins’s mother refused to sign his national letter of intent, leading Collins to seek out his father’s help to get the letter signed.

A similar situation could have occurred with Florida State linebacker signee Matthew Thomas from Booker T. Washington High School in Miami.

Thomas told Noles247.com he wanted to sign with Southern California but his mother refused to sign his letter of intent. Unlike Collins, Thomas chose not to battle his mother on the subject.

“We couldn’t agree, but it’s my mom, I just did what I had to do,” Thomas told Noles247.

Thomas insisted he’s not upset about his mother’s refusal to sign a letter to USC.

“I think everything works out how it’s supposed to,” Thomas said. “I’m going to make the best of my situation. It’s not like I’m unhappy, I really like Florida State. It’s not a problem, I’m happy with my decision.”

How many prospects would be happy with a situation similar to the one involving Thomas? Obviously Collins wasn’t; he still signed with Arkansas instead of staying close to home as his mother insisted.

But there are many prospects who would react the same way Thomas did, simply saying, “It’s my mom.”

Last week, standout defensive end Chris Jones from Houston, Miss., signed with Mississippi State instead of rival Ole Miss. One major reason: his mother wanted him in Starkville. At least that’s what Ole Miss co-defensive coordinator Wes McGriff told SI.com.

Ole Miss couldn’t sway Jones’s mother, but it was able to do so with other recruits. The Rebels staff made connections with the people closest to its top targets. With defensive end Robert Nkemdiche, it was his brother, who plays at Ole Miss, and mother, who made it clear Ole Miss was her top pick. With wide receiver Laquon Treadwell, Ole Miss’s recruiting started with his friend and former high school teammate (who signed with Ole Miss last February) and ended with his mother.

So with the 2014 recruiting period already underway, it should be obvious who coaches should target. It starts with the prospects, but with many, it will end with mom.

Hold off on those visits

The 2013 class featured many prospects who committed to one school (or two) but signed with another last week.

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Arkansas added 23 players from 9 different states on Wednesday and Thursday.  A breakdown of the Razorbacks’ “target zone” is below:

Arkansas = 7 recruits

Florida = 4

California = 3

Texas = 3

Kansas = 2

Colorado = 1

Georgia = 1

Hawaii = 1

New Jersey = 1

In-State Signees = 30.4%

Out-Of-State Signees = 69.5%

Observation:

Bret Bielema successfully locked down his state’s borders.  As a small state, Arkansas doesn’t produce a great deal of local prospects.  Those top players inside the state need to be held onto.  The Hogs signed seven in-state kids overall and they just happened to be seven of the eight highest-ranked players in the state.  Unfortunately, Alabama came in and grabbed the state’s top running back in Altee Tenpenny.  The bizarre signing of Alex Collins from Florida should help to make up for that loss.  Moving forward, let’s see if Bielema and crew are able to pull more kids from Texas and Oklahoma.

The story of running back Alex Collins — and his fleet-footed mother — should be resolved by the end of the day according to “a source close to the situation.”  CBSSports.com reports that the source believes Collins will still sign with Arkansas today… “It’s just going to take some time.”

Whether Collins’ mother signs the letter of intent she allegedly made off with or another parent/guardian signs it remains to be seen.

On Monday, five-star running back Alex Collins committed to Arkansas.  Today, he was supposed to announce his decision and sign his papers in his hometown of Fort Lauderdale, Florida.  But this afternoon, he’s canceled that ceremony in order to take more time to think about his future.

But this is where it gets even more interesting (horrible, if you’re a Razorback fan).  ESPNU reported that Collins’ mom actually “confiscated” her son’s letter of intent and left the school with it.  Reportedly, she wants Collins to say closer to home and attend Florida, Florida State or Miami.

You can bet a whole lot of fans — and coaches — are sweating this one from the Ozarks to the Keys.

“Dog eat your homework?”  “Nope, Mom stole my letter of intent.”

Running back Alex Collins from South Plantation High School in Plantation, Fla., has committed to Arkansas.

Collins, who visited Arkansas on Jan. 25, made his announcement live on FOX Sports South.

“I like the fact that they run the ball,” said Collins, who also cited his trust in the Razorbacks coaching staff. Collins was recruited by Arkansas head coach Bret Bielema when he was at Wisconsin.

Collins, who’s ranked the nation’s No. 13 running back by Rivals.com, chose Arkansas over Florida, Florida State, Miami and Wisconsin. He’s the 21st prospect to commit to Arkansas for the class of 2013.

The announcement from Collins was apparently met with great anticipation in Fayetteville, Ark. Bielema posted the following message on twitter shortly after Collins announced he plans to sign with the Razorbacks.

Wooooo pig sooooie!Great night to be a Razorback!

— Bret Bielema (@BretBielema) February 5, 2013

1. Linebacker Reuben Foster left his Auburn official visit to visit Alabama unofficially.

2. Alabama RB commitment Tyren Jones will have surgery to repair a broken jaw.

3. Defensive tackle Montravious Adams gave a quick take on his four finalists.

4. Not smart: DE Davin Bellamy tweeted a photo with a bong in it during his Oregon trip.

5. Former Auburn RB commit Jordan Wilkins from Cordova, Tenn., is headed to Ole Miss.

6. A’Shawn Robinson would help fill Alabama’s need for defensive linemen.

7. Robert Nkemdiche is likely headed to Ole Miss. But he enjoyed his visit to LSU.

8. Vanderbilt filled a running back spot by landing Ralph Webb from Gainesville, Fla.

9. Vonn Bell highlights a list of top prospects Tennessee is still recruiting.

10. Plantation, Fla., running back Alex Collins will announce his decision on Monday.

Arkansas has received three commitments this weekend for the class of 2013.

Defensive back De’Andre Coley from Miami, athlete D.J. Dean from Newton, Texas, and defensive tackle Ke’tyrus Marks from Riviera Beach, Fla. All three prospects committed to Arkansas during their official visits to Fayetteville.

“I did my research on Fayetteville and I can see it’s a great city,” Marks told HawgSports.com. “It has a lot of corporations in it, and being that I want to major in sport management, I can get internships and things like that after football is over.

“Arkansas has the best fans, by far. Of all the schools I’ve been recruited by, Arkansas’ fans showed the most love.”

Arkansas is hoping running back Alex Collins felt the same kind of love during his official visit. The Fort Lauderdale, Fla., standout told 247Sports he plans to announce his decision on Feb. 4. He’s also considering Florida, Florida State, Miami and Wisconsin.

“I’m going to go home and sit down, really think about each school that I visited and each school that I’m looking at and try to pick based on where I feel most comfortable,” said Collins, who’s ranked the nation’s No. 1 all-purpose back by 247Sports. “I’m going to sit down, talk to my mom, talk to my coach before I make my decision. And ultimately, whatever I feel most comfortable that I can thrive academically and athletically, that’s where I’ll end up going.”

Arkansas has 16 commitments for the class of 2013.