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Pool

Pool (6'2/232) had a solid 2021 season, posting 125 combined tackles (45 solo) and two passes defended. According to Pro Football Focus, he had more defensive stops (56) than any other SEC player at the position last season, ahead of Aaron Hansford (54) and Grant Morgan (53). How he continues to build off of that will determine just how much of a standout he can be in the 2023 NFL Draft.

The Razorbacks had some bad luck on Saturday, as their top two linebackers were ejected for targeting. Morgan’s ban occurred during the first half, so he will be available for next weekend’s game against Texas from the start. Pool (6'2/230) wasn’t as fortunate with regard to timing, as he was ejected during the second half. That means he’ll also miss the first half of the old Southwest Conference (and future SEC) showdown.

Though concerning when Pool initially left Saturday’s game, it sounds like the LB’s injury isn’t anything too serious. According to Morris, Pool (6'2/228) didn’t actually come off the field as soon as he was injured, citing a boost of adrenaline potentially quelling the pain for a brief moment. Morris said he will “wait and see how it goes” with Pool’s rehab this week, but he expects the LB to be back in action sooner rather than later. Pool has 19 tackles and a tackle for loss to this point in the season.

The recruiting duo notes that Pool is "[a]n aggressive, physical and heady linebacker [who] can find and get around the football.” In the latest release of the ESPN Junior 300, the 6-foot-2, 215-pounder stands as the Worldwide Leader’s No. 153 overall prospect for the 2018 cycle. To this juncture, he has received nine offers, including ones from CFB luminaries such as Michigan, Alabama and USC. Luginbill and Haubert see him as a player whose recruitment could receive a rocket boost down the road.

“You can see the excitement in the players, [HC Bret Bielema]'s been getting good wins,” Pool said, “and he’s doing a good job of getting Arkansas back to being a high-caliber SEC school and competing for that conference title.” Over the summer, ESPN’s Tom Luginbill and Craig Haubert noted that the 6-foot-2, 215-pound linebacker is “physical and heady.” While National Signing Day, 2018 is not yet even visible on the horizon, Pool insisted that he will be “110-percent committed.”