The Recruiting Guy

RECRUITING: LB Bumper Pool 'felt right at home' at Arkansas

Junior linebacker Bumper Pool has ties to Arkansas.
Junior linebacker Bumper Pool has ties to Arkansas.

— Arkansas junior linebacker target Bumper Pool has been to Fayetteville several times as a recruit and made his latest visit Saturday for the Texas State game.

Pool made the trip with his father, Jeff, mother, Laurie, and younger brother, Harper. His sister, Maddie, is a sophomore at the University of Arkansas.

“I had a great time,” Pool said. “I got to see my sister. It was a good family trip. I felt right at home, and that was huge to me. I really have a good grip on the whole program.”

Before the game, Pool met with coach Bret Bielema, linebackers coach Vernon Hargreaves and recruiting coordinator E.K. Franks.

“It was very homey,” said Pool of his talk with Bielema. “He was talking to me like another person, not a recruit, but kind of like a teammate. It was cool to see because he’s a head coach and he’s so laid-back, but yet you have so much respect for him because that’s the way he does things.

“It’s cool to see his demeanor; it calms everybody else down. So no one is super stressed out, so you can just go out and play and have fun.”

Pool, 6-2, 216 pounds, of Lucas (Texas) Lovejoy, has scholarship offers from Arkansas, Southern Cal, Alabama, Baylor, SMU, Oklahoma State, TCU, Michigan, Texas A&M and others.

He said he and Hargreaves have a good connection.

“I guess our personalities click well,” Pool said. “He’s very passionate about the game, and so am I. He knows so much about the game, and that’s what I respect about him, and I’m excited to continue that relationship.”

ESPN rates Pool the No. 3 inside linebacker and No. 153 overall prospect in the nation for the 2018 class. Lovejoy coach Todd Ford called Pool a tremendous person.

“I believe to be really, really special, you have to have everything taken care of off the field,” Ford said. “Obviously in the classroom, socially and when all that happens, you can get yourself into a big-time status. He’s definitely in that area.

“I couldn't trust him more. He’s got a tremendous attitude. He’s a tremendous leader off the field; he’s tremendous in our community. Our kids follow him. He’s just a natural born leader.”

Ford, who has 20 years of coaching experience, said Pool is one of the top players he’s coached.

“He’s probably close to the top,” said Ford, who was the offensive coordinator at North Texas from 2007-09. “Defensively, he’s by far the best I’ve been fortunate to been around on a football field to coach. We’ve had some pretty special offensive players in my past, but defensively particular at the linebacker position, he’s right, right up there.”

Pool recorded 148 tackles, 18 tackles for loss, 4 sacks, a quarterback hurry, 6 pass breakups, 5 forced fumbles and 2 recovered fumbles as a sophomore. He had 13 tackles and a pass breakup in last week’s game.

“Wherever you see the football, he’s there,” Ford said.

Pool has a strong connection to Arkansas. In addition to his sister, his father, two aunts and two cousins also attended the university. His grandfather, Al Burke, also attended Arkansas in the late 1960s.

Pool started attending Razorbacks games at an early age.

“I was probably 4 or 5 [years old],” he said. “We were always dressing up for game day.”

He has several visits lined up in the coming weeks.

“I’m going up to Michigan, not this weekend, but the next weekend,” Pool said. “Then I’ll try and make the Alabama game ([n Fayetteville] and then at Alabama for the [Texas] A&M game and then try and make an A&M game down in College Station.”

Pool’s timeframe for a college decision is fluid.

“It will probably be earlier than later, but as of right now, I’m not for sure,” Pool said. “I’m starting to realize some things.”

His family with Arkansas ties aren’t shy about voicing their thoughts on where he should go to college.

“They’re always ‘Woo Pig’ after every text or good luck text or congrats on your offer, but Woo Pig,” Pool said. “They always put a little shot in there.”

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