FAYETTEVILLE — University of Arkansas linebacker Bumper Pool announced on Friday he would return to school for his super senior season, following the path position mates Grant Morgan and Hayden Henry took to good success in 2021.
Pool, a fourth-year senior from Lucas, Texas, made the announcement on the Extra Points Podcast and released it on social media after spending a couple of days with family in Texas.
“It’s been such a great process,” Pool said on the show. “I’ve been very excited to meet a lot of good people, get a lot of good advice. Ultimately, I’m going to come back this year to Arkansas for my fifth year.
“I’m very excited about it. I think there’s a certain responsibility I have to continue the legacy and the tradition that we set this year.”
Pool led the Razorbacks and tied for 10th nationally with 125 tackles in 2021.
Arkansas Coach Sam Pittman openly touted his recruitment of Pool up to and including at the Outback Bowl last week, which the Razorbacks won 24-10 over Penn State to cap a 9-4 season.
Pool will enter 2022 with 349 career tackles in 44 games to rank ninth in school history. He is eight tackles behind 2010 College Football Hall of Fame inductee Ronnie Caveness for eighth place and 59 behind all-time leader Tony Bua, who had 408 stops from 2000-03.
Pool said after the Outback Bowl he would take a few days to ponder his decision to either return for a final season, granted by the NCAA in light of the covid-19 pandemic, or declare for the NFL Draft.
“I’ve honestly just been thinking nothing but this game,” Pool said after the game. “I knew there was a job to be done and then whenever the game is over, sit down with my parents, kind of hear what I should do.”
First-year Arkansas linebackers coach Michael Scherer said in early December he was hopeful for Pool to return.
“We have a good relationship,” Scherer said following Morgan’s win at the Burlsworth Trophy ceremony. “He’s a heck of a player and we can probably make him even a little bit better so we’ll see what happens.”