FAYETTEVILLE — The high-production trio of Jalen Catalon, KJ Jefferson and Bumper Pool will join Arkansas coach Sam Pittman at SEC Media Days in Atlanta next week, UA officials said Tuesday as the league office announced the full roster of attendees.
Arkansas will appear on the third day of the proceedings at the College Football Hall of Fame on Wednesday at 8 a.m. Central. The Razorbacks will go through media interviews on the same day as defending College Football Playoff champion Georgia, Florida and Kentucky.
Pool, a fifth-year senior from Lovejoy, Texas, led the Razorbacks and tied for 10th nationally with 125 tackles last season despite starting just one game. He was an All-SEC selection by The Associated Press and conference coaches.
Catalon, a fourth-year junior safety from Mansfield, Texas, is coming off shoulder surgery. He ranked eighth on the team with 46 tackles in six games last season and had 99 tackles and three interceptions the season before to earn Freshman All-America honors. He is a preseason first-team All-America and All-SEC choice by Phil Steele’s college football magazine this year.
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Jefferson was MVP of the Outback Bowl after helping guide the Razorbacks to a 9-4 season, their highest win total since 2011 and their first New Year’s Day bowl game since 2000.
The Sardis, Miss., native completed 198 of 294 passes (67.3%) for 2,676 yards and 21 touchdowns and rushed for a team-high 664 yards and 6 touchdowns. Jefferson was one of eight FBS quarterbacks with 2,500-plus passing yards, 20-plus touchdown passes, 500-plus rushing yards and 5-plus rushing touchdowns in 2021.
Pittman, named Tuesday as one of 20 coaches on the Bobby Dodd Trophy preseason watch list, landed a restructured contract that averages to more than $6 million per year after leading Arkansas to four trophy-game wins last season.
Jefferson is one of seven high-profile SEC quarterbacks and one of a handful of Heisman Trophy contenders scheduled to participate in the event. The other quarterbacks on the attendee roster are Alabama’s Bryce Young, last year’s Heisman Trophy winner, Georgia’s Stetson Bennett, Tennessee’s Hendon Hooker, Kentucky’s Will Levis, Florida’s Anthony Richardson and Vanderbilt’s Mike Wright.
Seven graduate seniors are scheduled to participate, led by Hooker and Missouri’s Barrett Banister, the grandson of former Arkansas assistant coach and former University of Central Arkansas head coach Harold Horton.
Three sophomores are also on the roster in Richardson, LSU wideout Jack Bech and Georgia offensive lineman Sedrick Van Pran. Kentucky, Mississippi State, Missouri, South Carolina and Tennessee are sending all-senior contingents.
The event kicks off Monday at 10:30 a.m., with an address from Commissioner Greg Sankey, followed by LSU, Ole Miss and Missouri.
Alabama, Vanderbilt, Mississippi State and South Carolina are slated to appear Tuesday, along with SEC coordinator of officials John McDaid. The final day will feature Auburn, Tennessee and Texas A&M.