FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas’ potential linebacker of the future is giving the Razorbacks quality defensive snaps in the here and now.
Chris “Pooh” Paul, a redshirt freshman from Cordele, Ga., has been the team’s clear top option at the second level beyond starters and impact players Drew Sanders and Bumper Pool. His playing time has increased in four of Arkansas’ last five games, and he is taking full advantage.
Paul enters this weekend’s game against Liberty sixth on the team in tackles with 28, including 16 solo stops.
“Pooh's getting better,” Arkansas coach Sam Pittman said Monday. “As soon as he lets it go (he’ll improve more). In other words, as soon as he understands, 'I know what I'm doing and I just go do it.' We've all been there, where you're playing a half step slow because you're going, 'I think I'm right.'
“Anybody that's played sports has been that way early. I think he's going to be a really good player.”
Paul's statistics and Pro Football Focus figures indicate he is already there in some respects. He has a pass-rush grade of 87.0, boosted by marks of 93.3 against South Carolina and 70.2 last Saturday at Auburn.
Paul has missed only three tackles this season, and two since the season opener against Cincinnati. His tackle grade is fourth best among the Razorbacks' defenders who have played more than 100 snaps.
Against the Tigers, Paul finished with 5 tackles, 1 sack and 1 quarterback hurry. It was his second full sack of the season in 22 pass-rush snaps, according to PFF.
“I said as I’m watching the tape on Pooh's sack that there'd be a lot of teams in the SEC that'd take him off of that play because he was fluid, fast, violent on the hit,” Pittman said. “He's got a lot of those left in his career for us.
“The more he plays, I think the better he'll get.”
Pool and Sanders are Arkansas’ leaders at linebacker with 72 and 65 tackles, respectively. Paul’s emergence has provided the Razorbacks a sense of comfort when bringing either starter off the field.
Paul played more snaps at Auburn (35) than Pool (32), who has battled a hip injury this season. Arkansas has made a push, Pittman noted this week, to decrease Pool’s reps when possible to preserve his body for the home stretch of the schedule.
Paul is more than ready and waiting for his opportunity to make an impact. He has 4 games with 5 tackles this season, 4 tackles for loss and 1 forced fumble, as well.
“You’ve got multiple players that can be on the field, multiple players that can start,” Sanders said Tuesday. “If you’ve got somebody that needs a break, you can throw somebody in and not have to worry about having a drop-off.
“Pooh keeps getting better and better, and he keeps pushing all of us and we keep pushing him. It’s a great system we’ve got going.”