2018 4-Star Bumper Pool makes commitment to Arkansas

For 2018 four-star linebacker Bumper Pool, there was really only one clear choice.

The Lucas, Texas, prospect had picked up offers from the likes of Alabama, LSU, Michigan, Texas A&M and others during this past offseason, but on Monday evening he set all those aside and committed to Arkansas.

The Razorbacks were one of the earlier teams in on his recruitment and had an inherent advantage with so much of his family having ties to the university. Pool is now on track to join his sister as a third-generation alum with two aunts and two cousins that have attended Arkansas as well.

"My family is all close by - some of them live in Arkansas," he said. "Just knowing that they'll get to come watch me play and all my little cousins get to grow up watching me play for the Razorbacks is a big deal."

The family connections are nice, but the football program has certainly done enough in it’s own right to garner the attention of a player like Pool. Boosted by a strong start this season, Arkansas has the potential to win nine games for the first time since 2011.

Head coach Bret Bielema has seen improvement in the team’s performance over the past three years, and Pool expects that to continue. He said that when he informed Bielema of his commitment following Arkansas' win over Florida this past weekend, he felt the coach's excitement to have him be a part of that process.

"[Bielema] has done a phenomenal job changing the program from where it was when he got there," he said. "You can see the excitement in the players, he's been getting good wins, and he's doing a good job of getting Arkansas back to being a high-caliber SEC school and competing for that conference title.

"I think he was a little surprised (when I committed), I think he had an idea that I might, but when I told him he got this big smile, gave me a hug and told me that he's so excited to get started and continue the relationship."

Beyond Bielema, Pool has a well-established relationship with linebackers coach Vernon Hargreaves, and said that his experience with the nuances of life around college football and recruiting helped develop their personal bond. Seeing how he has coached linebacker Brooks Ellis on the field has furthered his confidence in Hargreaves to continue growing Pool as a player.

"When I went to camp going into my sophomore year, Coach Hargreaves loved me and we hit it off from there," he said. "He's one of those coaches that understands what his players are going through; he talked about his son, how he had his mind set on one school he wanted to go to and just told me 'if you go to the school you know you want to go to, the football part becomes much easier.'"

"I emulate my game off of [Ellis]," he added. "The coaches don't like to compare players, but they said they can see me playing his position and he's done it so well. And they see me coming to fill that role whenever it's my time to start."

As far as all the offers from other big-name programs are concerned, barring a major shakeup in Fayetteville, it doesn't seem as though there is much to worry about. For as proactive as Pool was in the offseason about camping at and visiting numerous campuses, he saw everything he needed to know to realize that his first choice was always the best one for him.

"Getting to live out that childhood dream is one of my big points," he said. "A lot of kids say they want to play football for the Arkansas Razorbacks, and their parents say 'OK, honey...' but to actually make it come true is a huge deal for me.

"I'm one of those guys that I'm going to be 110-percent committed. I know they put a lot on the line for me - if I get hurt, I know they're still going to honor my scholarship so I'm going to honor my commitment. I love the campus out there, I love everything about Arkansas."