Julius Pope could fit in at a lot of spots for Arkansas, and the best player comparison for him might be aggressive and instinctive former Razorback Jerico Nelson (2008-11).
When Arkansas coach Sam Pittman and his staff started recruiting Batesville (Miss.) South Panola’s Julius Pope, they did it without knowing where he would fit in on the roster. Pittman ultimately did not feel like they could go find 20 players better than him, so they’ll figure it out when he arrives. Pope signed a letter of intent with the Razorbacks on Wednesday.
A good bet for the 6-foot, 195-pound athlete is to see him get a look at their Hog position, which is the name of the nickel back spot in Travis Williams’ defense. 247Sports lists Pope as an athlete, but on the industry-generated 247Sports Composite he is listed as a four-star recruit and the No. 39 linebacker prospect in the nation. When the University of Arkansas announced his signing on Wednesday, they had him listed as a linebacker on X but had him as a defensive back on their website bio…
“He’s really an athlete,” Pittman said. “Here’s what happened with Juju. We watched his tape, and we were doing the same thing. We’re going, ‘where are we going to play this kid? We going to play him at Hog? We going to play him at linebacker? We going to play him at running back?’
“So, what I said was ‘Look, if we can sign 20 guys better than him, I don’t think we can.’ So, I said, ‘Let’s take him, and then we’ll figure out where to play him when he gets here.’
“On our depth chart right now, he’s a Hog. So, we’ll see, but we know he can play running back. We know he can play safety, and I think he might could play a willy linebacker or a box linebacker. We’ll just wait and see. We took him because I didn’t think we could sign 20 guys better than him.”
When Pittman says, ‘He’s a Hog,’ that is actually the name given to Arkansas’ nickel back position. That is likely the position that fits him best. That spot requires a physical presence that can take on running backs and fight through blockers but is also nimble enough to cover slot receivers.
For Razorback fans, the best comparison to Pope might be former Destrehan (La.) standout Jerico Nelson, who came to Arkansas as a 5-10, 186-pounder in the Class of 2008 who was recruited by different schools to play running back and nickel. Nelson, who grew to 5-10, 216, had a standout career in Fayetteville before a brief NFL career with the New Orleans Saints. At Arkansas, he finished his career with 268 tackles, 10.5 sacks and four interceptions.
Overview: Pope was a do-it-all player for South Panola, which finished 11-2 and advanced to the third round of the state playoffs this season. Pope was recruited to Fayetteville by defensive backs coach Marcus Woodson and is expected to be used on the defensive side of the ball, likely as a hybrid or a safety position. The 6-0, 195-pound athlete built a very strong early offer list that included the likes of Alabama, Michigan, Oregon, Mississippi State, and Louisville, but he chose the Razorbacks on April 8 and never showed any strong signs of wavering. He is expected to enroll in January.
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