Hogs land top available defensive back in portal

The Razorbacks' attempt to shore up its lack of defensive backfield production was met with the notable commitment of Stanford transfer Julian Neal.

The 6-foot-2, 205 pound defensive back had a breakout junior season with the Bulldogs last fall by recording 35 tackles, five tackles for loss, six pass break-ups, two interceptions and one sack. Neal is the No. 4 overall player currently available in the transfer portal.

One of the most sought after visitors of the weekend is Neal, who initially committed to Stanford during the winter portal period after one year at Fresno State. The Cardinal's general manager and former quarterback Andrew Luck opted to fire coach Troy Taylor for his alleged mistreatment of certain staffers.

Arkansas is under the direction of first-year defensive back coach Nick Perry who takes over a unit that has been one of the worst among FBS teams in two of the previous three seasons. The Razorbacks have struggled mightily against the pass in 2024 as the secondary plummeted to No. 108 while giving up a shade over 242 yards per game.

As a whole, the Razorbacks' defense finished No. 73 nationally, allowing 376 yards and 25 points per game which was good for No. 66 among FBS teams. Perry takes over after spending several years in the NFL, most recently with the Seattle Seahawks where he served as a quality control assistant.

Neal is Arkansas’ second portal addition of the weekend. Kent State transfer linebacker Trent Whalen announced his commitment to Arkansas Friday night.

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