Football
Jalen Catalon, Bumper Poll named to award for top defender
Pair of Hogs make the watch list for the annual award to the top defensive player in college football.
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Arkansas defensive back Jalen Catalon and linebacker Bumper Pool were named to the preseason watch list for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy.
It is presented annually to the best defensive player in college football.
Catalon and Pool are two of 85 defensive standouts on this year’s watch list.
The Football Writers Association of America and the Charlotte Touchdown Club will announce finalists for the 2022 trophy on Nov. 16, and the winner will be unveiled on Dec. 5 at the Bronko Nagurski Awards Banquet in Charlotte, N.C.
Players may be added or removed from the watch list during the course of the season.
As in previous years, the FWAA will announce a National Defensive Player of the Week each Tuesday this season. If not already on the watch list, each week’s honored player will be added at that time.
Catalon enters the 2022 campaign as one of the nation’s top defensive backs despite missing most of last year due to a season-ending injury.
The Mansfield, Texas, native finished eighth on the team in total tackles (46) with 1.5 tackles for loss despite playing in only six games. His four pass breakups tied for third most on the Razorbacks.
Pool, meanwhile, led the Hogs in total tackles with 125 (45 solo), his second consecutive season with 100+ total tackles.
The Lucas, Texas, native is one of college football’s premier tackling machines, totaling the second-most stops (320) among all FBS defenders since 2019, and enters the 2022 campaign with 349 career tackles — ninth most all-time at Arkansas — to his name.
Arkansas kicks off the season at 2:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 3, against Cincinnati on ESPN.
| Thu, Aug 29 |  | vs UAPB (Little Rock) | W, 70-0 |
| Sat, Sep 7 |  | @ Oklahoma State | L, 31-39 2OT |
| Sat, Sep 14 |  | vs UAB | W, 37-27 |
| Sat, Sep 21 |  | @ Auburn | W, 24-14 |
| Sat, Sep 28 |  | vs Texas A&M (Arl) | L, 21-17 |
| Sat, Oct 5 |  | vs Tennessee | W, 19-14 |
| Sat, Oct 19 |  | vs LSU | L, 34-10 |
| Sat, Oct 26 |  | @ Mississippi State | W, 58-25 |
| Sat, Nov 2 |  | vs Ole Miss | L, 63-31 |
| Sat, Nov 16 |  | vs Texas | L, 20-10 |
| Sat, Nov 23 |  | vs Louisiana Tech | 3:00 PM ESPN+/SECN+ |
| Sat, Nov 30 |  | @ Missouri | 2:30 PM SEC Network |
| Following is the Arkansas Sports Media High School Football Poll including the Overall Top 10, the top five in Classes 7A, 6A, 5A, 4A, 3A and 2A, plus the top three in the 8-man division, as voted by a panel of sports media from around the state for the week ending August 24. Ranking is given with first-place votes received, records, total points and ranking from last week's poll: | ||||
| OVERALL | Record | Pts | Prv | |
| 1. | Bryant (25) | 10-0 | 268 | 1 |
| 2. | Greenwood (2) | 10-0 | 234 | 3 |
| 30 | Conway | 9-1 | 202 | 2 |
| 4. | Little Rock Parkview | 9-1 | 171 | 4 |
| 5. | Bentonville | 7-3 | 162 | 5 |
| 6. | Benton | 9-1 | 148 | 6 |
| 7. | Fayetteville | 8-2 | 111 | 7 |
| 8. | Pulaski Academy | 8-2 | 89 | 8 |
| 9. | Rogers | 7-3 | 43 | 9 |
| 10. | Joe T. Robinson | 9-1 | 22 | — |
| Others receiving votes: Valley View 8, Mountain Home 7, Cabot 6, Little Rock Catholic 6, Shiloh Christian 6, Elkins 1, Farmington 1. | ||||
| CLASS 7A | ||||
| 1. | Bryant (27) | 10-0 | 135 | 1 |
| 2. | Conway | 9-1 | 102 | 2 |
| 3. | Bentonville | 7-3 | 81 | 3 |
| 4. | Fayetteville | 8-2 | 45 | 4 |
| 5. | Pulaski Academy | 8-2 | 39 | 5 |
| Others receiving votes: Rogers 3. | ||||
| CLASS 6A | ||||
| 1. | Greenwood (27) | 10-0 | 135 | 1 |
| 2. | Benton | 9-1 | 108 | 2 |
| 3. | Mountain Home | 8-2 | 62 | 3 |
| 4. | Shiloh Christian | 7-3 | 49 | 4 |
| 5. | Little Rock Catholic | 9-1 | 34 | 5 |
| Others receiving votes: Marion 6. | ||||
| CLASS 5A | ||||
| 1. | Little Rock Parkview (27) | 9-1 | 135 | 1 |
| 2. | Joe T. Robinson | 9-1 | 106 | 2 |
| 3. | Valley View | 10-0 | 79 | 3 |
| 4. | Farmington | 9-1 | 48 | 4 |
| 5. | Hot Springs Lakeside | 8-2 | 20 | 5 |
| Others receiving votes: Camden Fairview 7, Harding Academy 7, Morrilton 3. | ||||
| CLASS 4A | ||||
| 1. | Elkins (20) | 10-0 | 126 | 1 |
| 3. | Arkadelphia (5) | 8-2 | 91 | 3 |
| 2. | Little Rock Mills (1) | 10-0 | 68 | 2 |
| 4. | Warren | 8-2 | 55 | 4 |
| 5. | Dardanell (1) | 9-1 | 23 | — |
| Southside Batesville | 10-0 | 23 | — | |
| Others receiving votes: Malvern 12, Gravette 5, Highland 2. | ||||
| CLASS 3A | ||||
| 1. | Bismarck (12) | 10-0 | 105 | 1t |
| 2. | Fordyce (10) | 10-0 | 96 | 1t |
| 3. | Prescott (1) | 9-1 | 70 | 4 |
| 4. | Osceola (2) | 8-1 | 54 | 3 |
| 5. | Booneville (1) | 9-1 | 39 | 5 |
| Others receiving votes: Mansfield (1) 23, Rivercrest 10, Rison 4, Salem 4. | ||||
| CLASS 2A | ||||
| 1. | Carlisle (20) | 10-0 | 127 | 1 |
| 2. | Conway Christian (7) | 10-0 | 115 | 2 |
| 3. | Des Arc | 8-2 | 59 | 5 |
| 4. | East Poinsett Co. | 7-3 | 52 | — |
| 5. | Bigelow | 6-4 | 18 | 3 |
| Murfreesboro | 7-3 | 18 | 4 | |
| Others receiving votes: Mount Ida 6, Junction City 4, Cross County 3, Poyen 3. | ||||
| 8-MAN SANCTIONED | ||||
| 1. | Strong-Huttig (27) | 5-0 | 81 | 1 |
| 2. | Midland | 9-0 | 53 | 2 |
| 3. | Cedar Ridge | 8-1 | 25 | 3 |
| Others receiving votes: Woodlawn 3. | ||||