Sam Pittman glad Dalton Wagner, Bumper Pool returned, projects their NFL future

Arkansas‘ year hasn’t gone quite the way many inside the program had hoped, with a rash of injuries contributing to a 5-5 start to the season. Still, coach Sam Pittman is grateful for a couple veterans like Dalton Wagner and Bumper Pool who returned for the 2022 season with the hopes of taking the Razorbacks to new heights.

For the third-year Arkansas head coach, that’s what college football’s all about.

“It says something about they just love to play football,” Pittman explained. “And to be honest with you, Dalton has a chance to, he’ll have a chance in the NFL. And Bumper will have a chance. For them to come back, I don’t believe Dalton had a draftable grade last year, but Bumper did.

“And for him to come back, and I know part of it was for him maybe to set a tackle record, which he did. But I think a bunch of it was they were having fun, they were enjoying it, they were doing some things that they hadn’t been able to do since they got here.”

Pool has been a tackling machine on defense, racking up a team-leading 90 stops so far this season. He has also recorded 4.5 tackles for a loss, 2.0 sacks, five quarterback hurries and three pass breakups.

Wagner has started nine of 10 games on the offensive line.

“If we can get bowl eligible that would be the ones that lead the way to getting that as well, because I know they don’t want their career to end a week from Friday,” Pittman said. “I’m really honored to have coached them and really greateful that they elected to come back.

“College football’s hard. I mean it’s hard and they elected to come back, and I’ll always be grateful for them for that.”

Dalton Wagner, Bumper Pool returned to help Arkansas take next step

One of the reasons both Dalton Wagner and Bumper Pool returned to school in 2022 was to help the Razorbacks take the next step.

In terms of record that won’t happen this season. The team would max out at eight wins if it won out at this point, one shy of last year’s 9-4 mark. But that’s far from assured, of course.

Arkansas has games remaining against No. 14 Ole Miss and at Missouri, needing to win at least one to get to six wins to claim bowl eligibility.

But that’s certainly the goal from here. That’s what these seniors have worked toward.

“Well, we were able to get bowl for most of that group, because some of them are new — but most of that group. And hopefully we can do it again this year,” Pittman said. “Their last three years, assuming they’ve been here, were with me. And I appreciate it. They took me in, accepted me. Fought like heck for us and the program and changed it. And we still have a long way to go and things of that nature, but I’m really proud of those guys.”

Arkansas will kick off against Ole Miss at 7:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, with a broadcast set for the SEC Network.