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Arkansas scored a huge victory in the spring transfer portal, getting a commitment from cornerback Julian Neal on Saturday.
Neal told On3 on Saturday of his commitment to Arkansas for the 2025 season.
Neal is 6-foot-2 and 205 pounds. He has had a whirlwind of a path to Fayetteville, playing for Fresno State for the past 3 seasons before transferring to Stanford during the winter transfer portal window. But Neal never played a down for the Cardinal, and is now taking his talents to Arkansas in the spring window.
Neal will be going to uncharted territory in the SEC to continue his collegiate football career. He was born in San Francisco and then spent those 3 years at Fresno State before taking a quick pit stop at Stanford. After all that time in California from birth through last season, Neal will be headed to Arkansas, which could use the help in its secondary.
He had 35 tackles, including 5 tackles-for-loss, 1 sack and 2 interceptions for Fresno State in 2024. Neal, who is considered one of the top defensive back talents in the spring portal, totaled 44 tackles, 7 tackles-for-loss, 1 sack, 2 interceptions and 8 passes defended during his 3-year career at Fresno State.
Arkansas will now have 2 players on its roster from Fresno State, with Neal joining wide receiver Raylen Sharpe, who transferred earlier in the offseason.
Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.
