#23

Julian Neal

Former defensive back at Arkansas. 2025: 2 interceptions, 10 pass breakups, 55 tackles.

DB · Arkansas · Sr. · #23

6′2″ · 200 lb · San Francisco, CA

CFB Index 80 · #42 of 364 cornersLow confidenceDrafted by Seattle — Rd 3, Pick 35, #99 overall

How he plays

Hits like a linebacker and still takes the ball away.

Passes defended: 99th percentile.

The full scouting read

The numbers

interceptions · 2025

10 PBU · 55 tackles · 2 TFL

Best game: 1 INT, 2 PBU, 11 tackles, vs Arkansas State

His career numbers, season by season

The story

Former defensive back at Arkansas. 2025: 2 interceptions, 10 pass breakups, 55 tackles.

Signed as a 3-star recruit to Fresno State in 2021.
Transferred from Stanford to Arkansas in 2025.
Drafted round 3 by the Seattle in 2026.

His career, year by year

How it ended

Four seasons at Arkansas, 97 tackles — drafted at #99 overall by Seattle.

His career

He barely played early on. Then he did not come off the field.

2021

Signed with Fresno State3-star out of Mission

202512 games

Entered the portal

2026

Drafted by Seattleround 3, pick 99

Career arc

Recruit

★★★

#1608 national

CFB

College

2 teams

2022–2025

NFL

NFL Draft

R3 · #99

Seattle · 2026

Coaching lineage · 2022–2025

1 coach

2022–2025

Sam Pittman

Arkansas

Played his entire career under Sam Pittman.

Where He Ended Up · NFL

Seattle2026 NFL rookie season

#99Rd 3 · Pick 35

Seattle2026 NFL rookie season

View college career stats ↓

2025 snapshot

Season context · Team result + system

2022Fresno State10-4HC: Jeff Tedford · Balanced

2023Fresno State9-4HC: Jeff Tedford · Pass-leaning

2024Fresno State6-7HC: Tim Skipper · Balanced

2025Arkansas2-10HC: Sam Pittman · Balanced

Where this defender ranks vs the field

Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort

80All-Conference level #42 of 364?

Low confidence7 metrics · season cumulative

Elite: passes defended (99th percentile). Strength: solo tackles (84th percentile). Concern: qb hurries (22nd percentile).

Box-score production (7)

Passes defended#20 / 2975 · 99th pct

Solo tackles#448 / 2975 · 84th pct

Tackles#484 / 2975 · 83rd pct

Interceptions#114 / 817 · 75th pct

Tackles for loss#1424 / 2975 · 47th pct

2.0

Sacks#1575 / 2975 · 24th pct

0.0

QB hurries#1662 / 2975 · 22nd pct

Percentiles are versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season, based on box-score production. There are no play-by-play efficiency bars here: CFBD's play-value model credits offensive players only, so no defensive EPA exists to rank.

Splits & context

Splits · Per-game

2025 season · 12 games

Home/Road · Season halves

Home vs Road

	TKL/g	TFL/g	SACK/g	PD/g
Home7g	5.9	0.1	0.0	0.9
Road5g	2.8	0.2	0.0	0.8

First half vs Second half

	TKL/g	TFL/g	SACK/g	PD/g
Weeks 1-76g	5.7	0.2	0.0	0.8
Weeks 8+6g	3.5	0.1	0.0	0.8

Supporting cast · Scheme

Staff and system around the player

2026 season

Head Coach

Ryan Silverfield

Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.

Awards

Player standing · 2025

Part-time starter

Tackle volume for the position in part-time-starter range.

Recognition

Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex

Production · CFB Index Score

80 · #42 of 364 corners

Three-star recruit. Now #42 at the position.

Career stats

Season	Team
2025	Arkansas	55	32	2.0	0.0	10	2	--
2024	Fresno State	32	19	4.0	1.0	4	2	--
2023	Fresno State	9	7	1.5	0.0	1	--	--
2022	Fresno State	1	1	0.0	0.0	1	--	--
Career		97	59	7.5	1.0	16	4	--

Signature game

SIGNATURE GAME · Week 1 · 2025

W 52–7

vs Alabama A&M

3 SOLO · 4 TOT

Dominant 45-point win at home against Alabama A&M.

With T. Green — 322 yds · 6 TD · 0 INT · QBR 86.4 · 41 rush yds (9 car) · D. Bale — 1 REC · 45 AVG · 2 IN 20

Game log

Game log · Week-by-week