A San Francisco native who bounced from Fresno State to Stanford to Arkansas before finding a starting job, Julian Neal became the first Razorback drafted in 2026 when Seattle took him in the third round.
Julian Neal is a cornerback whose winding college path through Fresno State, a brief Stanford stop and finally Arkansas ended with the Seahawks drafting him 99th overall in the 2026 NFL Draft. He was the first Arkansas player selected that year and arrives in Seattle with elite broad-jump numbers from the combine.
Path to the league
Neal grew up in San Francisco and attended Mission High School before playing four seasons at Fresno State from 2021 to 2024. He transferred to Stanford after that stint but ultimately landed at Arkansas in April 2025, where family ties and familiar coaches helped him settle in for his final college season.
Career highlights
Across his four years at Fresno State, Neal recorded 44 tackles and two interceptions while working his way into a full-time role. At the 2026 NFL Combine, he posted the best broad jump among all cornerbacks and ran a 4.49-second 40-yard dash, with 32 5/8-inch arms that ranked in the top half of the position group.
2025 season recap
In his single season at Arkansas, Neal became a starter and started all 12 games, finishing with 55 tackles, two tackles for loss, two interceptions and 10 passes defensed. That production and his athletic testing convinced Seattle to select him in the third round, 99th overall, making him the first Razorback drafted in 2026.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Julian Neal
- Seahawks.com: Julian Neal NFL Draft profile
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Cornerback
- Group
- defense
- College
- Arkansas
- Hometown
- San Francisco, CA, USA
- Age
- 23
- Status
- active
