Jamal Mull's Central Arkansas state of mind.
- USA Top 100
- 5 days ago
- 2 min read
When Jamal Mull stepped onto the field at North West High School in Clarksville, Tennessee, he was hard to miss. Standing 6-foot-5 and tipping the scales at 325 pounds, Mull possessed the kind of size that turned heads.
Now, years later, the former defensive end recruit has carved out a new identity as a cornerstone of Central Arkansas’s offensive line.Mull was the first-ever player covered by our platform, and it’s been a front-row seat to watch his evolution.
Recruited to UCA by Tony Davis — with Coach Howard and Chaz Scales also part of the process at the time — Mull made his collegiate debut during the turbulent COVID season. That transition was anything but typical.
“All our workouts were separated, masks on — it didn’t feel like college football,” Mull recalled. “My real experience didn’t begin until sophomore year.”
Since then, he’s transformed. Under the guidance of offensive line coach Gunner Boykin, Mull has grown into a technically sound, disciplined, and trusted starter. Boykin’s coaching style — intense, detail-oriented, but not cookie-cutter — has allowed Mull the freedom to explore and develop his own technique.
“Coach Boykin gave me the tools and the trust. That made a huge difference,” Mull said, also crediting NFL vet King Dunlap and Logan Tillman for helping shape his journey.The past offseason was all about refinement for Mull.
From tweaking his stance to sharpening his mental game, his mission was clear: play fast, think faster.“I want to show I can process the game quickly.
That I can play with speed and intelligence,” he said. “Reading defenses, understanding schemes — it’s a whole different level from high school.
”Last year, Mull earned fourth-team all-conference honors — a nod he appreciated but felt didn’t reflect his true impact.“I felt like I played well enough to be higher.
This year, I want to start as a preseason all-conference guy and finish first team,” he stated. “But more than that, I want to lead. The right way. Not just on the field, but in life.”
A self-proclaimed Christ follower, Mull aims to use football as a platform for something bigger.
He’s focused on being a leader, both in the locker room and in his community. And winning? That’s always on the agenda.
“We have one of the best offensive lines in the country. Guys with all-conference talent from different schools.
We’re ready to dominate the run game — smashmouth football.”
For young athletes hoping to follow in his footsteps, Mull has one simple piece of advice:
“Keep working. I had a lot of schools interested, but there was always a ‘but.’ UCA told me,
‘You’re good — we can make you better.’ And they did. Maximize every opportunity.”
With his combination of size, skill, and mindset, Jamal Mull is proving that where you start doesn’t define where you finish — and he’s just getting started.
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