[autotag]Dominique Johnson[/autotag] finished the 2021 season as Arkansas’ starting tailback. His 5.9 yards per carry and seven touchdowns led the Razorbacks and earned him the right to keep the gig heading into 2022.
Behind him, however, are knockings, most notably from sophomore [autotag]Rocket Sanders[/autotag].
“I said, ‘You’ve turned out where you’re making cuts and you’re getting vertical and you’re seeing things before it happens,'” Pittman said. “He has some athletic ability to make you miss and run over you, but what he says is he understands everything now.”
Sanders has taken advantage of the extended reps he has received during Arkansas’ spring practices. Johnson has missed camp recovering from injury and hasn’t been able to defend his billing at the top, leading to potential Sanders could enter the season as the starter.
Ultimately, the way Arkansas runs the ball, it’s irrelevant. Arkansas “starter” would be in name only and not a reflection of best, necessarily. Consider last season when four players all ran for more than 500 yards. Three of them came from running back, where [autotag]Trelon Smith[/autotag] began the season as starter.
The carry split between Smith, Johnson and Sanders was 119, 114 and 97. The differences were negligible as Smith ran for 598 yards, Johnson 575 and Sanders 578.
However it rolls, Sanders knows there is a bit of increased expectation on the guy who is labeled as the No. 1. He’s ready for it.
“Becoming a 1, just seeing different holes and just really seeing it from last year playing from the second and third sting, it actually helped me to become a 1 and see better things,” Sanders said. “Being a 1, I feel like it’s a big role. That right there makes me want to be a leader not just for the running back room, but for everyone else, as well.”
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