The Arkansas rushing attack starts with Rocket Sanders, but the guys behind him are hungry to prove they’re just as talented and capable.
Junior tailback [autotag]AJ Green[/autotag] has been a solid change-of-pace back the last two seasons with his speed and receiving ability. [autotag]Rashod Dubinion [/autotag] burst onto the scene last season as a true freshman, finishing with 401 yards of total offense and six touchdowns. Don’t forget about [autotag]Dominique Johnson[/autotag] either. The starter in 2021, Johnson is back to full health after tearing his ACL in the Outback Bowl and then again in October of last season.
That’s without mentioning true freshman Isaiah Augustave or walk-on Emmanuel Crawford – both extremely gifted in their own rights with bright futures ahead.
Some coaches might look at having a position group that crowded as a detriment, but running backs coach [autotag]Jimmy Smith[/autotag] embraces it. He has instilled an “earn your keep” mentality amongst his group of guys that keeps everyone at their best at all times.
“There’s not a starter for a season, there’s a starter for a week. Everybody’s got to earn their keep every week,” Smith said. “It’s a big deal for you to practice good everyday, because we’re in the business of winning games. We’re in the business of putting the best person out there. That’s our philosophy, put the best person out there at that time.”
Having that many talented players and only limited opportunities, it might look impossible to manage from an outside prospective but Smith disagrees.
“Honestly, from the outside it looks difficult but for me it is fun,” Smith said. “I’ve got 1A, 1B, 1C, and I’ve got Dominique and Isaiah on the way. It ain’t difficult for me. It’s fun. They compete.”
While Rocket is still the clear bell cow for Arkansas, it’s comforting to know that the depth chart is full of capable tailbacks. We’ll get to see this stacked running back group in action less than a month from now when they open the season against Western Carolina on Sept. 2.
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