Reminiscent of the mid-2000s, the Arkansas running back room is arguably the best in the SEC, top to bottom, and one of the elite groups in the nation.
It’s been nearly 17 years since two-time Heisman Trophy runner-up Darren McFadden left for the NFL, along with one-time running mates Felix Jones and Peyton Hillis. The 2006 roster also including a dynamic freshman, in future 1,000-yard back Michael Smith.
The Hogs have had some other stellar ball-carriers since then, with the likes of Broderick Green, Jonathan Williams, Alex Collins, Rawleigh Williams III and Rakeem Boyd. But this year’s complete stable of backs may be unmatched, when all is said and done. And it all starts with the explosive Rocket Man.
Starter: Raheim “Rocket” Sanders
Class: Junior
Measurables: 6-2, 242 lbs.
Last Season: Ran for 1,443 yards on 222 attempts with 10 touchdowns and a long of 76 yards against Auburn. He also caught 28 passes for 271 yards and a pair of TDs, averaging 9.7 yards per catch, with a long of 73 yards against Missouri State. In his 250 total touches, he did not fumble the ball.
2023 Outlook: Rocket has already been selected as a preseason first-team All-SEC performer, as well as a second-team All-American. He has also been named to the national Watch Lists for the Walter Camp. Doak Walker and Maxwell Awards. Some early mock drafts have him going as high as the first-round in the 2024 NFL Draft.
After adding 15 pounds this offseason, the Rockledge, Fla., product, has been able to get bigger and stronger, while improving his already-elite speed. He admits that he feels better than ever entering what could be his final season in Fayetteville. It also helps that he gets to team up with senior KJ Jefferson, arguably the best quarterback in the conference, and is getting comfortable in new offensive coordinator Dan Enos’ pro-style offense.
“A lot of learning with the new offensive coordinator,” Sanders said. “(KJ Jefferson) makes me comfortable, the offensive coordinator (Dan Enos), and him as well. I just feel more comfortable this year just talking to him and learning new things and always going in for questions. He’s always there for me.”
Enos has been enamored with Sanders’ consistent effort and competitiveness, even in practice.
“You would think that he’s a freshman that just got here,” Enos said. “When I say that, I mean his attitude and his demeanor and the way he practices. He doesn’t practice like a guy who rushed for 1,500 yards last year and has all these accolades. He runs the ball in practice like a guy who is very hungry and has something to prove.”
Vegas currently has Sanders at 150-1 to win the Heisman Trophy, which also depends heavily on the team’s success, but if he can remain healthy, those odds could shrink in a hurry.
Back-up 2A: Rashod Dubinion
Class: Sophomore
Measurables: 5-10, 216 lbs.
Last Season: As a true freshman, he ran for 293 yards on 71 attempts with five touchdowns, averaging 4.1 yards per carry. He also caught 12 passes for 108 yards and another TD, averaging 9.0 yards per catch. In his 83 total touches, he did not fumble the ball.
The high 3-Star recruit out of Ellenwood, Ga., came in as the nation’s No. 22 athlete, according to 247Sports, choosing the Razorbacks over a long-list of Power-5 programs, such as Auburn, Florida, Florida State and Ole Miss.
He played in all 13 games last season and quickly turned heads with his elusive speed and ability to find holes, as well as pass-catching skills. He turned in his best performance against Kansas in the Liberty Bowl, rushing for 112 yards and two touchdowns on 20 carries, to go along with three receptions for 19 yards.
2023 Outlook: The talented back looks primed to take things up another notch this season after dedicating himself to the weight room in the offseason, under the watchful eye of new strength and conditioning coach Ben Sowder.
“Rashod is a football player,” said running backs coach Jimmy Smith. “He loves football. But when he first got here, the weight room was something he had to do, not something he wanted to do. As time went on, he started lifting weights and saw his body changing.
“Now he knows and he’s started enjoying the weight room. Coach Sowders held him accountable and started making him do it. Then once he started making him do it, he saw the changes and he started wanting to do it. It’s going to be really good for him.”
Back-up 2B: AJ Green
Class: Junior
Measurables: 5-11, 205 lbs.
Last Season: As a sophomore, he ran for 412 yards on 87 attempts with three touchdowns, averaging 4.7 yards per carry. He also caught six passes for 75 yards, averaging 12.5 yards per catch. Like Sanders and Dubinion, he did not fumble the ball.
The Tulsa Union alum came to Arkansas two years ago, as a 4-Star prospect, the No. 2 player in the state of Oklahoma and the No. 188 overall prep player in the nation. Green has been a solid change-of-pace back the last two seasons with his speed and receiving ability, and will likely continue to split second-team reps with Dubinion.
2023 Outlook: Green returns with outstanding top-end track speed, running a 10.38 in the 100 meters, and a 21.46 in 200 meters. He has a great initial burst with home run-hitting long speed, and has proven to have slippery strength to run through arm tackles. He showcased these traits with a 30-yard touchdown sprint against Texas as a freshman, and a few times last season, including a 20-yard jaunt against Kansas in the Liberty Bowl, which was also his first career 100-yard game
Although he could have opted to transfer after last season to seek more playing time elsewhere, Green remains all Hog.
“We all know if we wanted to go somewhere, we could play,” he said. “But why do that, when we have some of the best players right here that’s going to push us to our best potential? We’re brothers. We don’t hate on each other (and say) ‘oh, he’s getting this many carries’ and this and that. We’re just pushing each other to be the best that we can.”
Fourth Team: Dominique Johnson
Class: RS-Junior
Measurables: 6-1, 252 lbs.
Last Season: He was the starter at running back for the majority of the 2021 season, before tearing his ACL during Razorbacks’ 24-10 victory over Penn State in the Outback Bowl. After surgery and rehab, he missed the first three games of 2022, before injuring the same knee again later in the year. He finished the season with just eight carries for 43 yards, but maintained his year of eligibility with a redshirt.
2023 Outlook: When the Crowley, Texas, native arrived at Arkansas as 3-Star recruit in 2020, his role was still up in the air. He spent a day with the tight ends, before rejoining the running backs and eventually becoming the starter as a sophomore. His bruising style endeared himself to the coaches, which he put on display in a 40-21 win over Texas, scoring the game’s first touchdown on a 5-yard bullrush through the middle of the Longhorns’ defense. Now that he appears to be back fully healthy, that power running could benefit the Hogs again this season.
Johnson could have easily called it quits after multiple knee injuries, and is well aware of where he now sits in the pecking order. But he is back on the field with something to prove.
“Basically now again, I’m the fourth running back,” he said. “So it’s not a problem for me. I feel like as long as I keep doing how I do, run my way, my way is going to come into play. Gameday, we might need it, so I just do what I do. Encourage everybody else to keep going like that.”
New strength and conditioning coach Ben Sowders has helped Johnson add more muscle and strength this offseason, so without any setbacks, he may return to being a vital part of the run game.
“His body is different,” running backs coach Jimmy Smith said. “There’s more muscle. They took care of him. Even when he was hurt, he did a good job of doing stuff, just keeping the conditioning going. They did a good job of it. He’s kind of ahead of it because he was already in condition. When he started back running, he could do more running.”
Freshman: Isaiah Augustave
Class: Freshman
Measurables: 6-2, 208 lbs.
Last Season: The talented 4-Star out of Naples, Fla., was ranked the No. 13 high school running back in the nation, and the No. 174 overall recruit, according to 247Sports. As a senior, he had 110 carries for 1,061 yards — 9.6 yards per carry — and 11 touchdowns, including three 100-yard games. He had a slew of Division I offers and chose the Hogs over the likes of Florida State, Tennessee, Missouri and Kentucky.
2023 Outlook: Augustave has a tall, lean, athletic build, with good muscle mass and a frame that should allow him to continue adding bulk, under new strength and conditioning coach Ben Sowders. He possesses the top end speed to hit the long run, running an 11.01 in the 100 meters. He has the burst to hit holes straight on and the wiggle to make the first man miss, or elude an open-field tackler in space.
He is excited to be a Razorback and has already developed a close relationship with his teammates and running backs coach Jimmy Smith.
“We just really clicked, like we vibe together,” Augustave said. “I fell in love with the campus, and the coaches are all good people. They are all there for the players, it’s like a family up here and just reminds a lot of what I already got at Naples High.”
Freshman: Emmanuel Crawford
Class: Freshman
Measurables: 5-10, 168 lbs.
Last Season: Was Oklahoma’s Gatorade Football Player of the Year, after finishing high school with 6,777 career rushing yards, the most in Class 5A history. He also tallied 93 career rushing touchdowns and 13 career receiving scores. As a senior, led Grove, Okla., to a 13-1 record, rushing for 2,304 yards and 36 touchdowns on 230 carries, averaging 10 yards per attempt and 235.3 rushing yards per game. He also caught 19 passes for 546 yards, averaging 28.7 yards per reception, and seven TD catches.
2023 Outlook: Hailing from Head Coach Sam Pittman’s high school alma mater, Crawford was not heavily recruited by Power 5 schools, due to his slight build. His work in the classroom garnered offers from Air Force, Army and Navy, but Crawford decided to walk on at Arkansas. Despite his size, the speedster is not your typical walk-on, and could have a bright future down the line with the Razorbacks.
Running backs coach Jimmy Smith feels Crawford can get up to around 180 pounds and has the potential to emerge into a change-of-pace role as a scat-back in his career, as he learns the finer points of the position.
“He’ll have a role, a scat-back,” Smith said. “He’s a quick little joker, always scooting around. I had to slow him down a little bit. I tell him all the time, at running back, it’s not about going fast all the time. It’s about the pace and being able to understand the pace of certain runs. So right now he’s doing everything fast, but I’d rather him go too fast than too slow. So he’ll be alright.”
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