Tag: dominique johnson

The return of Johnson and Slusher adds value to Razorbacks

Running back Dominque Johnson and cornerback Myles Slusher returned to the field last Saturday and became immediate assets to their respective units.

The No. 20 Arkansas Razorbacks drew the short end of the stick last Saturday, falling to No. 17 Texas A&M, 23-21 in Arlington, Texas.

There were a few positives to take away from the game, including the performances of running back [autotag]Dominique Johnson[/autotag] and cornerback [autotag]Myles Slusher[/autotag], who returned to the field after battling injuries.

Johnson’s return helps the Razorbacks in the running game. [autotag]Raheim Sanders[/autotag] continues to lead the SEC in rushing with 508 yards, while [autotag]A.J. Green[/autotag], [autotag]Rashod Dubinion[/autotag], and quarterback [autotag]K.J. Jefferson[/autotag] carry their weight in the department, too.

Head coach Sam Pittman says that he was pleased with Johnson’s return.

“I thought he played well. I haven’t seen really what all he did. Five carries for 32 yards,” Pittman said during his postgame press conference on Saturday night. “I thought he played well. Looked like he was going north-south pretty good.”

Slusher’s return to the defensive backfield will only improve the unit as a whole, there were signs of that in the Texas A&M game. For the first time all season, Arkansas allowed just 151 passing yards, which is 200 yards below average. Slusher ended the game with six tackles, which was second-most behind Bumper Pool’s seven stops.

“(Slusher is) a good player. I think he was all over the place. Made a lot of tackles. He’s a good player now. A really good player,” Pittman said. “We need him to stay healthy. I thought our defense played a lot better game.”

Arkansas will now shift their focus to No. 2 Alabama, who comes to town this Saturday for a 2:30 p.m. CT kickoff at Reynolds Razorback Stadium.

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First Half Recap: A tale of two quarters leaves Arkansas with slim lead over Texas A&M

Arkansas has outgained Texas A&M in the yards department, 281-152, but only leads 14-13 at the end of the 1st half.

Despite dominating the stat sheet in the first half, No. 10 Arkansas holds on to a one-point advantage over No. 20 Texas A&M, 14-13 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Arkansas holds a 280-152 advantage in the yards department, and even held Texas A&M quarterback Max Johnson to 51 yards passing in the half, but the first half was all about momentum.

Arkansas opened the game by scoring two quick touchdowns, but the Aggies went on to take momentum away halfway through the second quarter thanks to a long scoring drive, and a returned fumble for a touchdown.

The Razorbacks got off to a strong start. Arkansas forced Texas A&M to punt after their first three plays and used that opportunity to strike first. [autotag]K.J. Jefferson[/autotag] broke open a 26-yard run on 3rd down and 1 from Arkansas’ 42-yard line, which set up a 32-yard touchdown pass to [autotag]Ketron Jackson[/autotag] to cap a five-play, 69-yard drive with 9:44 remaining in the opening quarter to move ahead, 7-0.

The next possession worked out just as easily for the Razorbacks. After stopping the Aggies again on just three plays, Arkansas’  offense quickly moved down the field to set up another long touchdown pass with 5:25 remaining in the first quarter. This time, Jefferson was able to spot [autotag]Warren Thompson[/autotag] for a 56 yard pass to extend the lead to 14-0. The score was Jefferson’s eighth touchdown pass of the season, and Thompson’s 2nd touchdown catch of the year.

Jefferson ended the quarter as the team’s leading passer and rusher. He completed 4-of-7 passes for 99 yards and two scores while rushing for an additional 41 yards as the Razorbacks took a 14-0 lead into the second quarter. The Razorbacks accumulated 184 total yards in the quarter.

The Aggies slowed down the Razorbacks to open the second quarter. They forced Arkansas to punt on their next two possessions, and took their second possession of the quarter for a 93-yard drive, and their first score of the game. Texas A&M’s Max Johnson threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to receiver Evan Stewart with 8:45 to go in the first half to trim Arkansas’ lead to 14-7.

Texas A&M’s next score came in a bizarre way. Arkansas drove the football to the Texas A&M three-yard-line. On first and goal, Jefferson attempted to dive over the line for a score. However, he made contact with the front and fumbled the football. The Aggies recovered, and returned the turnover for a 97-yard touchdown. The attempted extra point was botched, which allowed Arkansas to keep the lead, 14-13 inside four minutes remaining in the first half.

Jefferson ended the first half with 126 passing yards on eight completions. Thompson was Jefferson’s leading receiver with 52 yards on two catches. In his first game back from injury, [autotag]Dominique Johnson[/autotag] recorded four carries for 28 yards. Defensively, [autotag]Bumper Pool[/autotag] and [autotag]Myles Slusher[/autotag] lead the team with four tackles. [autotag]Drew Sanders[/autotag] and [autotag]Zach Williams[/autotag] combined to record a sack in the first half.

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Official Depth Chart: The Missouri State game

Here is how the Razorbacks will line up when they face Missouri State on Saturday night.

As the No. 10 Arkansas Razorbacks continue their preparations for this Saturday’s game against Missouri State, there are a few changes to the depth chart.

It was officially announced prior to last week’s win over South Carolina that safety [autotag]Jalen Catalon[/autotag] would miss the remainder of the 2022 season after it was revealed that he would need surgery to repair a shoulder injury.

Stepping up in his place will be Georgia transfer [autotag]Latavious Brini[/autotag]. In last week’s 44-30 win over South Carolina, Brini made four stops while recording a quarterback hurry and forcing a fumble.

Also in the defensive backfield, [autotag]Myles Slusher[/autotag] returns to the depth chart after sitting out week two’s game after needing extra time to nurse an injury that he suffered during the season-opener against Cincinnati.

Outside of those two injuries, the depth chart looks to be business as usual. The only other position group to watch for during Saturday’s game will be at running back. The SEC’s leading rusher, [autotag]Raheim Sanders[/autotag], as well as [autotag]A.J. Green[/autotag], are expected to factor into the game plan, but there has been speculation that [autotag]Dominique Johnson[/autotag] could return to the rotation as well.

Here is a look at how Arkansas will line up on Saturday night against Missouri State.

“Up to him” – Dominique Johnson will largely decide if he plays vs South Carolina

The return of last year’s starting running back Dominique Johnson on Saturday would give Arkansas the deepest corps in college football.

With the way Rocket Sanders played last year and in Week 1 Saturday against Cincinnati, it’s easy to forget Arkansas is actually missing its returning starter at running back.

Maybe not for much longer, though.

Dominique Johnson, who started the second half of the season last year and was one of four Arkansas players to break the 500-yard mark rushing, could return in Week 2 for the Razorbacks’ SEC opener against South Carolina.

“I think he certainly has improved over the last week and a half,” coach Sam Pittman said.

Pittman brought Johnson along slowly during fall camp and the start of the season, keeping the running back in a green no-contact jersey for a bulk of practices. Last week, ahead of the Cincy game, the staff put him through some paces with reps, but knew, more or less, he wasn’t going to play.

That hasn’t been the case this week. Coaches have let him get back into the mix with his teammates during practice. They removed the green jersey on Tuesday.

Johnson’s return might not remove Sanders from the starting role, though. Sanders, a sophomore, ran for his second career 100-yard game against the Bearcats.

But Sanders, Johnson, AJ Green and Rashod Dubinion in the backfield, plus KJ Jefferson at quarterback? Arkansas could have the deepest collection of runners in college football.

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Arkansas running back Dominique Johnson serving as mentor, not player, this fall camp

Johnson will likely miss the season opener, but he’s making sure his Arkansas running back teammates are ready.

Dominique Johnson is unlikely to play in Arkansas’ season-opener against Cincinnati after undergoing knee surgery in the offseason.

But the Razorbacks’ starting running back is still putting in work during his team’s fall camp.

“I give him responsibilities and tell him what they’re supposed to do for each other,” running backs coach Jimmy Smith said. “He’s always having fun and coaching the guys. He’s in good spirits, right now. He knows what I expect of him, and he does it.”

Johnson was just fourth on the team in yards rushing last year, but that total belied his effect. He started the year as a tight end and became the Arkansas starter at running back for the final third of the year. His seven touchdown runs were tops on the team.

Arkansas’ backfield is in quality hands – er, legs – even without Johnson, though. Rocket Sanders ran for 578 yards and five scores and AJ Green ran for 227 as the fourth-stringer.

Johnson is helping those two sophomores continue their development this fall.

“I wolud say he’s definitely a leader in our room,” Green said. “Him being able to do that, it just shows how much of a leader you are, because the better leader you are the more acts of service you’re going to do for the people you care for, the people you’re trying to lead. He’s definitely doing a great job of leading us.”

Freshman Rashod Dubinion has potential to be key player in rushing game

There’s another candidate to carry the load for the Arkansas running game this season.

There is a ton of buzz surrounding Arkansas football and for good reason.

Both coordinators, [autotag]Kendal Briles[/autotag] and [autotag]Barry Odom[/autotag] return for their third season, and signal-caller [autotag]KJ Jefferson[/autotag] returns to lead the offense with his dual-threat attack.

The biggest question surrounding the Razorback offense is, “who steps up in the place of Trelon Smith?” Smith, who transferred to TCU during the offseason, leaves behind 598 yards and five touchdowns from 2021.

[autotag]Raheim Sanders[/autotag], [autotag]Dominique Johnson[/autotag], and [autotag]AJ Green[/autotag] are among the choices that Arkansas has, but there is another name that Razorback fans should get to know, that’s freshman [autotag]Rashod Dubinion[/autotag].

According to Nikki Chavanelle of On3, Dubinion, an early enrollee from Cedar Grove High School in Ellenwood, Ga., played for current running backs coach Jimmy Smith in high school. Although early in his career, Dubinion looks to get a significant amount of carries in 2022, says head coach Sam Pittman.

He’s really a shifty runner. He’s a mature kid. There’s no doubt in my mind that he’ll help us next year in games. Not just special teams but he’ll be one of the backs toating the mail because he’s a good player.

To hear all of Sam Pittman’s thoughts following last Saturday’s spring game, click here.

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Is Rocket Sanders ‘Tom Brady-ing’ Dominique Johnson’s job?

Dominique Johnson ended the season as the team’s starter, but his injury has led to Rocket Sanders getting a long look there in spring.

[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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KJ Jefferson is among the SEC’s best quarterbacks, according to On3

The popularity surrounding KJ Jefferson continues to grow, as he ranks among the SEC’s best signal callers.

As the “talking season” stage of the College Football offseason gets closer, the hype surrounding Arkansas football continues to grow. One of the reason’s for the Razorbacks’ popularity, is quarterback [autotag]KJ Jefferson[/autotag].

So much so, that Jefferson is thought to be one of the best quarterbacks in the Southeastern Conference. Jesse Simonton of On3 released his SEC Quarterback Power Rankings on Sunday, and Jefferson ranks among the conference’s best, checking in at No. 2. Jefferson is behind Alabama’s Bryce Young for the top spot and is ranks higher than Tennessee’s Hendon Hooker, South Carolina’s Spencer Rattler, and Kentucky’s Will Levis, among others.

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Simonton believes that if Jefferson has a great season in 2022, that the sky is the limit for his future.

Jefferson is a bulldozer with limbs. The Razorbacks’ 6-3, 250-pound dual-threat talent was 3rd in the SEC in yards per attempt (9.1), had 27 total touchdowns and rushed for 664 yards. Last year was a breakout campaign for Jefferson, but he could become a true SEC star and legit NFL prospect with a monster 2022 season.

Jefferson burst onto the scene in 2021 by completing 67% of his passes for 2,676 yards and 21 touchdowns to only four interceptions. He was also 2nd on the team in rushing by carrying the football 146 times for 664 yards and scoring six touchdowns.

Arkansas looks to Jefferson to build on the success of 2021, as he will have solid receiving targets in [autotag]Jadon Haselwood[/autotag], [autotag]Ketron Jackson[/autotag], and [autotag]Malik Hornsby[/autotag], as well as a supporting cast of [autotag]Raheim Sanders[/autotag][autotag], [autotag]AJ Greene[/autotag], and [autotag]Dominique Johnson[/autotag] at the running back position.

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Kendal Briles in a groove leading Arkansas’ offense: “I hope I can stay here for a long time”

Arkansas offensive coordinator said he doesn’t want to be anywhere but in Fayetteville with the Hogs.

Arkansas offensive coordinator [autotag]Kendal Briles[/autotag], fresh with a new deal, is no longer in the learning stages of the SEC. He’s ready to make the Razorbacks into one of the league’s, if not the country’s top offenses.

In his first year, the now-39-year-old boosted Arkansas on that side of the ball from an average of 340 yards a game to 391. In year two, he took them from 391 to 441. Could another jump of 50ish yards be in the cards in 2022? Briles does head into his third season as Arkansas offensive coordinator with weapons galore.

Arkansas quarterback [autotag]KJ Jefferson[/autotag] is the rock of the unit. And with he and Briles in a groove after two years together, big things are expected.

“Having your quarterback back, which you can’t put a price tag on that,” Briles said. “Just having that guy back with experience. It’s actually the first time in my career as a coordinator having a return starting quarterback, so it’s just so nice to be able to have that. Speaks the same language, knows what to expect.”

Briles is a coveted OC across the FBS. He was reportedly in the running to be the offensive coordinator at Miami (FL) before re-upping with Arkansas. The talent returning helps.

Jefferson threw for 21 touchdowns against just four interceptions last year and he ran for a team-high 664 yards and six scores. [autotag]Dominique Johnson[/autotag] and [autotag]Rocket Sanders[/autotag] are back at running back, too, after going for 598 and 578 yards, respectively. Each ran for five scores. At wide receiver, Oklahoma transfer [autotag]Jadon Haselwood[/autotag] led the Sooners in receptions and touchdowns.

“Having KJ back, it would have been really, really hard to look at KJ and tell him I wasn’t going to be here, just because I love the kid and respect him so much and want him to be able to achieve his goals,” Briles said. “Being here for the players and the state and raising a family here, there’s not a better place to do that. So I absolutely love it here and hope I can stay for a long time.”

No Dominique Johnson? No problem for Arkansas’ running backs

Arkansas’ starting running back last year, Dominique Johnson, has missed spring ball. It’s only given a loaded Hogs backfield even more opportunity.

Pop quiz: How many FBS teams last year had four players eclipse the 500-yard mark rushing the ball?

One. Arkansas.

The team’s starter for the second half of last season, Dominique Johnson, has been unavailable to spring camp through four practices for the Hogs in 2022. Little has changed, though, with Arkansas’ attack. The return of sophomores Rocket Sanders and AJ Green, and the introduction of a pair of freshmen, has made spring ball feel like old times.

Sanders was the No. 2 back behind Johnson at the end of last season and was one of the four players who had more than 500 yards on the ground last year. With Johnson being absent, Sanders has slotted up to get first-team reps for a bulk of camp so far.

“Being a one, I feel like is a big role,” Sanders said. “I feel like just that right there made me want to be a leader. Not just for the running back room, but everybody else as well.”

Green was not one of the four players to reach that 500-yard threshold. Instead, he was a change-of-pace guy, perhaps the fastest player in the unit. He’s up to 210-215 pounds in camp, though, in hopes of being able to carry a larger workload if needed.

And Arkansas’ two freshmen, Rashod Dubinion and James Jointer, came from Georgia and Arkansas high schools early to get a leg up. Jointer is a bigger back while Dubinion is more on the quick-and-fast side.

Combined with quarterback KJ Jefferson, who led the team with 664 yards rushing and six scores last year, it wouldn’t be a surprise if the Razorbacks had another four players break the 500-yard mark again in 2022.

“We have a lot of weapons in that room, right now,” Green said. “They’re all coming in ready to learn. They’re going fast and not scared of anything.”

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