Among Many Questions for Razorbacks, Running Back One of Biggest

Originally posted on Arkansas Razorbacks on SI
By Andy Hodges | Last updated Mar 29, 2025 4:09 PM ET

There's good news and bad news around Arkansas being able to run the ball this years.

The good news is with the leading rusher last season, Ja'Quinden Jackson, fresh out of eligibility the second-most rushing yards is back and projected to be the starter. You may want to take that with a grain of salt, though.

Quarterback Taylen Green is probably not who Sam Pittman or running backs coach Kolby Smith want to have the second-most yards rushing. That's not a good sign in a couple of areas.

In interviews during the first couple of weeks of spring practice before taking last week off on spring break, everyone was optimistic. Everybody looks good running the ball in practice. Let's face it, if they don't that's a bigger problem than anything we'll be talking about here.

Braylen Russell is returning and is the projected No. 1 at running back. In the SEC, though, it takes more than one because those guys have the equivalent of a car crash every single play whether they are carrying the ball or not.

After Russell, who is looking the part with more bulk, and showing some speed there's primarily hope.

Behind Russell is Mike Washington, Jr., another big back from New Mexico State. That isn't going to get anybody particularly excited because there are always question about how what he did there will translate to the SEC.

"You ask me, I don't think we're going against any better backs than what we have here," linebacker Stephen Dix said this spring. "You ask me, we're going against some of the best backs in the country. So preparation-wise, that's gonna get us better on defense, having those guys getting those reps in day in and day out all through spring with the pads on."

Russell at least is saying all the right things in the spring.

"That room's gonna be special this year with adding Mike and AJ Green, a known face here at Arkansas," he said. "Think we're gonna be something special this year. We're just going out and working every day."

Which is exactly what everyone wants to hear right now. The proof can't come for a few months but that hope has to have some sort of basis.

Otherwise it's just a dream. But it is a huge question mark that bears paying attention to in the spring because everything works better in a Bobby Petrino offense if there''s some sort of threat running the ball.

It's a requirement if you want any chance of competing for a championship. Assuming that's still the goal around a program that hasn't done that in awhile.