5. 2010 Knile Davis
Davis was a revelation during Arkansas’ 2010 season. He put up 1,282 yards rushing on just 204 carries and amassed 13 rushing touchdowns. Davis had exceptional speed for a man of his size, and also possessed great vision. Davis was the perfect complement for Arkansas’ prolific passing attack under Ryan Mallett. Due to injuries, Davis was not able to repeat the production he had in 2010. But he enjoyed a good NFL career as a special teams player.
4. 2015 Alex Collins
After his running mate Johnathan Williams was injured for the year, Collins became the featured back in Arkansas’ offense. Collins’ vision and cutting ability made him stand out amongst a sea of talented SEC RBs. On the year, Collins racked up 1,577 yards and 20 rushing touchdowns. He played exceptionally well in SEC play, tallying over 100 yards in all but two SEC games. For his efforts, Collins received a second-team All-SEC distinction. After the season, he was drafted in the fifth round by the Baltimore Ravens.
3. 2007 Felix Jones
Felix Jones was often overshadowed by his running mate, Darren McFadden. But Jones himself put up fantastic stats at Arkansas. On 134 attempts, Jones put up 1,160 yards rushing in 2007. That means Jones had a whopping 8.7 yards per carry that season. One can only wonder the stats Jones would’ve amassed had he been the featured running back in an offense.
But he also helped in other ways. Along with 11 rushing touchdowns, Jones also returned two kick returns for touchdowns. This cemented him as one of the best kick returners in the country. Jones was named to second-team All-SEC as a running back. Eventually, the Cowboys selected Jones in the first round of the 2008 NFL Draft..
2. 2006 Darren McFadden
After breaking through as a freshman in 2005, McFadden took on a bigger role in 2006. Arkansas made an appearance in the SEC championship in 2006, and much of it was due to McFadden. The 6’2, 210 pound RB accumulated 1,647 yards on the ground and 19 total touchdowns. McFadden was so important to Arkansas that the Hogs often ran the wildcat formation to get him more touches. Out of the formation, he was a threat to run the ball, throw the ball, or hand the ball off. McFadden was named a first-team All-American and got second place in the 2006 Heisman trophy voting.
1. 2007 Darren McFadden
McFadden followed his 2006 Heisman runner-up campaign with an even better 2007. He amassed 1, 830 yards on the ground and 21 total touchdowns. His best of game of the season came against South Carolina, where he tied the SEC single-game rushing record with 321 yards. He also led the Razorbacks to an upset over No. 1 LSU in Death Valley. While he did not win the Heisman this season, McFadden once again came in second place for the prestigious award. McFadden’s 2007 season is the closest any Arkansas player has gotten to winning the trophy. After the season ended, the Oakland Raiders drafted McFadden with No. 4 pick in the 2008 NFL Draft.
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