The Best and Worst From the Arkansas Razorbacks 2015 Season
By Cory Thone
#2 Worst: Johnathan William’s Injury
I told you we were going to talk more about this.
Johnathan Williams is everything you could possibly hope for in a player. He’s smart, he plays hard, he’s a great athlete, and he loves the program. When he announced that he would be returning for his senior season, it made Arkansas fans shout for joy, and made opposing coaches groan in displeasure.
He was the first to fall victim to the “Plague of Broken Feet”, as we’re calling it here at Razorbackers. His injury ended his season before it began. It is, without question, incredibly unfair to both him and the team. His absence was very obviously felt early in the season, and his leadership on the field would have been invaluable in those close games that the Hogs lost in.
As it stands now, Williams will finish just outside of the top 10 leading rushers in school history with 2,321 career yards and 16 touchdowns. If we can assume that he, like he did the two previous years, would have had a 1000 yard season, then he would be 4th all-time in school history for rushing yards…behind Alex Collins.
Also, if he would have had 10 touchdowns this season, which would have been very likely, then he would have been tied for 6th with Cedric Cobbs in school history. The good news is that Williams will be able to showcase his abilities at the NFL combine, and will undoubtedly turn heads and end up on a roster next season.
But a part of me, and probably a part of J-Wil, wishes we could have seen him put an exclamation point on his career this season. He was part of a group of guys, along with Allen, Walker, Hatcher, and a few others, that had come into the program when it was riding high. They stuck with us through the darkest of days, and helped pull us out on the other side with back to back bowl games.
Johnathan Williams will always be one of my favorite Razorbacks for that very reason.
#2 Best: Leaders Emerge
If I would have told you preseason that Drew Morgan would lead the SEC in touchdown receptions, you would have called me crazy. He was, at best, 3rd on the depth chart for receiver behind Hatcher and Cornelius. He would be splitting time, and was a serviceable possession receiver. No way that he would become one of the most prolific players in the conference.
Sep 12, 2015; Little Rock, AR, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks tight end Hunter Henry (84) runs the ball after a catch against the Toledo Rockets during the second quarter at War Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports
But he did. And Morgan wasn’t the only Hog to make a name for themselves this year. True freshman Dre Greenlaw finished 2nd on the team in tackles, and has a chance to get into the triple digits in stops in the bowl game. Dominique Reed emerged as one of the most dangerous downfield threats in the conference, racking up 520 yards receiving and 6 touchdowns in the last 9 weeks of the season.
Rawleigh Williams III and Kody Walker, who both only got a half season to showcase their abilities, both had outstanding performances in key games. And we can’t forget about the offensive line. They’re the “Biggest Offensive Line in All of Football” after all. They only gave up an average of 1 sack per game, which puts them tied for 7th in the NCAA. Not bad, considering how many times Allen dropped back to throw.
Hunter Henry was incredible all season long, and he was just recognized as the best tight end in the nation by being awarded the Mackey Award earlier this week. The junior still hasn’t announced if he’ll be going pro after the bowl game.
Lots of players stepped up for the Hogs in the wake of injuries this year. It was truly a team effort across the board to get to 7 wins. It seemed that every week, someone new would make a big play or a big stop in a key moment. If this is a sign of things to come as Bret Bielema continues to add depth to the team, then Hog fans should be very optimistic heading into 2016.
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