Arkansas Needs Rawleigh Williams at the Helm

After Rawleigh Williams was cleared for spring ball, it’s time to look at just how much we need Double Deuce in the backfield for 2016.

The loss of just 3 offensive players is the thing that is keeping Razorback fans very pessimistic about the 2016 football season. Brandon Allen, Alex Collins and Jonathan Williams have departed from suiting up as an Arkansas Razorback. This makes ginormous holes in our depth at these positions. It’s a scary and almost tortuous obstacle that we’re going to have to crawl through. But we just might make it, y’all.

The running back position was formerly led by Alex Collins and Rawleigh Williams III throughout the first half of the season. The true freshman Williams was thrown into the mix after Kody Walker broke his right hand in the Toledo (sigh) matchup.

Rawleigh came out of Bishop Lynch HS in Dallas as a three star prospect. But just within his first few games suited up as a Razorback it was clear that his grasp on the game was spectacular. His speed was off the charts and gave defenses a run for their money with what I called the Collins/Williams Pow Extravanganza.

But like most beautiful things, Rawleigh Williams’ outburst of a freshman year come to a halt. For Rawleigh, it was a halt that nobody would have ever wanted to happen. Williams III went down in the Auburn game with a very apparent neck injury that required surgery, ending what would have been a more tremendous season than he already had. Rawleigh ended the 2015 season with

45 carries for 254 yards and a touchdown.

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The news of Rawleigh potentially getting to return is absolutely fantastic. He is just the spice we need to get our offense rolling in 2016. I know, you’re thinking, “But dude, we have Kody Walker and the new freshman guy whose name I can’t pronounce”. Well, you’re not wrong. But dude, with the point we are at we need just a little bit more than Kody Walker and Devwah Whaley. This is SEC country, folks.

Walker will be coming back as a sixth year senior. While his experience is unlike any running back we could ask for, it’s just hard to see him as the guy that’s going to get the most carries. His speed isn’t off the charts, and Bielema used him last year to run over a tired defense after Alex Collins put the juice on them.

So with that being the system that we are used to seeing, that makes it difficult to visualize a veteran Walker at the helm. Not that I think it would necessarily be a huge problem for Walker to get majority of carries, just the annoying Razorback fan in me doesn’t think it would be best.

Then we have Devwah Whale-person. Whaley, along with McTelvin Agim, was the highlight of our national signings for 2016. He’s a four star prospect coming out of Beaumont, Texas and will most likely get plenty of playing time this coming season.

But is he the starter? I don’t think so. I don’t think anyone in their right mind would love to start a true freshman in SEC football, no matter how talented they are. If you look at the highlight tapes for Whaley, sure he’s got lightening speed and great size, but knowing how to play college football is a completely different thing. Given, Rawleigh came in as a true freshman and crushed it. But he was able to get his success in the backup role behind Collins. That would be the only thing keeping me from wanting Whaley in that starting spot. Of course I think he is going to do a fantastic job in the backup spot, and I’m so excited to see him suit up as a Hog.

Sadly, it could come down the point where Rawleigh will not be the starter. His injury was so serious that it could keep him from getting that starting job come the first game of 2016. Bielema has said that even though Williams is cleared for spring ball, he still doesn’t want to put him out there yet. Neck injuries are so serious that recovering from it also means taking every precaution. As much as we all want Rawleigh back by fall, there can’t be a rush.

In no way am I a mastermind of offenses. But to me having Rawleigh as our starting running back makes the most sense. We were able to see the talent he had last season, now he has the experience. Double Deuce has fought and trained his way back to being healthy, and I couldn’t be more happy about that. He will get the utmost respect from me and hopefully the rest of Hog Nation.

Whatever happens, I’m excited for this 2016 season. And I hope we figure out things before the second week when we play TCU. If Gary Patterson wears a purple shirt we’re doomed.

Woo Pig.