Senior running back Rakeem Boyd has decided to opt-out of the rest of the season to prepare for the 2021 NFL Draft, missing the last two games against Missouri and Alabama.
Rakeem Boyd on Twitter today announced to Hogs fans and the nation, that he will be opting out of the rest of this season to rest and get an early start to prepare for the NFL draft. This comes as a shock to many fans all around, as Boyd has been one of the biggest faces of the team for the past 3 seasons, and quickly became a fan favorite when he came to Arkansas, after breaking out in the Netflix series ‘Last Chance U’.
It has been a tough and long senior season for Rakeem Boyd. Nagging injuries have kept him sidelined for the majority of the season, but also the emergence of Trelon Smith has had him sharing snaps behind an inexperienced offensive line. Smith has been the more successful of all the running backs to play this season, while it seemed like Rakeem just wasn’t his usual self.
Boyd transferred to Arkansas in 2018 after playing in junior college for Independence Community College. It was there where Boyd caught fame for being one of the best players of that season of ‘Last Chance U’. Out of high school, Boyd committed to Texas A&M, but then found himself headed to Kansas to play for Independence. Many fans speculated, that Boyd would have used this season as a redshirt year, due to COVID-19 and the season not counting towards a player’s eligibility.
Boyd’s first season, was a promising campaign for potential with the Razorbacks as he totaled 734 yards on 123 carries, but with only 2 touchdowns that season. His second year with the team showed that he was one of the best in the SEC even despite the hog’s struggles under Chad Morris, as he had a career-high 1,133 yards on 184 carries with 8 touchdowns. This season hasn’t been the best for Rakeem, as he has only rushed for 309 yards in 6 games played, with only hitting the 100-yard mark once, against Texas A&M.
Although disappointing for Hogs fans to lose such a dynamic player, Rakeem Boyd has done the number 5 jersey justice over the past couple of seasons, and we here at the Razorbackers wish him the best and look forward to seeing him suit up on Sundays next season.