There is absolutely, positively no doubt the Arkansas Razorbacks need Marcus Monk.

There is absolutely, positively no doubt that Monk wants to return to help the team.

There is absolutely, positively no doubt that Monk could hurt his chances of playing in the NFL if he comes back this season.

By playing in a few games this season he will lose his options of a medical or redshirt year.

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Meaning he will have to convince NFL scouts he can contribute on the highest level of football while playing at less than 100 percent.

Monk has everything it takes to be a great possession receiver in the pros, but he has to prove that to the scouts. At anything less than the top of his game, they will not be impressed.

If his mind is made up and he is determined to go for the NFL after this season, he still does not need to rush back.

He must be fully recovered before he puts so much as a toe on the field during a game situation.

Understand, the NFL physicals are the most thorough possible. One shred of knee problems and no one will touch him.

And Monk is too unselfish, too much of a team player, to leave the decision in his hands.

Tuesday he talked to our man Tom Murphy about redshirting: “I haven’t thought about that. If it comes to it, that’s what will have to be done, but I haven’t thought about that at all.”

Which means he is trying to get back on the field to help the team.

Yet, Houston Nutt said he’s only able to run straight ahead. He does some jogging drills and ball drills, “ but he doesn’t have the strength and the ability to really come out of breaks, and turn and cut, those kind of things.

For his long-term future, both physically and professionally, Monk needs to sit out this season.

That way he can wow the pro scouts in private workouts when the season is over, or he can come back, get his master’s degree in business and play in an offense that can’t possibly be as run-oriented.

After last season, when Monk was the Hogs’ go-to guy, he had 50 catches for 962 yards and his 11 touchdowns gave him a school-record 24.

He debated on going to the NFL then, and apparently he got the advice to return for his senior season.

A full senior season at full speed.

Not a few games at 75 or 80 percent.

Monk is truly an outstanding young man and you have to hope he gets the shot at playing in the NFL.

He actually arrived on the UA campus with the intentions of earning a basketball scholarship. He was this newspaper’s Mr. Basketball of Arkansas coming out of East Poinsett County. He was All-Arkansas in basketball, and he was valedictorian of his class.

Monk was a member of the National Honor Society and the math and science clubs.

He is the poster boy for the term student-athlete.

Stan Heath couldn’t find a basketball scholarship for him and Houston Nutt offered one, expecting it to be a one-year deal.

Instead, Monk quit basketball after one semester — yes, he had a slight injury but not so severe he couldn’t participate in voluntary workouts — and decided to focus on football.

The 37 catches for 569 yards as a true freshman was impressive to say the least.

His touches slipped a bit as a sophomore, but last year he was instrumental in the 10-victory campaign.

This was supposed to be a great season for him

Only, he got hurt.

Now, it seems each week people ask if he will be back.

Everyone knows the Razorbacks need him to improve their chances of beating SEC teams.

Yet, the best thing for Marcus Monk is probably staying on the sidelines this season.