Mailbag: What's next at running back; baseball regional hopes, more

Arkansas running back Maleek Williams goes through practice Tuesday, March 28, 2017, in Fayetteville.

Do you expect 270 carries for Devwah Whaley like Alex Collins in 2015? Or will Williams/Hayden/Day step up and ease the burden? - TheCheshireHog

I don't see Whaley being called on for that kind of work this year primarily because there are other options. Remember that Collins essentially was the only serviceable back for much of 2015. Jonathan Williams suffered a season-ending injury in the preseason and Kody Walker missed several games that year. Collins' number of carries was reduced in November once Walker returned.

Can T.J. Hammonds be Arkansas' Christian McCaffery; and should Arkansas use him that way? - Tucker

If you're asking whether he can be used in multiple ways like rushing, receiving and in the return game, then I would say yes; he obviously has the speed to create plays in the open field. Barring an injury or two at running back, I don't think he'll ever come close to the number of touches McCaffery had at Stanford. McCaffery was a No. 1 back; Hammonds probably isn't higher than third on the depth chart.

Do you think Austin Allen will struggle early next season due to inexperienced WRs? - Jimbeau

They are losing four of their top five pass catchers (tight end included), so it wouldn't surprise to see a drop-off in the passing game. I think a key is how well the JUCO receivers - Brandon Martin, Jonathan Nance and Jeremy Patton - acclimate.

Behind Devwah who's gonna be #2? Maleek Williams or is T.J. Hammonds gonna return to RB? What about Chase Hayden contributing early like Whaley? - Jeremy

I think Maleek Williams has to be the No. 2 running back right now. He had more carries than Hammonds during the spring and is ahead of Hayden because of the early enrollment. I'd guess at least three of those backs you mentioned are utilized this fall, if not all four.

If our running back grade was a 9 on a 10 scale prior to Rawleigh Williams' departure, what is it now? - Grimbald

I'd say a six. Devwah Whaley has the talent, but he lacks the experience as a No. 1 guy. Of course, the same could have been said of Rawleigh Williams going into last season and he ended up having one of the best years ever by an Arkansas back. Whaley's emergence toward the middle of the season made Williams better last year. Can one of the freshmen step up and have that same impact this year to take some carries off Whaley? That'll be something to watch.

What is the likelihood that Chase Hayden is the #3 TB this fall instead of Day or Hammonds? - SwineFusion

If he is as good as advertised, there is a chance he could take that third spot. I'm not sure he'll have a hard time beating out Day (see below) and the coaches would like to be able to line up Hammonds as a slot receiver.

Can Juan Day be a legit #3 tailback and thus allow Hammonds to stay in the hybrid role and Hayden to redshirt? - LRCHog

I don't see Day being that high on the depth chart. He lacks the burst the others have and you wonder how healthy he'll be because of his knee injuries.

With the retirement of Rawleigh, does this put emphasis on RB for next year? - Edward

Probably. Richard Davenport covered that earlier this week in this article.

How does having brothers play for Arkansas affect the chances of the Razorbacks landing possible 5 stars in Hudson Henry and Brian Williams? - Ben

I don't think it hurts. In Henry's case, Arkansas has got to be the school to beat out because both of his older brothers chose the Razorbacks and his dad played there. It'll be interesting to see what Williams decides to do. Because of what happened with Rawleigh, there is a familiarity and comfort level his family has with the coaching staff that most recruits don't get to experience.

Can the baseball team still host a regional? - William

Yes. I think Arkansas will host with series wins over Vanderbilt and Texas A&M, and could potentially still be a host even with a series loss as long as it has a strong showing at the SEC Tournament. The Razorbacks' RPI is 18th coming into this week and stands a good chance of improving, especially with multiple wins at Texas A&M.

Anything new on Taccolini? - JBuck

Dominic's status for this weekend isn't certain, but he has been long tossing during practice, which is a good indication that he's getting close to playing again. He'll be on the weekend roster if he's ready and the coaches have until mid-afternoon Friday to make that call.

Will the new Reynolds Razorback Stadium video boards be an improved or newer generation hi-def version? - HooDoo Hog

The panels in the south video board will be made up of what used to be in the north, so if there are improvements in quality it would be in the north one. I think the quality has been fine since they upgraded those video panels in 2012, although I know technologies change rapidly.