Devwah Whaley is Arkansas' leading returning rusher in 2018. Is he the Razorbacks' featured back this fall?
Clay Henry: I think featured is the wrong way to approach what is likely to happen with this offense. I believe that as many as three or maybe even four running backs rotate in this offense. They all will get touches. Whaley will get plenty of touches, but watch out for Rakeem Boyd.
Matt Jones: I don't know if I would call him the featured back, but I think he will be one of the two backs (Chase Hayden is the other) who will get the most carries this season. Whaley is an experienced, dependable back in the SEC. Those are not easy to come by.
Dudley Dawson: While I believe Whaley has the best chance to get the most carries entering the season, I believe there is too much talent back there to have a so-called featured back. Chase Hayden, T.J. Hammonds, Maleek Williams and newcomer Rakeem Body are all going to see significant action. I think it is the deepest spot on the roster.
Scottie Bordelon: I think Devwah will start Game 1. This running backs group is very talented. I realized that early in the spring, so ‘featured’ maybe isn’t the right word here. I expect Devwah to have a solid season. He’s seen a couple of now-former Arkansas backs who were in the position he’s in now take advantage of their opportunities and get to the NFL, and I think that drives him.
What kind of season are you projecting for Chase Hayden, who is coming back from a leg injury in 2017?
Clay Henry: Hayden is in the mix for snaps. He'll get touches. This is a deep unit and all will get their chance to play in this offense.
Matt Jones: I really liked what I saw from Hayden during the spring. He looked quick and elusive, and a little stronger than before he was injured midway through last season. I suspect he and Devwah Whaley will split the majority of the carries at running back and expect both to have solid seasons, barring an injury. At SMU last season, Chad Morris had two running backs with more than 100 carries.
Dudley Dawson: I think Chase Hayden is going to have a big year and be the home run hitter from the TB spot. He's going to break off some big runs and also be utilized big-tine in the passing game.
Scottie Bordelon: Chase is an intriguing player to me entering August. Will he perform at the rate he did last season pre-injury? If the answer is yes, that’s another dynamic back capable of making plays and one who can make something out of nothing in some instances, which is big. He was productive and fun to watch up until the Auburn game last year, and I think he’ll get back to that point. He was averaging better than five yards per carry and tied for the team lead in rushing when he got hurt, so we know what he can do. Now in an offense that better suits all of his abilities, he’ll be a key guy.
Scoota Harris told me this summer Chase is the toughest running back on the team for him to tackle because of how shifty he is. If Scoota has trouble corralling Chase, then other guys in the SEC will, too.
T.J. Hammonds' usage last fall was a major talking point. How do you see Chad Morris and Joe Craddock utilizing him?
Clay Henry: Hammonds will fit nicely in Joe Craddock's play calling. Look for him to get touches at running back and from the slot. The jet sweep and tunnel screens are perfect for Hammonds.
Matt Jones: I suspect he will be used quite a bit as a receiver out of the backfield and on misdirection plays. The knock on Hammonds has been his proneness to fumble. If he can improve his ball security, he should earn some more playing time.
Dudley Dawson: Better than the old staff did. Hammonds is another kid whose speed will be utilized better under the new staff. He's had a big smile on his face all summer because of that.
Scottie Bordelon: He’ll get his touches in a variety of ways – running back, slot, etc. He could find a home in the slot, I think, catching bubbles and screens and even routes that put a slower-footed defensive player on an island with him. This staff is going to put him and the speed guys in advantageous situations and do what they can to gain an edge. I don’t think you’ll see him disappear and reappear this fall.
Follow up: Over or under 50 total touches (carries + receptions), and over or under 500 scrimmage yards for T.J. Hammonds? He totaled 34 for 326 yards last season.
Clay Henry: Hammonds will go over those numbers.
Matt Jones: Assuming he stays healthy and improves his ball security, that is a reasonable number - an average of just more than four per game - of touches to top. Whether he gets to 500 yards likely will depend on how well he does against some of the non-conference teams. More than half his yards last year came against Coastal Carolina and he had 22 more against Florida A&M.
Dudley Dawson: Over.
Scottie Bordelon: I’m going to go under on 50 total touches – he’ll get close, though – and over 500 yards of offense. He’s a big-play guy. He doesn’t need a boatload of touches to get to 500.
Rakeem Boyd and Maleek Williams are two more talented backs in the mix. Where/how do they fit in, and will there be enough carries to go around?
Clay Henry: The Chad Morris offense (as called by Joe Craddock) has plenty of touches for all these running backs. They will all be utilized. Look for the angles to change by the down and more than one of these backs to get the kind of action that will make them big-play backs. The box will be clean and they are all going to love this system. It's a running back's dream system.
Matt Jones: Boyd is getting into the fold late from junior college, so he might be behind the eight ball this preseason while he gets acclimated to the playbook, the practices and the conditioning. I have liked Williams' play each of the past two springs. I'm not comparing his talent level to theirs, but he has a similar strength and upright running style to some Alabama running backs under Nick Saban, such as Trent Richardson and Derrick Henry. He is difficult to bring down and it typically takes more than one defender to do it. He could be a solid option in short-yardage situations.
Dudley Dawson: While I think all five of the guys are going to see significant action in the backfield, you only have so many carries and I am sure there will be a clearly defined number for each. But when you add in the passing game, I think there are going to be enough touches for everybody plus the odds on everybody staying healthy all year has to be slim.
Scottie Bordelon: Randy Ramsey told me this spring Maleek reminds him of Ricky Williams just in the way he runs so hard and doesn’t shy away from contact. Plus he has some speed. We saw guys struggle to tackle Maleek. He’ll get his chance, for sure. I’m eager to see Rakeem in person and on Last Chance U Season 3, which came out today. He’s a proven JUCO back and Independence CC coach Jason Brown said he’s as good as any of the 27 guys he has in the NFL. Coaches don’t just say things like that. I wouldn’t be surprised to see some of these running backs on special teams. Arkansas has five playmakers at that position, so why not see if a guy could thrive in one of those spots.