FAYETTEVILLE -- The University of Arkansas got an early Christmas present on the same day it named a new offensive coordinator as top tailback Rakeem Boyd announced he was returning for his senior season.
Boyd announced his return with a social media post not long after Kendal Briles was announced as Coach Sam Pittman's hire for the offensive coordinator position.
"After talking to my family and coaches, I have made a decision that it is best for me to not enter the 2020 NFL Draft and come back to the University of Arkansas for my senior season and to finish my education," Boyd wrote.
"There's more left for me to do to fulfill my dreams, break more records and bring the program back to the top, and the only way I can do that is in that number five Razorback jersey. I am coming back to help turn this program around!"
Boyd ranked fifth in the SEC and 28th nationally with 1,133 rushing yards. He posted five 100-yard rushing games, including a career-high 185 yards on eight carries against Western Kentucky on Nov. 9. The junior from Houston averaged 6.16 yards per carry and scored eight rushing touchdowns. Among players who averaged at least 15 carries per game, Boyd's per-carry average ranked 11th among FBS players.
His brother, Rashad Boyd, is a sophomore sprinter for the Razorbacks' track and field team.
Pittman responded to the events with a Twitter post around 4 p.m., writing, "Seems to me Monday December 23, 2019 has been a great day!!"
Pittman added the hashtags "woopig" and his catch phrase "yesirrr" at the bottom of his post.
Boyd -- a 6-foot, 213-pounder -- transferred to Arkansas for the 2018 season as the No. 3 junior-college running back in the country out of Independence (Kan.) College. He had started his college career as a Texas A&M signee in 2016.
Boyd rushed for 734 yards as a sophomore, with three 100-yard rushing games.
Pittman said Wednesday he hoped Boyd would return.
"Obviously, he's a wonderful player," Pittman said. "I have spoken with him, I don't know, two, three or four times. We obviously have to talk to him about his draft status. Where he's ranked. So, we have conveyed that to him and then he has to decide what he has to do. Obviously, we want him to come back and help us and help himself with the draft."
Sports on 12/24/2019