Arkansas Football Preseason Outlook: Backfield

Published Tuesday, August 1, 2023 FAYETTEVILLE — The best backfield in the SEC might reside in Arkansas. Quarterback KJ Jefferson and running back Raheim “Rocket” Sanders were among the league’s best at their respective positions a year ago. As a tandem, Jefferson and Sanders combined for 2,083 rushing yards, 5.

5 yards per carry (including sacks) and 19 touchdowns — a bullying 1-2 punch in the Razorbacks’ zone-read option game. Both were named to the watch lists for the Maxwell Award on Monday. Expect their names on every associated watch list this preseason.

Sanders narrowly missed on winning the SEC rushing title as a sophomore — his 1,443 yards were second to Quinshon Judkins of Ole Miss — and his 6. 5-yard average tied for the league’s best. His 10 touchdowns led the team, just ahead of Jefferson (9).

Jefferson has been responsible for 67 touchdowns — 48 passing and 19 rushing — and has passed for more than 2,600 yards and rushed for more than 600 yards each season since taking over as the full-time starter in 2021. He has lost the bulk of his playmakers at receiver and tight end from last season, but improved technique under the guidance of quarterbacks coach Dan Enos might lead to another year with strong results in the passing game. Enos has a track record in recent years of solid play by dual-threat quarterbacks.

Arkansas likely feels better about Jefferson’s understudy after Jacolby Criswell transferred from North Carolina, where he battled, then backed up ACC player of the year Drake Maye last year. Freshman quarterback Malachi Singleton was a 4-star recruit. Three of the Razorbacks’ six losses last season came with Jefferson either out entirely (Mississippi State and LSU) or slowed (Liberty) due to injury.

Arkansas averaged 15 points in those games, compared to 38 in the other 10 games when the Razorbacks were 7-3. Sanders’ classmate AJ Green (424 yards, 3 TD in 2022) emerged as the likely No. 2 back during the spring, ahead of sophomore Rashod Dubinion (293 yards, 5 TDs).

Both players had strong closing statements to the 2022 season when Dubinion rushed for 112 yards and Green rushed for 99 against Kansas at the Liberty Bowl. The progress of Dominique Johnson will be interesting to track. A key to Arkansas’ record-breaking backfield in 2021 when he rushed for 575 yards and 7 touchdowns, Johnson had only 8 carries last season when he worked his way back from an ACL surgery only to tear the ligament for a second time.

He has been cleared to practice with the team. Freshman Isaiah Augastave has time to learn behind the veteran running backs. Augustave was a 4-star recruit from Florida who had several other offers from Power 5 teams.

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