The rushing attack has been the cornerstone of Arkansas’s offensive success over the last two years. From the beat down of Texas where four different backs found themselves in the end zone to a commanding 232-yard, three-touchdown performance by Rocket Sanders against Ole Miss, Arkansas has been one of the most dominant rushing teams in the SEC, if not the country.
That was under a different coordinator. Briles left for “greener” pastors, and with him, he took the offensive system that produced such a powerful running game. However, he did leave one crucial ingredient, Raheim “Rocket” Sanders. With Dan Enos in control of the reins, can Sanders replicate past success? Or will the offense move on to something different?
WHY SANDERS CAN REPEAT LAST YEAR’S SUCCESS
Momentum
Like the game of football in general, momentum carries an unquantifiable amount of influence on players’ mentality. Players are affected by momentum from play to play, game to game, and year to year. Rushing for 1,443 yards for 10 touchdowns, Sanders had the best season by a running back at Arkansas since Alex Collins rushed for 1,500+ yards in 2015. If he can use last year’s success as a springboard to launch his Junior campaign, he could absolutely repeat the results, if not exceed them given the opportunities.
Increased Athleticism
After Arkansas’s loss to Mizzou, Sam Pittman fired his strength and conditioning coach. It was clear Arkansas began to slide physically as the season went on. In no game was it more obvious than Arkansas’s performance against Liberty.
With Ben Sowders as the new strength and conditioning coach, the team looks as strong as ever. In the spring game, Sanders showed off what he’s done in the weight room in the last 3 months. He constantly ran through defenders and carried them for extra yards. At one point, he even stiff-armed a defensive back from his feet.
The best part is that it hasn’t affected his speed. Sports analyst for the SEC network Cole Cubelic said that Sanders “gets to full speed after like a lateral shift faster than any back in college football right now.”
Less Rushing Attempts from KJ Jefferson
KJ Jefferson has been a key piece of Arkansas’s rushing attack. In 2021, he had 146 attempts for 664 yards. That’s 47 more attempts and 66 more yards than anyone else on the team. In 2022, Sanders took the lion’s share of carries, but Jefferson still managed to attempt 158 carries for 640 yards. He was the team’s second-leading rusher.
This year, however, Jefferson has been working hard on quarterback fundamentals. And the evidence is clear, Enos has a way of developing quarterbacks in a short amount of time. Add that to the concerns about KJ’s health when running the ball, and fans can expect his carries to dramatically drop leaving more opportunities for the running backs.
Chip on His Shoulder
If any player from last season’s team should feel snubbed, it’s Sanders. Rocket led the SEC in rushing for most of the season. Unfortunately, he fell short of the SEC rushing title after a bad performance against Mizzou and an injury in the Liberty Bowl. Instead, Ole Miss’ Quinshon Judkins took that honor, and along with it the praise of the national media. He was then snubbed by the Doak Walker Award committee when they released its semifinalist. It included Judkins, but not Sanders.
WHY HE WON’T REPEAT LAST YEAR’S SUCCESS
Offensive Philosophy
Briles’ offense was extremely run-heavy and had a “gimmicky” passing attack. Arkansas threw a lot of bubble screens, RPOs, and quick passes usually intended for just one target. Last year, Arkansas ran nearly one passing play for every two rushing plays, 357 to 605, respectively. With Enos, the passing game will be more complicated and more of a priority.
Enos has become more balanced as a play caller since his original stint at Arkansas. His first year with the Hogs was similar to what fans saw with Briles, rushing 513 times and passing 374. As time went on, he started to open up the passing game. In his last year with Maryland, Enos was as balanced as you can get, passing the ball 446 times and rushing 469.
Enos is known for molding his offense to fit the talent so, yes, Arkansas will still run a lot. But Arkansas’s talent at receiver—as a whole—arguably has more potential than he’s ever had as an OC. Fewer running plays mean fewer opportunities for Rocket.
Yes, Jefferson’s carries are most likely going to drop, but who said they were automatically going to Sanders? Arkansas has two extremely talented backs directly behind him. Both AJ Green and Rashod Dubinion had a great game against Kansas after Sanders was hurt. Even their 4th string back is solid when he’s healthy. Dominique Johnson led the running backs in yards per carry at 5.9 & touchdowns (7) in 2021 and was the projected starter in 2022 before his ACL injury.
Offensive Line Questions
One of the key reasons Arkansas’s rushing attack was so potent was its offensive line. Arkansas returned all but Myron Cunningham from the 2021 squad, but now it’s having to replace both tackles and center. Beaux Limmer has moved to center for Ricky Stromberg while Brady Latham stayed at left guard.
The offensive line will have a lot of new faces. The only one with much playing experience is Florida transfer, Joshua Braun. He left Florida because Billy Napier & Co. tried to force him into a position (tackle) that didn’t work with his skill set. He’ll be at the right guard after Limmer’s move to center. Patrick Kutas will most likely take over duties at right tackle, and a three-way battle will determine who plays left tackle this season. E’Marion Harris, Ty’Kieast Crawford, and Devon Manuel are vying for the position, with Manuel in the lead.
Chemistry is important to the functionality of the offensive line. With all the turnover, I have concerns that rushing production will dip in the first few games. As the season goes on, the O-line will begin to gel better, but the beginning of the season might dig Sanders too big of a hole to climb out of.
If Rocket Sanders can overcome the few obstacles in his way and capitalize on the opportunities, he has the skills, the talent, the momentum, and the motivation to be the best back in the SEC, if not the nation.
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