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ARKANSAS 2021 SCHOLARSHIP DISTRIBUTION
The Razorbacks have already had a small glimpse of the future at the running back position at the end of 2020 but there are new faces who could shake things up for the room.
Expected to have a big year, Rakeem Boyd, Arkansas's 2019 rushing leader, opted out after injury and COVID19 protocols limited his snaps. Junior running back Trelon Smith returns and, having lost no eligibility like the rest of his teammates, has two more seasons to play.
Smith, initially signing with Arizona State in the 2017 class, transferred to Arkansas and sat out the 2019 season–biding his time. Smith's snaps went from 23 in the first game versus Georgia up to the 50s at the end of the season, posting a high of 72 snaps versus Missouri. In 10 games, he racked up 710 yards, averaging 5.3 yards per carry and scoring five rushing touchdowns. Smith finished 10th in the SEC in yards per game, so there's no guarantees that he'll be the feature back for Arkansas in 2021, though he is the most likely to start.
With two more running backs returning and two joining the team, the Hogs could find themselves in a running back by committee situation.
Even older and more experienced than Smith, senior T.J. Hammonds also opted to return to Arkansas for another year. Hammonds only played 88 snaps in 2020 (many of them on special teams) but he flashed a few times and averaged 5.9 yards in his 15 carries. Hammonds only moved back to running back to help the Hogs with depth at the end of the season but he could be utilized as both a runner and receiver in 2021.
Mostly an unknown commodity except for his speed, the Razorbacks also have Josh Oglesby on the roster. The Texas native took on a football scholarship after starting out as a track and field athlete but suffered an injury that knocked him out for the year. Oglesby flashed his breakaway speed for one of the top Texas powerhouses–Katy High School, but at 5-foot-7 (now 5-foot-8) he didn't have many college coaches looking his way.
