Sign up for an annual HawgBeat subscription and get $50 for Arkansas gear on the Rivals Fan Shop ––> details

College Students, get a year of HawgBeat coverage for just $11.95. Request details via email from your school account (.edu) to nchavanelle@yahoo.com.

By skipping the NFL Draft and returning for his senior year, Rakeem Boyd has a chance to etch his name in the Arkansas record book.

No one is catching Darren McFadden’s career rushing totals anytime soon, but it’s not a stretch to think Boyd could join the Razorbacks’ exclusive 3,000-yard club.

If the former four-star recruit and JUCO transfer just replicates his junior season, he’d have exactly 3,000 yards in his career. The only other UA players to hit that mark are McFadden, Alex Collins, Ben Cowins, Dickey Morton and Cedric Cobbs.

What really impressed new offensive coordinator Kendal Briles during the short amount of time he was around Boyd before the coronavirus shutdown, though, was how he handled himself as a leader amongst his teammates.

“(He’s) one of a handful of guys on the roster that have come back that have had a lot of production and a lot of success,” Briles said. “Those guys can do two things: They can pull down your team or they can really uplift your team.

“Rakeem is one of those guys that has led by example on a daily basis by being on time for workouts and busting his butt at all the workouts and what we were doing and then being very engaged once we were able to get a little bit of football.”

With the graduation of Devwah Whaley, Boyd has by far the most experience in the Razorbacks’ running back room. The other four scholarship running backs - if you include T.J. Hammonds, who is expected to be put back on scholarship - have a combined 527 yards on 84 carries in eight total collegiate seasons.

That means he could be asked to take on a workhorse role for Arkansas in 2020, which is something he hasn’t been the last two years. Boyd has only three career games - out of 24 - with at least 20 carries and seven with fewer than 10.

Several factors have contributed to his low workload.

Two years ago, Boyd got off to a slow start because he was a late arrival from Independence C.C. When he finally got heated up, he rattled off six straight games in which he averaged 113.7 total yards.

Unfortunately, multiple injuries kept Boyd off the field at various points that season and limited him to 123 carries. He increased that to 184 carries last year, but there were still times he tapped out of games.

Because of his injury history and apparent NFL future, the Razorbacks will likely handle Boyd with caution whenever practices and scrimmages get started. He’ll need to get reps, but once the coaches are confident he understands the new system, they’ll probably pull back some because they want him “full speed ahead” for the season.

“He is definitely not one of those guys we need to beat up,” Briles said. “We know that he can play, but this offense is different - the terminology is different, the signals are different, the tempo is different.”

The Razorbacks were also playing from behind a lot, as they struggled to back-to-back 2-10 seasons without an SEC win. That’s forced them into more passing situations, taking away potential carries for Boyd.

When he has had the ball in his hands, though, he’s been electric. Despite poor quarterback play not keeping defenses honest and inconsistent offensive line play, Boyd has averaged 6.08 yards per carry. The only players in school history with a higher career average are Felix Jones (7.66) and Matt Jones (6.64).

If he maintains that average - which seems possible if Arkansas gets better production from Feleipe Franks and its offensive line - and increases his workload by four carries per game, Boyd would rush for 1,425 yards.

Not only would that rank fourth on the UA single-season chart, but it would give him 3,292 rushing yards in his career. Currently 22nd on the school’s all-time rushing list, Boyd would jump up to fifth and be within striking distance of Morton (3,317) for fourth - passing legends like Jerry Eckwood, Ike Forte, Barry Foster, Madre Hill, Matt Jones, Fred Talley, James Rouse, Felix Jones and Cobbs along the way.

Based on how the coaches have talked about Boyd this offseason, those sound like realistic expectations for his senior year.

“He’s a really powerful runner, but he’s got elusiveness as well,” Briles said. “He’s got good ball skills. He’s got the drive, he’s got the want-to. He’s a big kid, 205 pounds, (with) broad shoulders and he’s got long speed, he can run. I think he’s an all-round, every-down back.”