Rocket Sanders

In a season that fell short of expectations overall for the Razorbacks, Sanders provided a huge silver lining as a sophomore. Sanders rushed for 1,443 yards for Arkansas, averaging a robust 6.5 yards per carry. He finished second in the conference behind standout freshman Quinshon Judkins of Ole Miss, and 13th in the nation. The rushing ability of dual-threat quarterback KJ Jefferson clearly did little to deter the Hogs from continuously feeding Sanders, who managed 222 carries on the year. Sanders also scored 10 times on the ground. He proved a more than capable receiver out of the backfield as well, snagging 28 balls for 271 yards and two more scores through the air. Opposing defenses will certainly be keying on Sanders and Jefferson in the running game, especially with the Hogs losing 125 receptions from their wide receiving corps from last season. Nevertheless, do not expect the “ground and pound” game plan to change for the Razorbacks under head coach Sam Pittman, an experienced former offensive line coach.