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Arkansas RB Jonathan Williams out ‘extended period of time’ after foot surgery

By Patrick Schmidt

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Arkansas Razorbacks leading rusher Jonathan Williams is out indefinitely after undergoing surgery on his foot.

There has been plenty of positivity coming out of Arkansas this offseason with Bret Bielema’s Razorbacks poised for a strong season after finishing the 2014 season with three straight impressive wins.

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However, the program was dealt some potentially devastating news with leading rusher Jonathan Williams out for an ‘extended period of time’ after undergoing surgery on his foot after he was injured in Saturday’s scrimmage.

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“I have no doubt that Jonathan will come back stronger than ever. Anyone that knows Jonathan Williams knows this is just another opportunity for him to prove the man of character and substance that he really is,” Bielema said in a statement, via USA Today. “It’s an unfortunate injury to a great young man, but we are in the process of gathering as much information as possible. There are short and long term impacts of how he proceeds and we want to make sure he does what’s best for him and his family, and his career beyond Arkansas.”

Williams rushed for 1190 yards on 211 carries and tied Alex Collins for the team-lead with 12 touchdowns. He bypassed entering the 2015 NFL Draft to return to Arkansas and his return was part of the optimism surrounding the program and their 2015 season, but now Collins will have to be the featured back until Williams returns.

A return date isn’t known but Collins has shown he can be very good in a tandem role after rushing for 1,100 yards in addition to his 12 touchdowns last year in a time share situation with Williams. The former top recruit who was Bielema’s first signature recruit for the Hogs will be joined by fullback/running back Kody Walker who had 174 yards and three touchdowns in the spring game and true freshman and former three-star recruit Rawleigh Williams III.

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