Saturday Blitz
Fansided

Arkansas Football: Devwah Whaley is Razorbacks’ secret star

By Matthew Bartlett

COLUMBIA, MO - NOVEMBER 25: Running back Devwah Whaley #21 of the Arkansas Razorbacks dives into the end zone for a touchdown against the Missouri Tigers in the first quarter at Memorial Stadium on November 25, 2016 in Columbia, Missouri. (Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images)
COLUMBIA, MO - NOVEMBER 25: Running back Devwah Whaley #21 of the Arkansas Razorbacks dives into the end zone for a touchdown against the Missouri Tigers in the first quarter at Memorial Stadium on November 25, 2016 in Columbia, Missouri. (Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

Arkansas football has a secret weapon. You haven’t heard his name on the preseason watch lists, but Devwah Whaley is set to take the SEC by storm.

Rawleigh Williams III was supposed to be the lead back for the Razorbacks this season. Instead, he announced his retirement from football during the offseaon. A second neck injury had made it simply too dangerous to continue to play. With him removed from the depth chart, the Hogs will turn to sophomore running back Devwah Whaley to carry the load.

Whaley saw more than spot duty in 2016. He played in all 13 games and collected 602 yards rushing on 110 carries and caught six passes for 139 yards. He found the end zone three times. Those are respectable numbers for a guy that only saw double-digit touches for times in 2016.

Whaley poised for big role in the Razorbacks’ offense

He will be far from second fiddle in 2017 and his success will be a barometer for the productivity of the entire offensive unit. Arkansas finished 11th in the SEC in total rushing yards a year ago. That’s a problem for a team that has traditionally buttered its bread with run heavy schemes. The Hogs turned into a pass heavy team that lived and died on the arm of Austin Allen.

Allen is one of the toughest passers in the SEC, but he wasn’t built to sustain a beating on every play. Thats what happens when you become one-dimensional. When you can only do one thing well in the SEC, opposing defenses pick you apart. You have to be two-dimensional. Whaley is the key man to make that a reality.

Next: Ranking the top 50 players in college football in 2017

It might be a lot of pressure to put on the shoulders of such a young player, but Whaley has proven he’s capable it bursts. Now he’ll have to do it again as the feature back. He should easily be able to manage 20 carries and 100 yards a game. If he does that he’ll keep his team competitive in one of the toughest divisions in college football.

Home/Arkansas Razorbacks