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Arkansas Football: Devwah Whaley’s time to shine is now

By Andrew Miller

FAYETTEVILLE, AR - OCTOBER15: Devwah Whaley #21 of the Arkansas Razorbacks runs with the ball during a game against the Mississippi Rebels at Razorback Stadium on October 15, 2016 in Fayetteville, Arkansas. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)
FAYETTEVILLE, AR - OCTOBER15: Devwah Whaley #21 of the Arkansas Razorbacks runs with the ball during a game against the Mississippi Rebels at Razorback Stadium on October 15, 2016 in Fayetteville, Arkansas. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images) /
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Arkansas football has a running back in Devwah Whaley that can put up more than 150 yards and two touchdowns against Florida A&M.

Arkansas lost their best offensive player in running back Rawleigh Williams III to retirement this offseason and sophomore Devwah Whaley is the next man up in the Razorback offense. Whaley was originally a four-star recruit with five-star talent that was pursued by some of the best programs in the country.

Williams III unexpectedly retired during the offseason. He was the go-to guy for head coach Bret Bielema. Arkansas has a deep stable of running backs where Whaley was supposed to be the backup. Now, senior South Carolina-transfer David Williams is the presumed backup to Whaley. Freshmen Chase Hayden and Maleek Williams are names to watch as well.

Bielema has a turnover-prone quarterback in senior Austin Allen who tossed 15 picks last year. However, Allen did compile 25 touchdown passes. The rushing attack is more reliable than putting the ball in Allen’s hands most of the time. Arkansas needs a big season from Allen if they want to make a big push in the SEC West.

Whaley has a chance to put up some big numbers against Florida A&M as it’s the only game where the Razorbacks face an FCS opponent this year. Florida A&M did dominate their first opponent, Texas Southern, in the first game of the 2017 college football season. Yet, Arkansas is on a different level.

David Williams, Chase Hayden and Maleek Williams should get some playing time as Bielema expects the Razorback offense to have a huge performance in the first half. Putting enough points up on the board to get the backups some work is the primary goal of this game.

Next: 3 bold predictions for Arkansas vs. Florida A&M

Whaley is not a huge name on the national stage yet. Since he’s only a sophomore, expect him to make some noise and gain some attention early in the season. Arkansas has a special running back on its hands.

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