Arkansas Football: Will Rakeem Boyd lead SEC in rushing in 2020?

Rakeem Boyd is returning for one last season with Arkansas football and there’s a good chance he’ll lead the SEC in rushing in 2020.

Some may look at Rakeem Boyd opting to return to Arkansas for one final season as a mistake. Heck, he’ll be playing for a first-year head coach in a brand new offense, so how could that possibly held his draft stock?

Well, luckily for Boyd, he’ll be playing for a head coach who happens to be an offensive line guru — he was the offensive line coach at Georgia from 2016-19 and then before that at Arkansas.

The Razorbacks had one of the worst offensive lines in the SEC last season but there’s nowhere to go but up. They may not have had the most dominant offensive line, but Boyd still managed to rush for 1,133 yards and eight touchdowns, averaging a healthy 6.2 yards per carry. He was one of the most effective rushers in the conference and he’ll have an even bigger 2020 season.

Will he lead the SEC in rushing next season?

With an offensive line that figures to improve and acting as the conference’s No. 3 returning running back, Boyd’s numbers will only improve, but catching someone like Najee Harris would be difficult. Heck, Kylin Hill could have a big season, but if we know anything about Mike Leach, it’s that he likes an offense that can move the ball through the air.

Boyd will approach 1,500 yards next season to go along with 10-plus touchdowns as well as maintaining a 6.0 yards per carry average.

Is that good enough to lead the SEC? Harris is likely going to lead the conference in rushing and Boyd should be a close second, followed by Hill and a breakout star.

Arkansas may not be bowl-bound in 2020, but the Razorbacks will have one of the best players in the conference. Enjoy him while you can, Arkansas fans.