Grind City Football: Arkansas freshman tailback Hayden provides hope for Hogs’ ground game
Michael WallaceBy Bart Pohlman
Grind City Media CorrespondentFAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Even Chase Hayden didn’t expect that.
That, being a 120-yard rushing performance in the Memphis native’s college debut as Arkansas rolled to a 49-7 win over FCS opponent Florida A&M last week in Little Rock. Hayden’s performance provided a spark for the Razorbacks, and already has fans wondering if they’re witnessing the beginnings of the next star Arkansas running back.
One college game under his belt, one SEC Freshman of the Week honor on the shelf.
“I surprised myself a little bit,” Hayden said. “I really didn’t know what to expect. I mean I just came into the game nervous, but my teammates helped me along. They’ve all been so encouraging to me and just bringing me along, so I really appreciate it.”
Indeed, Hayden is coming along quickly. But he’s first to acknowledge there’s still a long way to go as he aims to develop into a consistent impact player. That process continues this week as Hayden, one of nine true freshmen on the Razorbacks’ two-deep roster, looks to build on his performance when TCU (1-0) visits Arkansas (1-0) on Saturday.
Two of the guys who have helped Hayden along are fellow running backs in sophomore Devwah Whaley and graduate transfer David Williams. Together, the three of them represent a formidable challenge for opposing defenses—when one talented back tires, the next one enters fresh while the defense is still trying to catch its breath. Arkansas head coach Bret Bielema hasn’t shied away from comparing his three ground Hogs to one of the most productive tailback rotations college football has ever seen.
“I think as a head coach you just go back and reflect on what you’ve had in the past,” Bielema said recently during fall camp. “You look about it, and there was a time where I had three guys that were very close. Two of the three rushed for 1,000, the other was at like 998. That was when I had John Clay, Montee Ball and James White. This three-man combo is kind of like that. Two very, very big, productive backs, and another little jitterbug guy, scatback guy—much like Chase is.”
Razorbacks coach Bret Bielema and offensive coordinator Dan Enos are confident Memphis native and SEC Freshman of the Week Chase Hayden will have a major impact this season.
Bielema was referencing his 2010 season at Wisconsin, the year White ran for 1,052 yards, Clay gained 1,012 and Ball just missed the mark with 996 yards. That Badger team rushed for an average of 245.7 yards a game, went 11-2 and won the Big Ten title.
Arkansas could use a mix like that.
Bielema’s Wisconsin teams were known for their bruising, bludgeoning style of play. They ran over their opponents and stuffed them at the line of scrimmage, demoralizing defenses that couldn’t stop them and offenses that couldn’t stay on the field.
Meanwhile, Arkansas’ average of 164.2 rushing yards a game last season wasn’t just the worst of the Bielema era in Fayetteville—it was also the second-lowest rushing output of his career, surpassing only his debut season in 2006 as Wisconsin’s head coach.
In Southeastern Conference play, the stats were even uglier: The Hogs averaged 3.9 yards a carry and 154.3 yards a game last season. Arkansas sputtered even more in the red zone at a meager 1.96 yards per carry, down from 3.6 the previous season.
Those numbers came back to bite the Hogs at the end of the season, as the inability to run the ball cost Arkansas the Missouri game and the Belk Bowl against Virginia Tech.
Answering questions about the running game didn’t get any easier in the offseason, when leading rusher Rawleigh Williams III, who finished third in the SEC with 1,360 yards, retired from football after a neck injury in Arkansas’ final spring scrimmage. Without Williams, the only returning tailback with any experience was Whaley, who gained 602 yards and three touchdowns on 110 carries as a true freshman in 2016.
But the addition of South Carolina grad transfer David Williams and the emergence of Hayden have calmed anxieties over the state of the Hogs’ backfield.
“Where we were from when Rawleigh was injured, to where we’re at now—obviously we’d certainly love to have Rawleigh back— with the addition of David and Chase now, I think we’ve got a couple of guys who can really help us,” Arkansas offensive coordinator Dan Enos said during fall camp. “I think that could be a position of strength for us.”
Running backs coach Reggie Mitchell said each adds something different to the mix.
“Devwah has the experience – he’s been around and played in games,” Mitchell said. “David, you know, he’s a little older guy. He’s been in SEC games. And then Chase has a different dynamic in running the ball. He has the capability of making people miss. If it’s not there, he can make something out of nothing.”
Those abilities make Hayden perhaps the most intriguing of the group.
The St. George’s Independent School product wasn’t necessarily highly rated coming out of high school – 247Sports’ composite recruiting ranking had him as a three-star prospect – but Hayden still received his fair share of top offers, eventually choosing Arkansas over Tennessee, Michigan and others. As a junior, he was the first athlete in 31 years named Mr. Football and Mr. Basketball in the state of Tennessee.
In Hayden’s senior year, the dynamic playmaker ran for 1,940 yards and 27 touchdowns while also recording 51 tackles and 16 pass breakups on defense.
If a coach was making a checklist of what he was looking for in a dynamic running back, Arkansas’ staff seems to think Hayden fits every need.
“The definition of a great running back is when you can make something out of nothing,” Bielema said. “When it breaks down, what are they going to do? Chase has the ability to make something out of nothing in a hurry. He’s got a great acceleration. He’s a tough kid. He’s not real big, which, behind big linemen, works advantageously in that you can’t really see when he’s coming out, and then he comes out in a hurry.”
Enos echoed those sentiments.
“He’s an explosive play waiting to happen,” Enos said. “He’s got really good ball skills out of the backfield, as well. He’s shown a lot of toughness so far, too. I’ll tell you what; he’s a heck of a player.”
The contents of this page have not been reviewed or endorsed by the Memphis Grizzlies. All opinions expressed by Michael Wallace and/or Bart Pohlman are solely his own and do not reflect the opinions of the Memphis Grizzlies or its Basketball Operations staff, owners, parent companies, partners or sponsors. His sources are not known to the Memphis Grizzlies and he has no special access to information beyond the access and privileges that go along with being an NBA accredited member of the media.
Published on Sep 06, 2016
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