Arkansas RB Jonathan Williams to miss regular season

The Arkansas Razorbacks suffering a tough blow before their season even begins, with word running back Jonathan Williams will miss an extended period of time during the 2015 season after suffering a foot injury in Saturday’s scrimmage.

Unfortunately, it’s not unusual for Arkansas fans to deal with injuries to star running backs in the preseason.

Both Bielema and Williams said in a statement issued by the university that he expects a full recovery. Collins ran for 1,100 yards and 12 touchdowns last season.

Bielema said Arkansas was gathering information about how to proceed with treatment of Williams’ injury. He rushed 11 times for 70 yards during the scrimmage and had one of the days longest runs of 39 yards.

“There are short- and long-term impacts on how he proceeds, and we want to make sure he does what’s best for him and his family, and his career beyond Arkansas”, Bielema said. On the surface, it would appear that Collins’ touches will increase while freshman Rawleigh Williams and senior Kody Walker could take up some of the slack.

Williams is the 10th leading rusher at Arkansas with 2,321 yards on the ground, including 1,190 last season when he led the Razorbacks to a 7-6 record and Texas Bowl win over Texas. The only three backs to rush for more yards in the SEC last season were Auburn’s Cameron Artis-Payne, Georgia’s Nick Chubb and Mississippi State’s Josh Robinson.

As a true senior, another option for Williams would be to redshirt and return to Arkansas for the 2016 season. On the other, a foot injury will likely scare off some teams, and if Williams is unable to return to the field in 2015, that will only hurt his stock further.