The Arkansas Razorbacks gained 20 new recruits after National Signing Day this year. Among those that signed on was Devwah Whaley, a running back out of Texas. Sought after by several schools, Whaley chose Arkansas as his new home, and could potentially be another key part to the Hog offense.
Whaley attended Beaumont Central High School in Texas for three years. He was first team all-district his junior year and received offers from 22 schools, including Arkansas, Texas, Oklahoma, and Georgia. He attended the Under Armour All-American Game in January, during which he made the somewhat surprising choice of Arkansas as his school. Most had Whaley staying home in Texas.
Whaley is a four star prospect according to ESPN, and is ranked as the number four running back in the nation and number 95 overall. He marks a significant pickup for Arkansas, especially as a Texas prospect. It shows Bielema can recruit successfully in a state filled with remarkable talent, and can pull these guys away from in-state universities.
Whaley improved each of his three years, running for 1,305 yards and 12 touchdowns his junior season, and following up with 1,530 yards and 21 touchdowns as a senior. He made his case as a top running back, and it earned him the attention of schools in multiple states. It helped his coaches saw his talent, as he went from just 80 rush attempts sophomore year to over 200 the final season.
The Arkansas Razorbacks have been known to some as “Running Back U” for a while now, due to the talent coming out of the backfield the last several years. With the addition of Whaley, it seems the Hogs will continue earning that title. Whaley could potentially make an impact right away, since Arkansas just lost its two leading running backs to the draft. Senior Jonathan Williams and junior Alex Collins both moved on to the NFL after the 2015 season. Both men ran for over 1,ooo yards and 12 touchdowns in 2014. Williams suffered a devastating injury his senior year, causing him to miss the entire season, but Collins had over 1,500 rushing yards and punched in 20 touchdowns.
The Hogs are now left with sixth-year senior Kody Walker, who has mainly acted as a back up his college career, and sophomore Rawleigh Williams, who showed promise his first year, but suffered a severe neck injury that could cause issues in the future. With the status of the running back position so uncertain, there is a significant chance Whaley could see immediate action and become a large part of the Arkansas offense. Kody Walker thankfully remained injury free last season and was fairly solid, but it would definitely help to have a one-two punch, like the Hogs have had the last few seasons.
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