There is no middle ground.

Well, there is, just not when it comes to fans.

When it was announced Sunday that Arkansas senior running back Jonathan Williams would miss “extended” time with a foot injury, panic buttons were pressed all across Arkansas. Those who didn’t signal the alarm, instead, didn’t bat an eye.

To the masses Williams’ injury either ruined the Razorbacks’ season or didn’t change it one iota.

The truth is likely somewhere in the middle.

Williams was the No. 1 running back in an offense built around the No. 1 running back. Arkansas coach Bret Bielema is not, and has never been, shy about using his running backs. In fact, while at Wisconsin, Bielema’s last five seasons never saw the Badgers finish outside the top 15 in FBS in either rushing yards or carries. In Fayetteville last year, the Razorbacks were top third in college football’s highest division, but not top 15.

They were almost assuredly going to be top 20 in 2015. Until Williams went down that is.

But here’s the thing: they still might.

Alex Collins will take over the bulk of the load. At least, if Arkansas wants its best chance at winning he will. Collins ran 204 times last year for 1,100 yards and 12 touchdowns. Williams went 210 times for 1,180 yards and 12 touchdowns. They weren’t that dissimiliar.

The question in 2015, however, is just how many of those now-lost 210 carries will become Collins’? It, obviously, remains to be seen. Bielema has given his top running back the ball 356 times in a season before. Of course, that was Montee Ball in the second of his two Heisman Trophy-nominated seasons. He’s also split the duties among three running backs. For example in 2010, when Ball (163), James White (156) and John Clay (187) all finished within 24 carries of each other. Only Ball failed to reach the 1,000 yard mark. And he only missed by six yards.

The latter is the most likely timeshare in Fayetteville. Collins’ carries should increase from last year as long as his health holds. But don’t expect senior-year Ball type numbers.

The truth is Bielema truly believes in backup (formerly third-string) tailback Kody Walker and freshman Rawleigh Williams. Bielema even threatened to allow Walker to vulture some of Collins’ carries in the regular season back in the spring when the dreadlocked junior from Florida wasn’t living up to his coaches’ expectations.

At 260 pounds Walker is a bruiser. But he’s also the only true SEC-caliber fullback on the roster right now. Arkansas doesn’t use a fullback exclusively, or even all that often, but on occasion, he’ll be needed there (depending on the development of freshman Austin Cantrell).

Rawleigh Williams is the one most likely to become a star, though. Bielema talks about the freshman as though he’s capable of a 1,000-yard season tomorrow.Rawleigh Williams has been in practice for less than two weeks. Still, it’s clear after his 100-yard scrimmage on Saturday — the same scrimmage that sidelined Jonathan Williams for the year — Rawleigh Williams will have ample opportunity.

Jonathan Williams’ injury isn’t doomsday. It also isn’t something to ignore. Second-team All-SEC running backs don’t come along all too often. But if Collins’ fall camp — where Bielema is calling it the best of Collins’ career — is a harbinger of the fall season; if Walker can provide 100 or so bruising carries and a goal-line presence; and if Rawleigh Williams can learn technique quickly enough, the Razorbacks should still be just fine.