He’s always been “the other guy” in the conversation about the SEC’s best running backs.

LSU’s Leonard Fournette and Alabama’s Derrick Henry seem to always receive their just due, but Arkansas running back Alex Collins seems to get overlooked despite his many accomplishments.

It’s about time folks started taking notice because Collins is playing as well as any back in the nation right now and is a big catalyst behind the Razorbacks’ recent change of fortunes following a forgettable start to the season.

The three running backs sit atop the SEC rushing lists entering this weekend’s games, with Fournette pacing both the conference and the nation as a whole with 1,474 yards and 17 touchdowns on 214 carries (163.8 yards per game).

Henry ranks 4th nationally with 145.8 yards per game, while Collins quietly comes in at 15th with an average of 120.9 despite seeing the ball less than either Fournette or Henry.

All three backs are shouldering the offensive loads for their respective teams, yet only Fournette and Henry have attracted much media fanfare outside of Fayetteville.

A junior who has rushed for more than 1,000 yards in every college season, Collins remains a relative unknown nationally, despite ranking as the SEC leader with his eight games of at least 100 yards. That’s in part because of Arkansas’ slow start to the season that saw the Hogs drop four of their first six games. As a result, the team has played in relative obscurity since, while LSU and Alabama are regulars in the coveted prime-time nationally televised slots on CBS and ESPN.

But word about Collins is starting to slowly make the rounds.

Just this week, he was named as one of 11 semifinalists for the Doak Walker Award that annually goes to the nation’s top running back. Fournette and Henry are also among the semifinalists.

Collins’ big-play ability has resulted in three runs of at least 60 yards this season, tied for 4th-most in the nation. Two of those runs resulted in touchdowns, including last week’s 80-yard dash for a score in the upset win at then-No. 9 LSU. Collins scored twice in the 31-14 victory, giving him 30 touchdowns for his career and 26 within the last 22 games.

Collins, Fournette and Henry are all together in exclusive company as three of just seven major college football running backs averaging better than 6 yards per carry with over 190 attempts.

But it’s Collins who might remain as college football’s best-kept secret.

That has to change.