Sadly, it is true. Knile Davis is gone for the season. He is the first, and hopefully the last major injury the Hogs suffer this year. So with Davis out of the picture, what does Arkansas need to do to survive this mishap?

First and foremost, the Razorbacks must get past this on a mental level. Coach Petrino and his staff are in place for a reason, and they will coach their players to look forward to the first game.

Running backs coach Tim Horton will put great emphasis on his remaining backs to stay focused, stay healthy, remember their assignments, and run hard when they get the ball in their hands.

This offensive line has been talked about at length. If the Hogs want to have a successful 2011, the O-Line is the key, and they must come together early. It won’t matter who is running the ball if the line can’t open holes for them to run through. Line coach Chris Klenakis has been pleased most of the time with the effort his linemen have been giving in practice.

With under three weeks to go until the first game, the line is starting to flesh itself out somewhat, but we won’t see a true starting group until game week. Right now it seems that sophomore Travis Swanson (6’5” 305 lbs.) is rock solid at center, and sophomore Alvin Bailey (6’5” 319 lbs.) will be starting at one of the guard spots. Swanson and Bailey are returning starters. Freshman Brey Cook (6’7” 317 lbs.) has worked with the first team unit every day at tackle, as well as Juco transfer Jason Peacock (6’5” 334 lbs.). The other guard spot is still up for grabs, but senior Grant Cook (6’4” 320 lbs.) returned to practice last Saturday.

The loss of Davis, coupled with the loss of fellow running back Broderick Green to a knee injury in spring practice, might signal a more wide open passing attack for Arkansas. It would not surprise me at all to see Tyler Wilson and this incredible receiver corps spread the field and proceed to light up opponents through the air.

I also wouldn’t be surprised to see QB Brandon Mitchell have a bigger impact this year, possibly running some sort of Wild Hog option attack.

The main piece of this “Production by Committee” puzzle are the remaining running backs. Juniors Ronnie Wingo (6’3” 231 lbs. 4.31) and Dennis Johnson (5’9” 213 lbs. 4.4) will be the go-to guys this fall.

Wingo has talent to spare, but he just hasn’t produced on the field yet. Razorback coaches were immensely impressed with Wingo’s improvement during spring practice. Ronnie stated that he saw how Knile did it in 2010, and he took a page from his playbook to become a better running back. Arkansas’ coaches commented on how much harder Wingo was running between the tackles, and how much faster he was hitting the holes, instead of dancing around like a scatback.

Dennis Johnson had a very productive 2009 at RB and as the Hogs kick returner. In fact, DJ is Arkansas’ all-time leader in kickoff return yards, and it’s a position he will fill once again in 2011.

Game two of the 2010 season was DJ’s stopping point a year ago. He suffered a serious bowel injury on a kick return, tearing his intestines. It was a fluke thing, but DJ has fully recovered and is back to form. Most of his teammates compare him to a bowling ball. He’s listed at 5’9” on the roster, but that is being generous, as he is closer to 5’7 ½”. But at 213 lbs, he has the ability to bowl you over for those extra yards if he cannot out run you.

Two other running backs Arkansas will look to for depth are true freshmen Kody Walker (6’2” 235 lbs. 4.5) and Kelvin Fisher Jr (5’11” 185 lbs. 4.3). Walker is a bruising back, who will be used in short yardage situations. Fisher started out at cornerback, but he quickly made the transition to the backfield after playing both positions in high school.

The final element in Arkansas’ run-game that must be noted is at fullback. Head Coach Bobby Petrino uses a one-back, three-receiver base set, but that does not discount his teams need for a fullback. Juco transfer Kiero Small (5’10” 255 lbs. 4.6) is the new lead blocker for the Hogs, and he has truly been impressive in practice. More than one coach has stated how Small regularly “blows up” a defender during practice. He is a good receiver out of the backfield, and is extremely tough to bring down due to his overall strength and his stature.

All of these elements must come together for Arkansas to move forward in 2011. Some they can control, others they cannot. But the big question is, does this team have enough depth and confidence to make up for the Knile Davis injury? I believe they do, and we shall know for certain soon enough.