ESPN’s national recruiting analyst praises Arkansas freshman RB Devwah Whaley
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Outside of the offensive line, it can be argued Arkansas’ biggest question mark heading into the season is at running back.
While running backs Kody Walker and Rawleigh Williams III have flashed promise at times, neither player has proven to be able to consistently stay on the field. While either back could break out this season, many Razorback fans are eager to see true freshman Devwah Whaley hit the field. According to ESPN’s national recruiting analyst Tom Luginbill, Whaley very well could be the next great running back for the Hogs.
“In my opinion, Devwah Whaley could not have come at a better time because I think he could be one of the surprise players at the running back position in college football this year,” Luginbill recently said on Sports Talk with Bo Mattingly. “He has tremendous power that an Alex Collins brought and he’s also extremely durable. In that offense, in that league, you’ve got to be durable.”
Whaley of course comes to Fayetteville as one of the prized signees of Arkansas’ latest recruiting class after being rated as the No. 3 overall running back in the nation according to 247Sports. The Texas native was originally committed to Georgia before Mark Richt was let go in Athens leading to Whaley choosing the Razorbacks over several offers from the nation’s top football programs.
Now the biggest question mark facing the gifted running back doesn’t have anything to do with his ability to run the ball but is his ability to quickly pick up the necessary pass blocking skills to play at a high level in the SEC. Given the fact the Razorbacks are breaking in a new offensive line and a new starting quarterback this season, any weaken in Whaley’s pass blocking skills could spell trouble for Arkansas.
A graduate of the University of Tennessee, Michael Wayne Bratton oversees the news coverage for Saturday Down South. Michael previously worked for FOX Sports and NFL.com
