Three Razorbacks Who Could Breakout Against Texas A&M

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Arkansas is set to take on Texas A&M in a primetime 6 p.m. showdown in the Lone Star State at Kyle Field to face off against a struggling Aggies team that has lost two straight.

The Razorbacks are looking to build on last week's 34-6 dismantling of Tulsa, and are going to need a full team effort to stand a chance against the Aggies in one of college football's most hostile environments.

Cam Settles, RB

The sophomore running back from Little Rock has started to pull away as the best backfield option for the Razorbacks, who have certainly struggled to establish much of a rushing attack. The Hogs are only averaging 89 yards per game on the ground, which ranks No. 136 nationally, which is not the standard that past Razorback teams were known for.

Arkansas Razorbacks running back Cam Settles looks for running room in the second half against the Georgia Bulldogs. | Nilsen Roman, Hogs on SI Image

Settles enters Saturday's ballgame with 20 carries for 70 yards this season, after a team-leading 11 carries for 40 yards last week against Tulsa.

Despite the disappointing start, Settles has been the most consistent running back for the Razorbacks so far this season, while Memphis transfer Sutton Smith and junior Braylen Russell have struggled to get anything going for the Hogs.

"Again, there’s some inconsistencies with it," Arkansas offensive coordinator TIm Cramsey said on Tuesday. "Part of it is trusting their footwork. Part of it is believing what their read is and making their read and not predetermining what’s going to happen with the ball. Then when you’re doing that and running with confidence, the physicality can take over.

"I don't mean to give you all the same answer, but you go back to the fundamentals. You go back to the techniques. You go back to the basics of everything, and that's to trust your footwork, hit your landmark, make your first read, and then one cut and go."

CJ Brown, WR

With the red hot Chris Marshall is becoming a breakout star for the Razorbacks, the Hogs need more receivers to step up to help stretch the field out even more. Junior CJ Brown is the perfect candidate, as he's been in this situation before as the Razorbacks enter the meat of its SEC schedule.

Arkansas Razorbacks wide receiver CJ Brown breaking a tackle against the Alabama A&M Bulldogs at Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville, Ark. | Nilsen Roman-allHOGS Images

Despite being targeted 14 times this season, Brown has only 5 catches for 59 yards, as he has struggled with drops. However, he is in a strong position to break out this week, as the Aggies will look to Marshall in check and limit the Razorbacks' ability to expose their secondary vertically.

Joker Johnson, DB

The talented defensive back from Louisiana has quietly put together an impressive season, entering Saturday's showdown with 19 tackles and 2 pass breakups. He sits fifth on the team in tackles, and has made plays all over the field through the first four games.

Arkansas Razorbacks cornerback Joker Johnson reacts after making a tackle against the Georgia Bulldogs. | Nilsen Roman, Hogs on SI Images

Even with Johnson having a stellar season, he and the Arkansas secondary will have their hands full as Aggies' speedy receiver Mario Craver will look to get loose against an Arkansas defense that's allowed exactly 200 yards per game through the air.

As Johnson faces off against Craver, it will be a best-on-best matchup: Johnson comes in as a CB1 for the Hogs, and Craver is the Aggies' best receiver thus far.

As the Razorbacks head to Texas for the biggest test of the season to this point, the Razorbacks are in prime position to walk into Kyle Field and steal this game from the Aggies, as this would mark the first victory over the Aggies since 2021, when the Hogs took down the Aggies in AT&T Stadium with a final score of 20-10.

Sign up to our free newsletter, and follow us on Facebook, X (Twitter) for the latest news.

Add us as a preferred source on Google