Razorbacks' Best Player Shows Up Wednesday, but Not Who You Think

Running back Raheim Sanders doesn't draw lot of attention, but he will at SEC Media Days

Author:
Andy Hodges
Publish date:
Jul 18, 2023 6:27 PM EDT

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FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Arkansas quarterback KJ Jefferson seems to be getting left off a lot of rankings of that position at SEC Media Days, but running back Raheim Sanders is making the lists and he might be the best player on the team. That's not a knock on KJ, either, despite what you think. He'll be there Wednesday.

Sanders having a big year is something the Razorbacks will have to have this year. For whatever this new offense is under Dan Enos, a star running back will make everything else fall into place. In football these days at the big-time levels, they don't seem to carry the weight because everybody bases things on the quarterback, which is the most important on the team.

Now that doesn't mean he has to be the best. Under Enos' system, avoiding mistakes is a huge deal for the guy that's handling the ball the most. Jefferson has the skills necessary to do that he doesn't throw interceptions. For the Hogs' sake, though, his taking off and running needs to be controlled because one thing that's crystal clear is the strength of the SEC and scrambling quarterbacks don't make it through a season unscathed.

Jefferson hasn't shown yet he can make it through a season getting the majority of reps without some sort of injury causing him to miss a game along the way. Even the teams at the top seldom make one quarterback through a 12-game schedule without getting banged up somewhere along the way.

Besides, those are the only two positions on the team where there are more questions than answers. Despite how you want to read that, it doesn't mean it's negative. They could all turn out positive, but we don't know yet and until they do it playing for the Hogs, nobody really knows for sure about anything.

The Hogs will take whatever air is left Wednesday, going after Alabama in the pecking order at 10:30 a.m. when coach Sam Pittman goes to the podium. Sanders and Jefferson will be there, too, along with defensive end Landon Jackson.