Razorbacks’ Dominique Johnson Can’t Catch a Break in 2022

No one will be happier to see the new year than Hogs' running back.

Author:
Andy Hodges
Publish date:
Oct 31, 2022 7:33 PM EDT

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FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Arkansas coach Sam Pittman didn't exactly get to start things Monday with good news.

The first topic was the status of running back Dominique Johnson, who wasn't on the trip to Auburn on Saturday.

"Last Tuesday or Monday, I believe it might have been Tuesday, he made a cut on air and tore his ACL again," Pittman said. "So, it's really unfortunate for the team, certainly for him. He actually practiced the next day, then he did not practice on Thursday and we found out Thursday. He went and got the MRI and we found that out."

That news wasn't good. The junior running back from Crowley, Texas, will miss the rest of the season. He had a slow start after suffering a knee injury in the win over Penn State in the Outback Bowl last New Year's.

He'll be the happiest person in town to see this next one.

"It's certainly disheartening for him because he had worked so hard to try and get back," Pittman said.

There still may be a silver lining to the whole thing, though.

"If there is one — and there is one — is you can use this as a redshirt year for him," he said. "We've kind of approached it that way. By the time he got healthy, he would be ready for fall camp, which we certainly found that it didn't help him this year missing fall camp."

Dominique Johnson-Practice — Arkansas Razorbacks running back Dominique Johnson during his first practice in full pads without the green no-contact jersey Tuesday afternoon on the outdoor grass practice field at the football center in Fayetteville, Ark. (Andy Hodges / allHOGS Images)

That's about all Johnson can hang onto in all this.

"We're going with all the positives out of certainly a negative situation," Pittman said.

Johnson was a breakout performer for Arkansas out of the backfield. He had 575 yards on 97 carries last year with seven touchdowns. 97 carries for 575 yards and seven touchdowns on the year. Johnson 618 yards during his career at 4.8 yards per attempt.