This is very bad news for the Razorback nation. ESPN.com is reporting that junior running back Knile Davis is expected to miss the season because of a left ankle injury.
Davis suffered the injury early in the scrimmage portion of practice on Thursday and was carted off the field without being able to put weight on his left leg.
“I am extremely disappointed for Knile,” [coach Bobby] Petrino said in a statement. “He is a captain who was incredibly focused on the upcoming year. His leadership throughout the offseason was significant in the development of this team.
“Our athletic trainers and medical staff are the best in the country, and Knile’s mental toughness will be an asset to him during the recovery process. I am fully confident in the mindset of our running back group and their ability to perform.”
This is a huge blow for Arkansas and for Davis. Davis led all Southeastern Conference running backs with 1,322 yards rushing last season, averaging 147 yards per game in the final seven games.
In order to win in the SEC, teams need a power or speedy running back to tire defenses and Davis had both speed and power. They now have to depend on junior running backs Dennis Johnson and Ronnie Wingo.
Johnson averaged 9.2 yards per carry on nine rushes last season before suffering a season-ending injury in the second game. Wingo has rushed for 572 yards on 90 attempts (6.4 average) during his first two seasons, and he had 27 catches for 274 yards last season.
It’ll be interesting to see how well Arkansas will plays in a competitive SEC West division without Davis.