It appears Razorback fans aren’t alone in dealing with massive question marks at the running back position.
Arkansas football has dealt with the ongoing transfer saga surrounding tailback Braylen Russell, with the freshman going in and out of the transfer portal multiple times in less than two weeks. Judging by Russell’s social media post Saturday night about regaining perspective, it appears he’s actually here to stay this time. It will likely take Hog fans a while to trust him again, but you’ve got to respect Russell’s willingness to admit that he had taken some wrong turns.
Razorback fans spent the last couple weeks wondering whether or not the Hogs would have to resort to their fourth-string running backs for Friday night’s Liberty Bowl. After all, they’re already having to fire up a 29-year-old walk-on at wide receiver and have only seven healthy offensive linemen. If things go wrong in Memphis, head coach Sam Pittman might have to start calling tuba players down from the band to block for quarterback Taylen Green.
Fortunately for Arkansas, Texas Tech is dealing with its own depth issues. Starting quarterback Behren Morton, who threw for over 3,000 yards this season, is out with an injury and 1,000-yard wide receiver Josh Kelly has opted out to prepare for the NFL Draft. Offensive coordinator Zack Kittley is also absent after taking the head coaching job at FAU.
The major remaining question mark surrounds the status of Tajh Brooks, the program’s star tailback and all-time leading rusher. The senior has tallied over 3,000 rushing yards and 27 rushing touchdowns over the last two seasons. This year, his 1,505 rushing yards rank third in the Big 12 and eighth nationally.
Is Tajh Brooks Opting Out of the Liberty Bowl?
While both head coaches have a good sense of who they’ll have available for the bowl game, Texas Tech’s Joey McGuire is seemingly still waiting on his most important player to decide – despite the fact there are just five days left until gameday.
Brooks reportedly “may opt out” of the bowl…or maybe not. The senior hasn’t decided yet whether he wants to take the extra time to prepare for the NFL Draft or not. Take your time, I guess? The star tailback is currently practicing with the team and is listed as the RB1 on the Liberty Bowl depth chart – which suggests he’s playing. But Wreck ‘Em Red reported on Sunday that there is still no official indication of whether or not Brooks is playing.
From the outside looking in, Brooks doesn’t fit into the typical camp of an “opt-out” kind of player. He’s spent five years with the program, is a captain and takes a lot of pride in being a Red Raider. Given the relative lack of power he shows in the below clip, it’s little surprise he’s not listed as a top running back prospect for the NFL Draft by CBS, PFF or ESPN. So it’s not like Treylon Burks’ decision to opt out of the Outback Bowl ahead of his near-certain selection in the early rounds of the draft.
All that suggests that he doesn’t have a lot to lose by playing in the game and representing Texas Tech one last time.
While most signs point to the star tailback playing on Friday night, cutting it so close with his decision – and his coach being okay with that – is another example of how the transfer portal has completely changed college football.
In some ways, Brooks has earned his ability to be wishy-washy with what he’s accomplished for the Texas Tech program. But it also appears he’s got his coaches on a string a bit. While it’s probable that he’ll play, on the off chance that he doesn’t, that plays in the favor of Arkansas defensive coordinator Travis Williams and the rest of the Hogs’ defense.
It goes beyond the obvious reason that TTU would be without its most dangerous remaining threat. The issue is that in this scenario, Brooks would take valuable practice snaps away from the true freshmen behind him.
That would be a dream for Arkansas to see play out.
How Does Texas Tech Feel About Brooks’ Non-Decision?
Not that Hog fans have much to get righteous about here. Arkansas fans were up in arms when Russell announced his return on Saturday, with many folks’ patience having run out with the freshman. His candidness on Twitter after the dust settled – combined with his attempts to bring Missouri wideout Courtney Crutchfield to Arkansas – seems to have won a number of fans back over.
Texas Tech football fans’ reaction to Brooks’ decision – or lack thereof – has been starkly different, for the most part. Some are obviously happy that their star running back is suiting up one more time – but others have even gone as far the other direction as hoping he sits out for his own health and safety.
That’s something you don’t see very often, and is a testament to Brooks’ dedication to the program. It’s safe to say he wouldn’t be getting this reception if he wasn’t a living legend in the school record books. Burks got a similarly positive response from Razorback Nation, and so did Hoop Hogs big man Daniel Gafford after opting out of the less-than-prestigious NIT to prepare for the NBA Draft.
Welcome to Modern Bowl Season
The status of Russell and Brooks heading into this bowl game is a great example of how much college football has changed in the last few years – specifically how the importance of bowls have diminished as a whole.
It’s hard to see Russell’s behavior flying in years past, before players received so many benefits of the doubt. But in 2024, he announced his return on Saturday and was practicing with the team the next day.
These players’ whipping back and forth – along with McGuire allowing outgoing transfers to still play with his team during bowl season – falls into a broader phenomenon of star players, particularly on middle-tier programs, almost holding their coaches hostage over their playing status. The coaches can’t afford to force their player’s hand, because they genuinely can’t afford to risk losing their talent. Thus, they end up operating at the behest of the player’s decision – if he holds out, then the coach is left up in the air.
Odds are we’ll see both Brooks and Russell suit up for the Liberty Bowl. But this is modern college football bowl season – so who really knows?
***
For more on Liberty Bowl, go here:
Tajh Brooks’ highlight reel:
Liberty Bowl preview from SEC Unfiltered:
***
More coverage of Arkansas football and the transfer portal from BoAS:
