Braylen Russell making big impact for Hogs as true freshman

FAYETTEVILLE — Freshman running back Braylen Russell is making a big impact this season for the Razorbacks.

Russell, former Benton standout, has carried 24 times for 124 yards and two touchdowns this season. He also has snagged one pass for seven yards. In the 19-14 win over No. 5 Tennessee, Russell rushed eight times for 62 yards. On Arkansas’ winning drive late in the game he had carries of 24 and 11 yards to set up Malachi Singleton’s winning 11-yard touchdown run. Sam Pittman is impressed with his freshman running back.

“Well, freshmen to get on the field, I think the first thing they have to show you is that they’re tough,” Pittman said. “Because if they’re not, they’ll be on for a game and then off for two. So he’s shown us that he’s tough. And he’s also been willing in pass protection. Those two guys, with him and JJ, we need them to be because they’re big guys. But I thought that he would run the football about like what he is, that he’d be a force and get downhill and he’s fast, faster than people think. But we went from spring ball to, ‘Well, he may help us in a year,’ to middle of spring ball, ‘Hey, he might be 3 or 4 now’ to the end of spring ball, he’s one of our top three backs. So each week… I can’t remember who we brought him in against, might have been Auburn or maybe UAB here, where we brought him in his first carry was on the 2, I think, for a touchdown. So that told him and everybody else that we have belief in him. But the bottom line is he’s run the ball hard and we expect him to increase each week in his production.”

Pittman feels those two runs on Arkansas’ winning drive are something that can give Russell confidence going forward.

“Yeah, I think any time somebody has success that it, you know, half the game or more is in the mind,” Pittman said. “How do you feel about yourself, and confidence and all that. I think that certainly had to help with, along with that it helped the guys blocking for him. You know, that they feel like… All of that kind of collides in 11 people, but it started with him running over a guy or two in that last drive, I think.”

Pittman also praised Russell’s maturity for a true freshman.

“Yeah, he’s always kind of been that way,” Pittman said. “Hadn’t said a whole lot. When he speaks, he’s thought about what he’s going to talk about. But yeah, I think that’s just from his mother and father, and the raising, the upbringing that he’s had, but he’s very mature for his age and attacks practice that way as well.”

Russell’s Hogs and LSU will kickoff at 6 p.m. Saturday night and televised on ESPN. The Mississippi State game Saturday, Oct. 26, will kickoff at 11:45 a.m. on the SEC Network.