When was the last time Arkansas State featured a dominating run game? It’s ben awhile. It wasn’t always needed. The Red Wolves seemed place the run on the back burner when Justice Hanson assumed the huddle. In three years, Hansen threw for over 10,000 yards and tossed more than 75 touchdowns, and fans got a little hooked on the action. Why bunt for five yards when you can bomb for fifty?

The rush hasn’t really been a priority in Jonesboro since the days of Fredi Knighten, who rushed for 1,600 yards himself during his career as a Red Wolf, and he was part of a running game that included Michael Gordon, Johnston White, and Warren Wand. But even in Gordon’s best year, when he ran for 1,100 yards in 2015, the Red Wolves only finished 5th in the SBC for offensive rush.

In 2022, Red Wolves fans would have absolutely loved 2015’s production. The 2022 Red Wolves finished the season dead last in the Sun Belt for rushing, logging a chuckle-worthy 1,058 yards (2.78 ypc) – 42 fewer yards than Gordon put up in his halcyon campaign. Last season was much improved: Arkansas State finished 10th in the conference with 1,919 yards (4.18 ypc), thanks to a unit led by Ja’Quez Cross, Zak Wallace and fleet-footed freshman QB Jaylen Raynor.

Does the trajectory continue to point up? You don’t have to scroll to the bottom, loyal reader. The answer is yes. 2024 projects to be the most exciting year for the Red Wolves rush game since the days of Reggie Arnold.

Notable Departures: Brian Snead

Brian Snead was the team’s bell ringing runner during that unfortunate 2022 campaign, putting up 299 yards behind an offensive line that spent the season on life support. Snead mostly vanished in 2023, receiving only 16 carries for 39 yards while a new generation of rushers rose through the ranks.

Notable Retentions: Ja’Quez Cross, Zak Wallace, Cedric Hawkins, Mike Sharpe II

Mike Sharpe (5’11” I94-pounds), who flashed some promising abilities his freshman season in 2022, put his name into the transfer portal during the off season. A change-of-heart finds Sharpe back on the roster, providing veteran depth.

Cedric Hawkins (5’7″ 196-pounds) was just too good (and too fast) to redshirt last season. The Stuttgart Speedster ran for 156 rushing with two touchdowns in limited action, and he projects to be part of a Red Wolves troika of running backs expected to provided a big pile of yards in 2023.

Zak Wallace (6’0″ 226-pounds) is the bruiser of the Troika who delivered 575 of hard yards last season. A 2022 transfer from UT Martin, Wallace is a former Benton, AR standout who looks to place a cherry atop his career for his senior season.

Like Wallace and Hawkins, JaQuez Cross (5’9″ 197-pounds) is also an Arkansas native who made his name in Fordyce, AR before signing with Purdue as a freshman. In 2022, he transferred to A-State where in 2023 he broke out for a team-leading 738 rushing yards.

The Future: Jaylen Boardley

Jaylen Boardley (6’0″ 183pounds) is a top recruit for Butch Jones and his staff in 2024. As a senior high schooler in Texarkana, TX, Boardley ran for 1,219 yards and 20 TDs, and caught 23 passes for 428 yards and 4 TDs. Boardley rejected offers from Arkansas, Auburn and Oklahoma State to don the Scarlet & Black.

NOTE: Since its original posting, Boardley is no longer listed on the Red Wolves roster.

The Verdict

With a dual-threat QB keeping opposing defenses on its heels, and with an offensive line that projects to be among the best in the Sun Belt, and a running back room exploding with experience, speed and size, it’s difficult not to foresee a stellar year for the A-State run game.

Phil Steele, the Prince of College Football Prognostication, sees the Red Wolves RB squad as 6th best in the conference, which is fair given the depth of running backs in the Sun Belt and the longtime struggles of the Red Wolves ground game. We believe Arkansas State’s Natural State Troika exceeds even those generous expectations.

GRADE: A