The Arkansas Razorbacks lost a valuable part of the offensive attack against the LSU Tigers after a running back was injured.
Ja’Quinden Jackson, the lead running back for the Razorbacks, went down against LSU with an injury and was taken to the locker room. Jackson was shown walking into the locker room under his own power but without possession of his helmet. The running back was evaluated during the fourth-quarter after exiting the game.
Jackson stands in at 6-feet-2-inches, and roughly 233-pounds, packing quite the punch in each of his runs. The physical running back has been a workhorse back for Arkansas Razorbacks, carrying the football 99 times this season.
Arkansas running back Ja’Quinden Jackson limps to locker room.
He’s rushed for 566 yards and 10 touchdowns this season. https://t.co/kwCOCos5xP
— Pete Nakos (@PeteNakos_) October 20, 2024
Arkansas RB Ja’Quinden Jackson is being helped off the field and barely putting weight on his right leg right now. They’re taking him to the injury tent. #WPS
— Mason Choate (@ChoateMason) October 20, 2024
Jackson was previously the backup running back for the Utah Utes before transferring into Arkansas this offseason. Before his time with the Utes, Jackson spent a redshirt season as a backup quarterback for the Texas Longhorns. Jackson spent his first season with the Utes as a quarterback before changing positions to see the field quicker.
Thus far, Jackson has been stellar for the Razorbacks this season recording 566-yards and 10 touchdowns. However, the past four games now including his performance against LSU have been subpar for the running back. Jackson has recorded just over 150-yards in the past three games after opening the season with 149-yard and 147-yard games.
Even during the games where Jackson was not gaining large amounts of yards for Arkansas, the running back was still scoring touchdowns.
Arkansas Razorbacks Could Lose Starter Ja’Quinden Jackson For Extended Time
With Jackson limping to the locker room, Arkansas might limp forward on offense the rest of the season without the running back.
Currently, the severity of the injury for Jackson is unknown, but if Jackson were to miss extended time the Razorbacks would be without a lethal running back. Jackson is not just a workhorse but also a high-motor player who fights for yards in the small-yardage situations for Arkansas. Without the running back, the Razorbacks do not have the same bite in those situations.
Ja’Quinden Jackson is down hurt with 11:11 remaining. He’s not putting any weight on his right left and needs help off the field. He’s looked banged up all night and has a season-low five carries.
— Jackson Fuller (@jacksonfuller16) October 20, 2024
However, the Razorbacks have been preparing for this situation as Jackson has been banged up from his carry load this season. Jackson is still transition to running back and has never been hit this much in a season before. The running back had just five carries before exiting the game and did not return in the loss to the LSU Tigers.
Get More NFL and College Football Content
For more news and trends in the college football world, follow me on Twitter @JarrettGuerrera