BREAKING: Hogs' Freshman Running Back in Portal Again

Former 4-star true freshman, in-state tailback goes back into transfer portal after changing mind last week

Arkansas Razorbacks running back Braylen Russell runs for a big gain against the Tennessee Volunteers at Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville, Ark. / Michael Morrison-Hogs on SI Images

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. -- Arkansas Razorbacks running back Braylen Russell announced that he does not intend on returning to the team next season, according to a post on his X account Sunday night.

Thank you Arkansas!🐗 It’s time to do what’s best for me and my family, #0 out❤️ pic.twitter.com/sy2jkKycWe

— Braylen Russell (@BraylenRussell) December 15, 2024

Russell, a true freshman, entered the transfer portal last week but changed his decision hours later. The 6-1, 253-pounder from Benton, played in nine games this season and started two. As a true freshman in 2024, Russell ran 47 times for 304 yards (6.5 avg.) with two touchdowns.

He was on the verge of breaking out during the midway point of 2024 with a 62 yard performance in an upset victory over No. 4 Tennessee Volunteers which resulted in a field storm. A couple weeks later when senior tailback Ja'Quinden Jackson decided to sit out multiple weeks with nagging injuries, Russell rushed for a career-high 175 yards against Mississippi State before a hamstring injury sidelined him in the fourth quarter.

Arkansas was looking forward to having Russell healthy during the AutoZone Liberty Bowl in Memphis as Jackson entered his name in to the NFL Draft and Rashod Dubinion underwent surgery. The Razorbacks are now down to just three healthy scholarship running backs in Rodney Hill, Tyrell Reed and true freshman JuJu Pope.

Coach Sam Pittman mentioned during Thursday's press conference that he will invite players back who decide to enter the transfer portal the right way. It seemed Russell did things the right way but reversed his decision after all.

"There's been several surprises," Pittman said. "What you’ve got to do [is] you’ve got to figure out is what’s happening right now is the agents are just making random calls to schools saying, ‘If Joey gets into the portal, how much would you pay him. What happens, then the agent gets back to the kid and says, ‘Hey, so-and-so offered you X amount of dollars.’ The young man obviously wants to make money and that’s wonderful, that’s what the portal’s for. Then he comes in and says, ‘Hey coach, whatever we agreed on, that’s not the number. This is the number.'"

Pittman left the door open for Russell, but this seems to be the final twist for the freshman, putting an odd end to his time as a Razorback.

"I certainly would welcome any of those guys that did it the right way back, if that was a fallacy of their conversation with their agent. There’s been some guys that surprised me coming in saying they’re going to transfer. Most of the time it’s about finances and we have to make a decision on what we’re willing to do coming off a 6-6 team."

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