Fmr. Arkansas & East Carolina TB Chase Hayden Commits to Illinois

Chase Hayden, who signed and played with Bret Bielema's Arkansas program, has committed to play for Bielema again at Illinois.

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- The second transfer commitment to Bret Bielema’s Illinois football program is a running back with experience playing for the new Illini head coach.

Chase Hayden, who played three years at Arkansas and was active for the two games at East Carolina before opting out of the 2020 season, committed to play for Bielema again by verbally committing to Illinois.

Hayden, whose father, Aaron, played running back at Tennessee before being selected in the fourth round of the 1995 NFL draft by the San Diego Chargers and playing four seasons in the National Football League, rushed for 616 yards (4.6 yards per carry) and five touchdowns during his first two seasons at Arkansas. The former Tennessee Mr. Football selection out of high school and four-star recruit led the Razorbacks in rushing as a true freshman until a broken leg prematurely ended his season. Hayden bounced back and was able to get playing time as a sophomore and as a junior, but was never handed the No. 1 running back job again, leading to him entering the portal early in his junior year before committing to ECU over Houston, Indiana and other schools. Hayden, received carries against UCF and Georgia State before playing only special teams in the team's 44-24 win over South Florida, played in just three games at ECU before opting out of the season on Oct. 20.

Blessed to be able to finish my last two years at the University of Illinois. Thank you @BretBielema for the opportunity, I am very grateful. Can’t wait to get to work. pic.twitter.com/anyHSwsC8S

— Chase Hayden (@Chase_Hayden2) January 6, 2021

The 5-foot-10, 210-pound tailback out of Memphis was tabbed the No. 4 all-purpose running back by Rivals.com and 247Sports.com coming out of high school in 2017. Hayden rushed for 7,000 yards and 92 touchdowns over his career at St. George Academy and was also a two-time Tennessee Division 2-A Mr. Basketball winner (2015 and 2016). As a junior, he was named Tennessee’s Mr. Football and Mr. Basketball in Division 2-A to become the first person in the first 31 years of both awards to win each in the same year.. Hayden received scholarship offers from Michigan, Florida, Tennessee, Louisville, Oklahoma State, Mississippi State, South Carolina, Missouri, Vanderbilt, Illinois, Virginia, Purdue and Arizona before signing with Bielema’s program at Arkansas.

Hayden is expected to be one of seven scholarship tailbacks returning to the Illini for the 2021 season but it is still unknown whether injury-plagued Mike Epstein will return to Illinois for a fifth season of eligibility.