NFL Razorbacks: Jonathan Williams fits Saints SEC backfield

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There is no denying that Darren McFadden and Felix Jones formed the greatest one-two backfield punch in Arkansas football history, but recently, Jonathan Williams and Alex Collins did their best impersonation of the legendary Razorback runners. Williams, a 6-0, 223-pound running back from Allen (Tex.), was one of the most complete backs the Hogs have had in some time. Despite missing his senior season, Williams found himself drafted by the Buffalo Bills and now sits on the New Orleans Saints roster heading into his third NFL season.

With the 156th pick of the fifth round (No. 156 overall) of the 2016 NFL Draft, the Buffalo Bills selected Willams to join their backfield and signed him to a four-year, $2.58 million contract. As a rookie, he saw incredibly limited action, rushing the ball 27 times for 94 yards and one touchdown. Heading into his second year as a pro, Williams was cut by Buffalo but got scooped up by the Denver Broncos practice squad. After only two months, the New Orleans Saints signed Williams from the Broncos on Nov. 14 of last year, placing him on one of the best backfields in the league.

Williams officially arrived as a high school junior for the Allen (Tex.) Eagles, totaling 2,078 rushing yards with 19 touchdowns. The next season, Williams tacked on 1,169 yards and 12 touchdowns and led Allen High to a 10-0 record. In his time in Texas, Williams combined to rush for over 3,500 yards. Rated the No. 13 running back in the country and the No. 28 recruit in the state of Texas by 247Sports, Williams had numerous offers but decided on Arkansas over Texas A&M, Tennessee, Missouri, Baylor and Wisconsin. He originally committed to Missouri before flipping for the Hogs.

Finding the field early, Williams played in 11 games as an Arkansas freshman, carrying the ball 45 times for 231 yards and adding 8 catches for 208 yards and 2 scores. In a blowout victory over Kentucky, Williams had two 70-plus-yard touchdown catches, both on wheel routes. In 2013, Williams shared the spotlight with the aforementioned Collins, forming one of the best running back tandems in the SEC. Williams rushed for 900 yards and four touchdowns, making he and Collins the first pair of Arkansas backs to rush for 900-plus yards in a season since McFadden and Jones. Williams had his most complete collegiate season as a junior in 2014, contributing 1,190 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns. Collins also ran for over 1,100 yards and 10-pus scores, making them the only teammates in FBS to rush for that many yards apiece that season and the second duo in Razorback history to reach the end zone on that many occasions. Williams carried the momentum from his junior campaign into 2015, earning a preseason All-SEC second team nomination from the conference’s media. Unfortunately, he injured his foot in preseason camp, forcing him to have surgery and miss his entire senior year. Despite sitting out a year, Williams was still able to make his professional aspirations come true.

Currently, Williams is looking at a battle for the Saints' third-string running back spot with Trey Edmunds, Boston Scott and Daniel Lasco. Ahead of Williams are former SEC ball carriers Mark Ingram (Alabama) and Alvin Kamara (Tennessee), the 2017 Offensive Rookie of the Year. Ingram will be suspended for the first four games of the 2018 season, providing an obvious opportunity for playing time. If the former Hog can make his mark in training camp and wrap up the third-string spot, the odds of him seeing the field earlier increase exponentially. Williams and the Saints kick off the 2018 season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, September 9 at 12:00 pm (ET) on Fox.