FAYETTEVILLE — Alex Collins will forego is senior season and enter the 2016 NFL Draft, he announced Sunday.
He rushed for 1,577 yards and 20 touchdowns this year, earning second-team all-SEC honors.
"Without a doubt this has been one of the most difficult weeks of my life as I try to make the right decision for my future," Collins said in a statement on the UA athletics website. "After much prayer and discussion with the people who love me, I have made the decision to enter the NFL Draft."
With at least 1,000 in each of his three seasons with the Razorbacks, Collins finishes his career with 3,703 rushing yards – which ranks second in UA history behind Darren McFadden’s 4,590 – and 36 touchdowns.
He was only the third player in SEC history to hit that milestone in three consecutive seasons, joining McFadden and Georgia’s Herschel Walker.
His 20 touchdowns in 2015 broke Bill Burnett’s UA single-season record set in 1969, while his 1,577 yards are the third-most in a single season.
The departure of Collins means Arkansas will have a large void to fill in its backfield next year.
Kody Walker – who rushed for 394 yards and six touchdowns on 90 carries in 2015 – has a sixth year of eligibility, but he has said he is undecided on whether to return.
Rawleigh Williams was third on the team with 254 yards and one touchdown on 56 carries before a neck injury sidelined him after seven games. It is not a guarantee that he will be healthy for the start of the season.
The Razorbacks will also add Devwah Whaley – a four-star running back from Texas – to the mix in 2016.
Collins joins tight end Hunter Henry and offensive lineman Denver Kirkland, who declared Monday, as Arkansas juniors to enter the draft early. They are the only players expected to skip their senior seasons.
ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. rates Collins as the No. 6 running back available in April’s draft, which is two spots ahead of Jonathan Williams. Henry is the No. 1 tight end and Kirkland is the No. 5 guard, two spots behind Sebastian Tretola.
The deadline for underclassmen to declare for the NFL Draft is Jan. 18.