FAYETTEVILLE -- From the day Arkansas Coach Bret Bielema set foot campus in December of 2012, he's been molding and remolding the role of running back Jonathan Williams.
Bielema inherited Williams, a Bobby Petrino signee who played enough for John L. Smith in 2012 to catch eight passes for 208 yards, most of the yardage coming on touchdown receptions of 77 and 74 yards.
Nonstop praise was lavished on Williams, a rising sophomore, but Bielema saw more than an off-the-bench pass-catching specialist.
So, he made a power back out of Williams while rotating him with newcomer Alex Collins, and the result was 900 rushing yards in 2013 and 1,190 in 2014 but very few receiving yards.