Arkansas regains commitment from Benton four-star Braylen Russell

By Kyle Sutherland | Photo by Tommy Land 

Nine months after de-committing from Arkansas, Braylen Russell ultimately came to the conclusion that he indeed wanted to stay home.

The Benton four-star running back became Arkansas' first pledge for the 2024 class halfway through his sophomore year, but announced last October that his recruitment was "100% open."

He told a large crowd at Benton High School on Friday evening that he is back on board with the home state Razorbacks.

"They never gave up on me," Russell said of Arkansas. "When I de-committed, they stuck by my side. Usually when somebody de-commits, it means they do not want to go there.

"They did not throw me to the side and treat me as the next guy up, they kept hitting me up and pushing. Plus it was home, so feeling like they wanted me from home was amazing."

Having committed so early in the process, Russell rethought his initial choice to join the Hogs just to make sure he kept all of his options open.

"I wanted to make sure that I was making the right decision for me," Russell said. "Everything that went into it, I prayed about and asked God for guidance. 

"He sent it to me and I took it." 

Russell (6-foot-1, 235 pounds) is ranked as high as the 16th-best running back for 2024, and third in Arkansas, per ESPN. He initially narrowed his decision down to Arkansas, Baylor, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas A&M on April 14, but dropped Baylor and A&M from the mix on July 6.

Arkansas' top high school football players: Meet the state's best running backs

While on a live nationwide call with 247Sports National Director of Recruiting Steve Wiltfong, Russell called Arkansas head coach Sam Pittman moments before the announcement. 

"He answered and when he said hello, I told him that I wanted to thank him for the offer and I accept it," Russell said of his future head coach's reaction. "He went crazy and was so excited."

Russell's prep career began at Hot Springs Lakeside, where he rushed for 823 yards on 141 carries and 12 touchdowns as a sophomore, along with 24 receptions for 382 yards and three scores through the air. 

Early last summer, Russell transferred to Benton. His foot began to bother him about midway through summer workouts, which prompted head coach Brad Harris to get Russell an appointment with the team doctor. 

"It was a turf toe type issue," Harris said. "They put him in a boot for a couple of weeks and he really did not do anything competition-wise until the Salt Bowl (against arch-rival Bryant). It bothered him throughout the whole year."

It was later determined that there was even more to the prognosis than expected, but Russell is now back to full health.

"After the season, we found out that he actually had a small fracture, so he was back in a boot for six weeks after the season was over," Harris said. "They released him after that and since then, he has not really had any issues at all."

Check It Out: Meet SBLive Sports' national athletes of the year in 2022-23, chosen by fan votes

If there were any sign Russell was injured, it certainly was not due to a lack of production as he put together a junior season that some running backs would not be able to accomplish at their greatest potential.

In 12 games, Russell carried the ball 240 times for 1,643 yards (6.8 YPC) and 26 touchdowns. Through the air, Russell caught 22 passes for 224 yards and a score. 

With plenty still to prove before Russell moves on to competing in the SEC, Harris knows that his star back could be in for a memorable season. 

“He is back at full speed this year," Harris said. "At the end of offseason, he ran a 4.48 (forty time) for us at 235 pounds. He is big, physical and fast.

“You will see a different Braylen Russell this year.”