Arkansas’ Knile Davis Finally Cleared For Contact

Davis, who has been out for an entire year because of a fractured ankle sustained in practice last August, will participate in a mock game on Friday as the team prepares for their season opener against Jacksonville State on Sept. 1.

Razorbacks coach John L. Smith doesn’t know how much action Davis could get in the mock scrimmage.

The 6’1 225 RB had a dominant sophomore season in 2010, rushing for 1,322 yards and 17 TD’s on 6.5 yards per carry.

He took part in the non-contact portion of the scrimmage, but he stood on the sidelines once Arkansas’ offensive and defensive units split off for some live tackling.

Coach Bobby Petrino says Davis is ready to return to form ... too ready to stick around for more than a year, in fact:

Davis led the SEC in rushing in 2010, and he was able to return to practice before last year’s Cotton Bowl. There was some word that he might be able to participate against Kansas State, but he didn’t quite make it all the way back just then.

“I have made the decision to return to the University of Arkansas for the 2012 season as I am determined to help this program accomplish the goals we have set in place,” Davis said in a statement released by Arkansas’ athletic department. “My injury was unfortunate, but I feel I have worked extremely hard for the opportunity to lead the Razorbacks on the field. Through my setback last season, I remained positive and was committed to persevering and I plan to apply those principles to this year’s team.

“I believe Coach (Bobby) Petrino is the best coach in America, and he has put this program back on the national stage. He has instilled in everyone the expectation to be great and that we will win championships. ... Also, our fans make playing for the Razorbacks a great experience. I can’t wait for another season with them and my teammates in 2012.”

Petrino also added that Davis has been practicing for several weeks now, but still has “hardware” to remove from his leg. Backs coach Tim Horton described Davis as close to coming back.

Davis went down in early August during practice, suffering extreme pain and putting a dent in Arkansas’ hopes for the year. They’ve done just fine without him, and there’s the question of how much of an impact he could really make at this point, but his return could be a big inspirational boost if he’s able to make it back against LSU.

Amid Tuesday’s discussions of Mike McQueary and missed field goals came a much more appealing, positive story: star Arkansas running back Knile Davis is ... practicing? In pads? The guy whose scream when he fractured his ankle in mid-August was “so loud it will haunt us in our dreams”? Three months later, that guy is not only healing, but trying to get into game shape?

The Hogs have thrived in Davis’ absence, however. (Well, they have not necessarily thrived statistically, but they are winning games.) They are 9-1, with a road loss to Alabama the only imperfection. They rank sixth in the BCS standings and, after hosting Mississippi State this Saturday, they will have a chance to enter the national championship equation when they travel to Baton Rouge to take on No. 1 LSU. They have won three of the last four versus the Bayou Bengals, with the only loss coming by just three points in Baton Rouge two years ago.

It’s not yet known if Davis will see any action in this week’s game against Mississippi State, but Davis revealed on Twitter that his recovery is going well:

On that last point, Petrino is entirely accurate. With Ronnie Wingo and Dennis Johnson healthy in the stable, there’s no reason to think the Razorbacks can’t remain competitive even in the deep and dastardly SEC West. But for even non-Arkansan fans of the game, 2011 just lost some luster.

The morning after Arkansas’ Knile Davis left a team scrimmage with a scary ankle injury, Tracy Wolfson of CBS Sports reports that the star running back will be out for the year. She tweets:

This is an enormous blow to the Arkansas program. In Davis, they’re losing an all-SEC running back who recorded over 1,300 yards and 13 touchdowns in 2010. But while Friday’s news is devastating, it isn’t terribly shocking. The mood following Thursday’s scrimmage was a somber one, with one witness describing Davis’ scream as “so loud it will haunt us in our dreams.“

The worst probably comes from Barrett Sallee, who shared the following on Twitter.

Dennis Johnson, a fellow Arkansas running back, added this somewhat cryptic tweet.