Running back Dominique Johnson returns for Arkansas football vs. Texas A&M

ARLINGTON, Texas — Arkansas coach Sam Pittman said running back Dominique Johnson had been cleared to play for about three weeks, but that it would be up to Johnson when he returned from injury. Johnson made his decision and entered the game late in the first quarter against Texas A&M on Saturday.

Johnson has been recovering from a knee injury he suffered during the Outback Bowl in January. He was one of Arkansas' top running backs last season with 575 rushing yards and seven touchdowns.

The junior practiced without a green no-contact jersey for the first time in the lead-up to Arkansas' game against South Carolina, but he did not appear in Arkansas' Week 2 or 3 games.

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In Johnson's absence, sophomore Raheim "Rocket" Sanders has been getting most of the work at running back. Coach Sam Pittman declared him the team's feature back in preseason practice and said even when Johnson returned, the two would both be considered as such.

With Sanders and Johnson both in the mix, plus quarterback KJ Jefferson, Arkansas has three of its top four leading rushers from last season back for more in 2022. It's a huge boost for an offense that also returned four out of five starting offensive linemen.

Christina Long covers the Arkansas Razorbacks for the Southwest Times Record and USA Today Network. You can follow her on Twitter @christinalong00 or email her at clong@swtimes.com

This article originally appeared on Fort Smith Times Record: Running back Dominique Johnson returns for Arkansas football