Can Arkansas Be an SEC West Contender Without RB Jonathan Williams?

August isn't a time when fans want to hear breaking news about stars of their favorite teams, and Arkansas Razorbacks fans found that out the hard way Sunday.

The school announced Sunday that star running back Jonathan Williams will miss a significant period of time after suffering a foot injury in Saturday's scrimmage.

Head coach Bret Bielema commented on the injury in a release emailed by Arkansas:

"

I have no doubt that Jonathan will come back stronger than ever. Anyone that knows Jonathan Williams knows this is just another opportunity for him to prove the man of character and substance that he really is. It’s an unfortunate injury to a great young man, but we are in the process of gathering as much information as possible. There are short- and long-term impacts of how he proceeds, and we want to make sure he does what’s best for him and his family, and his career beyond Arkansas.

"

Bielema confirmed on Monday that Williams would be out for the regular season, but could return for a bowl game.

Williams, a senior who came back to school after rushing for a team-high 1,190 yards and 12 touchdowns and considered a jump to the NFL, commented on the injury in the release.

"This is no doubt a tough moment, but I know through my faith and hard work that I will make a full recovery," said Williams.

It's a tough blow to Arkansas because, while junior Alex Collins is an established star after rushing for 2,126 yards over the last two seasons, Williams is the most complete back on the roster. What's more, Arkansas' edge on offense was the ability to sub running backs for a full four quarters and keep them both fresh in an attempt to wear down opposing defenses.

Wesley Hitt/Getty Images

The unselfish nature of both running backs is something that Bielema has taken a ton of pride in, first at Wisconsin and now at Arkansas, and Williams' absence will put a ton of pressure on either Collins to carry the load or reserves such as junior Kody Walker and freshman Rawleigh Williams III to step up and play more of a significant role in the backfield rotation.

Should Jonathan Williams' injury change your perception of the 2015 Hogs? 

Not really.

If you felt they were contenders before, you should still feel the same way. 

Wesley Hitt/Getty Images

The other running backs will still be successful behind that massive and experienced offensive line, and the presence of new offensive coordinator Dan Enos—who produced 3,000-yard passers in four of his last five seasons as the head coach at Central Michigan—will help quarterback Brandon Allen become more of a threat in the downfield passing game.

If that happens—and it should—the running game will be just fine.

If you're more cautious in your approach of the 2015 Hogs based on the defensive holes they have to fill, this shouldn't really impact where you expect them to finish in the SEC West pecking order. The bottom line is that linebacker Martrell Spaight (Washington), defensive end Trey Flowers (New England Patriots) and defensive tackle Darius Philon (San Diego Chargers) accounted for 37.5 of Arkansas' 81 tackles for loss last year (46.3 percent) and all are lost to the pro ranks this year.

Whether Williams is playing running back or not, Arkansas still needs to replace that production.

The injury is terrible news because he was one of the best and most underrated running backs in the SEC. I mean—he wasn't even the most recognizable running back on his own team, despite two years of tremendous work alongside the electric Collins.

His absence, though, isn't going to make or break the Hogs' SEC West title hopes. Those hopes rest on defensive coordinator Robb Smith and his ability to restock the front seven.

Quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Recruiting information courtesy of 247Sports. Statistics courtesy of cfbstats.com. Barrett Sallee is the lead SEC college football writer and national college football video analyst for Bleacher Report as well as a host on Bleacher Report Radio on Sirius 93 XM 208.

Follow Barrett on Twitter: @BarrettSallee.