Barkley announces intentions to leave Hogs’ football team

FAYETTEVILLE — Running back Maleek Barkley has become the latest Arkansas football player to leave the program.

The Austin, Texas, native from Lake Travis High School sat out last season as a freshman redshirt receiver.

After moving to running back in the spring, he was running behind Devwah Whaley, T.J. Hammonds, Chase Hayden, Maleek Williams and Kendrick Jackson. With junior college signee Rakeem Boyd in the picture, Barkley made the decision to go somewhere else.

Barkley was part of a 2017 Razorback recruiting class that ranked 27th nationally and 10th in the SEC by 247Sports. The former wide receiver was the 10th highest-rated signee Arkansas received that offseason.

Despite being only one year removed from that signing day, the Razorbacks have already lost three of 24 signees from that class.

Linebacker Josh Paul was dismissed from the program following last season, defensive back Korey Hernandez decided to transfer not long after spring practice concluded and Barkley announced his intentions to move elsewhere today.

Cornerback Chevin Calloway, tight end Jeremy Patton, running back Chase Hayden, safety Kam Curl and wide receiver Jonathan Nance from that class are all expecting to see major roles in 2018.

Including Barkley’s departure, the Razorback football program has now had 10 players leave for one reason or another since the end of the 2017 season — Barkley, Jake Hall, Korey Hernandez, Will Gragg, Reid Miller, Zach Rogers, Jake Heinrich, Jack Kraus, Cole Hedlund and Josh Paul.

The move will put Arkansas at 84 scholarship players, one below the allowed NCAA maximum. Even further attrition is expected to happen on Arkansas’ roster between now and the start of next season.