Analyzing The Tennessee Running Back Room
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As we continue to wait for football at Neyland patiently, one thing we can do is look at the structure of the team and analyze which areas are going to be key. For Josh Heupel, the passing game is the bread and butter, 100%. However, there are some explosive talents on the field at running back for the Vols, and they add an entirely new element for opposing defensive coordinators to scheme for. Today, we look at what the Tennessee running back room looks like.
The room starts with two veterans, Jaylen Wright, and Jabari Small. Wright is the presumed starter, leading the team in rushing yards last season with nearly 800 as a sophomore. Wright scored ten times, as well. For Small, he was a preseason All-SEC selection last season and appeared on the Doak Walker watch list. In 2022, he rushed for just under 600 yards and reached paydirt 12 times. Between the two vets, there were 22 touchdowns, and if the duo can produce even a fraction of that in 2023, things can get wild.
The reason is that there are still multiple other elite backs in the picture for Tennessee. Dylan Sampson is a guy with blazing speed who saw his numbers soar as his playing time increased, including an SEC Freshman of the Week performance against Vanderbilt in late November. On top of Sampson is Cameron Seldon, who we saw convert to running back and get a lot of action in the Orange and White game, with ten carries and a touchdown. With the speed of the Vols Running Back group, it seems as if almost all of them could step out wide and not miss a beat. Having the luxury of four great running backs is incredibly rare. We have seen it a couple of times, like the Georgia group of Gurley, Michel, Chubb, and Marshall. But to have it on a team that primarily goes through the air is something of note. It adds an elite element. And no matter how much shine Joe Milton and the pass catchers get this season, a lot will depend on the core four out of the backfield.
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