ESPN names unexpected sleeper player that could emerge for Tennessee Vols football in 2024
ESPN named a "sleeper" player this week for each preseason top 25 team that could emerge in 2024 and they went with an unexpected choice for the Tennessee Vols. Mark Schlabach, a college football reporter/insider for ESPN, went with true freshman running back Peyton Lewis as his choice for Tennessee. From ESPN: Running back Peyton Lewis […]
ESPN named a "sleeper" player this week for each preseason top 25 team that could emerge in 2024 and they went with an unexpected choice for the Tennessee Vols.
Mark Schlabach, a college football reporter/insider for ESPN, went with true freshman running back Peyton Lewis as his choice for Tennessee.
From ESPN: Running back Peyton Lewis was among the Volunteers' most coveted prospects in the Class of 2024, and he could end up seeing the field early and often given the team's lack of proven backfield threats. Leading rusher Jaylen Wright (1,013 yards) and Jabari Small (475 yards) left after last season, and Dylan Sampson probably doesn't have the size or blocking ability to be an every-down back.
Lewis, from Salem, Virginia, was a five-time sprint champion in high school. He had 373 yards with four touchdowns on 30 carries in a Class 4 state semifinals game in 2023. Lewis missed spring practice after undergoing shoulder surgery, but he's expected to be ready for the start of preseason camp.
I was expecting ESPN to go with one of the Vols' highly touted true freshmen wide receivers — Mike Matthews or Braylon Staley — or maybe one of Tennessee's new additions to their secondary.
But Lewis is a choice that makes a lot of sense. The former four-star recruit, who was rated as the No. 12 running back in the 2024 recruiting class, should have plenty of opportunities to shine for the Vols this fall.
With Jaylen Wright and Jabari Small moving on the NFL, there are plenty of carries up for grabs behind starter Dylan Sampson. Additionally, it's unclear if sophomore running back Cam Seldon will be ready to go by the start of the season after suffering an injury earlier this offseason.
Lewis, at 6-foot-1/210 lbs, already has SEC size despite being a true freshman — which should help him see the field early in 2024.
Another reason that Lewis makes sense as a sleeper pick for the Vols is because when he committed to Tennessee a little over a year ago, he told On3 that UT's coaching staff told him there would be a personalized playbook for him.
"They’ve informed me that there would be a specific playbook personalized for me to succeed," explained Lewis to On3's Hayes Fawcett last year. "So I am confident I will not waste my potential playing at Tennessee.”
It sounds like the Vols might have a few tricks up their sleeve when it comes to Lewis, so it won't be a surprise if he sees significant action as a true freshman in 2024.
