Tennessee football: Vols' running backs are being slept on entering 2023
The Tennessee Volunteers, like any other team, have roster turnover from year to year. In this case, there's a big one in 2023, with Hendon Hooker off to the NFL and Joe Milton taking over the spotlight after a strong finish to 2022. That transition and Milton's ability to produce consistently have been the prime […]
The Tennessee Volunteers, like any other team, have roster turnover from year to year. In this case, there's a big one in 2023, with Hendon Hooker off to the NFL and Joe Milton taking over the spotlight after a strong finish to 2022. That transition and Milton's ability to produce consistently have been the prime topics of conversation about Tennessee among just about all media outlets as well as many fans.
And it's not hard to understand why the Vols' passing game has gotten so much of the focus. The sight of Tennessee's wide receivers streaking down the field time after time was a repeated occurrence in 2022. Jalin Hyatt won the Biletnikoff Award. Hooker was a legit Heisman candidate until his knee injury. Milton's majestic bombs have wowed observers.
However, while Milton's performance is a big key for 2023, of course, there's another aspect of Tennessee's offense that hasn't gotten nearly the same mention as the quarterback spot: the running game.
And boy, does Tennessee have some horses in that barn.
Tennessee has gotten a reputation under Josh Heupel as being a high-octane passing attack, but in reality, Heupel has leaned on the run more than some might realize. In 2022, Tennessee threw the ball an average of 32.5 times per game. They ran the ball 40.2 times per game.
It was even more pronounced in favor of the ground game in 2021, with the Vols averaging 28.9 pass attempts and 44.3 rushes per game.
Former UT offensive coordinator and current USF head coach Alex Golesh mentioned this week while talking about getting his best 11 players on the field that the offensive scheme at Tennessee had to do with the makeup and talent of the roster in Knoxville, specifically the depth at wide receiver.
"So figuring out, you know, that receiver room, figuring out the tight end room, figuring out the running back room, certainly figuring out the quarterback situation, and then scheme it around the best 11 that we've got.
"You know, at the place down the road (UCF), we had three receivers that are currently playing in the NFL, so you're probably going to keep those guys out there. You know, you keep going. Tennessee, like we were different there. We didn't have the running back depth we had, we had the receiver depth, so you ended up being more receiver heavy." – Alex Golesh, USF Athletics YouTube channel
Now, Tennessee could be poised to return to a run/pass split closer to what was seen in 2021, as the Vols are loaded with talented veteran running backs. That's not to say that Tennessee's current wide receiver room isn't good. Quite the contrary. Ramel Keyton and Bru McCoy are back. Squirrel White should flourish in the slot. Dont'e Thornton might be the fastest player on the team and can play inside or out. There could be versatility and speed at wide receiver not seen even last year.
However, there's simply too much talent and experience in the backfield to neglect a healthy running game. The Vols return a running back trio that topped 2000 yards between them (2006, to be exact), one of the most accomplished running back groups in the SEC.
Jaylen Wright was the team's leading rusher in 2022, finishing with 875 yards on 146 carries (6.0 ypc) with 10 touchdowns. His power and speed make him perhaps the best all-around back on the roster, and one of the best in the league. His 6.0 yards per carry average is the fourth best in the SEC of all returning players with at least 100 carries.
Wright drew praise from Josh Heupel on Wednesday for how he's developed as a runner.
"On the football side of it, he's a guy that early in his career, he just wanted to run around everything and use his speed to his advantage. That was kind of how he developed as a young back in high school with some of what they did. He can still do all of those things, but he's got really good vision. He understands blockers. He understands how to use them. He delivers double teams to the second level. He finds space. His vision on the backdoor cuts has grown. He's doing it at the right time. He's playing at a really high level." – Josh Heupel, UTSports.com
Jabari Small is a bruising runner who totaled 734 rushing yards (4.7 ypc) and 13 touchdowns on the ground last year. A few pounds heftier than Wright, the senior served as the team's short yardage rusher. He also led the running back room in receiving with 12 catches for 106 yards and 2 touchdowns. As such, he's staked a strong claim to being on the field when the Vols are in the red zone, and his 15 total touchdowns prove he simply has a knack for finding the end zone.
The Vols had a third back make a name for himself in 2022, as sophomore Dylan Sampson led the team in yards per carry (6.8) while totaling 397 rushing yards and 6 touchdowns. His explosiveness is something that needs to be featured more often this fall, as he has the ability to pop off a big run at any given moment.
Waiting in the wings are freshman Khalifa Keith (listed at 6'1, 230 pounds by Tennessee) and Cameron Seldon (6'2", 222), the two biggest backs on the roster. Knoxville product DeSean Bishop is a burner who ranked second in Tennessee high school football history with 8347 rushing yards.
Bottom line: the Vols have experience, speed, power, and productivity back in their running back room. Expect to see a whole lot of them on Saturdays this fall.
Featured image via Saul Young/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK
