Tennessee Vols player named one of college football's biggest fall camp standouts
A Tennessee Vols true freshman was named one of college football's biggest fall camp standouts this week. 247Sports pointed out Vols running back Dylan Sampson as one of the biggest stars of fall camp. From 247Sports: One of only four scholarship running backs available for the Volunteers this season following the departure of West Virginia […]
A Tennessee Vols true freshman was named one of college football's biggest fall camp standouts this week.
247Sports pointed out Vols running back Dylan Sampson as one of the biggest stars of fall camp.
One of only four scholarship running backs available for the Volunteers this season following the departure of West Virginia transfer Lyn-J Dixon, Dylan Sampson has quickly made a name for himself in Knoxville with "dangerous" speed. The four-star signee out of Geismar, La., is playing ahead of Justin Williams-Thomas, another freshman, during camp and is just behind returning starter Jabari Smith and Jaylen Wright, who is battling through injury setbacks. Tennessee offensive coordinator Alex Golesh recently mentioned Sampson's impressive progress.
“Dylan, man, (is) like a unique clone of Jabari in terms of being able to get the ball out in space,” Golesh said this week. “Really, really good hands. Elite vision for a young guy — like, different than what I thought off of high school film. I liked the high school film. You just didn’t know he was going to have vision like he has.
Sampson is a former three-star recruit from Geismar, LA who signed with Tennessee last December and arrived in Knoxville this summer.
The talented running back has consistently been praised by Vols coaches during fall camp.
Earlier this month, running backs coach Jerry Mack called Sampson a "fan favorite" inside the UT facility. He also pointed out that Sampson is a player capable of breaking off explosive runs.
"He's done a great job," said Mack after a recent Tennessee practice. "He's kind of a fan favorite right now in the building with his attitude, and personality, which we knew when we recruited him. Every day he comes out there, it seems like he does something really good with the ball in his hands. Explosive plays. We talked about him being a guy that was going to have those sexy runs, those long, explosive runs, and he's held true to form."
The Vols are thin in the running back room, so Sampson should have plenty of opportunities to shine in 2022. The one thing that could keep him off the field early this season is his pass protection. It's not that I expect him to struggle in that area, it's just that Jabari Small and Jaylen Wright have more experience.
Still, it's clear that Tennessee thinks they have something special in Sampson. And I fully expect them to feature him in some key moments this season.
Featured image via Calvin Mattheis/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK
