‘He looks like a Greek God’ – Tennessee Vols sophomore may end up being a breakout star in the SEC in 2025
The Tennessee Vols are expected to return to a three-headed monster approach at the running back position in 2025. Dylan Sampson served as a bell-cow running back for the Volunteers in 2024, rushing for a program record 1,491 yards and 22 touchdowns. Sampson received the bulk of the carries while DeSean Bishop and Peyton Lewis […]
The Tennessee Vols are expected to return to a three-headed monster approach at the running back position in 2025.
Dylan Sampson served as a bell-cow running back for the Volunteers in 2024, rushing for a program record 1,491 yards and 22 touchdowns.
Sampson received the bulk of the carries while DeSean Bishop and Peyton Lewis served in backup roles.
With Sampson off to the NFL, Bishop and Lewis, along with Duke transfer Star Thomas, will split carries in 2025 — which is the way Tennessee handled the running back position in 2022 and 2023 (when Sampson, Jaylen Wright, and Jabari Small split carries).
Bishop will likely start the Vols’ season-opener against Syracuse on August 30, but it could be Lewis that ends up being Tennessee’s top running back this fall.
Lewis, who will be a sophomore in 2025, improved his body significantly after over the offseason, which should allow him to hold up well against SEC defenses.
“We challenged him just to grow. He changed his body,” said Vols running backs coach De’Rail Sims on Tuesday. “He looks like a Greek God when he walks out there on the field. And [we also challenged him] to get comfortable. I wanted him to be Peyton like he was in high school in terms of when he was able to run behind his pads — he was running through the trash that was being created up front. He’s done a really good job from that standpoint. His eyes and his feet match now in the run game. His eyes and his feet match in the pass protection game, as well.
“You can see the maturation process and he’s playing faster. I think last year, especially him not being able to go through spring ball, when he came out to fall camp, he was still feeling his way through. There’s no more of that now. He’s actually playing fast. He’s playing behind his pads. He’s doing a really good job in all three phases of the game for us right now.”
“You see tackles bounce off of him and that’s the biggest deal,” continued Sims while discussing Lewis. “He’s built his body up in a way to where he has the armor, to where he’s able to use his body as a weapon now, which is really good. And I think that’s translated into confidence as well. He understands that he can drop his pads in the run game, he can drop his pads in pass protection, and he’s able to stop people in their tracks.”
Lewis told reporters that he’s playing at around 215 lbs this season after playing at 207 lbs as a true freshman in 2024.
“Last year, I probably averaged around like 207, now I’m about 215,” said Lewis. “My body fat’s gone down a whole lot more.”
Lewis rushed for 339 yards and three touchdowns on 64 carries last season (5.3 yards per carry). The former four-star recruit has put in the work to take a big step forward in 2025. It’s not hard to imagine Lewis becoming one of the SEC’s breakout stars this fall
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