Tennessee Vols RB Dylan Sampson sends message that every young college football player needs to hear and apply to their own careers
Tennessee Vols fans knew that UT running back Dylan Sampson was a stud from his first game in college. Sampson, a former four-star recruit, totaled 51 yards and a touchdown in his first career game as a true freshman in 2022. He scored four touchdowns in his first four games before finishing the 2022 regular […]
Tennessee Vols fans knew that UT running back Dylan Sampson was a stud from his first game in college.
Sampson, a former four-star recruit, totaled 51 yards and a touchdown in his first career game as a true freshman in 2022. He scored four touchdowns in his first four games before finishing the 2022 regular season with 131 rushing yards and a touchdown in a dominant performance against the Vanderbilt Commodores.
The Baton Rouge native, however, saw limited carries during his first two seasons at Tennessee due to playing behind Jabari Small and Jaylen Wright. It wasn't until 2024 that Sampson became the featured running back at Tennessee (Sampson proceeded to set the UT single-season record for rushing yards and touchdowns in a season).
Sampson, who declared for the 2025 NFL Draft after his junior season, was asked at the NFL scouting combine this week how he handled playing in a smaller role during his first two seasons in college.
The former Vol's answer is something that every young college football player needs to hear.
"I think a lot of people coming out of high school have that problem because we're all 'the guy' at our high school," said Sampson to NBC Sports' Connor Rogers. "I just feel like the best things come with time. Some things just don't come fast and everybody's path is different. I was blessed to kind of have a role my freshman year. We had three running backs rotating my sophomore year, it's like 'what can you do?', I can't be mad. It's hard enough on a coach, as it is on me, to try to rotate all of us. But just having patience, taking time. And when your moment comes, take it. Take advantage of it."
Thanks to the NCAA transfer portal and NIL deals, many players in the current era of college football will transfer if they don't see the immediate playing time that they think they deserve.
And that's horrible for development (in most cases).
Everyone's timeline is different. Some players "get it" quicker than others. Some take a few seasons. Situations differ, too. But if a player is talented enough to play in the NFL, they'll find their way there. All a player really needs is one great year in college to catch the eyes of NFL teams. Sitting for two or three years before enjoying a breakout season is a much better development path than bouncing around from school to school while in search of a check.
Sampson is a great example of an elite talent that had to wait his turn before earning a featured role. And while waiting his turn, he didn't pout, he didn't mope, he didn't complain. Sampson was undoubtedly eager to hit the field, but he made sure to learn from older players while improving his skills and developing as a leader. And now he's on the verge of playing in the NFL because of the path he took.
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