Josh Heupel has plenty to like about Tennessee’s offense entering fall camp, but the position group that has really jumped out to him is running back.
The Vols are bringing back two of the SEC’s most established receivers and four starting offensive linemen from last season, yet Heupel singled out the backs as the room that has made the strongest impression. Tennessee already knows what it has in DeSean Bishop, but the rest of the group has pushed this preseason in a way that clearly caught the head coach’s attention.
“The group, top to bottom, has continued to grow,” Heupel said. “Maybe as strong as any running back room that we have had here at Tennessee. Coach Sims and the players that sit in there have done a tremendous job.”
That’s a notable thing to hear from a coach who has had some productive backfields during his time in Knoxville. The 2022 and 2023 Tennessee running back rooms, built around Jabari Small, Jaylen Wright and Dylan Sampson, were especially strong. In 2023, with Small as a senior, Wright as a junior and Sampson as a sophomore, the group was at its best.
Wright had the breakout season, piling up 1,013 yards on only 137 carries. Sampson hinted at the big 2024 year that was coming by running for 604 yards and seven touchdowns while also catching 17 passes for 175 yards. Small brought steady production as well, finishing with 475 rushing yards.
That’s the standard Heupel is using when he talks about this year’s room, which makes his praise for the 2026 group stand out even more. Bishop is the clear headliner after rushing for more than 1,000 yards last season, but Tennessee has questions to answer behind him.
Tulane transfer Javin Gordon gives the Vols a versatile option after producing 516 rushing yards and 93 receiving yards as a true freshman last season. Daune Morris added 133 rushing yards and a touchdown as a freshman last year, and both he and Gordon appear to have taken a step forward this offseason. Justin Baker rounds out the room after seeing limited action as a freshman.
Heupel was equally direct when talking about the full group.
“All four of those guys, and really the entire room’s done an elite job,” Heupel said. “Playing without the ball in their hand, and when they have the ball in their hands, doing a great job of pressing the line of scrimmage, reading blocks, playing with great pad level when they get to the second and third level and finishing runs.”
How Tennessee handles the workload at running back will be one of the early things to watch next season. In most years under Heupel, the Vols have spread carries fairly evenly among their top two or three backs. Last season, Sampson took the bulk of the reps.
Bishop is locked in as the top option this year, but his workload - and how Tennessee distributes the carries behind him - will be worth tracking once the season gets going.
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