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Tennessee football roster: Projecting the Vols’ 2017 2-deep depth chart

By Caleb Calhoun

Sep 12, 2015; Knoxville, TN, USA; General view of Neyland Stadium at halftime during the game between Tennessee Volunteers and the Oklahoma Sooners. Oklahoma won 31-24. Mandatory Credit: Jim Brown-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 12, 2015; Knoxville, TN, USA; General view of Neyland Stadium at halftime during the game between Tennessee Volunteers and the Oklahoma Sooners. Oklahoma won 31-24. Mandatory Credit: Jim Brown-USA TODAY Sports /
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Dec 30, 2016; Nashville , TN, USA; Tennessee Volunteers running back John Kelly (4) rushes for touchdown against the Nebraska Cornhuskers during the first half at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Brown-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 30, 2016; Nashville , TN, USA; Tennessee Volunteers running back John Kelly (4) rushes for touchdown against the Nebraska Cornhuskers during the first half at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Brown-USA TODAY Sports /

Running Back

1. John Kelly

Two years ago, nobody knew who John Kelly was as he remained buried in the depth chart behind Tennessee football superstars Jalen Hurd and Alvin Kamara. But when he did see action, he was very impressive and raised a lot of eyebrows.

Then came last year, and due to injuries and then Hurd’s departure, Kelly emerged as a legitimate running threat. He finished 2016 with 98 carries for 630 yards, good for nearly six and a half yards a carry. At the same time, he scored five touchdowns and also caught six passes for 51 yards.

Now, with Kamara gone, the job is Kelly’s. He is the star back of the offense, and he further impressed coaches by stepping up as a leader and a team player this offseason. All of that together makes it pretty obvious he’s going to be the starting running back for Tennessee football this Fall.

2. Ty Chandler

This is a bit of a stretch, but Butch Jones has never been shy about playing highly recruited freshmen in the past. And Ty Chandler is a four-star in-state prospect, somebody Jones would want to promote a lot. The 5’11” 194-pound running back is a perfect fit for Jones’s system, and he keeps building on that growing pipeline of elite Nashville talent.

Using their by-committee system with Kelly as the main back, we project that Chandler will come in and take this spot. And he will generate lots of hype among the fans by seeing consistent action on the field throughout the season.

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