Tennessee football vs. WVU: 5 Vols to watch for against Mountaineers

Tennessee football could be starting one of any three running backs in the opener. Graduate transfer Madre London is the power back who brings experience to running a pro-style, and Jermey Pruitt wanted him for a reason.

Tim Jordan has been the surprise back, as for the second straight year he’s shown an ability to pick up an offense quickly. But regardless of which player starts overall at back, it’s a solid bet that Ty Chandler will be the guy you see get a lot of touches.

Chandler proved himself last year to be deadly with the ball in open space. He’s gained enough weight this year where he can run up the middle, and he still is versatile enough to be a kickoff returner and a back in the passing game. Against a WVU team that will be going for lots of big plays, the Vols need a guy like Chandler to come through a lot.

Last year, WVU was horrible against the run. They gave up over 200 yards a game throughout the season. With the Vols struggling in the secondary, their best bet is to keep Will Grier off the field by establishing the run and coming up with their own big plays. Chandler allows them the chance to do both of those things.

The only reason Chandler is not higher on the list with that versatility, even at No. 1, is because we can’t guarantee that he’ll be the feature back. But it’s hard to imagine the coaches not using him enough to the point that we’re sure he belongs here.