8. Running Back
Position coach: David Johnson
Notable players: Ty Chandler, Tim Jordan
Tennessee football’s best offensive weapon is probably a running back in Ty Chandler. But with such poor play in the trenches, nobody at running back was really going to have the chance to stand out that much. After all, poor offensive line play prevented them from shining, and anything good they did would be taken with a grain of salt due to poor defensive line play.
Then came the spring game, and nobody was able to stand out there either. As a result, we had to make this unit one near the bottom of the list. That’s not necessarily where it will be when the season arrives, to be fair. Remember, we’re basing this specifically off of play throughout spring practice.
One thing that hurt this was the injury to Carlin Fils-Aime. He ended up missing the second half of spring ball, limiting the depth that Jeremy Pruitt wants to have at the position. Still, Chandler and Tim Jordan are the main guys. And with Jeremy Banks moving back to the position full-time, Pruitt, Jim Chaney and David Johnson hope to have their power back.
In the summer, the return to health for Fils-Aime and the arrival of four-star speedy freshman Eric Gray should allow for the Vols to upgrade their depth at the position. Chandler is still an elite talent as well, so this is not much to worry about. But they still did not stand out as a group in the spring.