Tennessee football: 15 potential dark-horse Vols for 2019 season

Similar to Tyler Byrd, Carlin Fils-Aime was never properly used by Butch Jones. Even after the departures of Alvin Kamara and Jalen Hurd, the 5’11” 180-pound running back could never get into the mix with John Kelly, Tim Jordan and eventually Ty Chandler. As a result, Jeremy Pruitt gave him a look on defense when he arrived.

Fils-Aime stayed in the secondary until November of last year until he moved back to running back. Now, entering this year, he remains buried in the official depth chart there behind Chandler, Jordan and four-star freshman Eric Gray. So his senior year may look like he’s limited.

But after 14 carries for 58 yards and two touchdowns in 2016, 31 carries for 215 yards and two touchdowns in 2017 along with two receptions for 18 yards, and seven carries for 36 yards and a touchdown in 2018, Fils-Aime can be effective with the ball. He’s averaging over five yards a carry for his career, and while Jordan is the fundamental back, Fils-Aime could provide value.

With Jeremy Banks moving over to linebacker and Jeremy Pruitt showing a preference for using three to four running backs, Fils-Aime could turn into a valuable player for Tennessee football. There is a very good chance the Vols turn to him in the middle of the year, and he can be an effective running back with the ball in his hands.