Tennessee football: Vols top five 2020 signees who could contribute early

We’re shocking the world here with another three-star on Rivals on the list. However, one of the things Tennessee football needed last year, which probably contributed to its fourth down failures, was a power running back. Jeremy Pruitt brought in Quavaris Crouch for those situations, but he probably wants a pure power back to handle those things full-time.

After all, the Vols did have Madre London in 2018. In 2019, they moved Jeremy Banks over to linebacker and then dismissed him. So while Pruitt could go to Ty Chandler, Tim Jordan or Eric Gray, he couldn’t go to a big back for short-yardage plays. This year, all three of those guys are back plus Carlin Fils-Aime, who took a redshirt.

Chandler, Jordan and Fils-Aime are seniors while Gray is a sophomore. That would suggest the position is loaded. But given their profiles and Pruitt’s desire to go four-deep at running back, Hodge has a great chance to see the field. At 6’2″ 230-pounds, the local-area prospect out of Maryville High School could immediately make an impact.

Of course, this is the one spot on the list that dramatically changes if five-star running back Zachary Evans does commit to the Vols. But for now, that hasn’t happened. So look for Hodge to potentially become the short-yardage back immediately, meaning he might score a few touchdowns next season. That’s called contributing early by any reasonable definition.