Tennessee football: Five Vols with most to lose if year is canceled

Hometown: Naples, Fla.

Last year, Carlin Fils-Aime was one of the people who took a redshirt on the chance that there would be more room for playing time this year. Although it wasn’t how he expected it to happen, the graduate of Naples High School in Florida will get a chance at more playing time due to the dismissal of Tim Jordan this past offseason.

Jeremy Pruitt and Jim Chaney love to use three running backs, and given the fact that Tennessee football has two elite all-purpose backs in Ty Chandler and Eric Gray, Fils-Aime could step up in a big way. He could be a third-down back and a guy who helps provide rest for both Chandler and Gray. Simply put, this is his chance to really prove his value.

With just 52 carries from 2016 to 2018, Fils-Aime had 309 yards, averaging nearly six yards a carry. He also ran for five touchdowns during that time. As a result, he has shown some promise and could be a very effective player in Chaney’s system.

However, he hasn’t had the chance to fully prove himself yet. In his first two years, Fils-Aime was a backup, and in his third year, he spent most of the time at defensive back before switching to his original position. This is his year to prove himself as a potential NFL running back, and if coronavirus takes that away, he of all people deserves another season.