Tennessee football: Without Carlin Fils-Aime in 2020, freshman RB needs to step up

Without Carlin Fils-Aime in 2020, the Tennessee football Volunteers need a new running back.

News that was confirmed on Monday means Tennessee football only has two running backs for 2020 with any experience playing at this level. After taking a redshirt last year, fifth-year senior running back Carlin Fils-Aime will miss his second straight season.

Jeremy Pruitt said in his Monday press conference previewing the South Carolina Gamecocks that Fils-Aime would miss 2020 but may come back in 2021 due to the new NCAA eligibility rules. Fils-Aime has played defensive back and running back for the Vols.

Injuries sidelined him at different times, including in 2019, and he took a redshirt that year. According to Pruitt, he and Fils-Aime will discuss the possibility of him returning to Tennessee football in January. Here’s a bit of what he said about the situation.

"“He’s a guy that has done everything that we’ve asked him to do as a player, since I’ve been here. Unfortunately, he’s had some injuries that have kept him off the field, but has been a great student, role model, good teammate and we would love to have him back for sure.”"

The last season Fils-Aime played, 2018, he started out as a defensive back but converted back to running back midway through the year. He has carried the ball 52 times for 309 yards in his career, averaging just under six yards a carry, and five touchdowns.

Without Fils-Aime, UT has an issue at running back. Eric Gray and Ty Chandler are the two clear-cut stars and were going to be that anyway, but Fils-Aime was needed to fill the void Tim Jordan left after he was dismissed earlier in the summer. Jeremy Pruitt and Jim Chaney both love to go at least three-deep at the position.

Well, that calls for one of the freshmen to step up. Three joined Tennessee football in the offseason, and all three were three-stars. Jabari Small is an all-purpose back, Len’Neth Whitehead is an athlete who could play running back or linebacker, and Tee Hodge is a power back.

Of those three, Whitehead or Hodge is likely to be the guy who could step up. Jay Graham is already working with two star all-purpose backs in Chandler and Gray, so it’ll be hard to see Small taking time away from them.

Meanwhile, Whitehead and Hodge both bring what the Vols missed last year. Once they converted Jeremy Banks to linebacker and he was dismissed anyway, they had nobody for short-yardage plays. Both of these guys could do that.

Hodge stands at 6’1″ 215 pounds, and Whitehead stands at 6’2″ 225 pounds. Given those measurements, Whitehead appears more primed and ready to immediately step in and be the power back on short-yardage plays. There’s a reason the coaches gave him a look there first.

Back in 2018, Banks and Madre London were both the power backs, but a horrendous offensive line still hurt the Vols on short-yardage plays. That shouldn’t be the case this year, especially on the interior, with Trey Smith, Brandon Kennedy and now likely Cade Mays in the middle.

What’s clear, though, is at least one freshman is going to have to emerge. Tennessee football may have two elite running backs, but not building any depth could prove disastrous. Graham, as a new running backs coach, has his work cut out for him trying to identify the one to step up. However, with three new guys, somebody should be able to do it.