5’11” 205 pounds; Hometown: Nashville, Tenn.
Having an efficient two-back system may be a testament to the productivity of Tennessee football’s offensive line. Nonetheless, Ty Chandler has been one of the most important players on UT’s offense so far.
Chandler, who at one point stood alone atop the SEC rushing leaderboard, now fits comfortably at the No. 10 spot. Already this year, he’s racked up 275 yards on 62 carries, 44 receiving yards on eight catches and two touchdowns on the ground to go along with his numbers.
The senior opened the 2020 season with his two best performances, first putting together 96 all-purpose yards against the South Carolina Gamecocks before compiling 103 total yards and a touchdown against the Missouri Tigers. It’s interesting to note the Vols’ only two wins have come when they’ve distributed the ball between Chandler and Eric Gray effectively.
Since Mizzou, his production has somewhat declined with Gray receiving a slight majority of the carries, but he did score recently in UT’s loss to the Kentucky Wildcats. Despite being used to sharing carries, having shared with Tim Jordan the last two seasons, Chandler isn’t on pace to match the 655 rushing yard mark he set last year as a junior.
Though his numbers are down from where he was last year, it doesn’t take much to see Chandler is still one of the more prolific skill players on the Vols’ offense. This being his final year on Rocky Top, assuming he won’t take the free year of eligibility and will declare for the NFL, expect Chandler to make the most out of his remaining carries as a Vol.