Tennessee football: Five players to watch for in 2021 spring game
Scouting Report. Jabari Small. 1. player. 839. Pick Analysis. Running back. Sophomore
5’11” 206 pounds; Hometown: Memphis, Tenn.
Losing Eric Gray and Ty Chandler to transfer and then four-star commitment Cody Brown getting released from his letter of intent should have depleted Tennessee football at running back on the surface. All signs, however, point to the opposite.
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The Vols are loaded with a bunch of young backs who have plenty of potential, including Len’Neth Whitehead, Tee Hodge, Dee Beckwith, Tiyon Evans and Jaylen Wright. Beckwith stood out as the power back this spring, Wright stood out as the playmaking spring back and Evans, a junior college transfer, stood out as a feature back.
Jabari Small, however, is the only returning main contributor at the position, and he stood out as a feature back alongside Evans. Given the fact that Evans is banged up and likely won’t be full go, that makes Small the guy to keep an eye on Saturday. He has reportedly stood out in a big way, and that puts him at the top of this list.
Last year, as the No. 3 running back, Small had 26 carries for 117 yards and four receptions for 24 yards. Given all the issues the Vols had on offense, averaging four and a half yards per carry was actually pretty impressive for the graduate of Briarcrest High School in Eads, Tenn., just outside of Memphis. The spring game is another chance to show his development.
Next. Top 10 single seasons by Vols players of all time. dark
Taking all that into account, Small is definitely the top player to watch in Tennessee football’s spring game. He’s shown flashes in the past, and he’s reportedly developed dramatically. His play on Saturday could give lots of information on the running back race going forward.