Tennessee football: Ranking five new JuCo transfers for 2021

Hutchinson Community College (Hutchinson, Kan.)

Another Jeremy Pruitt commitment, Tiyon Evans probably didn’t prepare for what was about to happen when he joined Tennessee football. The transfers of Eric Gray and Ty Chandler opened the doors wide open for him.

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Evans, a graduate of Hartsville High School in South Carolina’s Darlington County, is the one junior college player on the list who received a four-star rating on any service. He received on on both 247Sports and ESPN while earning a three-star on Rivals. That projected potential alone puts him over the other guys, but he also took part in spring practice.

At 5’11” 220 pounds, Evans is expected to be a true running back. Josh Heupel’s system actually relies on a multiple backs if you look at his past, and a power running back combined with an all-purpose back is usually when it runs best. Complete backs like Evans are a perfect fit.

During spring ball, Evans was limited due to injury, but it’s clear he’s one of the guys the coaches are relying on to shoulder a load this year. Jabari Small is the other one, as he’s the only returning back with experience, but it’s highly possible that those backs make up the by-committee system necessary foe Heupel’s offense to go.

A big reason Tennessee football is expected to survive the departures of Gray and Chandler is the arrival of Evans. He’ll be a junior and should make an early impact. Look for him to become one of the Vols’ go-to weapons on offense.