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Tennessee football’s top five redshirt freshmen for 2021

By Caleb Calhoun

Tennessee quarterback Sully McDermott (12) fakes the hand off to running back Dee Beckwith (21) during morning football practice on campus on Friday, August 20, 2021.Kns Ut Football Practice Bp
Tennessee quarterback Sully McDermott (12) fakes the hand off to running back Dee Beckwith (21) during morning football practice on campus on Friday, August 20, 2021.Kns Ut Football Practice Bp /
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Running back Dee Beckwith (21) charges up the field at an open University of Tennessee spring football practice at Neyland Stadium, Saturday, April 10, 2021.Utpractice0410 0481
Running back Dee Beckwith (21) charges up the field at an open University of Tennessee spring football practice at Neyland Stadium, Saturday, April 10, 2021.Utpractice0410 0481 /

Scouting Report. Dee Beckwith. 1. 839. Pick Analysis. Running back. Florence, Ala.. player

6’5″ 227 pounds

It’s pretty clear that running back is wide open for Tennessee football this year. Eric Gray and Ty Chandler, last season’s top two offensive producers, transferred to the Oklahoma Sooners and North Carolina Tar Heels respectively.

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This year, the Vols are expected to use junior college transfer Tiyon Evans and returning contributor Jabari Small as their two feature backs. Evans would be the workhorse, and Small would be the all-purpose back. If something doesn’t work out, Jaylen Wright is always there to be an all-purpose back as well. However, then comes the power back.

Josh Heupel’s system works best with two running backs, a utility back and then a power back, and he has three options at power back: Tee Hodge, Len’Neth Whitehead and Dee Beckwith. All three are redshirt freshmen.

Of those, only Hodge and Beckwith played last year, and only Beckwith recored a carry. The graduate of Florence High School in Alabama’s Lauderdale County appeared in three games and had three carries for 25 yards. As a result, he’s the power back most likely to play that role for Heupel this year.

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Don’t count out Whitehead, to be fair. He was recovering from injury all last year and was non-contact in spring. However, right now, Beckwith is probably best positioned to be Tennessee football’s power back this year, so he’ll see the most action of any redshirt freshman.

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