Tennessee football: New walk-on could help with depth at RB after transfers
Just like he has been doing all week, Josh Heupel again added an in-state walk-on to Tennessee football as a way to address an issue and potentially find a star nobody saw. The Vols have now added 11 preferred walk-ons for 2022 since Monday.
Running back Hunter Barnes, who is not rated anywhere, has now committed to Rocky Top. He chose the Vols over offers from the Memphis Tigers and Arkansas State Red Wolves, according to Patrick Brown of GoVols247.
Standing at 6’0″ 180 pounds based on his 247Sports recruiting profile, Barnes attends Memphis University School in Shelby County and doubles as a cornerback there. He announced his decision to join Tennessee football Thursday afternoon on Twitter.
I am Thankful for God and all the opportunities that he has allowed me to have, and I’m Honored and Blessed to say i’m 110% committed to @UTKnoxville Extremely Excited to get to work!! @CoachMack_Tenn @coachjoshheupel @scott_altizer @CSmithScout @johnvarlas pic.twitter.com/y8Mm6k9jPx
— Hunter. Barnes 26 (@HunterBarnes26) February 3, 2022
On the surface, this doesn’t seem like a big deal. After all, if the Vols are set anywhere, it’s at running back. Jabari Small is their feature back, Jaylen Wright is their speedy all-purpose back, and Len’Neth Whitehead is their power back. They also added two freshmen in Justin Williams and Dylan Sampson to assure a three-headed monster for the next three years.
However, depth in case of an injury isn’t assured at that position beyond this year. Small could leave for the pros at that point, and he and Beckwith could both be gone after 2023. Don’t forget that UT did just suffer a wave of transfers at running back with Tiyon Evans, Dee Beckwith and Tee Hodge all entering the portal last year.
A guy like Barnes, who the Vols don’t have to waste a scholarship on, could help with that, and he does appear to have potential to make an impact, especially in the system Heupel runs. Here’s a look at his highlight reel.
As you can see, Barnes has great cuts and agility, and his breakaway speed is impressive. His level of competition isn’t much of a question either given where he’s playing, so while the speed is relative, it’s legit. Don’t forget that Small came from the private school scene in Memphis.
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Going forward, it’s not likely Barnes sees any playing time this year, but the addition of him is an underrated and valuable one for Tennessee football. Heupel has been doing that all week going this route, so watch out for some of these players in the future.