Tennessee football: Ranking every player who transferred from Vols by 2021 performance
182 carries, 1092 yards; 15 catches, 216 yards; 14 total TDs
- Redshirt senior
- 6’0″ 210 pounds
- Entered portal Jan. 5, 2021
Losing Eric Gray was already a blow, but what made it worse for Tennessee football was that they had already lost Ty Chandler. A highly touted commitment in Butch Jones’ 2017 class, Chandler is an all-purpose running back who has proven time and time again he can shoulder the load as an every down back, and he was UT’s top offensive producer in 2019.
Although he ceded playing time to Gray in 2020, he still was the Vols’ second best offensive producer, and what he did this past year suggests Jeremy Pruitt and Jim Chaney should have stuck with him as their main offensive weapon. He was the one bright spot for Mack Brown and the North Carolina Tar Heels.
Not only was Chandler a 1,000-yard rusher, but his total touchdowns led the team, and he also led the team with 13 rushing touchdowns. His average of six yards per carry topped even his best year with the Vols, which was 2018, and what’s worse is he would have been a perfect fit for Josh Heupel’s system.
To be fair, Tennessee football needed to set up their running back situation for the future, so things look better there now with Chandler gone, but he was certainly missed this past year. Earning Second Team All-ACC legitimizes how elite he was.