Ranking Tennessee football’s 2022 summer enrollees by potential impact

Both starting running backs return to Tennessee football plus a third rotational back and a more highly touted early enrollee, limiting Dylan Sampson’s impact.

Even with Tiyon Evans entering the transfer portal, Tennessee football is set at running back. Dylan Sampson is a solid commitment to the Vols out of Louisiana, but there’s no room for him to really insert his way into the rotation this year. Jabari Small and Jaylen Wright emerged last year, and Len’Neth Whitehead became the feature power back.

Standing between 5’9″ and 5’10” and weighing in the range of 175 to 180 pounds, Sampson was a four-star on 247Sports and On3 out of Geismar, La., and a three-star on Rivals and ESPN. The graduate of Dutchtown High School in Ascension Parish is more of an all-purpose back.

Taking all that into account, there’s room for him to be an elite player in the future. This year, though, with Wright already as the feature back and Small having the ability to play that role, he just won’t have too many opportunities to make an impact.

Justin Williams-Thomas was a more highly touted back in the Vols’ 2022 recruiting class, and he was an early enrollee, so there are three clear-cut players who will see action before him, and that doesn’t include Whitehead’s role as the power back. As a result, he’s not going to make much of an impact his first couple of years.