All for Tennessee
Fansided

Ranking Tennessee football’s position units for 2022

By Caleb Calhoun

Tennessee wide receiver Jalin Hyatt (11) celebrates after scoring a touchdown in the second half of a game between Alabama and Tennessee at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn. on Saturday, Oct. 24, 2020.102420 Ut Bama Gameaction
Tennessee wide receiver Jalin Hyatt (11) celebrates after scoring a touchdown in the second half of a game between Alabama and Tennessee at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn. on Saturday, Oct. 24, 2020.102420 Ut Bama Gameaction /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
9 of 10
Next
Dec 30, 2021; Nashville, TN, USA; Tennessee Volunteers running back Jaylen Wright (20) celebrates the touchdown of running back Jabari Small (2) against the Purdue Boilermakers during the first half at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 30, 2021; Nashville, TN, USA; Tennessee Volunteers running back Jaylen Wright (20) celebrates the touchdown of running back Jabari Small (2) against the Purdue Boilermakers during the first half at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-USA TODAY Sports /

2. Running back

This unit would have been up here even with the loss of Len’Neth Whitehead regardless of whether or not Tennessee football would have added another running back. However, they did add another player, and while Clemson Tigers transfer Lyn-J Dixon isn’t a power back to offset the loss of Whitehead, he’s a deadly weapon.

Dixon joins Jaylen Wright, entering his sophomore year, as the two elite, speedy all-purpose backs. Both of them will be huge when it comes to making Josh Heupel’s and Alex Golesh’s offense go, and Jerry Mack has two major weapons to work with thanks to their existence on the roster.

However, the star is Jabari Small. Last year’s leading rusher and this year’s feature back emerged down the stretch of 2021. He was sharing time with Tiyon Evans, but Evans then got hurt before entering the transfer portal, so Small had to shoulder the load. He did it just fine.

Now, though, Small has help and more depth, as Justin Williams-Thomas, a highly touted 2022 prospect, has joined the group. That gives Mack a four-headed monster to go two-deep at features back and two-deep at all-purpose back with multiple proven guys. Add in all-purpose back Dylan Sampson, and even with no power back, this unit is fine.

Home/Vols Football