Tennessee football: Top 10 rushing leaders in Vols history
By Josh Yourish
Tennessee football career rushing leader No. 6: Jalen Hurd (2014-16)
- 2,635 rushing yards
- 20 rushing touchdowns
- 4.5 yards per rush
Butch Jones had a short tenure at Tennessee, but for three years, one of the bright spots for his team was Jalen Hurd. Even though he may have been playing the wrong position.
Hurd ran for 899 yards in 2014, his first year, and surpassed 1,000 scrimmage yards because of his ability to catch passes. The next season he was even more prolific on the ground, running for 1,285 yards on 277 carries as a sophomore, but he also caught 22 passes for 190 yards, a slight dropoff from his 35 grabs for 221 yards the year before. His 1,475 yards and 14 touchdowns as a sophomore both held as career highs.
In 2016, Hurd played just seven games and only racked up 532 yards. The next season he transferred to Baylor where he converted to receiver and caught 69 passes for 946 yards and was drafted by the 49ers in the third round of the 2019 NFL draft as a wide receiver.
At 6-foot-5 226 pounds, wide receiver has proven to be his best position, but he has yet to get any playing time in his NFL career.