Tennessee practiced for the 13th time during fall training camp on Friday at Haslam Field.
Third-year running backs coach Jerry Mack met with media following practice.
Mack discussed the interchangeability of running backs Jabari Small and Jaylen Wright.
“They definitely are more interchangeable than a year ago,” Mack said. “Jaylen has really grown as a pass protector, he has grown with his hands, he can catch the ball out of the backfield now. Jabari has grown as a pass protector, so I do not feel like he has a lot of deficiencies from that aspect. The goal is to always recruit and always have three-down backs in your room, guys you feel are athletic enough to catch the ball out of the backfield.
“At the same time, those short yardage situations and those pass pro situations where you know you are going to get those, some of those exotics and things like that, those guys are stout enough, big enough and strong enough to hold up and not get blown back into the quarterback. I think over the years, that is what you have seen, both of them are playing at a really high level right now.”
Small enters his fourth season at Tennessee. He has two seasons of eligibility remaining, including the 2023 campaign.
The 5-foot-11, 213-pound running back has appeared in 34 games, recording 1,647 rushing yards, 22 rushing touchdowns, 207 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns at Tennessee.
Small led Tennessee in rushing yards (792) in 2021 during Josh Heupel’s first season as head coach.
Wright enters his third season at Tennessee.
The 5-foot-11, 210-pound running back has appeared in 22 games, recording 1,284 rushing yards, 14 rushing touchdowns, eight receptions and 30 receiving yards from 2021-22 at Tennessee.
Wright led the Vols in rushing yards last season (875). He will wear jersey No. 0 in 2023.