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KNOXVILLE — Tennessee football already has plenty of momentum in 2020, after a Gator Bowl victory and the news of Trey Smith’s return and Cade Mays’ transfer.
Although Mays still awaits his appeal to be eligible in 2020, there likely is not a position group happier about the prospect of having Smith and Mays play on the same offensive line than the running backs. Since Jeremy Pruitt arrived in Knoxville, it has been a running back-by-committee approach. In 2019 Eric Gray, Ty Chandler and Tim Jordan carried the load, and the Vols often stuck with whoever had the hot hand.
By the conclusion of the season, there is no doubt it was the true freshman Gray.
The Memphis, Tenn. native finished with 539 yards and four touchdowns on 101 carries, largely helped by a 25 carry, 246-yard, three touchdown performance in the regular season finale against Vanderbilt. Gray wasn’t finished, closing out the season as the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl MVP, rushing for 86 yards and one touchdown on 14 carries during the Vols’ 23-22 win over Indiana.
Chandler and Jordan played a large role for the Vols, as well. Chandler led all rushers with 655 yards and three touchdowns on 135 carries. Jordan gathered 428 yards and a score on 101 carries. Both Chandler and Jordan will play out their final season of eligibility in 2020.
All three players will return for Tennessee, but most eyes will be on Gray. The rising sophomore’s elusiveness, vision and speed gives him the potential to be a star in the Tennessee backfield in the coming years. When he was able to get out in space, his ability to make defenders miss was on full display, particularly in the latter part of the 2019 season.
The Vols will certainly have to rely on their two seniors, especially when it comes to pass protection and pass-catching. Jordan provides a more physical, between-the-tackles presence, while Chandler has similar tendencies to Gray, and brings back the most production out of any of Tennessee’s running backs with the most experience catching passes out of the backfield.
Carlin Fils-aime will also return to provide depth in 2020 for his redshirt senior year, after only playing three games in 2019.
Two — possibly even three — new faces could be added to the running backs room in 2020. Jabari Small, another Memphis native, joins Tennessee as the No. 11 all-purpose-back in the 247 Sports Composite.
A Knoxville native, Tee Hodge comes to Tennessee as a key cog in the 2020 recruiting cycle out of high school football powerhouse Maryville.
“Tee Hodge is a guy that we targeted early on,” said Pruitt during the Early Signing Period. “He came to one of the first camps that we had here, another guy that’s a part of a state championship team.
“He’s a big guy, loves Tennessee, wanted to be here. He’s been a core guy in this class helping recruit, committed and never wavered the whole time.”
Hodge is a punishing runner, and a three-star prospect who held offers from several different Power 5 programs. He is used to winning, something Pruitt has made clear is important to his staff in evaluating players.
The local product won two state championships in his time at Maryville, and lost a total of four games.
Finally, the Vols added Len’Neth Whitehead, rated a four-star inside linebacker out of Athens, Ga. on the 247 Sports Composite. Whitehead played both linebacker and running back in high school, but has made it clear he wants to be on the offensive side of the ball at the next level.
Tennessee will likely give him a chance to compete at tailback, but don’t be surprised to see Whitehead stay on defense in 2020.
Another notable addition to Tennessee’s running backs room has yet to be made, as Pruitt is on the search for running backs coach David Johnson‘s replacement. Johnson is joining Mike Norvell’s staff at Florida State.
No matter who comes in as the position coach, Tennessee returns an experienced, deep and talented unit in 2020 that will hope to reap the benefits of a vastly improved offensive line.
