Tennessee football is looking to get to the top of the SEC Conference once again. With Nick Saban gone at Alabama, there's some room in the SEC to see some movement. The Volunteers are looking to build on their 2023 campaign, when the team finished the year at 9-4. The team earned victories over Iowa, Kentucky and Texas A&M, with losses to Georgia, Alabama and Missouri. Here are some position battles to watch at Tennessee while spring practices start up.
Running back
Tennessee football is looking to replace some studs in the backfield this season. The Volunteers lost two backs in Jabari Small and Jaylen Wright. Wright was the first Tennessee player taken in the 2024 NFL Draft, when he was selected by the Miami Dolphins, per WBIR. Wright was selected in the fourth round, after rushing for 1,013 yards in 2023. He was the first Volunteer back to run for more than 1,000 yards since Jalen Hurd in 2015, per WBIR.
Tennessee football has a few players that should be fighting it out for a backfield starting spot. One is Dylan Sampson, who had a promising performance in last year's bowl game victory over Iowa. Sampson is a junior who ran for 133 yards in the bowl game against the Hawkeyes. In 2023, he finished the campaign with 604 yards rushing.
Another back that could battle for a spot is Cameron Seldon. Seldon is a sophomore that is battling a shoulder injury, per Sports Illustrated. The rusher gained 106 yards as a freshman in 2023, on 25 carries. Seldon is clearly someone that Tennessee coach Josh Heupel wants to see more from this offseason. If the runner can get healthy, he will compete for carries.
Tennessee also has some youth that will be battling it out for carries. This includes freshman DeSean Bishop, who is a local product from Knoxville. He is a three-star recruit who joined the Volunteers this offseason. The running back room has plenty of options, and the Volunteers should see a lot of ball carriers during the spring.
While running back is seeing competition, there are other positions still up for grabs in Knoxville this offseason.
Secondary spots
Tennessee football has several new players in the secondary this year. The team brought in two transfer cornerbacks, who will compete for both starting spots and reps. They are Oregon State transfer Jermod McCoy, and Temple's Jalen McMurray. On top of the corners, the Volunteers also landed safety Jakobe Thomas from Middle Tennessee State.
McCoy and McMurray will compete for one of two cornerback positions, along with the Volunteers' returning players. McCoy is one of many players who left Oregon State, following the implosion of the Pac-12. McCoy finished the 2023 season with 31 tackles, including 16 solo stops. He also had two interceptions, to go with seven passes defended. He should be competing for a starting spot right away in Knoxville.
McMurray brings a lot of experience from Temple. He played for the Owls for three seasons, and saw a lot of game action in the last two years. He recorded 38 tackles in 2023, including 24 solo stops for the Owls. McMurray had one interception in his three years at Temple. He also had 11 passes defended in his last two years, earning a reputation as a hard-nosed cornerback that challenged opposing wide receivers. It will certainly be interesting to see how the transfers compete for playing time as practices move forward. The Volunteers lost several secondary players to the draft and transfer portal, so the defensive backfield should be open to most of the players vying for spots.
Tennessee's 2024 schedule
Tennessee football coach Josh Heupel is entering his fourth season in Knoxville, and there's a lot of expectations on the young coach. He has won 20 games in his last two seasons, but never made the College Football Playoff. With new leadership at SEC power Alabama, Volunteers' fans are hoping Heupel can get the team to the CFP. Heupel has never had a losing season in his tenure at the school.
The Volunteers start the 2024 campaign on August 31, against Chattanooga. The team also has non conference matchups against North Carolina State and Kent State, before SEC play begins.
Follow Us
Subscribe