Tennessee Volunteers Depth Chart Check - Running Back Room

A look at Tennessee's depth chart at running back ahead of the 2025 college football season.
Nov 30, 2024; Nashville, Tennessee, USA;  Tennessee Volunteers running back DeSean Bishop (18) hurdles over the tackle of Vanderbilt Commodores safety De'Rickey Wright (19) during the second half at FirstBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images
Nov 30, 2024; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Volunteers running back DeSean Bishop (18) hurdles over the tackle of Vanderbilt Commodores safety De'Rickey Wright (19) during the second half at FirstBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images / Steve Roberts-Imagn Images
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A look at Tennessee's depth chart at running back ahead of the 2025 college football season.

The Tennessee Volunteers lost contributors on both sides of the ball this offseason but arguably none will be harder to replace than running back Dylan Sampson. He was statistically one of the best running backs in all of college football and provided a safety net for Tennessee's offense this season. With him gone now, what does Tennessee's depth chart at running back look like now?

Tennessee Football Depth Chart - Running Back

RB1 - DeSean Bishop
Bishop had the second most carries on the team last season right behind Sampson. He finished the season with 455 rushing yards on 74 attempts for three touchdowns and an average of 6.1 yards per carry. Bishop will be entering his third year of college football in 2025 which means at this point he is a veteran in the offense, something that Tennessee will need. The Volunteers have always run the ball well under Josh Heupel and next season it will start with Bishop.

RB2 - Peyton Lewis
Lewis also got a good amount of burn last season. He finished the year with 64 attempts for 339 yards and three touchdowns while averaging 5.3 yards per carry. It's likely that he will be the number two option right behind Bishop next season. He had a solid true freshman season and now he will be looking to build off of that next season in an expanded role.

RB3 - Star Thomas
Tennessee recently landed Thomas out of the transfer portal from Duke. Thomas started his career at New Mexico State, then transferred to Duke and now it looks like he will end his career at Tennessee. Last season at Duke, Thomas had 213 carries for 871 yards, seven touchdowns and averaged 4.1 yards per carry. He also added 20 receptions for 153 yards and a touchdown. During his time at New Mexico State, Thomas had 220 carries for 1,173 yards and nine touchdowns while averaging 5.4 yards per carry. A good veteran college running back that immediately adds experience to the room.

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Jonathan Williams
JONATHAN WILLIAMS

Jonathan Williams is a multimedia sports journalist who graduated from the University of Georgia with a degree in Journalism. He has multiple years of experience in covering college football for a variety of teams