Vols' Running Backs Building Cohesion, Depth Under Jerry Mack This Fall

Tennessee lost Eric Gray and Ty Chandler to the transfer portal after the 2020 season. The duo combined for 1,228 yards on 257 carries. Gray paced the way with 772 yards, with Chandler adding another 456 yards. The next leading rusher? Jabari Small who had 117 yards on 26 carries, with most coming in mop-up duty. 

It is not necessary to minutely recount the exit of the veteran backs or Tennessee's former running back coach Jay Graham, as everyone is familiar with the situation. 

Flash forward to 2021 for a look at the running backs remaining on the roster or coming into the program. As mentioned, Small, a COVID-freshman, became the group's veteran in terms of experience at Tennessee. He is joined by returning backs Dee Beckwith, Tee Hodge, Len'Neth Whitehead, and newcomers Jaylen Wright and Tiyon Evans. Of this group, Beckwith is the only one with a carry at the Division 1 level. 

Evans and Wright were both held in high regard by the previous staff during their recruitment, while Beckwith, Hodge, and Whitehead each battled through a different set of circumstances that limited them last fall.

When you looked at this group in January following the departures of both Gray and Chandler, on paper, there was optimism. A fresh stable of backs with untapped potential, but could this group get there, and who would it be to get them there?

Enter Jerry Mack. Josh Heupel tabbed, then Rice Offensive Coordinator Jerry Mack, a Memphis native to coach his running backs. Since then, the expectations, improvement, and chemistry between this group have only grown. 

Given Mack's successful track record as a previous position and head coach, it should come as no surprise. During his tenure at North Carolina Central, Mack produced wins at a high level while being regarded as one of the top young head coaches at any level of college football. He led NCCU to the Celebration Bowl twice during his time. But Mack's time at Memphis, Rice, and various other stops as a position coach or coordinator always seemed to produce similar results. 

Now, coaching a singular position at Tennessee, Mack's newest unit is beginning to thrive under his tutelage. 

Since stepping out from behind the shadows of Gray and Chandler, Small only continues to make the most of every opportunity on Rocky Top. Having covered Small since he was a junior in high school, I believe he is carrying the best frame I have seen from him to date. He exudes confidence on the practice field, but most importantly, he is embracing what lies ahead. 

 "I've got to do something different, step up, change the way I act," Small said before fall camp. "I'm not a little kid anymore. I had to grow up pretty fast, but I feel like it helped me kind of just mature, like, 'Well, somebody's got to step up, and I want it to be me.' It definitely changed the way I thought about it."

Joining Small in making strides day after day in the running back room is Tiyon Evans. Evans was considered the best back in the country coming out of Junior College, and after being a limited participant for most of the Spring, he is coming into his own during his first fall camp on Rocky Top. 

In fact, the do-it-all back has stolen the show on the practice field on more than one occasion since fall camp started, according to one source. With a chip on his shoulder, Evans believes the entire Tennessee running back group has something to prove. 

"Oh, we're coming. I'm telling you, this backfield right here that we have this year, I promise you, all my guys — we've got young guys also in there that's ready to step up and do what they have to do to help this team win. I'm confident in my guys. If I'm not that guy to start, I'm not tripping because I know there's another guy that can do exactly what I can."

Small and Evans project to make a formidable duo for opposing defenses this fall, but they will not be alone, as Mack's room is only getting deeper as fall camp wages on. 

Jaylen Wright started his career in Knoxville with a strong spring, and he has been dubbed 'lightning in a bottle' because of his big-play ability, so look for him to get touches, while others like Hodge, Whitehead, Dee Beckwith, Fred Orr and Marcus Pierce add fresh bodies with plenty of upsides to the room.

Sure, how this group will perform on September 2nd remains unknown. The number of limited live-action carries against an opposing team at the Division 1 level will not change between now and this group being thrust into the limelight, but on the surface, there are plenty of reasons to believe they are ready. 

Make no misconceptions about it, Tennessee will be aggressive and attack through the air, but Jerry Mack's running back room is going to be a driving force of the new-look offense. 

"Throughout the history of my tenure as coordinator or the last couple years as a head coach, our skill guys have gotten a ton of recognition for what we've done through the air," Josh Heupel said on Thursday. "But for us it all starts with what we're doing in the run game. Operating extremely efficiently and being physical at the point of attack. We've ran the ball extremely successfully for my tenure as well. I thought our offensive line at times did a really nice job of covering guys up. I don't think we (performed) at the line of scrimmage the way we're capable of. Maybe that we've shown during the course of some of the practices as well. I do like our running back room. I think Jabari Small, Tiyon (Evans), those guys are playing at a really high level. And excited to see some of the young guys get an opportunity to play. Just have to go back and watch the tape."