Making the Case: Which Freshman Signee Can Emerge as the 3rd Running Back for the Vols?

The 2020 season will see the Tennessee Volunteers needing to fill some key roster spots if they hope to be successful. The Vols ended the 2019 season on a six-game winning streak, culminating with a come from behind win over Indiana in the Gator Bowl. Momentum was important for the Vols on the field in 2019, and that carried over to the recruiting trail. The Vols are trending in the right direction because they showed success on the field, but they also landed a Top Ten recruiting class in the nation with their 2020 signing class. Jeremy Pruitt and his staff will need this class to live up to their ranking to see the Vols have success over the long term, however, some of the new arrivals will be called on immediately to step in and play.

This series will see our staff members looking at several positions of need on the Tennessee roster that could be filled by an incoming freshman. The staff will make a case for which freshman they feel can rise to fill the role in question. Today's piece looks at the second and short-yardage running back role.

The end of the 2020 season saw one of Tennessee's highest-rated 2019 signees burst onto the scene. Eric Gray turned in outstanding performances to close out the season, and he is the odds on favorite to lock down the featured back role in the Volunteer offense entering his sophomore campaign. Tim Jordan had seemed to earn the role as the second back by season's end, getting more carries because of the power running style he brought to the table. However, Jordan was dismissed from the team this offseason, leaving the door open for another back to become Gray's top running mate. Rising senior Ty Chandler has been productive for the Vols at various times through his Tennessee career, though he seemed to find himself in the coach staff's doghouse at times last season. Chandler is a valuable player that will figure into the competition, however a new arrival with a different build and running style, more like Jordan's power style, could earn the job.

Brandon: The Vols brought in a few players that can figure into this conversation, and the answer may depend on which players stay on the offensive side of the ball. Len'Neth Whitehead is an outstanding prospect that has a big build to fill the role vacated by Jordan. The problem is, that while the staff will give Whitehead a crack on offense, I think his ceiling is higher on defense. Since I expect Whitehead to ultimately find a home at linebacker, where he will make an enormous impact, Tee Hodge is my pick to fill the power back role. Hodge was the catalyst for the offense of another Tennessee state title team at Maryville. Hodge is a big, bruising, punishing back, with the physique to take the abuse that role entails in the SEC. He has good speed and is used to serving as a workhorse ball carrier. Hodge provides a different style runner from Gray, and that will force defenses to play him differently. Hodge is built to roll up the tough yards and deliver impact to the defense. After dealing with the punishment Hodge can doll out, a fresh Gray will be even more difficult for a defense to stop, making the Vols more dangerous offensively.

Matt: Len'Neth Whitehead is a guy Tennessee loved during the recruiting process. He is more of a jumbo athlete with the capability to evolve into several different roles. I am not ruling out that he is going to stay at running back because he could, however, this season I don't seem him being the guy to step in right away. Tee Hodge is already making waves with his arrival to campus, and he is college-ready from a size standpoint. A season-ending leg injury hurt Hodge's stock coming out of his Junior campaign, then Tennessee locked in his commitment over the Summer, so other schools did not get involved as much, as he was firm in his decision.  He helped lead Maryville to another state title, as he returned to form to finish out his prep career. Hodge is six-foot and upwards of 220 pounds, with an unmatched work ethic. I expect him to fill the void left by Tim Jordan, and honestly, he may have found himself in the power back role before it was all said and done anyways. He is polished as a back with the ability and willingness to block, and he is a student of the game.