1. Running back
The Vols could have one of the best duos in the SEC next year in sophomores Jalen Hurd and Alvin Kamara, so why the urgent need for running backs? Depth, and the fact that Hurd and/or Kamara may not stick around for their entire eligibility. Kamara, a redshirt sophomore, is technically draft eligible after 2015, and while it’s way too early to say if he’ll be in the conversation to go early, the Vols must be prepared. Hurd can’t go until after the 2016 season, but if he continues the pace he’s on, it would probably be wise for him to go early to save as much wear and tear as possible for the NFL. That means UT’s 2017 starting running back may not currently be on the roster.
But even if one or both stick around for a couple years, the Vols are still incredibly thin here. There are no other scholarship backs currently on the roster, and three-star John Kelly is the only other current RB signee for UT. Joc Bruce and Joseph Young could both be added this summer in a blueshirt capacity as well. But while all three of those guys certainly have potential – they’re all three-star caliber backs, according to recruiting services, and UT will clearly want at least a couple of highly-regarded backs in this class to reload that position in the next couple of years.
Some 2016 RB names to know:
• Matthew Falcon
• Elijah Holyfield
• Robert Washington
