1. John Kelly, Running Back
The Vols’ most underrated player is also one of their smallest in statue. But what he lacks in size he more than makes up for in grit and strength.
John Kelly proved last season that despite being largely unheralded out of high school in the Vols’ 2015 class and having little to no expectations heading into the 2016 season, he is ready for SEC football. Kelly was thrust into a much bigger role than anticipated last year when Jalen Hurd left the team mid-season and Alvin Kamara was battling nagging injuries on and off. Kelly made one spot start and played in 11 total games.
Kelly began the year with just 3 carries for 18 yards and a touchdown in the Vols’ first five games of the season. But he would finish with 630 rushing yards and five scores on just 98 carries for the season. Kelly twice went over 100 yards and had a 94-yard and 89-yard performance down the stretch as well.
The SEC is stacked with talented running backs this year. That’s part of the reason Kelly isn’t getting much attention. But Kelly showed last season he has what it takes to be a strong SEC running back, and he’s more than ready to carry the load in Tennessee’s backfield this fall.
