Tennessee redshirt senior running back Carlin Fils-aime will not play this football season, head coach Jeremy Pruitt announced on Monday afternoon. Fils-aime is not currently listed on Tennessee’s online roster.
“Carlin graduated this summer, and he’s sitting out this season,” Pruitt told reporters on Zoom. “He possibly may come back in January, but we’ve yet to decide that yet, and when that time comes, we’ll get together and decide that.
“He’s a guy that has done everything we’ve asked him to do as a player since I’ve been here. Unfortunately he’s had some injuries that’s kept him off the field, but he’s been a great student, role model, good teammate, and we would love to have him back, for sure.”
Fils-aime played in three games after returning from an offseason injury last season. He made his season debut as a contributor on special teams against then-ranked No. 3 Georgia in October.
In 2018, as a junior, Fils-aime finished the season with seven carries for 36 yards and a touchdown. He moved back to running back prior to the South Carolina game after spending the first seven weeks at cornerback, and then proceeded to rush for a 14-yard rushing touchdown against the Gamecocks.
Fils-aime signed with the Vols out of Naples, Florida as a four-star prospect and one of the top recruits in Florida. He was an ESPN top 300 recruit following a high school career in which he rushed for 2,624 yards and 41 touchdowns.
As a freshman in 2016, Fils-aime played in seven games and finished with 58 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 14 carries. He made collegiate debut against Virginia Tech in the Battle at Bristol, rushing for 19 yards on four carries.
In 2017 as a sophomore, Fils-aime appeared in 11 games with one start. He finished with 215 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 31 carries, while adding two receptions for 18 yards. He made his first-career start at Kentucky, rushing for a career-high 73 yards on 13 carries.
