With kick off just on the horizon, Tennessee football’s running back rotation is one of its biggest remaining questions when its offense takes the field against Chattanooga.
Tennessee released its initial season depth chart on Monday which listed five running backs — Dylan Sampson, Cam Seldon, DeSean Bishop, Peyton Lewis and Khalifa Keith— as co-starters. But the Vols’ rotation likely won’t be five deep in the first half and Sampson will almost certainly be the first player on the field.
But what the Vols rotation looks like after Sampson is the big question. Seldon entered the offseason as the favorite to be Tennessee’s second running back but spring shoulder surgery muddied the waters. Despite the injury limiting him through fall camp, Seldon will play against Chattanooga on Saturday.
“He’s been doing good. He’s been doing a really good job of sitting up there attacking the practice,” Tennessee running backs coach De’Rail Sims said of Seldon on Tuesday. “So we’ll turn loose on Saturday and let him see what we can do.”
Seldon was Tennessee’s fourth running back as a freshman a season ago where he totaled 106 yards on 25 carries. He got his first dose of serious action in the Citrus Bowl when he rushed for 55 yards on 13 carries.
More From RTI: Pair Of Former Vols Listed As Starters At Arkansas
Josh Heupel said that doctors cleared Seldon for contact last week, but it doesn’t seem like he’s done a ton of full contact work. Because of that, Sims and Tennessee have prioritized ball security drills for the physical sophomore running back.
“We kind of do that especially in our ball-security circuit and our (individual) period, giving him a chance to be able to feel getting hit and what it will feel like once he gets hit to the game on Saturday,” Sims said.
Sampson and Seldon are the only running backs on Tennessee’s roster that have college game experience. But DeSean Bishop has consistently impressed in scrimmages this offseason after missing his entire freshman season with an injury. Peyton Lewis is a highly talented freshman who could also push for a role while Khalifa Keith is the other scholarship option on the roster.
If Tennessee takes care of business against Chattanooga then all five will earn playing time. But the Vols will likely have to whittle the rotation before their week two matchup against North Carolina State. What their first half rotation is against Chattanooga could be a hint and Seldon needs to make the most of his opportunity to earn his role.
