Tennessee football didn’t need to see much from Dylan Sampson in its season opener against Chattanooga. The Vols know what they have in the dynamic running back who totaled 646 yards and eight touchdowns as part of a three-headed monster in their backfield a season ago.
With Jaylen Wright and Jabari Small off to professional football, Sampson is the lead man in the backfield and 28 snaps in less than a half of football was plenty for Sampson to get warmed up in the 2024 season.
Sampson hit the ground running, rushing for 124 yards and three touchdowns on 12 carries while also catching three passes for 29 yards.
The junior running backs performance was good enough to earn him an 89.7 PFF grade. That mark not only barely edged out quarterback Nico Iamaleava for the best on the Vols’ offense but was the best grade from any SEC running back in the opening week of the college football season.
Highest Graded SEC Running Back:
🟠 Dylan Sampson, Tennessee: 89.3@Vol_Football pic.twitter.com/zCPoBJiaqA
— PFF College (@PFF_College) September 4, 2024
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Alabama’s Justice Haynes (88.1) came in behind Sampson though he totaled only four carries in the Crimson Tide’s blowout win over Western Kentucky.
Sampson is the leader in Tennessee’s running back room and it was little surprise to see him impress the way he did in the season opener against Chattanooga. Just as important as Sampson’s performance were the way second-year running backs Cam Seldon and DeSean Bishop performed behind him.
Josh Heupel always rotates running backs and Sampson entered the season as the only proven running back on the roster. But Seldon (47 yards on seven carries) and Bishop (60 yards on five carries) looked like capable options for the Vols behind Sampson.
Tennessee will ask much more of Sampson in week two as it heads to Charlotte to face No. 24 North Carolina State in a neutral site game. Dave Doeren’s teams are known for having stout defenses and the challenge will be much bigger for the Vols’ offense.
Kickoff from Bank of America Stadium is at 7:30 p.m. ET on Saturday night. Rece Davis, Kirk Hebrstreit and Holly Rowe are on the call for ABC.
