Tennessee’s offensive start to the 2024 season has been nothing short of extraordinary, racking up 120 points in their first two victories. Quarterback Nico Iamaleava has had a major impact in this quick start, showing every Vol fan why he was so highly touted on the high school scene. With a combination of experienced and skilled receivers, Iamaleava has looked incredibly comfortable as he has delivered a range of impressive throws around the field.
But while “Nico-Mania” has engulfed Rocky Top and the Tennessee fanbase, the engine that still makes the Vols churn is the running game led by junior Dylan Sampson. Sampson’s 256 rushing yards through two games include a breakout 132-yard and two-touchdown day last Saturday against NC State as he sits atop the SEC in rushing yards.
Under Josh Heupel, Tennessee’s rushing attack has quietly produced some huge statistical seasons and NFL-caliber running backs. Former Tennessee tailback Jaylen Wright and Jabari Small find themselves on NFL teams with Wright on the Dolphins and Small on the Titans practice squad.
Sampson developed under Small and Wright for two seasons, rushing for 397 yards and six touchdowns in 2022 and 604 yards and seven touchdowns in 2023. The most notable piece of this rushing rise is how the yardage has increased season by season for all three of Tennessee’s recent ball carriers. Since 2021, Tennessee’s leading rusher (Wright twice, Small once) has finished inside of the top 10 in the SEC in Rushing Yards and those numbers have increased each year. Last year, Jaylen Wright was Tennessee’s first 1,000-yard rusher since Jalen Hurd in 2015. If Sampson continues at this pace, he will eclipse 1,000 yards with weeks to spare in the season.
Heupel’s emphasis on establishing the run has helped Tennessee develop its identity through the past few years into what it is now. The physicality of the Vols’ offensive line during the NC State game was some of Tennessee’s best under Heupel, relying on the experience and IQ of their veterans. Heupel uses early down inside runs to establish the quick tempo Tennessee likes to run their offense at, while Sampson’s ability to stay low to the ground and balanced allows him to gain extra yardage at the end of plays and extend drives for Iamaleava and the Vols. When Sampson is going, it also allows one of the most accurate and dynamic quarterbacks in the country to work off play-action passes and time to be precise downfield. At that point, the defense needs to pick their poison and accept the Vols’ versatility in moving the ball.
“Great trust in Dylan and he’s a great leader for us,” Heupel said of Sampson in his post-game press conference. “He’s a guy that can have success and that’s pass protection, it is as a runner, it’s out in space as a receiver, getting him swing passes, whatever it might be. He’s got a great, great, great skill set.”
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The SEC’s leading rusher can do it in more ways than one, and his impact on the field is well-understood by his coach. But the impact of the offensive line blocking for him can not go understated. Vols lineman Cooper Mays was awarded SEC Lineman of the Week for the second time in his career after a dominating performance against NC State. Mays did not allow a single sack or pressure on Iamaleava against a solid NC State defense. Fellow lineman John Campbell Jr. was seen pancake-blocking Wolfpack defenders all game long and even re-created a scene from the movie “The Blind Side” by carrying his defender almost 10 extra yards out of bounds on a rush. The Vols are happy to join the ranks of fellow physical SEC foes with their improved offensive line and rushing attack.
“Offensively, efficient in the run game,” Heupel said of his offensive line. “There are some things that we have to clean up as well. But all in all, a really good performance. The line played hard and played well.”
Tennessee’s running game will continue to be a huge x-factor for a team with playoff aspirations. The added positives that a dominant run game gives to Josh Heupel’s offense are endless, and would only further the comfortability of the Vols’ young quarterback as SEC play begins. There are many spots where Sampson will be the guy carrying the ball down the stretch for the Vols this season.
The Vols will rely on seniority and experience from both Sampson and their offensive line to keep the offense at the pace it is currently on. While there will be no shortage of downfield shots and impressive Iamaleava throws in the coming weeks, it is time to start giving more credit to the catalyst behind Tennessee’s dynamic versatility, Dylan Sampson.
