Tennessee running back Dylan Sampson declared for the NFL Draft on Friday morning, announcing his decision on Instagram.
“To Coach Heupel, Coach Mack, Coach Walt, Coach Sims, and all the staff, thanks for giving this kid from Louisiana the opportunity of a lifetime,” Sampson wrote. “I am proud to be a part of the first recruiting class under this era. I’ve learned so much and having the chance to be a part of something special, something that was bigger than me, the opportunity to lift this program back to the place where it should be. I am forever grateful.
“With that being said, I will be declaring for the 2025 NFL Draft.”
Sampson’s 2024 season was one of the best in program history with the junior totaling 1,491 rushing yards and 22 rushing touchdowns on 258 total carries.
The 5-foot-11, 201-pound running back wrote his name in the Tennessee record books with both the most rushing yards and rushing touchdowns in a single season. Sampson broke Gene McEver’s rushing touchdown record from 1929 and Travis Stephens’ rushing yards record from 2001.
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Sampson was a consistent force on an inconsistent Tennessee offense in 2024. His best games of the season were a 142 rushing yards and two rushing touchdown performance against Kentucky and an 178 yard performance against Vanderbilt.
The Baton Rouge native’s season came to a close in disappointing fashion as a hamstring injury limited him in Tennessee’s season-ending loss at Ohio State.
In three years at Tennessee, Sampson totaled 2,834 on the ground and through the air while totaling 36 touchdowns.
Sampson’s departure to the NFL comes as little surprise after his breakout junior season. Unfortunately for Sampson, he’s a part of a loaded running back class and he could fall to the middle rounds of the 2025 NFL Draft next spring.
Josh Heupel and Tennessee will replace Sampson with returning underclassmen DeSean Bishop and Peyton Lewis. That duo combined to rush for 794 yards and six touchdowns as Sampson’s backups last season. Those are the only two returning scholarship running backs on Tennessee’s roster. The Vols also signed three-star running backs Daune Morris and Justin Baker.
