Offseason position analysis: Running back
- Wyeth Wilson
- May 24, 2015
- 2 min read
A position that was pretty good for Tennessee last season will be even more talented this season.
In addition to last season’s starter sophomore Jalen Hurd, the Vols added five-star junior college running back Alvin Kamara, who has three years of eligibility remaining.
Kamara used his first season as a redshirt year at Alabama. He then transferred and spent his redshirt freshman season at Hutchinson Community College in Kansas.
Hurd was limited due to injury during spring practice, which allowed Kamara to show what he could do.
Kamara used that chance, and was one of the major standouts in spring camp.
“He changes our offense a lot,” junior cornerback Cameron Sutton said early in spring practice. “He and Jalen, man, that’s a tough 1-2 punch right there. Those guys can play.”
Added junior linebacker Jalen Reeves-Maybin: “He’s fast, man. He had a couple of plays [at practice] where I know I couldn’t get to him. He’s fast, and he works at it, and he’s dedicated. I feel like he’s gonna help the offense out a lot.”
Though Kamara was impressive this spring, his play shouldn’t overshadow how good Hurd can be this season.
Hurd racked up 899 yards as a true freshman, and even though he will have some of his carries taken by Kamara this season, that number will likely increase.
Another encouraging sign for the Vols’ 2015 backfield is the fact that Hurd (already Tennessee’s fastest player) has gotten even faster this season, despite bringing his weight up to 240.
“They both know that they need each other,” Butch Jones said of the Hurd-Kamara duo. “You can never have enough running backs.
“I think that has been proven over time. Their relationship — they push each other. They coach each other. They help each other. They respect each other.”
In addition to Hurd and Kamara, Tennessee will bring in three-star 2015 signee John Kelly, along with Cincinnati graduate transfer Ralph David Abernathy IV to handle some of the carries.
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