Dylan Sampson

After sharing touches with both Jaylen Wright and Jabari Small for the past two seasons, the junior Sampson should be the bell cow for Tennessee's ground game in 2024. Sampson still averaged 5.7 yards per tote last season, finishing the campaign with 604 yards and a team-high tying seven rushing scores. The aforementioned triumvirate rushed for over 2,000 yards combined last season, so expect Sampson to gain a sizeable chunk of the vacated touches and yards from a year ago. Sampson also served as the de facto goal-line back for the Vols the last two seasons, and he also improved his pass-catching skills out of the backfield in 2023. Add in the first year starting at quarterback for the former highly touted quarterback recruit Nico Iamaleava, and the Vols should lean heavily on Sampson this year. Read Past Outlooks