Vols might be hiding something in their run game
Media is prohibited from recording QB/RB drills
Reporters are permitted to video most of the early periods of Tennessee football spring practices. But one exception is a drill featuring quarterbacks and running backs.
TV cameras and iphones are aimed elsewhere for a couple minutes, as requested by the team that permits limited media access.
There’s no clear reason why. All zoneread plays sort of look the same to the untrained eye.
Perhaps the Vols are just trying to protect intellectual property in coach Josh Heupel’s offense. After all, UT touted the No. 12 rushing offense in FBS (217.3 yards per game) last season despite not having a 1,000-yard rusher.
So there’s something special about the system.
Regardless of the reason, the secrecy hints at a series of essential questions surrounding the UT run game for the 2022 season.
Can Jabari Small be a featured back? Can freshman Justin Williamsthomas break into the rotation?
And why would the Vols risk injury to quarterback Hendon Hooker to make him an integral part of the run game?
The answers to all three are related.
Risks aside, why Hendon Hooker must run the ball
Last season, Hooker officially rushed for 616 yards, but that factored in 200 yards of losses from mostly sacks. Hooker actually gained 816 yards, which made him the most productive rusher on the team.
Small rushed for 796 yards and nine TDS. He split time with Tiyon Evans, who rushed for 525 yards before entering the transfer portal late in the season. Jaylen Wright picked up some of the slack with 409 yards rushing, and Len’neth Whitehead added 207 yards.
At best, UT had a running back duo. At worst, it was by committee.
Either way, the run game moved at a higher gear when the quarterback was a big part of it. And that’s why coaches are stressing the importance of Hooker’s rushing.
“You’ve got to defend us differently (with Hooker running the ball),” offensive coordinator Alex Golesh said. “But with a banged-up Hendon — you take that dimension out of the game — and we’re uniquely different. So we’re continuing to develop the quarterback run game.”
The asterisk is that there’s an injury risk to running Hooker, arguably the team’s most valuable player.
“We’re not going to run our quarterback just for the sake of running him,” quarterbacks coach Joey Halzle said. “But if something presents itself in the run game, then absolutely we’ll take advantage of that.
“(Hooker) has a good understanding of some of the hits he took last year (and) how we can prevent that.”
The days of ‘war daddies’ at running back are over
In a perfect world, Hooker would be a running option but not the primary ballcarrier. His health is paramount to the air attack since he posted the best passing efficiency in UT history last season.
But the Vols may not have a running back that concerns opponents as much as Hooker. And each of those running backs has limitations.
Small was solid last season, averaging 5.6 yards per carry, but he can’t carry the load alone. He missed two games, played through injuries in the rest and is now limited in spring practice for “precautionary” reasons, Heupel said.
Wright has gained strength and confidence after playing in key situations as a freshman, but he’s still only 5-foot-11, 200 pounds.
Len’neth Whitehead, a 6-2, 220pounder, is a short-yardage option and a strong pass blocker. But he lacks speed to be a big-play threat.
The Vols may not have a singular feared ball-carrier. But there’s no shame in that, especially since they had the SEC’S third-best rushing offense last season.
“It’s the reality of where we’re at in college football,” running backs coach Jerry Mack said. “The days of guys getting 35 or 40 carries in a game — those war daddies — are gone.
“We’d like to have running backs by committee. That shows that we’re
recruiting the right guys to come in and contribute right away.”
Williams-thomas is being prepared to play sooner than later
That brings Williams-thomas — the four-star freshman who chose UT over Auburn — into the conversation.
Williams-thomas looks the part of a featured back. The 6-foot, 210-pounder has thick thighs, chiseled shoulders, enough open-field speed and a love for contact.
“He is a physical player when he understands what’s going on,” Mack said. “Everything is moving extremely fast for him right as a true freshman. But he shows flashes of things we really want to see — the physicality, big body, the ability to get those tough yards.”
Coaches say Williams-thomas won’t get major playing time until he understands the scheme and his responsibilities
in pass-blocking. But they anticipate that happening sooner than later.
“With more reps, more practice, summer and fall camp, I think you’re going to see a different player when we get into the season,” Mack said. “We don’t have the luxury to just sit guys and let you grow. When you come here, the expectation is that you’re going to play.”
If Williams-thomas is ready to play as a freshman, it could take the pressure off Hooker in the run game. Small’s health, Wright’s development and Whitehead’s physicality could do the same.
Figuring out the formula in the backfield is critical. Last season, UT had its highest scoring season in history while relying heavily on the run game. Repeating that production — whether by creative play-calling or individual talent — will be pivotal.
Reach Adam Sparks at adam.sparks@knoxnews.com and on Twitter @Adamsparks.