While most of the focus this offseason has been on Tennessee’s quarterback situation, the running back position will be just as crucial in 2017.
The difference is many have already bought the hype surrounding John Kelly, who — despite a small sample size — had an impressive sophomore campaign last season.
After spending most of his first two seasons behind Jalen Hurd and Alvin Kamara, Kelly made his first career start against Tennessee Tech and recorded a career-best 104 yards and a touchdown on just seven attempts.
Now, that one performance isn’t enough to assume he’ll be able to carry the load on a run-heavy offense that lacks an experienced quarterback.