It appears that 2/3 of Tennessee’s impressive running back haul from the class of 2014 won’t be back in 2015.
Treyvon Paulk was dismissed from the team earlier this fall and coach Butch Jones said Friday on WNML-FM radio in Knoxville that running back Derrell Scott is also looking to transfer after appearing in just two games this year and rushing for 40 yards on 11 attempts.
Butch Jones told @SportsAnimal99 freshman running back Derrell Scott will look to transfer.
— Josh Ward (@Josh_Ward) December 12, 2014
Jalen Hurd, Tennessee’s starting running back who rushed for 777 yards on the season, will be the only back returning from that class and the only returning scholarship running back on the roster as well with the graduation of seniors Marlin Lane and Devrin Young.
Former Maryland transfer Justus Pickett, who walked on at UT in 2013, will be the only other returning running back on UT’s roster in 2015 who has ever appeared in a game. The Vols currently have commitments from junior college transfer Alvin Kamara, a former Alabama running back who is expected to enroll in January, Rocky Reid of Concord, N.C., and multiple ‘athletes’ such as Vincent Perry and Joc Bruce who could get a look at that position as well. Tennessee is still actively recruiting running backs such as Bryce Love of Wake Forest, N.C., as well.
Tennessee expects to add graduate transfer Ralph David Abernathy IV, who can play running back or slot receiver, from the University Cincinnati over the offseason as well.
Jones also commented the status of a few other players on his radio appearance. Freshman defensive tackle Michael Sawyers, who has been absent from practice the past few weeks for undisclosed reasons, will return for the rest of bowl practice. Freshman defensive end Dewayne Hendrix, who missed UT’s first bowl practice, is “kind of going through some things,” according to Jones, and his status remains unclear.
Jones addressed freshman defensive end Joe Henderson’s status at a press conference earlier this week and talked about the process that a few players are going through right now after the end of the regular season.
“It’s all speculation,” Jones said. “With Joe [Henderson], we’re finishing up on some things with the NCAA. We have a couple individuals right now that are trying to sort out what they want to do with their lives and what lies ahead of them. We’ll be supportive of them. If they decide they want to be a part of something special then, hey, let’s go. If they decide “hey, this isn’t for me and I want to take another life path and go home or do this,” then we’ll support that as well. But we want people that want to be here, that are committed to this football program, to the state of Tennessee, and the University of Tennessee.
“There’s some individuals that are trying to make some decisions about what they want to do and I think it’s inappropriate [to discuss that] in this setting because some of that is personal and I care about them. Just like every player in our program, I want what’s best for them.”
