5. Is there enough depth at running back?
Like quarterback, the starter is pretty well entrenched in Jalen Hurd. Junior college transfer and midterm enrollee Alvin Kamara is set to be a really good second option, or a 1B-type of back. Those two will have every opportunity to form a duo that will be among the best in the SEC. But what if one of them misses time? We saw in 2014 that the duo of Jalen Hurd and Marlin Lane did some good things, but both were plagued by some minor injuries, and the Vols never had a consistent third option to plug in when needed. Finding a third and maybe fourth option will likely have to come from some newcomers. Four-star prospect Kendall Bussey is currently committed. Local product Joc Bruce is expected to start his career at RB, and the Vols are still after several more as they finish up this class. Graduate transfer Ralph David Abernathy IV, who played for Jones at Cincinnati, could also be a candidate to take some carries.
