Tennessee running back Jaylen Wright has gotten off to a hot start in his junior season. The explosive Tennessee running back has logged back-to-back 100+ yard performances and has been the brightest spot on Tennessee’s offense.
After rushing for 115 yards in Tennessee’s season-opening win over Virginia last week, Wright brilliantly followed it up with a 118-yard effort.
Now with 233 rushing yards on the young season, Wright is on pace to have the most rushing yards of any Tennessee running back in over 20 years.
Wright is on pace to rush for 1,398 yards this regular season, which would put him second on the all-time single-season rushing yards leader list in program history.
Travis Stephens currently holds the single-season rushing yards record with 1,464 yards, a mark he achieved in 2001, and Jay Graham is second with 1,438 yards, a total he reached in 1995.
If Wright continues his pace and rushes for 1,398 yards this season, he will come in third on the list and have the most yards of any Volunteer running back since Stephens in 2001.
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The Durham, North Carolina, native has been remarkably consistent for Tennessee on the ground through two games. Wright has averaged just over nine yards per carry, with only three runs eclipsing 20 or more yards. Thus, Wright’s average is extremely on point.
“Doing a great job of hitting holes and running through arm tackles,” Heupel said of Wright’s performance against Virginia. “Doing a good job on the third level too.”
Wright has tremendously led Tennessee’s three-headed monster that has racked up over 525 all-purpose yards in two games and been the best part of the Vols’ offense.
The competition will heat up for Wright moving forward, as he won’t get to run through a Virginia or Austin Peay defense every week. But he’s passed the eye test in flying colors and, assuming he gets even more work in more competitive games, should smash his career highs and potentially stay on pace to have a historic season at Tennessee.
