Tennessee had the task of bolstering a running back room that lost a historic player in Dylan Sampson to the NFL Draft this offseason. While the Vols are optimistic about the growth of DeSean Bishop and Peyton Lewis after their backup stints to Sampson last season, Tennessee hasn’t been shy of using a three-back system under Josh Heupel.
The Vols added Duke transfer running back Star Thomas to the roster this offseason. While the name of “Star” might come with a bit of expected moxie to his game, Thomas has proven his skills through a long collegiate career so far. Thomas tallied 871 rushing yards, seven rushing touchdowns, 153 receiving yards, and one receiving touchdown last season with the Blue Devils. In the last three seasons, two spent at New Mexico State and one at Duke, Thomas has racked up more than 2,550 all-purpose yards on the ground and in the air.
Wanting to prove his game could translate to the SEC, Thomas transferred to Tennessee this past January. The six-foot running back was drawn to Tennessee by the winning culture and the style of its coaching staff.
“Just the past couple years of them winning,” Thomas said about why he chose the Vols. “And then me and Coach Heup, seeing how down to earth he is, what a great person he is. Coach Sims, how they go about recruiting, how they connect with their players, that’s something that I wanted to be a part of my last year. I see the bond that everybody’s got here and how they go about the team here. It’s just what I wanted to be a part of. I love the camaraderie that the team has.”
Thomas and his teammates underwent their 13th practice of the spring camp slate on Wednesday morning as the build to Saturday’s Orange & White spring game heats up. That’s given Thomas plenty of opportunity to spend time on the field alongside running back’s coach De’Rail Sims.
“Great, great,” Thomas said about Sims. “I mean, straightforward, no sugar-coating, going to always tell you the truth. Honest. Just a great individual overall. Every detail, he’s on it. That’s what I like. The small things matter to him.”
More from RTI: Tennessee Football Schedules Home-and-Home With ACC Opponent
Sims believes that the 23-year-old brings a level of maturity to the Vols’ room.
“So it was a piece for us that we were definitely going out looking for an older guy because we are still fairly young in that room,” Sims said about what drew them to Thomas in the portal. “So he brought a ton of maturity, a ton of leadership categories. And then a guy that was the leading rusher at an ACC program last year. So that was huge for us to be able to go get a guy like that.”
Tennessee’s up-tempo system is football at its core, but there’s a different level of understanding needed to succeed in the offense. Thomas has done his best to learn on the fly and soak in everything around him as he prepares for his final season at the collegiate level.
“Making sure that I just stay on top of it,” Thomas said about getting a hold of the offense. “Asking as many questions as I can to keep up with it. I mean, tempo, especially at Tennessee, how fast that we go, soon as you hit the ground you’ve got to jump up right away, look to the signal. That’s what I had a hard part at first doing, but now that I’m getting it, it’s slowed down a lot.”
Fans will have their first chance to see Thomas in action at the Orange & White game this Saturday. The event won’t be broadcast on television, but Tennessee will sell a limited number of tickets to fans who have the chance to attend in person. Rocky Top Insider will have you covered for the game, too.
“I’m comfortable, now,” Thomas said with only a few days until the Vols’ spring game. “I’m way more comfortable now than I was the first practice or the second practice. I’m to the point where I know everything now, and now it’s just me just going out there and executing and not thinking, having nothing in the back of my head. Like, once I see the signal, time to go.”
