Tennessee football is going to have to adjust its projected plans at running back for the 2026 season. The initial thought was that returning contributors DeSean Bishop and Peyton Lewis, with a mixture of rising sophomore Daune Morris, would be another strong position group that could rotate up to three players.
However, on Sunday afternoon, Lewis made it known that he intends to transfer out of the program. This raises a question about what the room will look like with Lewis departing and Star Thomas out of eligibility.
Going from the top of the room down, Bishop, a Knoxville native, will almost certainly return. He played his way into possibly a bigger NIL check if he wants it, but there doesn’t seem to be any indication that he is looking elsewhere. He produced 983 yards and 14 touchdowns this season as the lead back and looked like a very valid option to lead the room in 2026.
Behind him, Morris looked like a player who could get in the fold in a three-man rotation. He didn’t play much early, but got more run later in the season. He recorded 133 yards and a touchdown on 35 carries as a true freshman.
More From RTI: Contributing Tennessee Football Running Back Intends to Enter Transfer Portal
Assuming Bishop and Morris are back, that’s a good starter and rotational piece. If Tennessee continues to try to use three contributors, it’ll probably need to add someone to the room, though. The only other option currently on the roster is Justin Baker, but he only got sparing action as a true freshman this past year.
The only other player in the room to help provide depth, but who would be a big surprise if they contributed in SEC play, is Hunter Barnes. He’ll be a redshirt-senior next season if he stays.
This means it’s likely that Tennessee will look to the transfer portal for a running back this cycle. After not signing any backs in the 2026 class out of the high school ranks, adding another veteran, just like it did with Thomas this past year, would make a lot of sense. Even if they went with a cheaper option and not one of the top names at the position, you’ll certainly need to add a body to the room.
The other potential solution is if Savion Hiter decides to back off from his signing with Michigan. He was deciding between the Vols and Wolverines, but picked Michigan at the end. However, with the firing of Sherrone Moore, questions began to rise of if he will transfer out or request a release of his signing.
So far, there is no indication that he is going anywhere, though. Tennessee is also not allowed to contact him directly since he is signed to Michigan.
