ESPN has named the Tennessee Volunteers’ true freshman running back a sleeper for the 2024 college football season.
The Tennessee football program as a whole appears to be going under the radar this preseason. They are consistently listed in the top 15, but it does not appear that most college football pundits consider them a legitimate playoff candidate. If the Volunteers want to achieve that, they will need several players to step up this season, and one of them could be a true freshman, according to ESPN.
The major sports outlet published an article outlining their sleeper picks for each of the top 25 college football teams heading into the 2017 season. Tennessee was ranked 15th, and Mark Schlabach selected freshman running back Peyton Lewis for the Volunteers. Here’s what he wrote about Lewis.
“Running back Peyton Lewis was one of the Volunteers’ most sought-after prospects in the Class of 2024, and with the team’s dearth of established backfield threats, he might see the field early and frequently. Leading rushers Jaylen Wright (1,013 yards) and Jabari Small (475 yards) exited last season, and Dylan Sampson is unlikely to be an every-down back due to his height and blocking skills. Lewis, from Salem, Virginia, won five high school sprint championships. In 2023, he rushed for 373 yards and four touchdowns on 30 carries in a Class 4 state quarterfinal. Lewis missed spring practice due to shoulder surgery, but he is scheduled to return for preseason camp. — Schlabach.
Under head coach Josh Heupel, most people associate Tennessee’s offense with a spread you out, throw the football all game approach. However, the fundamental character of the offensive is forcing defenses to defend the run with lightboxes. They aim to stretch defenses out so much that you have to defend the run with six people in the box or add an extra hat into the box, which allows them to throw the ball.
For those reasons, Tennessee has had a very effective run game under Heupel, and Lewis, as a true freshman, could very well contribute to that this season.
