Jalen Hurd: the other stud SEC sophomore running back

Tennessee’s Jalen Hurd has been the SEC’s least discussed sophomore running back, but that doesn’t mean he’s not just as promising a talent.

Running back talent in the SEC is at an all-time high with numerous dominant backs around the league, but somehow, despite his high ranking out of high school and dominant freshman season in Knoxville, Hurd has been overlooked.

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This offseason, Georgia’s Nick Chubb and LSU’s Leonard Fournette have been discussed as the two best running backs in the SEC, maybe even the country, but despite also having a successful freshman season Tennessee’s Jalen Hurd has received much less attention.

Hurd came to Tennessee last spring as a highly touted and recruited early enrollee. Hurd was one of the top running backs in the country out of high school, earning a five-star rating from most, if not all, recruiting networks. He dominated at the high school level, winning a 5A state title his junior season, and drew attention from schools all over the country.

One of Hurd’s most impressive high school performances came against Columbia in the 5A State Championship game his junior season. Hurd ran for 394 yards on 34 carries, scoring seven touchdowns in Beech’s 56-35 win over Columbia, according to maxpreps.

I was at that game, actually, and I have never seen a more dominating performance in my life. Hurd was a man among a boys, you could say, and he’s been that way his entire life.

I’ve watched Jalen play football from a very early age; he and I were teammates from ages six to ten. He has always been dominant. I remember many occasions where Jalen was given the ball and was never touched. Hurd was always one of the quickest players on the field, but it wasn’t until high school that Hurd became one of the bigger players on the field.

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Hurd arrived in Knoxville as one of the most anticipated recruits in Tennessee history. The Tennessee-native excited Volunteer fans around the state with his combination of power and speed, all while being 6’3 230 lbs.

In his freshman season, Hurd rushed for almost five yards per carry, finishing the season just shy of 1,000 yards. His biggest games came when he was needed most, just like high school. His best game of the season came in the Volunteers’ overtime victory over South Carolina, when he ran for 125 yards on 21 carries.

Hurd then went on to ‘run all over’ the Iowa Hawkeyes, rushing for 122 yards on 16 carries, in last January’s Gator Bowl.

What impressed me most about Hurd’s freshman year was his progression as a player. Early in the year, Hurd ran well, but not great. He looked young out there, like he was still figuring things out. He was a freshman playing against SEC giants, but throughout the year, Hurd matured as a player and became one of the top running backs in the SEC.

For some reason, though, Hurd hasn’t been the talk of college football. Instead, he’s been pushed to side to watch the media drool over Fournette and Chubb.

Chubb had a much better season than Hurd last a year ago, rushing for over seven yards per carry in his freshman season. There’s no comparison. Chubb is a great player and will likely have a great season this fall, as he is one of the top Heisman candidates entering the season, and with as much talent as Georgia has, there’s no reason Chubb couldn’t run for 2,000 yards this season.

Fournette, like Hurd, sort of blossomed later in the season. Fournette’s two biggest games came in LSU’s final two games of the season. In last year’s Music City Bowl, Fournette had his way with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, rushing for 143 yards on 11 carries, averaging 13 yards per carry.

Outside of the big three: Chubb, Fournette, and Hurd, the SEC also has a few other sophomore rushers that are sure to also make it big this season after solid freshman years.

Vanderbilt’s Ralph Webb is entering his redshirt sophomore season in Nashville, and after a 907 yard season a year ago, Webb will look to improve his numbers this season in Andy Ludwig’s power run offense.

Auburn’s Roc Thomas wowed fans at A-Day this past spring, and after a solid freshman season where he averaged five yards per carry, Thomas could blossom into one of the top sophomore backs in the SEC.

Kentucky’s sophomore back, Stanley “Boom” Williams also had a solid freshman campaign last season, rushing for almost 500 yards on the season. Williams did not receive many carries until later in the season, but when he was the focal point of the offense, he dominated, finishing the season with an average of over six yards per carry.

Jan 2, 2015; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Tennessee Volunteers running back Jalen Hurd (1) stiff arms Iowa Hawkeyes defensive back Jordan Lomax (27) in the first quarter of their 2015 TaxSlayer Bowl at EverBank Field. Mandatory Credit: Phil Sears-USA TODAY Sports

And finally, alongside Hurd at Tennessee, the Volunteers might have the best kept secret in college sports, sophomore back, Alvin Kamara, who came to Tennessee by way of JUCO this off-season.

The young Volunteers are still figuring things out in Knoxville, but with all five offensive lineman returning this season, the dynamic duo of Hurd and Kamara could prove extremely deadly to SEC foes this fall.

Hurd has Heisman talent. His ability to either run around you or over you is incomparable, and when he finally leaves Knoxville, he could go down as one the best Volunteer rushers in school history.

For right now, however, he’s labeled as the SEC’s other stud sophomore running back, a title that will surely change after what could be one of the better rushing seasons in Tennessee history. The scary thing is he’s only a sophomore.

Next: Top 5 SEC Running Backs for the 2015 Season

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Jalen Hurd: The other stud SEC sophomore running back

By Logan Shaw | Jul 17, 2015

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