Saturday Blitz
Fansided

Tennessee Football: Running back John Kelly can become a star

By Andrew Miller

NASHVILLE, TN - SEPTEMBER 05: Alvin Kamara #6 of the University of Tennessee Volunteers is congratulated by John Kelly #4 after scoring a touchdown against the Bowling Green Falcons during the second half at Nissan Stadium on September 5, 2015 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Frederick Breedon/Getty Images)
NASHVILLE, TN - SEPTEMBER 05: Alvin Kamara #6 of the University of Tennessee Volunteers is congratulated by John Kelly #4 after scoring a touchdown against the Bowling Green Falcons during the second half at Nissan Stadium on September 5, 2015 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Frederick Breedon/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

Tennessee football running back John Kelly had an impressive season backing up Alvin Kamara in 2016 but he has a chance to shine in 2017 as the starter.

The Tennessee Volunteers lost an incredible amount of talent at running back since the beginning of the 2016 season. Former Alabama transfer Alvin Kamara was a 2017 NFL Draft selection and Jalen Hurd transferred. That leaves Junior running back John Kelly, who lived in the shadow of both Kamara and Hurd for his first two years in Knoxville.

With not only Kamara and Hurd gone but former quarterback Joshua Dobbs gone as well, the Volunteers are in need of playmakers to emerge quickly on offense. Even the starting quarterback situation is still up in the air. Both Quentin Dormady and Jarrett Guarantano are likely to get playing time in 2017. Guarantano is the more potent option for the Vols long-term.

A QB-RB duo featuring both Kelly and Guarantano could be something special for Tennessee as they develop over the next two seasons. Kelly is the most likely to see an emergence in 2017. On 98 attempts, Kelly rushed for 681 yards and five touchdowns in 2016. He also averaged an impressive 6.5 yards per carry. That’s actually 2.5 more yards per carry than Hurd averaged last season and only 0.4 less than Kamara.

Plan B: Carlin Fils-Aime

The only other running back that is likely to take any bulk of the carries away from Kelly might be sophomore Carlin Fils-Aime. However, Fils-Aime only has 14 career rushing attempts for 81 yards and two touchdowns. Kelly is by far the most proven option at running back on the Tennessee roster.

Kelly got significant playing time in Tennessee’s bowl win over the Nebraska Cornhuskers last season. He rushed 70 yards and a touchdown, helping the Vols seal a two touchdown history over the Huskers.

All signs point to a breakout season for Kelly in 2017. He’ll get significant playing time in 2017 and he played well in limited action in 2016. Moreover, he knows the feeling of being underrated and doubted very well already. He was originally rated as only a three-star recruit when he signed with Tennessee in 2015, according to 247Sports.

Next: Do Vols have worst QB situation in the SEC?

Kelly will get the chance to compete against a well-known rushing attack in the first week of the season. Tennessee faces the triple-option offense of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets to kick off 2017. That is sure to be a contest dominated by running backs and it’ll give the college football world a chance to see what Kelly can do very early in the season. Watch his highlights above and you’ll see. Kelly will become something special for Tennessee this year.

Home/Tennessee Volunteers