ESPN: Sleeper Selected for 2024 Season by Tennessee Volunteers

ESPN has identified the true freshman running back for the Tennessee Volunteers as a sleeper for the 2024 college football season.

ESPN has identified the true freshman running back for the Tennessee Volunteers as a sleeper for the 2024 college football season.

Throughout the preseason, the Tennessee football program seems to be going under the radar a little bit. Despite being ranked in the top 15, they don’t seem to be considered a serious playoff candidate by most college football observers. According to ESPN, the Volunteers need a few guys to step up big this season if they want to become that, and one of them might turn out to be a true freshman.

Ahead of the 2017 season, the major sports media published an article with their sleeper picks for every top 25 college football team. Mark Schlabach chose Peyton Lewis, a freshman running back, for the Volunteers, and Tennessee was ranked No. 15. What he wrote about Lewis is as follows:

“With the squad lacking established backfield threats, running back Peyton Lewis—one of the Volunteers’ most sought-after recruits in the Class of 2024—may find himself on the field frequently. Both Jabari Small (475 yards) and leading rusher Jaylen Wright (1,013 yards) left after the 2017 season, and Dylan Sampson most likely lacks the stature and blocking skills to be an every-down back. In high school, Lewis, a native of Salem, Virginia, won the sprint competition five times. On 30 carries, he gained 373 yards and four touchdowns in a 2023 Class 4 state semifinal game. Lewis had shoulder surgery, which kept him out of spring practice, but he should be healthy for the start of preseason camp. — Schlabach.

Under head coach Josh Heupel, the majority of people are familiar with Tennessee’s system as a spread you out, we want to chuck the football all-game offense. However, the offense’s real purpose is to force defenses to use lightboxes to stop runs. Their goal is to disperse defenses so much that you are forced to defend the run with six men in the box or add another hat, after which they will toss the ball.

Because of these factors, Tennessee’s run game has been extremely effective under Heupel, and Lewis, a true freshman, may have a role in that this season.