What Dylan Sampson emergence in Citrus Bowl means for Tennessee
With Nico Iamaleava getting the start against Iowa in the Citrus Bowl, all eyes were on Tennessee‘s offense. And while Iamaleava performed well, a lot of praise has gone the way of running back Dylan Sampson for his 133-yard performance on just 20 carries.
“It’s the quietest 133 yards you’ll ever see,” Brent Hubbs of On3’s VolQuest said via Tuesday’s episode of Andy Staples On3. “It’s one of those deals where he popped a couple of runs for 15 yards. Then you look up and he’s gone for 133. It was really just Steady Eddy.”
Running the ball well is nothing new for Tennessee. On seven different occasions vs. FBS opponents did the Vols have somebody go for 100 yards. Sampson was two of them, one being against Iowa and then earlier in the season against UTSA.
For the most part though, Jaylen Wright was getting the majority of playing time. Not just on the ground but in passing situations too. Part of the reason might be because of Sampson’s lackluster pass protection ability at the moment. Hubbs highlighted it as a place of improvement this spring and into fall camp.
“I think Dylan is a guy who’s got to continue to improve his pass pro,” Hubbs said. “I think that, something coming out of this game, you’re reminded of. That’s a continued area of growth for him.”
Sampson is not the smallest dude in the world, being listed at 5’11, 190 pounds on Tennessee’s official online roster. Even so, Hubbs believes some extra pounds are going to be needed this offseason. Adding some muscle to the body could mean Tennessee is getting an every-down back.
“He runs bigger than his body is,” Hubbs said. “I think a great offseason for him in the weight room means the sky is potentially the limit for him.”
Extra size, muscle, and speed could mean Josh Heupel calling a ton of plays for Sampson next season. Even in the passing game, where Sampson is thought to be a better option than Tennessee’s other two running backs this season.
In the Iowa game, a screen pass from Iamaleava nearly went for a touchdown.
“I will be very anxious to see how they use Dylan Sampson in the passing game next year,” Hubbs said. “He’s a much better receiver than Jaylen Wright or Jabari Small.”
While Iamaleava is going to garner most of the headlines heading into 2024, Heupel has been vocal about how important running the ball is to his offense. Having a running back like Sampson will be critical to success next season. Just a few slight adjustments will be required before fully breaking out.