Tennessee running back John Kelly plans to enter the NFL draft, skipping his senior season of college.
Kelly led the Volunteers in rushing with 189 carries for 778 yards and nine touchdowns in 11 games this year. He also tied for first in receptions with 37 for 299 yards in his only season as the full-time starting running back.
"To Vol Nation, I want to thank you for all of your support through all of the highs and lows," Kelly wrote Friday in an Instagram post announcing his decision. "I will always call Neyland Stadium home."
Kelly, who is from Detroit, led or was near the top of the Southeastern Conference in several individual measures for production early in the season before Tennessee's offense fell into a rut that characterized the program's first eight-loss season and led to the firing of Butch Jones.
Kelly's departure leaves new head coach Jeremy Pruitt with a young group of running backs. The most productive returning player in the group is Ty Chandler, who ran 71 times for 308 yards and caught 10 passes for 108 yards while backing up Kelly as a freshman this season. Also this season, sophomore Carlin Fils-aime showed flashes of explosive speed in a reserve role, and freshman Tim Jordan received praise from the former coaching staff for his physicality and mentality.
Tennessee signed running back Jeremy Banks out of Cordova High School in Memphis during the early signing period last week. Banks is considered a three-star prospect by 247Sports.com and a four-star prospect by Rivals.com.
Kelly played sparingly as a freshman after choosing the Vols over options closer to home because of his desire to play running back instead of defensive back. A physical runner, he became a key part of Tennessee's offense in 2016 as starting running back Jalen Hurd dealt with injuries and eventually transferred.
Kelly finished the 2016 season with 630 yards and five touchdowns on 98 carries and entered this season as the clear starter.
With the Vols relying on a new quarterback, Kelly was the focal point of the offense, especially early in the season. After catching just six passes last year while splitting time with Alvin Kamara, the 5-foot-8, 205-pounder became a favorite target of Tennessee quarterbacks in 2017.
"As I take the next step in my career, I will never forget where it all began," Kelly wrote in his Instagram post. "Detroit and Tennessee will always be a part of me at every step of this journey and I promise to always represent you well. With everything you've given to me, that's the least I can do for you all. From the bottom of my heart - thank you, all. Go Vols!"
Contact David Cobb at dcobb@timesfreepress.com.