KNOXVILLE – As far as running back tandems go, Tennessee boasts one of the best in the Southeastern Conference with stars Jalen Hurd and Alvin Kamara.
The Volunteers may not be too far from expanding that group to a trio.
John Kelly finished Saturday’s Orange & White Game with a team-leading 65 yards on 15 carries, and teammates and coaches seem to want to call the sophomore anything other than a No. 3 running back after his impressive spring.
“He’s just got a swagger about himself when he gets on the field,” Kamara said after Saturday’s annual intrasquad game that concluded spring practices. “That’s one thing that really catches everybody’s eye. He plays with intensity. He works hard. When he messes up, he’s mad about it. You can tell it matters to him. He wants to learn from Coach (Robert) Gillespie and guys like me and Jalen.
“He’s done a lot of maturing from last season to this spring, and he’s done a lot of maturing over the spring. He’s going to keep getting better. He’s going to be a good weapon for us going into the season.”