One of the more impressive and sometimes overlooked aspects to Tennessee's offensive success last football season was a running game that thrived no matter who was carrying the ball.
The primary tandem of Jabari Small and Tiyon Evans produced despite rarely starting and finishing the same game together due to injuries, and when Evans eventually entered the NCAA transfer portal and picked Louisville as his new location, Jaylen Wright filled in and was effective as well. The Volunteers finished 12th nationally with 217.3 rushing yards per game and averaged 4.9 yards per carry, and coach Josh Heupel was quick to praise the position after Tuesday's opening spring practice.
"I think that group has dramatically changed their bodies," Heupel said in a news conference. "The size of what they look like and lean muscle mass - they've done a really nice job as an entire group this offseason. From Jabari to Jaylen to Len'Neth (Whitehead) to adding Justin (Williams-Thomas) inside of that room, it's been really positive.
"That group is only going to continue to get better, and we need them to continue to get better."
Small is Tennessee's top returning rusher, having amassed 796 yards and nine touchdowns while averaging 5.6 yards per carry. The junior from Memphis played last season at 5-foot-11 and 206 pounds but is listed this spring at 213.
Wright, a 5-11, 200-pound sophomore from Durham, North Carolina, rushed 85 times for 409 yards (4.8) last year, while Whitehead, a 6-2, 220-pound redshirt sophomore from Athens, Georgia, had 32 carries for 207 yards (6.5).
The 6-foot, 210-pound Williams-Thomas was a four-star signee out of East Paulding High School in Dallas, Georgia.
"We need them all to better understand our run schemes and being more explosive," Heupel said. "We need to be able to get pad under pad in some of the short-yardage situations, and we also need them to be better pass blockers. That's an area that the position group can take a huge stride in this spring."
Saban praises Gibbs
Alabama held its third spring practice Wednesday and its first in full pads.
Coach Nick Saban was asked after the workout about running back Jahmyr Gibbs (5-11, 200), the former Dalton High School standout who began his college career at Georgia Tech. Gibbs averaged 150.4 all-purpose yards per game last season for the Yellow Jackets, which ranked third nationally.
"He has really been a very good addition to our team," Saban said on a Zoom call. "He's got great speed, and he is really a good receiver and a good third-down back. He's got great vision and really good burst.
"I'm really, really impressed about what he has been able to do. He's really smart and has picked up things."
Kiper talks Bulldogs
Georgia led the nation in NFL combine invitations earlier this month, with 14 former Bulldogs making their way to Indianapolis.
During a Wednesday afternoon conference call, ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper was asked which former Georgia player isn't getting enough attention.
"We've talked about a lot of them a lot, and we know who they are, but one going under the radar is linebacker Channing Tindall," Kiper said. "He can fly to the football and play inside or outside and gives you pass rush from inside or outside. He'll be great on special teams. Channing Tindall in the second or third round is going to be a really good pick for somebody.
"Lewis Cine, the safety, is a good football player, and I like him in the second round. (Jamaree) Salyer has been a tackle but will be a guard, and he could be in that third- or fourth-round discussion very easily. James Cook is as versatile a back as you will find in this draft, and he is a true wild card who I think gets into the third-round discussion very easily."
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524. Follow him on Twitter @DavidSPaschall.