<body><div>Five months and five days after <a href="https://247sports.com/college/tennessee/article/cameron-seldon-tennessee-rb-injury-update-sidelined-after-getting-hurt-in-spring-practice-229422336/">undergoing surgery for a shoulder injury</a> suffered in spring practice back in March, <a href="https://247sports.com/college/tennessee/">Tennessee</a> running back <a href="https://247sports.com/Player/cameron-seldon-46116081/">Cameron Seldon</a> is expected to be available for the first game of the 2024 season. The 15th-ranked Vols kick off the new campaign on Saturday against visiting <a href="https://247sports.com/college/chattanooga/">Chattanooga</a>, and both Seldon’s head coach and position coach have indicated publicly in the past several days that he is good to go to face the Mocs. The months of consternation about his absence potentially extending into the start of the season appear to have been all for naught and Tennessee will have the sophomore on the field.Seldon went into the offseason primed to be Tennessee’s No. 2 running back behind <a href="https://247sports.com/Player/dylan-sampson-46102515/">Dylan Sampson</a>. The two previewed their 2024 roles in the Citrus Bowl demolition of <a href="https://247sports.com/college/iowa/">Iowa</a> on New Year’s Day with Sampson rushing for 133 yards and <a href="https://247sports.com/college/tennessee/article/cameron-seldon-tennessee-vols-rb-set-foundation-for-bright-future-in-citrus-bowl-dylan-sampson-225151180/">Seldon chipping in 55</a>. The former Top247 athlete had more carries in that game (13) than he did during the entire regular season as Tennessee’s fourth running back.His injury generated a lot of conversation about whether or not Tennessee should dip into the watered-down post-spring transfer portal pool to bolster its backfield, but the Vols didn’t and it turned out to be a wise move as Seldon looks poised <a href="https://247sports.com/college/tennessee/article/cameron-seldon-tennessee-vols-injury-josh-heupel-offers-brief-update-as-rb-continues-recovery-process-231285892/">to return ahead of schedule</a>.“He’s been doing good,” first-year running backs coach <a href="https://247sports.com/coach/DeRail-Sims-4218">De’Rail Sims</a> said after Tuesday’s practice. “He’s been doing a really good job of sitting up there attacking the practices, so we’ll turn him loose on Saturday and let him see what he can do.”<figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=3oXmLf_0vDYdIS400" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=3oXmLf_0vDYdIS400" width="240" height="320" ><figcaption>(Photo: Wes Rucker, 247Sports)</figcaption></figure><a href="https://247sports.com/college/tennessee/article/cameron-seldon-tennessee-vols-rb-injury-update-josh-heupel-media-day-preseason-camp-234298058/">Seldon went through preseason camp</a> in a red non-contact jersey and looked in good physical shape from the first practice. He would go through individual drills and get some work outside of those periods, but his red-jersey status likely limited him to a spectator in team periods and 11-on-11 work. It was unclear when he would be cleared for contact.Then Monday of last week, Vols head coach <a href="https://247sports.com/Coach/josh-heupel-173/">Josh Heupel</a> said Seldon had been “full go” and <a href="https://247sports.com/college/tennessee/article/josh-heupel-shares-that-pair-of-tennessee-vols-football-running-backs-are-full-go-234912633/">reluctantly shared that he had been cleared for contact</a>.Sims said this week that the Vols have been taking steps in practice to simulate contact even if it wasn’t actually getting hit by a defender.“We kind of do that, especially in our ball-security circuit in our indy period,” he said, “giving them a chance to be able to feel getting hit and what it’ll feel like once he gets hit in the game on Saturday.”Sims, hired from <a href="https://247sports.com/college/cincinnati/">Cincinnati</a> earlier this offseason, now finds himself in a unique position heading into the opener. For the first time since he’s gotten to Tennessee, his group is at full strength. Freshman <a href="https://247sports.com/Player/peyton-lewis-46137823/">Peyton Lewis</a> was sidelined for spring ball after some clean-up work following his arrival, Seldon has been on the mend and Sampson missed much of camp with a knee issue.<a href="https://247sports.com/Player/desean-bishop-46116159/">DeSean Bishop</a> and <a href="https://247sports.com/Player/khalifa-keith-46112015/">Khalifa Keith</a> were the running back constants for Sims with the former following up a strong spring with an impressive preseason.“We’re sitting in a good spot right now heading into this opener,” Sims said. “Feeling good about where we’re at right now. Just ready to see these guys go perform on Saturday.”<div style="position:relative;width:100%; height:0; padding-bottom: 56.25%;"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/izKcGRVrzH8?si=OiBvfTVidMWu3omR" allowfullscreen frameborder="0" style="width:100%; height:100%;top:0; left:0; position:absolute"></iframe></div>Having only seen the 6-foot-2, 222-pound Seldon in brief settings where he perhaps hasn’t been fully unleashed, Sims is eager to watch him play in a game. He did his homework on the sophomore to familiarize himself with his game. Even while working his way back, the assistant coach looked for ways to help his young player, who hadn’t played running back since middle school before last year, find ways to improve.“Watched the tape from high school and then watched the tape from the bowl game and how he played along last season,” Sims said. “Then being able to watch him as he’s gotten a chance to practice, you know what I’m saying, and kind of get a feel for what style of a running back he is. Always looking at things that we can work on from that standpoint, trying to enhance his strengths as well as we’re trying to sit up here and work on the things to continue to tweak him and make him be the most complete running back he can be.”Seldon has a chance to be really good in Sims’s evaluation.“I think you sit here and look at it, he’s smooth,” Sims said. “He has really good vision. He’s able to anticipate where the holes are going to be at the second level. I think, just like with all taller backs, just being able to work on that pad level. Instead of running upright like <a href="https://247sports.com/Coach/eddie-george-4754/">Eddie George</a>, making sure we’re doing a really good job running behind our pads and being able to finish off runs.”</div></body>

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‘We’ll turn him loose’ – Cameron Seldon ready for opener after offseason injury uncertainty

Five months and five days after undergoing surgery for a shoulder injury suffered in spring practice back in March, Tennessee running back Cameron Seldon is expected to be available for the first game of the 2024 season. The 15th-ranked Vols kick off the new campaign on Saturday against visiting Chattanooga, and both Seldon’s head coach and position coach have indicated publicly in the past several days that he is good to go to face the Mocs. The months of consternation about his absence potentially extending into the start of the season appear to have been all for naught and Tennessee will have the sophomore on the field.

‘We’ll turn him loose’ – Cameron Seldon ready for opener after offseason injury uncertainty

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