Pro Football Focus: Tennessee’s Dylan Sampson in store for ‘a huge, huge breakout year’

Jaylen Wright was a breakout star for Tennessee Football two years ago, when he rushed for 875 yards and 10 touchdown in 13 games as a sophomore in 2022. He followed it with 1,013 yards, averaging 7.4 yards per carry, to lead the Vols last season.

Next in line? Dylan Sampson , Tennessee’s new starter at running back after Wright was picked in the fourth round of the NFL Draft by the Miami Dolphins in April.

“(Sampson could have) a huge, huge breakout year for him in his junior year, a really good year,” Pro Football Focus analyst Max Chadwick said recently on the PFF College Football Show .

“As a sophomore, 81.5 grade. You saw 80-plus grades as a rusher and receiver. I think Dylan Sampson could be in for a major breakout year now as a full-time starter for Tennessee.”

Dylan Sampson last season: 106 carries, 604 yards, 8 total touchdowns

Sampson’s 81.5 overall offensive grade from PFF last season included an 82.1 grade in the run game (125th out of 403 running backs) and 81.7 receiving grade (11th out of 354 running backs).

For the season, Sampson ran for 604 yards on 106 carries, scoring seven touchdowns on the ground while sharing the backfield with Wright and Jabari Small . He added 17 catches for 175 yards and another touchdown through the air, finishing third in the SEC with 195 yards after the catch.

“Sampson, (Nico) Iamaleava , the receivers, all of that stuff,” PFF’s Dylan Wasserman said, “it’s going to be a constant for them, their offense with Josh Heupel coaching them too. Their offense is going to be really, really good. The games they lose are probably still going to be played into the 40s.”

Dylan Sampson was one of Tennessee’s ‘biggest big-play guys’ last season

Sampson’s seven rushing touchdowns last season included three in the season-opening win over Virginia on September 2. He had a season-high 139 rushing yards in the win over Texas San Antonio three week later, helped salt away a win at Kentucky with 76 yards on 17 carries and ran for 133 yards in the win over Iowa in the Citrus Bowl while making his first career start.

He rushed for 50 or more yards in four games and had 20 or more receiving yards in four games, too. Those numbers should climb significantly during his junior season.

“Dylan’s done a great job of understanding that his role changes this year,” Tennessee offensive coordinator Joey Halzle said last week. “He’s a guy that was an explosive, explosive weapon for us. He was one of our biggest big-play guys.”

“He’s a guy from the moment that he got there had great feel, pace and vision,” Heupel said last month. “He’s done a great job with the ball in his hands and out of his hands. He’s become a really good pass protector. He’s got the ability to help you in your return game as well.”

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