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KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Run CMG has a new lead singer.
John Kelly has developed into a surprising force for Tennessee’s offense. Nobody could have expected that back in August, when Jalen Hurd and Alvin Kamara banded together to form the Chain Moving Gang. But with Hurd’s injuries and transfer and Kamara’s injuries, Kelly’s third-string status has turned into something far more substantial: starting running back.
Even with Kamara expected to return to close out the season, Kelly’s role has been cemented in the Volunteers’ offense.
Kelly’s role increased at Texas A&M when Hurd did not travel with the team. The sophomore running back rushed for 89 yards and scored one touchdown on 13 carries. The next week against Alabama, Hurd returned and Kamara was the No. 2 back, pushing Kelly back to third string. He got just three carries.
But with Kamara getting banged up against Alabama, Kelly received more valuable playing time at South Carolina, rushing for 94 yards on 14 carries. Last week was the most recent example of how efficient Kelly is within the offense after rushing for 104 yards and scoring a touchdown in his first start against Tennessee Tech.
Now the sophomore back is seizing the playing time and relishing in the opportunity.
“It felt great,” Kelly said after his first start against Tennessee Tech. “I’ve honestly been preparing myself to be a starter since I got here. Once I was able to actually go out there and start a game, it felt really good to go out there with those guys, and pretty much start it off.”
Kelly’s versatility and quickness brings a different dynamic to the offense. Not that Kamara does not bring the same to the table, but the Vols are better suited in running smaller, quicker backs in their spread run-oriented attack.
Vols fans saw that Saturday on Kelly’s long touchdown run in the first quarter.
“It was a perfectly executed play,” Kelly said of his 73-yard touchdown run. “The guys up front really took care of everybody. I was just able to see the small seam, trust the play and ran as fast as I can. I know the coaches want us to trust every play that we call, so I just trusted it.”
Finding a seam is easier for Kamara and Kelly than Hurd. In Butch Jones’ offense, Hurd would have been more suited for short-yardage and goal-line situations. During Kelly’s brief playing time this season, he has shown good pad level when going through the seams of the offensive line, these attributes can bring a new dynamic within the offense that can put Tennessee over-the-top in making an Atlanta bid for the SEC championship game.
There’s no turning back in how the three backs could or should have been used, but going forward, Kamara and Kelly give the offense a better chance of consistent success.
It’s been quite a rise for Kelly, a former three-star recruit from suburban Detroit who spurned the Big Ten to chase his dreams in the SEC.
A long way from Michigan
Kelly was the No. 39 athlete nationally and No. 8 prospect in Michigan in the 2015 class, according to 247Sports.com. Kelly totaled 25 touchdowns as a senior, and scored five ways (rushing, receiving, kickoff return, punt return and an interception). He also averaged 10 yards per carry, rushing for 1,321 rushing yards and scored 21 rushing touchdowns.
He was named All-State and a top 10 finalist for Michigan’s Mr. Football in 2014.
Credit Jones for having a good eye in recruiting Kelly and bringing him down south. Kelly received 11 offers and six were from Power Five conferences (Iowa, Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Tennessee).
Michigan was the first to offer … Tennessee was the last.
Of Michigan’s 12 best players in that class, Kelly was the only one who didn’t choose the Big Ten.
It helped that Jones is from Michigan and had coached at Central Michigan. It also helped that Jones wanted Kelly as a running back while others saw him potentially as a defensive back. He excelled at both positions at Oak Park.
“They did a phenomenal job at recruiting John,” Oak Park coach Greg Carter told Mlive.com in 2015. “They really showed that they wanted him. He could be someone that could be a plus to their program.”
Indeed he has.
Closing out the season with Kelly
Tennessee knew it had its running back of the future, but Kelly has become a primary threat of the present, too. Now he is called on to help take care of business against Kentucky, Missouri and Vanderbilt, while the Vols also are keeping an eye on if Florida loses one more conference game so that Team 120 can clinch the SEC Eastern division championship.
Now the Vols seem to be united without any distractions lingering within the locker room. And now, the team is rallying around Kelly to take care of business.
“I think that players kind of earn that,” offensive coordinator Mike DeBord said of Kelly. “John Kelly has earned that with his teammates because of his work ethic every day and what he brings to the team every day. He is an upbeat guy now and he is fired up all of the time. The players respect that about him so now he gets this opportunity to play and they are excited for him.”
Kelly will be going against defenses that are not efficient in stopping the run. Kentucky is 92nd nationally in rush defense, giving up 198.6 rushing yards per game. Kelly ran for 58 yards on 10 carries last year at Kentucky.
Missouri is 112th nationally in rush defense, giving up 232.7 rushing yards per game. Vanderbilt will be the toughest challenge in the final three games, as the Commodores are 69th in rush defense, allowing 170.2 rushing yards per game.
By the time Tennessee will face Vanderbilt in Nashville on Nov. 26, the revamped Run CMG will have two conference games under their belt and will allow for familiarity cohesiveness between Kelly and Kamara.
Dan Harralson covers Tennessee football for SaturdayDownSouth.com. Follow Dan on Twitter @danharralson.
