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Tennessee fans have every reason to be excited about what has the potential to be one of the best 1-2 punches at running back in the SEC this season in Jalen Hurd and newcomer Alvin Kamara.
But those guys need to work on their nickname, which Kamara has said is CMG — for “Chain Moving Gang.” Meh.
While they may lack in nickname creativity (guess I’ve heard worse), they bring loads of talent. As a freshman out of Hendersonville, Tenn., last season, Hurd lead the Vols with 899 rushing yards on 190 carries, adding five touchdowns.
If you enjoy numbers, there are plenty to encapsulate his 2015 season. Hurd …
- … was the fourth-leading freshman rusher in SEC at 69.2 yards per game
- … managed four 100-yard games (Georgia, South Carolina, Kentucky, Iowa).
- … produced the most 100-yard games by a Tennessee true freshman since Jamal Lewis had seven in 1997.
- … claimed 899 rushing yards, third-most by a UT freshman behind Lewis’ 1,364 in 1997 and James Stewart’s 908 in 1991.
- … churned out 122 rushing yards in TaxSlayer Bowl, the most by a Tennessee player in a bowl game since Travis Henry ran for 180 yards in 2001 Cotton Bowl.
Hurd, who also had had 35 catches for 221 yards with two receiving touchdowns in 2014, has been named to a few preseason third-team All-SEC lists for 2015. He is +7500 to win the Heisman Trophy.
Hurd was a top recruit, but Kamara was even more touted out of Norcross High in Georgia. He committed to Alabama in 2013, but redshirted as a freshman. A knee injury hobbled him shortly before Alabama’s season opener and he endured a suspension for the Sugar Bowl. He decided to transfer to Hutchinson (Kan.) Community College.
Last year, Kamara was named the KJCCC Offensive Player of the Year. In nine games, he ran for 1,211 yards (134.6 per game) with 18 touchdowns. Kamara added 18 receptions for 219 yards and three more scores. Of course former Tennessee receiver Cordarrelle Patterson played at Hutchinson, a JUCO powerhouse, before moving on to UT. Kamara already has been named the preseason Lindy’s SEC Newcomer of the Year.
Kamara was the team’s first newcomer to have his black helmet stripe removed. Since coach Butch Jones’ first camp at Tennessee, the Vols have added black stripes to all first-year players’ helmets before the start of preseason practice. They have to earn having it removed.
“It’s not the big brothers (choosing to remove players’ stripes) anymore,” Jones said to the media. “It’s the position group — the power of the position — and, yes, Alvin Kamara was the first one to have his stripe removed. … It wasn’t my choice. It was his peers, which makes it great.”
Splitting running back duties has worked pretty well at other schools. For example, Alabama had just a bit of success (yes, sarcasm) splitting carries between the likes of Mark Ingram and Trent Richardson, Eddie Lacy and T.J. Yeldon, and Yeldon-Derrick Henry last year. Arkansas had two 1,000-yard rushers in 2014 in Jonathan Williams and Alex Collins. Only two SEC backs had 200 carries last year.
Because the team held Hurd out of contact drills during spring practice, the August sessions have marked the first time that Hurd and Kamara have practiced full-bore on the same field. Vols fans will get a first true look Sept. 5 against Bowling Green, but UT’s staff already feels the backfield could be special.
Tennessee running backs coach Robert Gillespie has referred to the 215-pound Kamara and 240-pound Hurd as a “lighting and thunder” combination and said they could be used at times together on the field.
“We’ve got a couple of packages in. We’ve been working ‘em throughout camp, and they look really good,” Kamara said of the two-back formations. “We’re gonna be excited to get in those when the game comes.”
While having two quarterbacks often means you don’t have one good one, having two good running backs is a huge positive and ensures each guy stays fresh. Let’s work on that nickname, though, fellas.
Matt Severance is a contributing writer for Saturday Down South. He covers SEC football, Florida, Tennessee and South Carolina.
