Tennessee commit Jaylen Wright may not be playing football this fall, but football is certainly on his mind.
The running back instead is training vigorously – when he otherwise would be playing - in preparation for his future in Knoxville a part of the Volunteer program.
“I really can’t watch any football around here. None of us are playing,” Wight said of his Friday nights. “But, I’m training. Some of us will do some 7-on-7s. I’ll be in the weight room. Really just training, eating, sleeping and schoolwork. That’s what my fall has been.”
Thanks to the coronavirus pandemic, Wright and other North Carolina prospects were forced to the sidelines this season. Understandably, it’s been an adjustment for the future Volunteer.
“I’m not going to lie – it brings me great jealousy. Not in a bad way, though, I just want to get back on the field and compete,” Wright said of his peers who are getting to play. “I miss it so much. But I’ve been training, watching film and really studying the change of speed from the high school game to college.
“I’ve been doing a lot of core work. I’ve been running low to the ground, running routes out of the backfield and the slot - really just focusing on the things Tennessee will be asking me to do.”
The Durham, N.C. native, who stands in at 6-foot, 205 pounds, pledged his allegiance to Tennessee on March 30. He was the seventh commit for UT’s 2021 recruiting class and one of two running backs as Cody Brown later joined the group in May.
Wright has been studying the game and working to improve both on the field with drills and in the classroom with film study. The Southern High standout has watched closely as Eric Gray and Ty Chandler lead the Tennessee offense out of the backfield and has taken notes on what to expect.
“While I’ve been watching, I’ve learned that running the ball at that level takes a lot of patience,” the commit said. “You’ve got to see the holes open up and watch the offensive linemen get out in front of you.”
Wright’s soon-to-be position coach Jay Graham has been keeping close tabs on the tailback with conversations weekly. The two have gone over some plays, watched some film and had constructive conversations about what’s to be expected when Wright arrives on campus in a few months.
“I really like the energy the running backs bring when they have those explosive runs,” Wright said of Tennessee this season. “The impact they have on the team when they run well – it’s noticeable. The team has great energy and tends to be playing well when they are running the ball well.”
One game that stood out to Wright was Tennessee’s loss at Georgia on October 10. The Vols got off to a hot start and led at the half but couldn’t quite finish against a top-five ranked team at the time.
“Georgia is big and talented and we [Tennessee] started off with a lot of energy after getting that fumble recovery for a touchdown early on. It sparked the guys,” Wright said. “It was a big-time game, and I liked the way we ran the ball and how JG [Jarrett Guarantano] threw the ball down field – we just have to finish.”
The 11th-ranked all-purpose back in the country is on track to sign in December and enroll in January. Wright plans to study sports broadcasting or sports medicine at Tennessee.
“I’m excited and ready,” Wright concluded. That’s really all I can say. We are ready to make change. Big things are going on in Knoxville.”
