DeSean Bishop, Khalifa Keith make most of reps in thin Vols’ RB room

With two of Tennessee's top running backs sidelined last spring, Bishop quickly made a name for himself by making the most of unexpected reps as a newly arrived freshman. A year later, he's doing it again.

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Bishop, who missed all of last season with an injury of his own, has moved into a rotation in the No. 2 spot behind starter Dylan Sampson after Cam Seldon was ruled out for the rest of spring camp with a shoulder injury.

Freshman newcomer Peyton Lewis has been no-contact all of spring as he deals with an injury, too, leaving the Vols with just three scholarship players at the position.

"I call (Bishop) the spark plug," first-year running backs coach De'Rail Sims said. "He's done a really good job from practice one to where we are today in terms of getting better every single practice. He's intentional in meetings, asking questions. He's intentional taking notes in the meeting room and when he gets out on the field, he does a really good job of executing at a really high level.

"Even when he makes a mistake, he does it at 100 miles per hour...He never makes the same mistake twice."

Bishop is a local product, a former two-time Tennessee Class 5A Mr. Football award winner from nearby Karns High School. He signed with the Vols in 2023 and joined a crowded, veteran-laden room that spring.

At the time, juniors Jaylen Wright and Jabari Small were interchangeable in first team reps and Sampson was coming off of an impressive freshman season and expected to make a leap.

Wright and Small missed much of the spring with minor injuries, which allowed Bishop to get more carries. Coaches and teammates touted his abilities as a hard runner and he was possibly pushing towards seeing the field as a true freshman, at least in mop-up duty had it not been for the injury.

Bishop is making a similar case and this time and it isn't just because of his willingness to lower his shoulder and push up field. His vision has improved and he's seeing the field better than he did last year.

"(Bishop's) eyes and feet match together," Sims said. "He doesn't allow his feet to play ahead of his eyes. He understands where the hole is going to be at from an anticipation standpoint and now he's able to make that cut and going to be able to go."

Bishop isn't the only one taking advantage of the situation.

Khalifa Keith wasn't on campus last spring. He didn't enroll until June but managed to get some carries in Tennessee's season-opener against Virginia. He had limited carries, mainly in late-game situations where the score was out of reach, throughout last season.

With Seldon out, Keith has the most real-game experience behind Sampson and that experience has seemingly paid off, especially in pass-protection.

"I feel like I've grown a lot. Obviously, I had to take a big step up when (Wright) and Jabari (Small) left," Keith said. "But just learning from those guys, continuing to build their legacy...Coach (De'Rail) Sims has done a great job of coaching us up and keeping us motivated. My biggest accomplishment and something I've tried to grow at is pass-pro. I've got to continue to grow. That's the thing I feel like I've made the most progress in."

As far as carrying the ball goes, Keith has leaned into his physicality as a runner, which he flashed as a freshman.

At 6-foot-1, 233 pounds, Keith is the heaviest of Tennessee's five running backs and he has learned how to use that to his advantage, matching with his eagerness for contact this spring.

"I love physicality," Keith said. "I'm a physical-type back, so every time I tough the ball, you've got to have the mindset that no man can break me down or don't get in my way."

"I think with Khalifa, every day with him is another step forward," Sims said. "...Just continuing to learn how to run. That's the biggest key, understanding what your size is and understanding how to use that as a weapon."

Seldon is expected to be back by fall camp, likely returning the pecking order to where it was prior to spring practices with Seldon taking the bulk of the second-team reps and Keith and a now-healthy Bishop sharing the third spot.

Both players will get a chance to showcase their growth and leave a lasting impression for the summer when spring practices conclude with the annual Orange and White Game at Neyland Stadium on Saturday.

"(Bishop and Keith) are fighting every day. It's hard with numbers low in the room, but they come out and attack every single day," Sampson said. "DeSean has been growing. It's good to see him back on the field after last year. Khalifa as well. They're both making strides every day."

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