Published Aug 19, 2024
Josh Heupel updates status of Tennessee running back Cam Seldon
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Noah Taylor  •  VolReport
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Tennessee's running backs room is getting healthier less than two weeks before its 2024 season opener.

Sophomore running back Cam Seldon and freshman Peyton Lewis, who both missed spring practices because of shoulder injuries and were limited through three weeks of fall camp, are expected to be back to full health as the Vols transition from preseason camp to game preparation, head coach Josh Heupel said on Monday.

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Seldon was in a red, non-contact jersey for much of fall camp, causing a shuffle in Tennessee's running backs room behind clear-cut starter Dylan Sampson, but has been cleared for contact.

"Peyton (Lewis) and Cam (Seldon), different because of the timing of their surgeries, both of them have been exposed to more things throughout the course of training camp," Heupel said. "Both of those guys are full-go right now."

The 6-foot-2, 222-pound Seldon was expected to be the No. 2 back after appearing in 13 games as a freshman, mainly on special teams. He moved up the depth chart in the Vols' 35-0 win over Iowa in the Citrus Bowl after Jaylen Wright and Jabari Small declared for the NFL Draft and carried the ball 13 times for 55 yards.

WATCH ON VOLREPORT: Josh Heupel talks week before game week

Lewis, who already looks the part at 6-10, 210, was a highly touted four-star prospect and one of the top signees in Tennessee's 2024 recruiting class.

It's still unclear how many reps he or Lewis will get in Tennessee's opener against Chattanooga on Aug. 31 (12:45 p.m. ET, SEC Network). DeSean Bishop impressed coaches in both the spring and fall camp after missing all of last season with an ankle injury.

Khalifa Keith, who made minor contributions as a freshman last season, had also seen an increased role in fall camp.

Sampson is expected to play his biggest role in the offense in his third season with the program after working his way into the second in the running backs rotation by the middle of last season with more than 600 rushing yards and a team-high seven touchdowns.

"You kind of tell (Sampson), 'hey, you understand what's going on. You know what to do. Coach up the younger guys,'" Tennessee first-year running backs coach De'Rail Sims said. "We understand what you can do, let's make sure that we're sharpening your tools in the toolbox. But he is, he's always ready to go in every situation (and) he wants to take all the reps, so that's when we just have to manage him."

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