With veteran quarterback Joe Milton III gone, Tennessee football needed a new leader.
Naturally, it's the quarterback who steps into this role but Nico Iamaleava is just a redshirt freshman who is still growing in this area. He's been said to excel in one-on-one leadership roles but addressing the team as a whole needed some improvement.
The answer solved itself quickly. Junior running back Dylan Sampson was already a big, if not the biggest, voice in the locker room and has fully taken over with his energy.
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Throughout the spring, Sampson was commonly seen addressing the team. Ahead of the Vols' intrasquad scrimmage, a clip was posted of him giving a speech.
Center Cooper Mays has been there for all of Sampson's career. He felt what Sampson brings to the team instantly.
"Just confidence and energy," Mays said. "Like you said, he's kind of been a leader from day one. He's really sure of himself and sure of what he's doing. He's confident in himself and his job. That kind of leads to you just being a natural leader anyway in the football arena. He came in day one and was prepared and ready to go for it. He's done a really, really good job."
After beginning his sophomore campaign as the third back in a room that also featured Jaylen Wright and Jabari Small, Sampson worked his way into the unofficial second-string role as the first back off the bench.
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He was pivotal in multiple wins throughout the season including the road clash against Kentucky. In the Citrus Bowl, he was named the starter with Wright and Small not playing and he provided another strong performance.
Now, with a lot of youth behind him on the depth chart, Sampson goes into the season as the unquestioned starter. Not only is the task of on-field production on his shoulders but he will also be asked to lead the team and his position group.
"He will have increased opportunities," Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel said. "He's a guy from the moment that he got there had great feel, pace and vision. He's done a great job with the ball in his hands and out of his hands. He's become a really good pass protector. He's got the ability to help you in your return game as well. After his freshman year, his ability to impact his teammates, Dylan is one of the strongest leaders that we have inside of our locker room. Just a dynamic personality that isn't afraid to call on his teammates and make sure that they're meeting the standards. He's going to have a great year for us."
With fall camp around the corner, Sampson and the Vols will put their final preparations together ahead of the season. As the feature back, a significant jump is expected with a bulk of the carries being given to him.
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