Tennessee freshmen running backs Justin Williams-Thomas and Dylan Sampson are quickly forming quite the bond. They can be seen side-by-side around the football facility and on the practice field. They even ventured over to Tuesday’s media session together – one waiting for the other while each spoke.

That early friendship will help in adapting to the college game – a game that’s coming full speed ahead for the two 18-year-olds. Tennessee entered fall camp with only four scholarship running backs, so it doesn’t bode well for the Volunteers that half the room hasn’t even taken a college snap.

Nonetheless, both Williams-Thomas and Sampson will need to grow up in a hurry as Josh Heupel and Alex Golesh plan to rely on the duo for plenty of snaps and carries throughout the long football season.

“The two young guys, there's a point of emphasis and there always is, that those guys have to grow, understand what we're doing and be ready to compete at a really high level immediately,” Heupel said during his camp-opening press conference on Sunday. “Justin has had a little bit more time on task, having been here mid-year. Dylan, really excited about what he's done. He's a mature young man that processes things really quickly, just having the opportunity to be out on the grass with him a little bit, he's extremely explosive.”

“So, between those two guys here early in training camp, they're going to have to grow really quickly to help us at that position."

Tennessee returns Jabari Small, who flashed as a sophomore in 2021. The Vols also welcome back sophomore Jaylen Wright, who has added about 10 pounds of good weight over the offseason. But with the loss of Len’Neth Whitehead for the season, it’s a pair of freshmen who are expected to be ready on a moments notice.

“I’d say it’s more likely to be a reality that I’ll step on the field earlier. I’m taking the same mindset,” Sampson said on Tuesday. “I came ready to play at all times, so I’m trying to stay calm and collective – learning the offense. I’m trying to be as sharp as I can be to be prepared for any moment.”

Sampson, who committed to the Volunteers program last June, is more of the scat back. He’s one of the fastest guys on the team, topping out at 22.5 mph on the workout speedometer, and can use his athleticism well in Heupel’s vertical scheme.

“I feel like it [skillset] does match this offense because of the splits and the space it allows,” Sampson continued. “I feel like I can be really dangerous in space and inside the tackle box, because I feel like I have really good vision. With the fast tempo we play with and my elusiveness and speed, I feel like I can take that to another level in this offense.”

Williams-Thomas, on the other hand, is the bigger, all-around back, who is already nearing 215 pounds – up at least 10 pounds since stepping foot on campus in January. He’s got good speed but is a skilled runner between the tackles. The latter is already ahead of the game in a sense as he was on campus this spring as an early enrollee.

“The tempo of the game has definitely slowed down a lot for me. Being able to come through spring, I feel like that was a big help for me,” Williams-Thomas told reporters. “Just being able to see it, do it and then do it again – it’s really helped me. I feel like things have slowed down for me a lot.

“I feel much more comfortable with this offense. I feel like everything is going smoother than it did in the spring. Getting the flow of this fall camp so far has been pretty good. Coming in for spring really helped me a lot.”

But just because there’s a need doesn’t mean it won’t be earned. Over the next four weeks, there will be plenty of growing pains for the young running backs - but also plenty of opportunity to showcase their abilities and fit into this offense. As we saw a year ago, the offense truly pops when the run-game is a constant threat.

"Those two young guys, Justin and Dylan, they've both been told, you're going to get as your work deserves,” Golesh said Sunday. “We need both those guys. We're not very deep. We've got to do a really good job managing those guys through camp and keeping them healthy. We're going to give Justin and Dylan every opportunity to see if those guys can play early. Let them run behind the one and two offensive line and see what they can do.”

Everything is new for both Williams-Thomas and Sampson. They are not expected to be perfect and there will be plenty of mistakes. Couple a rigorous camp schedule with school beginning in a few weeks and the two newcomers are in for a world of change, acting on their own for the very first time.

Still, strength is in numbers and they have already shown that they are supporting one another through this next step in life. Whether it’s practice, workouts, in the dorms or out about the town – where you’ll find one, you’ll likely find the other.

“I think what has helped me out a lot was just meeting and getting extra time in the playbook,” Sampson said of his preparation. “Me and Justin [Williams-Thomas] did that a whole lot. Any time we could, we just dove into the playbook so that we knew what we were doing in the summer.”

And admiration has already set in between the two new friends.

“Dylan has a great work ethic. He comes in and gets extra work each day,” Williams-Thomas said of his counterpart. “He’s a great teammate, a positive person and great person to be around. He always comes into the room with a great attitude and is wanting to do extra. I feel like he’s going to be a great addition to this running back room.”

With a kinship forming and competition bringing out the best in each other throughout camp, the two new Tennessee running backs will have every opportunity to state their claim in this offense. Urgency is of the present, but at the end of the day, each running back can only control what they can control.

“I feel like I need to get ready faster, but honestly, I’m just trying to help the team as much as I can,” Williams-Thomas concluded. “I’m going to keep working hard every day and doing what I do best. I feel like with the numbers we have now, I just have to be ready and whenever I get the opportunity – just go and make the best of it.”

The Vols wrapped up their first two practices of fall camp. Shoulder pads and full contact is set to begin later this week.