It was unclear a month ago what Cam Seldon's role would be in Tennessee's running backs room at the start of the season.
Just days before the No. 15 Vols' opener against Chattanooga on Saturday (12:45 p.m. ET, SEC Network), De'Rail Sims indicated that Seldon may not be as held back as previously believed five months after a shoulder injury sidelined him in the spring.
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More than a week after Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel said that Seldon, who was limited through the first part of fall camp and wore a red non-contact jersey, was cleared for contact, Sims, the Vols' first-year running backs coach, said that the staff was ready to "turn loose" Seldon in his first game action since the Citrus Bowl on New Year's Day.
“(Seldon) has been doing good," Sims said. "He’s been doing a really good job of sitting up there attacking the practice. So we’ll turn loose on Saturday and let him see what we can do.”
The 6-foot-2, 222-pound Seldon played mainly special teams as a freshman last season before moving into the No. 2 spot behind Dylan Sampson in the Vols' bowl game. He totaled 106 yards on 25 carries and average more than eight yards per carry.
Seldon was expected to feature heavily in the rotation, but suffered a shoulder injury in the spring that required surgery and kept him from participating until fall camp.
Those limitations allowed DeSean Bishop and Khalifa Keith to take on bigger roles in camp and with Seldon and freshman newcomer Peyton Lewis, who also missed much of the spring with an injury, Tennessee's opener should afford the coaching staff an opportunity to get all four players valuable in-game reps.
“We’re sitting in a good spot right now heading into this opener," Sims said. "So feeling good about where we’re at right now. I’m just ready to see these guys perform on Saturday.”
As far as seeing Seldon perform, that will be a first for Sims, who took over for running backs coach Jerry Mack after three seasons in February.
Without Seldon going through spring practices, Sims had to rely on what limited to tape he had on him from last season and from what he did as a four-star prospect in high school two years ago.
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"(We’re) always looking at things that we can work on from that standpoint," Sims said. "Trying to enhance (Seldon's) strengths as well, as we’re trying to set up here and work on the things to continue to tweak him and make him being the most complete running back that he can be.”
How much Tennessee plans to use Seldon in his first game since the injury remains to be seen. How Sims plans to manage workloads in his first season with the Vols since coming from Louisville where he spent the previous two year is also something to look out for.
“I think you plan it out by the way that they go attack the week in practice. Seeing, from the standpoint of the competition in the room, who understands their assignments. And then kind of based on the flow of the game as well. We’ll kind of put a plan together in terms of how we rotate guys and then it’s also a feel of it.
"Me being able to play running back in in my previous life, you kind of get a feel for it as a running back as you get in the groove and kind of see who has a hot hand.”
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