Quote from Vols RB Dylan Sampson further shows the wrinkle that Josh Heupel must add to Tennessee's offense in 2025

Tennessee Vols running back Dylan Sampson is hoping to be at least a mid-round selection in the 2025 NFL Draft next month. 

To help boost his draft stock, Sampson went into Tennessee's Pro Day on Tuesday intent on showing NFL scouts and coaches that he can be a playmaker in the passing game -- something he didn't get the opportunity to do very often at Tennessee. 

"I also wanted to show my receiving capabilities," said Sampson after his workout. "Show that I can run routes and catch the ball naturally." 

"That's something I know I can do, all along," added Sampson. "I just didn't get much of a chance to show it. But hopefully all the scouts and all the coaches out here saw that. Even though I haven't practiced it that much, that it's still natural to me. The sky's the [limit] for me in the receiver aspect." 

"A lot of (NFL) teams believe that I can be an asset in the passing game, I just haven't got a chance to show it," continued Sampson. "I think a lot of teams had questions, but hopefully they're starting to see that." 

Sampson caught 40 passes for 342 yards during his three seasons at Tennessee. 

By comparison, Ashton Jeanty caught 80 passes for 862 yards in three seasons at Boise State. Omarion Hampton caught 73 passes for 635 yards in three seasons at North Carolina. Jeanty and Hampton are viewed by many as the top two running backs in the 2025 NFL Draft. 

Tennessee's offense doesn't utilize the running back as a receiver in the passing game nearly as much as some other offenses. And that's something that probably needs to change under Josh Heupel moving forward. Check downs to the running back aren't exciting, but they can save games. Having that play in your back pocket in the fourth quarter of a tight game can help extend drives (most fourth quarter game-winning drives in the NFL involve some passes to the running back). 

Throwing to the running back wins championships 

The last six teams to win the national championship have all had at least 50 receptions from the running back position over the course of the season (including Alabama in the COVID shortened 2020 season).  

2024: Ohio State -- 50 receptions
2023: Michigan -- 50 receptions
2022: Georgia -- 66 receptions
2021: Georgia -- 62 receptions
2020: Alabama -- 51 receptions
2019: LSU -- 79 receptions

Tennessee has averaged 27.5 receptions per season from the running back position during Heupel's four seasons as the Vols' head coach. 

I don't think Tennessee needs to suddenly make the running back position the focus of the passing game, but the Vols could certainly benefit from involving the running backs in the passing game a little more. NFL teams clearly want to see more from Tennessee's running backs in the passing game. And the College Football Playoff results from the last six years show that running backs being heavily involved the passing game is almost necessary in order to win a national championship.

Heupel and his staff undoubtedly need to add some new wrinkles to Tennessee's offense with the program seeing a downtick in scoring the last two seasons. Involving the running backs more in the passing game seems like an easy wrinkle to add.