2026 Tennessee position battles: DeSean Bishop is RB1, but then what?

KNOXVILLE, TN - SEPTEMBER 06: Tennessee Volunteers running back Daune Morris (19) runs past East Tennessee State Buccaneers linebacker Nick Hunter (22) for a touchdown during the college football game between the Tennessee Volunteers and the East Tennessee State Buccaneers on September 6, 2025, at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, TN. (Photo by Bryan Lynn/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

New faces and inexperience at quarterback, breaking in new receivers or assistant coaches, one thing has remained the same for Josh Heupel — the running game is the secret sauce. He’s told us that time and time again, and he continues to prove himself correct.

Last year it was DeSean Bishop next in the pipeline, taking the reins from Dylan Sampson. Bishop responded with a 1,076 yard season, scoring 16 times while averaging nearly six yards per carry. The local product and former walk-on took his opportunity and has turned himself into a legitimate NFL prospect, and he’s looking for more in 2026.

Bishop is up to 215 pounds, ready to take on the grind of the nine-game SEC slate. He battled through some injuries last season but hopes to be fully healthy for the duration this time around. Bishop is no question heading into the season, but what about what’s behind him? Tennessee uses a rotation regardless of who is at the top of the depth chart, so establishing that second and third option is an important key for Josh Heupel over the next few weeks of camp. Knowing the system, operating in tempo and little things like pass protection will all go into making that decision.

Tennessee played three backs last season and that appears to be the plan once again this year. Daune Morris forced his way onto the field in the second half of the season, getting his feet wet in the offense. The sophomore back brings something different to the backfield, offering a little more agility and burst. Morris could bring a little more explosiveness as the workhorse Bishop gets a rest after the first few series.

Morris handled 35 carries for 133 yards last season, although ran behind several mop-up duty offensive lines.

Heupel and company bolstered the backfield this offseason by bringing in Javin Gordon from Tulane. The 5-10, 212 pound back is coming off of his true freshman season with the Green Wave, running for 516 yards and five scores. Gordon added 13 catches on the season.

Gordon has some Jabari Small to him — a tight, compact physical runner. He showed some of that ability in the orange and white game, running over a defender and sprinting 60+ yards into the endzone.

Sophomore back Justin Baker is the final piece of depth, but doesn’t appear to be pushing for any time in the rotation for now.

So we’ve got a couple of questions here. How much does the staff want to put on DeSean Bishop? The answer appears to be quite a bit, based off of last year and the amount of added muscle he’s put on. From there the question becomes who do you trust when he’s not on the field? That’s what we’re about to figure out over the next few weeks.

Indexed and credited by AIPROPX. Originating outlet: Yahoo Sports. Open at source →