Tennessee running backs positional breakdown for the 2025 football season.
Tennessee will kick off fall training camp July 30 in preparation for its 2025 football season.
The Vols will open their fifth campaign under head coach Josh Heupel on Aug. 30 versus Syracuse. The nonconference matchup between Tennessee and the Orange will be contested at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia (noon EDT, ABC).
Tennessee enters fall training camp with six running backs on roster: Justin Baker, Hunter Barnes, DeSean Bishop, Peyton Lewis, Daune Morris and Star Thomas.
Bishop is in his third season with the Vols in 2025. The 5-foot-10, 208-pound redshirt sophomore appeared in 10 games last season after missing the 2023 campaign due to sustaining an injury in fall training camp.
In 2024, he totaled 455 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 74 attempts. Bishop also recorded one reception for 10 yards.
Lewis played in all 13 games for Tennessee as a freshman in 2024.
The 6-foot-1, 212-pound sophomore totaled 339 rushing yards, three rushing touchdowns, four receptions, 14 receiving yards and 151 kick return yards. Lewis was named to the 2024 Fall SEC Academic Honor Roll.
Thomas enters his first season at Tennessee as a senior in 2025 after transferring from Duke.
The 6-foot, 210-pound running back recorded 871 rushing yards and seven touchdowns on 213 attempts in 2024 for the Blue Devils. He also totaled 20 receptions for 153 yards and one touchdown. Thomas emerged as Duke's starting running back during the final 10 contests in the regular season.
He transferred to Duke after playing at New Mexico State from 2022-23. Thomas recorded 1,173 rushing yards, nine rushing touchdowns, 34 receptions, 351 receiving yards and five receiving touchdowns with the Aggies.
He began his collegiate career at Coffeyville Community College in 2021. Thomas appeared in 14 games, including eight starts, totaling 970 rushing yards, 11 rushing touchdowns, eight receptions and 36 receiving yards.
2025 will mark Barnes’ fourth season at Tennessee. In three seasons from 2022-24, he recorded 55 rushing yards on 11 attempts in six contests. The 6-foot, 196-pound redshirt junior was named to the SEC Academic Honor Roll in 2023 and 2024.
Baker and Morris enter their first season at Tennessee in 2025 as freshmen.
Baker committed to Tennessee in Oct. 2023 and went through spring practices in January. The 5-foot-10, 210-pound running back is from Buford High School in Buford, Georgia. At the time of his commitment, he held scholarship offers from Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Colorado, Florida, FAU, Georgia, Kansas State, Liberty, Michigan, Michigan State, North Carolina State, Ole Miss, Penn State, Pittsburgh, South Carolina, UAB, USC and Western Kentucky.
The 5-foot-10, 195-pound Morris is from Oakland High School in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. He enrolled at Tennessee in January and participated in spring practices. Morris was committed to USC and flipped to the Vols in Nov. 2024.
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This article originally appeared on Vols Wire: Positional breakdown for 2025 Tennessee running backs
Category: General Sports
