Tiyon

Evans

Evans (5'11/220) transferred in the offseason from Tennessee where he ran for 525 yards on 81 carries with a 6.5 YPC and six touchdowns. He was considered the third-best JUCO recruit in the country last year and top running back ahead of Arizona State star RB Rachaad White who was selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in April’s draft. When asked about Evans’ performance thus far in camp, HC Scott Satterfield opined “Tiyon has really stood out in this camp,” Satterfield said. “Every day he has been making plays. He had a big long run on the first day we tackled, a big powerful run right up the middle for about 60 (yards). He’s stood out.” Though he is battling talented runners Trevion Cooley and Jalen Mitchell for carries, Evans will clearly have a role when UL takes on Syracuse in the Carrier Dome on September 3.

Evans (5'11"/220) was the Volunteers’ leading rusher before getting injured and missing the last month of the season. He averaged 75 yards per game and a stellar 6.5 yards per carry, and punched in six scores prior to suffering the ankle injury that cost him the rest of the season. Evans was the top-ranked JUCO RB in 2021, and will finish his career with Louisville.

This is a big loss for the Volunteers. Evans took to his personal Twitter account to thank the fans and the program, but ultimately decided it was best to move on. Despite dealing with an injury and not being able to really play over the last month, he still led the team in rushing yards this year. Tennessee will possibly be losing two of the best offensive players with Evans and senior quarter Hendon Hooker after the season. With this move, Jabari Small and Jaylen Wright should continue to lead the Volunteers’ backfield for the remainder of the season.

Evans (5'11/220) was not in uniform for pregame warmups, so it comes as no surprise that he is not available to play. Jabari Small will be the first man up in the backfield as Tennessee looks to take care of the Jaguars.

Evans (5'11/220) will miss his third game this season, as he did not play against either Mississippi (October 16) or Georgia (November 13). The junior running back ranks eighth in the SEC in yards per carry, and he’s rushed for 525 yards and six touchdowns on 81 carries. Jabari Small will once again be Tennessee’s top option at running back, and QB Hendon Hooker can also run the ball when needed.

Tennessee’s running back depth could continue to be impacted into Saturday as Evans (5'11/220) remains questionable with an undisclosed injury. Vols head coach Josh Heupel said Thursday that the running back probably won’t be able to go on Friday for practice and will be evaluated for his game status on the same day. So far this season, Evans totals 81 carries for 525 yards with six touchdowns.

Tennessee’s running back depth takes a significant hit with this news, as Evans (5'11/220) has been one of the team’s best performers. The junior college transfer has rushed for 525 yards and six touchdowns on 81 carries, averaging 6.5 yards per attempt. With Evans sidelined, look for Jabari Small and Jaylen Wright to get most of the reps.

John Brice of WBIR reported Evans (5'11/220) will likely not play against Ole Miss this Saturday, but a conflicting report on SB Nation indicates he will. This would be a huge blow to the Volunteers if Evans can’t go. He currentlyly leads the Tennessee backfield in carries, rushing yards and touchdowns. This backfield has been riddled with the injury bug. Both Jaylen Wright and Jabri Small missed last week against South Carolina, but as of now, both are likely to play. They also have Len’Nith Whitehead. With conflicting reports, we can’t be sure just yet, stay tuned for any more updates.

Saturday’s game could hardly have gone better for the Vols as they put a 45-20 pounding on the South Carolina Gamecocks just one week after hanging 62 points on the Mizzou Tigers. There were multiple factors that helped make Tennessee successful, but one of them was the rushing efforts of Vols running back Evans (5'11/220). Evans carried the ball 16 times for 119 yards with one touchdown on the ground Saturday, bringing him to 367 rushing yards with five touchdowns on the ground this season.

Evans (5'11/220) came over to Tennessee as a JUCO transfer this offseason and quickly established himself as a key cog in the Vols’ rushing attack. He and Jabari Small are expected to handle the vast majority of snaps this year, with Evans excelling in the season opener against Bowling Green to the tune of 16 carries for 120 yards, 7.5 YPC and a touchdowns. The undisclosed injury kept Evans out of UT’s 41-34 loss to Pitt, but there is little reason to rush him back this weekend given the relatively easy matchup against their in-state FCS foe, Tennessee Tech. He is likely to be a game time decision this Saturday.