What’s Next At Running Back For Tennessee In the 2026 Cycle?
By Aidan Sidoti
Five-star, No. 1 ranked running back Savion Hiter is unfortunately off to Ann Arbor.
After over two years of pursuit, the Volunteers came up just short for Hiter. The Mineral, Virginia native announced his commitment to the Wolverines Tuesday morning, leaving Tennessee still searching for its first true running back pledge in the 2026 cycle.
So where do the Vols turn now?
With less than four months until Early National Signing Day, Tennessee fans have several key targets to keep track of.
The most intriguing option is Wisconsin four-star commit Amari Latimer. The West Georgia native committed to the Badgers in late June over Georgia, Georgia Tech, and Michigan, but Tennessee was involved in Latimer’s recruitment as recently as a year ago, hosting him at the Volunteers’ Night at Neyland camp in June 2024 and again that October for their memorable win over Alabama.
While Latimer remains firmly committed to Wisconsin, UT could re-enter the conversation with a subpar season from the Badgers or if NIL incentives become more attractive to Latimer or his agent. Should Latimer start to waver on his commitment, the factor of his older brother, Geimere, on the Wisconsin roster could make this a more difficult flip than others.
Another interesting name to keep an eye on is Vanderbilt commit Evan Hampton.
The No. 298 overall prospect and four-star bellcow out of Owensboro, Kentucky flipped his commitment from Louisville to Vanderbilt last month citing he “was feeling pulled in a new direction.”
The 6-foot, 208-pounder is ranked as the top player in Kentucky and was once committed to play baseball at the University of Kentucky before shifting his complete focus to football.
Hampton is an absolute bruiser with home-run speed on the field. As a junior at Owensboro High, Hampton rushed for an absurd 1,549 yards and 20 touchdowns, while adding 107 receiving yards and four scores through the air.
Despite holding over 30 reported offers, Hampton has yet to receive one from Tennessee, and the Vols haven’t made a serious push since his flip to Vanderbilt. That could quickly change after the loss of Savion Hiter, especially if Hampton has another explosive start to his senior campaign.
Another potential X-factor at running back that is already in the fold for Tennessee is four-star athlete Legend Bey.
The versatile talent out of Forney, Texas played quarterback his junior season for North Forney High, where Bey put up a staggering 1,912 yards rushing over 163 carries (11.7 YPC) and 28 touchdowns while earning Texas District 10-6A Offensive MVP.
At 5-10.5, 175-pounds, Bey is currently projected to play wide receiver for the Volunteers, having been recruited by wide receivers coach Kelsey Pope. However, after the recent commitment of five-star pass-catcher Salesi Moa and the loss of top running back target Savion Hiter, it’s worth asking whether Bey could start his collegiate career in the backfield if Tennessee fails to bring in a true running back in the 2026 cycle.
With Early National Signing Day right around the corner, the next few months will be critical for running backs coach De’Rail Sims. As the high school season starts getting into full swing, expect new offers to go out to under-the-radar recruits in the coming months if they are unable to flip four-stars Amari Latimer and Evan Hampton.
