If you’re looking to build a tough, physical team, Tiyon Evans is a pretty good place to start.

Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel realized as much on Saturday as Evans ran roughshod over Missouri in a 62-24 thumping that no one saw coming. Evans finished the game with 15 carries for 156 yards and 3 touchdowns. That included a 92-yarder against the Tigers.

Watching Evans made me think of another former Tennessee tailback: Alvin Kamara. No, Evans hasn’t been left to languish on the depth chart like Kamara was, but he has survived junior college. Players go to junior colleges for a reason. No matter the reason, if they return to big-time college football with the right attitude they can become stars quickly. Why? They’ve seen what it’s like to play in front of a few hundred fans and wait for the squat rack to be open in the weight room. There’s no comparing UT’s facilities with Hutchinson (Kansas) Community College. Let’s just say Tennessee has plenty of squat racks. Chances are Evans appreciates the upgrade and not having to wait.

Kamara, who also went to Hutchinson, was that type of player — always appreciative. If you recall, he was the second option to Jalen Hurd in former UT coach Butch Jones’ offense. However, Kamara never complained. He just smiled and eventually became one of the most respected running backs in the NFL — with the paycheck to prove it.

Can Evans do that? Sure, but he’ll still need to be patient. He might find himself on the wrong end of the game plan at some point this season. Stranger things have happened. Maybe Heupel will lean toward the passing game against future opponents. Maybe he’ll find another tailback he likes more. Maybe he’ll just make a dumb decision like Jones did.

Evans isn’t there just yet, but he’s getting close. He may be even further along than Kamara at the same time in their careers. Evans has played enough to be on the NFL’s radar. With Kamara, there was always the unknown of why he wasn’t playing more. Was he disgruntled? The answer was a resounding “no” for anyone who would listen. Kamara was just patient. Evans should emulate that.

Evans’ highlight reel is growing stronger by the moment. In his Tennessee debut, he ran for 120 yards and a touchdown against Bowling Green. Against Florida, Evans caught a 47-yard touchdown pass, ran for 50 yards on 11 carries and caught 3 passes for 71 yards. Evans’ performance against Missouri wasn’t a fluke. He was considered the No. 1 junior college running back in the nation and the No. 3-ranked junior college player overall when he enrolled at Tennessee in January. Tailback is a position that you can learn quickly in most offenses, especially with spring practice and summer drills. Evans has done that and it is paying off.

The Vols play South Carolina on Saturday at noon. With the Gamecocks also in rebuilding mode, the Vols could notch another SEC win. Then, we can start talking about bowl eligibility. If Evans can replicate what he did against Missouri — or even close — then the Vols should be in good shape. That kind of performance is possible. The Gamecocks’ defense isn’t exactly “cocky” against the run. South Carolina ranks 9th in the SEC in rushing yards allowed with 141 per game. Evans is 8th in the SEC in yards per attempt with 6.4-yards per carry. He is 2nd in that statistic among rushers who have at least 50 carries this season.

Evans, who is from Hartsville (S.C.) High School, can also help the Vols after his playing days in Knoxville are over. Like Kamara and receiver/kick returner Cordarrelle Patterson before him, his play can show other Hutchinson prospects that doing things right in junior college means doing things that are much more fun than in Kansas. Through several coaches, UT has had a strong relationship with Hutchinson.

Heupel will surely continue working with Hutchinson and other junior colleges. Ultimately, Heupel will be judged by how he recruits overall, not just in junior college. Junior college prospects can be an iffy short-term fix, but it’s one that UT needs now. Heupel should consider leaning more toward junior colleges than he typically would have. One or two players who survived the detour can be the difference in a win or two.

Evans can top the 100 yards rushing again this week. It’s almost become routine. It started when the Vols beat Bowling Green and he ran for 120 yards in the opener. Who was the last Vol to top 100 yards rushing in his Tennessee debut? Alvin Kamara did so in 2015.