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Tennessee freshman Evan Berry has seen an expanded role in his team’s playoff practices. The safety/kick return specialist has taken reps with the Vols running backs, much like he did leading up to a Week 7 matchup against Chattanooga.
Related: Evan Berry practices at running back for Tennessee’s game against Chattanooga
However, Berry didn’t see any carries during Tennessee’s 45-10 victory over its in-state opponent. Instead, the former four-star athlete recorded a season-long 68-yard kick return, the longest by a Vols specialist since Cordarrelle Patterson’s 98-yard touchdown against Mississippi State in 2012.
But the Vols face even more depth concerns at tailback entering the 2015 Taxslayer Bowl against Iowa on Jan. 2. Leading rusher Jalen Hurd should be healthy, despite missing the majority of Tennessee’s final regular season game against Vanderbilt.
The Vols depth chart is scarce after Hurd. Fellow freshman Derrell Scott is opting to transfer elsewhere, head coach Butch Jones confirmed on Friday. Marlin Lane, the team’s most experienced back, has fought through injuries this season and has seen a dip in production.
Redshirt junior Justus Pickett, redshirt senior Deanthonie Summerhill and senior Devin Young have each seen limited carries in 2014.
Berry has the elusive speed to provide a solid option at running back should the Vols face injury concerns. Hurd should see the majority of carries if healthy, but needs help in an otherwise struggling rushing attack. Despite the freshman’s 777 yards, the Vols ranked No. 100 overall in rushing offense.
With a depleted depth chart, Berry could make an impact if given carries. The Fairburn, Ga., native was recruited as an athlete and has experience on the offensive side as a dual-threat high school quarterback.
Vols fans are aware of his lineage, including his father, who was running back for Tennessee from 1978-91. The younger Berry may add to his family’s rich tradition with a breakout performance against Iowa in the Vols’ bowl game.
A former freelance journalist from Nashville, Jason covers Tennessee, Vanderbilt and Kentucky
