Tennessee running back Dylan Sampson had a unique goal during preseason camp. The junior needed to accomplish as much as possible with a minuscule amount of work. It seems to be working out.

“No,” running back coach De’Rail Sims said when asked if he was surprised by Sampson’s productivity this season despite being held back in preseason camp. “Just because of the way he prepares, his preparation, the way he goes and attacks practice. Everything is right on point in terms of what I thought he would be able to do for us.”

Sampson was healthy during preseason camp, but he was held back because the Vols didn’t have any proven depth at tailback behind him. As it has turned out, DeSean Bishop has done just fine. Sampson has averaged 7.9 yards this season while Bishop’s 10.1 yards per carry leads the Vols.

“I think the number one deal with him is nothing surprises me with him,” Sims said of the redshirt freshman from Karns (Tenn.) High School. “He does a really good job in his preparation standpoint, the way he goes and attacks. He constantly has a notebook with him from the time he walks into the building until the time that he leaves. 

“He constantly takes notes throughout whatever meetings he is in. In practice, he goes after it. He does a phenomenal job of being able to attack that. The confidence factor, we’ve always had confidence. Seeing the confidence in him in terms of growing every single day, you can tell that by the way he answers questions. The confidence factor of him has grown tremendously.”

Still a walk-on, Bishop is certainly playing at a high level. However, it’s reasonable to think that Bishop, who is listed at 5-foot-10 and 200 pounds, might one day have to concede some carries to true freshman Peyton Lewis, who is a legit 6-1 and 210 pounds, but appears to be even bigger in person. Eventually, Lewis or, possibly, sophomore Cameron Seldon, who is 6-2 and 222 pounds, are expected to be the all-around tailback with size and speed that the Vols covet. Lewis appears to have the lead for now.

“We had a chance to see him get comfortable within the game,” Sims said of Lewis playing in the Kent State game. “I think he started off feeling his way through early on. The more carries he got, the more comfortable he became. We had a chance to see him run with some violence and pad level at the end. We had a chance to see him hit it and hit his top-end speed as well.”

Lewis is averaging 6.9 yards per carry, but will have to prove himself in all facets of the game, including pass protection, against a better foe before Bishop should be worried about losing playing time. The No. 6 Vols could decide to test Lewis this week against No. 15 Oklahoma, which is known for having a physical defense. The Sooners have given up just 2.2 yards per carry, which is fourth-best in the SEC.

“I think one thing that jumps out is the physicality they play with at all three levels,” Sims said. “From the defensive line to the linebackers and to the secondary, I think that portion of it stands out to you. They play aggressively. You see the personality of the head coach come out in terms of their defense. 

“They want to be physical. They want to be aggressive. Schematically, they are very sound. They’re going to fit the run very well. They do a really good job of making sure that they are covering things in the backend as well. Fundamentally and holistically, they’re a really good defense.”

Oklahoma is coached by former Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables, who has long been considered one of the best defensive coaches in college football. However, he might have his hands full with Sampson, who matched former Vol and NFL star running back Alvin Kamara for a record, three consecutive games of multiple rushing touchdowns on Saturday against Kent State. 

Sampson leads the SEC with nine rushing touchdowns. Arkansas running back Ja’Quinden Jackson is second in the SEC with just six touchdowns this season. Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty is tied with Sampson for the lead in the country.

With as little practice time as he was allowed, it seems appropriate to call Sampson a “gamer” for the Vols’ coaches, who never doubted his work ethic.

“I think the number one deal is even with his time when he had limited reps, he did a really good job of preparing on the sideline and taking those mental reps,” Sims said. “I think with him, it’s muscle memory. Once he gets in there and he gets one carry or two carries, it all comes back to him and he gets in his rhythm and flows. 

“Nothing has surprised me from that standpoint. I think he’s done a really good job of maximizing every single opportunity that he’s had and made the most of it.”

That’s a good thing for the Vols, whose coaches gave Sampson no choice but to be ready with very little preseason preparation. If Sampson keeps up these numbers, he may have to prepare a speech as one of the top running backs in the nation. Heisman? Doak Walker? Anything seems possible right now. We’ll see how things go in Norman.