2026 Tennessee football position preview: Running backs
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Tennessee will kick off its 2026 football season with six running backs on roster.
DeSean Bishop led the Vols in rushing yards (1,076), rushing touchdowns (16) and rushing attempts (182) in 2025. The 5-foot-10, 215-pound redshirt junior has appeared in 23 games, including 13 starts, from 2023-25.
"I tell this all the time, I'm only as good as them," Bishop said of Tennessee's offensive line at SEC media days. "Those dudes are, they pave the way for me and we are returning a bunch of stars this year, and a lot of the dudes from the transfer portal. I believe that will be a big contribute to my success, as well.
"Just the mindset that I have. I want to punish people when I run the ball, so I have the mindset of not getting tackled and just fighting for as much yards as I can every time I touch the ball, just utilizing every carry I get because it could be limited."
Javin Gordon enters his first season at Tennessee in 2026 after transferring from Tulane.
The 5-foot-10, 212-pound sophomore appeared in 14 games, including six starts, for the Green Wave in 2025. He totaled 516 yards and five touchdowns on 128 rushing attempts. Gordon also recorded 13 receptions for 93 yards and one touchdown.
He played in 418 offensive snaps and recorded 362 rushing yards after contact during Tulane's season that ended in the College Football Playoff.
Justin Baker and Daune Morris return to the Vols in 2026 as sophomores.
The 5-foot-10, 210-pound Baker appeared in 13 contests as a freshman in 2025. He totaled 43 yards on 14 rushing attempts.
Morris appeared in seven contests last season, totaling 133 yards and one touchdown on 35 rushing attempts. The 5-foot-10, 200-pound running back also recorded one reception for four yards, while totaling 92 kick return yards and 24 punt return yards.
Hunter Barnes also returns for his fifth season at Tennessee. From 2022-25, the 6-foot, 200-pound running back appeared in eight games. The redshirt senior has recorded 57 rushing yards on 12 attempts.
2026 will be the first season for freshman Will Rajecki at Tennessee. The 5-foot-11, 208-pound freshman is from Sequoyah High School in Canton, Georgia. As a senior in 2025, Rajecki totaled 1,970 rushing yards and 30 rushing touchdowns.
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This article originally appeared on Vols Wire: 2026 Tennessee football position preview: Running backs
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