Tennessee running back Dylan Sampson declares for the NFL Draft
Tennessee running back Dylan Sampson has declared for the NFL Draft. The junior running who starred for the Vols this season announced his decision on social media on Friday morning.
ESPN NFL Draft analyst Matt Miller recently gave Sampson a third-round grade while Mel Kiper Jr. had him ranked No. 10 among running back in the 2025 NFL Draft.
“Sampson has been one of the best running backs in the FBS this season,” Miller wrote, “rushing for 1,485 yards and 22 touchdowns (and adding 19 receptions). He has averaged 5.8 yards per carry over the past two seasons and projects as a future NFL starter.”
Sampson’s record-setting junior season ended on a sour note, carrying just twice for six yards in Tennessee’s 42-17 College Football Playoff loss at Ohio State while dealing with a hamstring issue.
Still, Sampson set new Tennessee program records for single-season rushing yards, with 1,491 yards, and touchdowns, with 22.
Sampson ran for a season-high 178 rushing yards in the win at Vanderbilt on November 30, helping his team punch a ticket to the new 12-team College Football Playoff. But he was injured late in the game, missed practice time in the lead up to the playoff game and couldn’t stay on the field against the Buckeyes after playing on the first drive of the game, then only briefly in the second half.
“End of the Vandy game, (he) got dinged up,” Tennessee coach Josh Heupel said after the loss at Ohio State, “and it was soft tissue. And he had been out the first couple weeks and got back with us. Started building him through the week. Felt like he was in a good spot.
“Anticipated him not having the same type of load that he normally would have. Just early in the game kind of retweaked it and wasn’t available there for a while.”
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Sampson, Tennessee’s junior running back from Baton Rouge, La., carried the Vols during the regular season. He set a new program single-season records with 1,485 yards and 22 touchdowns. Travis Stephens held the previous rushing yards record with 1,464 in 2001 and Gene McEver held the previous touchdown record with 19.
Sampson became Tennessee’s 20th running back to go over 1,000 yards for the season when he ran for 149 yards on a season-high 30 carries against Mississippi State on November 9.
He rushed for 100 or more yards in 10 of 13 games this season and 130 or more yards six times. He had multiple rushing touchdowns in seven games, including three with three or more.
“I think he’s the best back in the country, in my opinion,” Tennessee running backs coach De’Rail Sims said last month. “In terms of production that he’s been able to do, especially in this league. His confidence.
“Number one, being able to be with him every single day, from the way he goes and attacks the process. And things he’s been able to do from tenacity standpoint. When the team needs a spark plug, he’s able to be that guy.”
