In the Citrus Bowl, Tennessee Volunteers running back Cameron Seldon will get plenty of practice against Iowa. What needs to be demonstrated by him in his first prolonged action?
Tennessee boasted one of the strongest rushing attacks in college football this year thanks to a potent run game and stellar running back performances. The Vols’ top two running backs are Jabari Small and Jaylen Wright, with Dylan Sampson seeing extended play in several contests.
Wright and Small chose to concentrate on their upcoming projects rather than compete in the Citrus Bowl. Against Iowa, Sampson will take over as the starting lead-back, and supporters should have a lot of faith in his abilities. Over the previous two seasons with the team, Sampson has seen a number of heavy workloads and has performed well when given the chance. On the other hand, true freshman running back Cameron Seldon—a 2023 signee who played in all 12 games this season, mostly on special teams—will get his first in-depth look.
Seldon is one of their offense’s more dynamic young players despite having only received twelve carries to date. In the 2023 cycle, he was ranked No. 134 by the 247Sports Composite Rankings. The gifted running back, who is from Heathsville, Virginia, finished his senior year with 16 touchdowns. Although his high school tape was very impressive, there were doubts about how his skills would transfer to a college.
It was clear right away that his athleticism and speed would be useful in a collegiate setting. His impressive performance in the spring game showed that he has gained about 15 pounds of muscle since moving to Knoxville, Tennessee. Seldon sparked speculation about their running back room’s long-term design by breaking a few long runs, thrilling fans.
To maintain their prolific pace, the Vols opt to run a multi-back system. Their two best backs for the upcoming season are Seldon and Sampson, who Seldon can use to his advantage against Iowa in the Citrus Bowl to get some real playing time. That raises the question of what to look out for on Monday afternoon when Seldon finally makes his way onto the field.
In my opinion, Seldon’s ability to exert a heavy workload against one of the best defenses in the country will be crucial. Despite Seldon’s remarkable tape and astounding stats in high school, the Hawkeyes rank in the top five in most major statistical categories related to football defense. Seldon hasn’t faced a defense like this one very often. For any young running back, a four-quarter football game would be physically demanding, but Seldon appears to be up to the task.
Since quarterback Joe Milton III chose to forego the Citrus Bowl in order to focus on his NFL Draft preparation, true freshman quarterback Nico Iamaleava will start. Sampson will need someone to spell for him, and Iamaleava will need all the assistance he can get from his running game. On Monday, Seldon will be heavily relied upon by the offense; we’ll see if he is up to the task.
