Experienced Vols back with proven burst, but pass protection remains the swing skill
Joe Young has shown he can be a useful, physical depth back for Tennessee, with career production that includes 64 rushing yards and a touchdown in five games for the Volunteers, while his high school résumé featured big-volume scoring and production. His differentiator is trust in short-yardage and change-of-pace work rather than star-level explosiveness, and the main question is whether his pass protection can hold up consistently after reports from the 2024 season noted it as a weakness. He looks like a fit for a team that wants a tough, rotational runner, not a feature back.[3][4][1]
