KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Dylan Sampson didn’t wish to go to Tennessee. At the very least not at first.
“They have been my second provide once I was a sophomore in highschool, however they have been off my record. I didn’t really feel prefer it was a spot I may develop and develop,” he stated. “There was an excessive amount of stuff happening.”
What stuff, precisely?
“You may look it up,” the working again from Geismar, La., stated with amusing. “We’re nonetheless coping with the stuff from the final employees. It’s no disrespect or hate. We simply by no means constructed a relationship after I obtained provided and I didn’t really feel like they wished me for actual.”
When Tennessee elected to fireplace Jeremy Pruitt after a tip ignited an inside investigation that uncovered a number of Stage I NCAA violations, Sampson’s view of the Vols modified. Tennessee employed Josh Heupel and in Sampson’s eyes, he gained one other attainable touchdown spot within the SEC.
He was nonetheless weighing his choices on a go to in June 2021, when his host, then-sophomore Vols working again Jabari Small, obtained a FaceTime name from his mother. They’d solely been speaking just a few moments when Heupel walked by.
“Trina Small!” he stated, addressing Small’s mother and speaking for just a few moments.
“That was small, however it confirmed to me how a lot he was valuing attempting to construct relationships. And so they valued me, too,” Sampson stated in an interview with The Athletic this week.
When Tennessee was at its lowest level, recent off hiring a coach some have been hesitant to consider in, Sampson believed. He purchased in when Heupel had solely a imaginative and prescient.
Three seasons, 30 wins later and with a Faculty Soccer Playoff sport at Ohio State set for Saturday evening, Sampson has confirmed integral in making that imaginative and prescient a actuality. He enters the sport proudly owning 5 single-season college information and because the SEC Offensive Participant of the Yr.
The most effective offensive participant within the @SEC.
Finish of debate.
Congrats @dylans21527 on being named the @SEC Offensive Participant of the Yr by each the AP and the coaches!
📰 » https://t.co/SephP5VcEY#GBO pic.twitter.com/9bR4PrlrKE
— Tennessee Soccer (@Vol_Football) December 11, 2024
“It was bizarre. Me and numerous guys in my class blindly dedicated to a program that hadn’t performed a sport but. He’s nonetheless attempting to get guys to purchase in and belief his imaginative and prescient,” Sampson stated.
Wanting again now, Sampson nonetheless isn’t positive why he believed with out something tangible to consider in as a four-star recruit and the seventh-highest rated prospect in Heupel’s first full recruiting class. He prayed in regards to the determination. He leaned on his relationship with former working backs coach Jerry Mack, now the pinnacle coach at Kennesaw State. He had different gives from faculties similar to South Carolina, Arkansas, Mississippi State, Vanderbilt, NC State and Louisville.
“It was only a religion type of factor,” Sampson stated. “I took an opportunity.”
This season, that blind belief has paid off greater than Sampson may have imagined.
His 22 dashing touchdowns are essentially the most in class historical past, breaking a 95-year file. His 1,485 dashing yards are additionally a faculty file. With another landing in Saturday’s sport towards Ohio State, he’ll tie Tim Tebow and Tre Mason for third-most single-season dashing touchdowns in SEC historical past, behind solely Derrick Henry and Najee Harris. With a profession mark of 35 touchdowns, Sampson wants three extra to prime Gene McEver (1928-31) as the college’s prime rusher to seek out the checkerboards.
Sampson has velocity and shiftiness backed by energy and call steadiness that make him exceedingly troublesome to deal with within the open discipline. It’s earned him rave opinions from coaches who’ve confronted the Vols this season, too.
“He breaks so many tackles,” a head coach stated earlier this 12 months for a scouting story during which anonymity was granted in trade for candor. “Folks suppose the road is nice however he creates explosive performs by breaking tackles.”
Simply over 62 % of his dashing yards this season (927) have come after contact, per Professional Soccer Focus. That’s seventh-most nationally this season. He has simply 5 runs this season longer than 30 yards, twenty ninth nationally. However he’s scored a number of occasions in seven video games this 12 months and added 19 catches within the passing sport.
Stopping Tennessee’s offense is troublesome however easy. Cease the working sport, and the remainder of it will get simpler. Let Sampson and the working sport get sizzling and the remainder of the protection might be underwater in a rush.
His play this season has lessened the load on first-year beginning quarterback Nico Iamaleava, a redshirt freshman nonetheless adjusting to life below middle within the SEC. Sampson’s heavy workload ought to proceed on Saturday when the Vols go on the street to start — and presumably finish — their postseason run.
Heupel’s 2024 crew leans on its protection. And Sampson. His 256 carries are ninth-most nationally, and his output has been constant. He’s topped 90 yards in each sport this 12 months towards Energy 4 competitors and has only one sport over 150 yards. He racked up 178 yards within the regular-season finale towards Vanderbilt that clinched the Vols’ Playoff bid.
“I don’t know if I even have the phrases to explain D-Samp and what he means to our crew,” Heupel stated. “He’s particular, man. He’s performed the place this 12 months in addition to anyone I’ve ever had.”
In Sampson’s freshman 12 months, the Vols reached No. 1 within the CFP ballot and gained 11 video games for the primary time since 2001. They gained a significant bowl sport (Orange Bowl over Clemson) for the primary time because the program’s 1998 nationwide title below Phillip Fulmer. Sampson scored six occasions and contributed because the offense’s third again.
As a sophomore, Sampson was a 3rd of a three-headed monster alongside Small and Jaylen Wright that mixed to hurry for two,092 yards. Sampson was second on the crew in dashing and led the crew with seven scores.
“That’s good in your physique,” Sampson stated. “And I knew all I needed to do was maintain enterprise and I’d be the beginning working again this 12 months.”
Within the NIL and switch portal period, although, dedication to a program isn’t a choice on signing day. It must be made time and again.
Earlier than Tennessee beat Iowa 35-0 in final 12 months’s Citrus Bowl, a number of coaches from different main convention groups despatched Sampson, he stated, messages on Instagram inquiring about his curiosity in getting into the portal.
He left them on learn.
“I’m extra of a grand scheme sort of individual. The issues I believe I can do, I’ve one of the best probability to perform right here,” Sampson stated. “I’m extra of a long-term thinker. The most effective issues, you’ve gotta await them.”
Mentioned senior receiver Bru McCoy: “He’s a type of guys that he may haven’t any touches and nil touchdowns, and he’d nonetheless be the identical man he’s with 20. Him staying humble, grounded and never appearing like he’s undertaking what he’s undertaking has performed lots for the crew and seeing deal with success. He’s an unimaginable teammate.”
The workload — and Sampson’s draft eligibility — beg the query: Is he taking part in his ultimate video games for Tennessee?
Confronted with the query, Sampson flashed a wry smile as soon as extra.
“I’m with my crew proper now,” he stated with amusing.
(Photograph of Dylan Sampson, No. 6: Kevin C. Cox / Getty Photographs)
