Tennessee Volunteers running back Jaylen Wright declared for the NFL Draft ahead of the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl. He chose not to participate in the bowl game and instead focus on his draft preparation. Wright officially accepted an invitation to the Reese’s Senior Bowl on Wednesday that will allow him to work in front of NFL scouts in Mobile, Alabama.
Wright was a huge asset to this Volunteer backfield, as he was the first 1,000-yard rusher at Tennessee since Jalen Hurd in 2015. Wright put together a 1013-yard season despite splitting plenty of carries with Jabari Small and Dylan Sampson.
His most yards in a game this year came against Texas A&M at home, in which the Volunteers took home a win. He finished that game with 19 carries, 136 yards, and an average of 7.2 yards per carry. He had his longest run of the season against UConn, in which he had an opening play touchdown that went for 82 yards.
His most efficient yards per carry game was also in the UConn game, as he averaged a swift 14.1 yards per carry. The junior back didn’t have a multiple touchdown game, although he did score in the South Carolina, Kentucky, UConn, and Georgia games.
