Tennessee's biggest running back is hoping to be a busier running back in his second season with the Volunteers.
Khalifa Keith, a 6-foot-1, 233-pound sophomore from Birmingham, Alabama, wasn't needed much on last season's team that capped a 9-4 record with a 35-0 blanking of Iowa in the Citrus Bowl. He received just 11 carries while buried on the depth chart behind Jaylen Wright, Jabari Small, Dylan Sampson and Cameron Seldon, and each of his rushes transpired in contests Tennessee won by more than 30 points.
Wright became the first 1,000-yard rusher for the Vols since 2015 and was known for his blazing speed, but Keith is hoping his size can be implemented more into this year's offense.
"With my body type, I love contact," Keith said last month in a news conference. "It's something I embrace, and it's something I take pride in. When I touch the ball, I have the mindset that no man can bring me down or can get in my way."
Wright and Small have moved on from last year's team, with Wright recently getting selected by the Miami Dolphins in the fourth round of the NFL draft and with Small signing a free-agent contract with the Tennessee Titans. Sampson, who rushed 20 times for 133 yards against Iowa and has averaged a stout 6.1 yards per carry through his first two seasons with the Vols, is the unquestioned starter for 2024, but backup roles are up for grabs.
Seldon capped his freshman season with a 13-carry, 55-yard performance in the Citrus Bowl but suffered a shoulder injury early in spring practice that required surgery. It is not known whether he will be healthy enough to go through preseason camp.
"Everything has gone extremely well in his rehab process," Tennessee coach Josh Heupel said last week during his stop in Chattanooga with the Big Orange Caravan. "He's done a good job of staying within the confines of what our medical team is asking him to do. We project him to continue to get healthy throughout the course of the summer and hopefully be ready when it's time to kick off."
One of the August storylines worth monitoring if Seldon remains sidelined into the season is who can secure the second-team spot behind Sampson under new running backs coach De'Rail Sims. Keith will be in that mix, as will redshirt freshman DeSean Bishop, who missed last year after sustaining an ankle injury in preseason camp.
Keith is 11 pounds heavier than Seldon, 33 pounds heavier than Bishop and 41 pounds heavier than Sampson.
"With Khalifa, every day is another step for him to take," Sims said. "The biggest thing for him as having confidence in himself to come out here and execute. Even if he makes a mistake, he can't let that get him down and affect the next play.
"He also needs to understand his size and how to run. He needs to use that as a weapon."
Keith's 11 carries last season produced 24 yards, and he had nine carries for 28 yards last month in the Orange & White Game. He was far busier last season on special teams, competing on both the kickoff-return unit and the punt team.
His size could also be an asset from a pass protection standpoint, which may serve as an even more likely avenue to playing time later this year.
"In high school, I didn't have to pass pro much," Keith said with a smile. "Coming into this level, there is a lot to it. It's nothing you can't handle, but it's new to you and kind of hits you in the face.
"I feel like I've grown a lot and that I had to take a big step up after J-Wright and Jabari left. I'm just trying to be detailed and taking in the fundamentals."
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com.