Tennessee
Replacing Derrick Henry doesn’t end with Spears, Pollard: Tennessee Titans search for RB3
Replacing Derrick Henry won’t just be the job of two men.
In Henry’s five healthy seasons, from 2018 to 2023, the Tennessee Titans handed the ball to their No. 3 running back an average of 0.75 times per game. Their No. 3 running back in 2023, Jonathan Ward, carried just three times all season.
For comparison, the average No. 3 NFL back in 2023 carried 32 times. The Pittsburgh Steelers were the only team that used a third tailback less frequently than the Titans.
Tyjae Spears and Tony Pollard are taking over Henry’s mantle atop the depth chart, but without a Henry-like presence touching the ball 30 times per game, the Titans need more bodies.
MEET THE COACH: Melting cleats, walking dogs: Inside Lori Locust’s journey from women’s football to NFL, Tennessee Titans
“You’re not just going to have two backs. You’re actually going to have to platoon about three of them,” Titans running backs coach Randy Jordan told The Tennessean. “That third guy’s got to be a special teams guy. He’s got to be a guy we can count on. I really look for that third guy to be able to play on first, second and third down and be able to be a plug-and-play guy. It’s a really, really big decision.”
The Titans’ options beyond Spears and Pollard are: 2022 fourth-round pick Hassan Haskins; two-year practice squad player Julius Chestnut; and undrafted rookies Jabari Small and Dillon Johnson. The four players have 34 NFL carries combined, and none since 2022.
No player in that bunch should be expected to replace Henry, but Jordan has various reasons for why he’s excited about the depth of his room.
Tennessee Titans’ running back depth, analyzed
The biggest question mark about the Spears-Pollard tandem is to whom the Titans will turn in situations that call for a bigger back. This is where Haskins can stake his claim to the No. 3 job.
“Hassan, he’s one that I’m really intrigued with,” Jordan said. “Big backs, I kind of like coaching those guys. They have a different type of skill set. I call it being a bully. I say, ‘Look, God made you that size. Let’s make sure we let people know that you’re the bully on every play.’ “
Jordan says the 6-foot-2, 228-pound Haskins is doing a good job of absorbing information and executing plays. Haskins hasn’t played since 2022, though, and he’s not the Titans’ only bigger option. Chestnut measures in at 5-11, 228 pounds, and Johnson is 5-11, 217 pounds.
More than filling one specific role, though, Jordan says the main thing he’s looking for from a No. 3 back is consistency. He doesn’t want players who know the protections on Wednesday but forget them by Friday, or players who have energy on Thursdays but not Mondays.
With regards to consistency, he has been pleased with his two rookies. Small, the Tennessee product, and Johnson, the Washington standout, roomed together throughout OTAs and minicamp, helping each other learn the offense. Both have significant learning curves coming from wide-open college passing attacks, starting even with huddling for the first time.
But both expressed confidence in their fit with the Titans.
“I think it complements me,” Johnson said. “I played at Washington where we threw the ball a lot, but we also ran the ball a lot. So that’s kind of a balanced attack.”
“It’s definitely a learning curve as far as what I’ve been doing the past three years, but football is football,” Small added. “Everybody runs the same things. It’s just different formations, different terminology.”
Jordan called Small the team’s “tweener.” Come training camp, Jordan is excited to see how Small responds in pass protection, because he’s already fairly confident in his pass-catching ability and versatility.
Between the practice squad and active roster, it’s plausible the Titans could hold on to Haskins, Chestnut, Johnson and Small, especially with the added value running backs provide under the new kickoff rules. But given the need for balanced depth everywhere, it’s most likely the player who makes the 53-man roster as the No. 3 running back will have to be dependable as a runner, receiver, blocker and tackler.
Figuring out who that should be will earn Jordan his paycheck.
“It’s probably one of the most important things as a coach that I’m going to have to do this year,” Jordan said.
BETTER WITHOUT THE KING? Here’s case Tennessee Titans can be better with Tony Pollard, Tyjae Spears than Derrick Henry
Nick Suss is the Titans beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Nick at nsuss@gannett.com. Follow Nick on X, the platform formerly called Twitter, @nicksuss.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) – The first measles case of 2025 has been confirmed in the state, and it’s in Middle Tennessee, according to the Tennessee Department of Health.
Health officials said the infected person is recovering in their home, while doctors and people worry about the viral infection spreading.
The measles is an infection some people said they weren’t too surprise was spreading, Breanna Thomas said she almost expected it.
“I’m going to be honest I wasn’t too shocked because a lot of mothers and fathers are very hesitant to vaccinate their children,” Thomas said.
Doctor Joseph Gigante with the Monroe Carole Junior Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt said the spread of measles seemed to be moving fast.
“Unfortunately, the most recent outbreak that started in west Texas has now spread,” Dr. Gigante said.
The Tennessee Department of Health announced a measles case was found in Middle Tennessee in March on Friday.
“This is where you get really worried and really concerned,” Dr. Gigante said.
Tennessee health officials said measles is highly infectious. The virus spreads through the air when an infected person speaks, coughs or sneezes.
Officials said the person in Middle Tennessee was infected in early March, but they’re investigating to find out where or how they got the virus.
“It’s a tragedy, but it’s so easy to prevent measles. The best thing parents could do is to vaccinate your child,” Dr. Gigante said.
Doctors said watch out for symptoms of small bumps, high fever, cough and a runny noise. Measles can also be fatal.
“There could definitely be a mini epidemic here in Tennessee for sure,” Thomas said.
The department reports that there’s an active national measles outbreak with over 300 cases in 11 states, including two deaths.
“I would hope that the cases are quarantined very well and even put in isolation rooms if they do have to go unfortunately to the hospital,” Thomas said.
Copyright 2025 WSMV. All rights reserved.
Tennessee
UCLA vs. Tennessee Prediction: Odds, Expert Picks, Betting Trends and Stats for 2025 March Madness Round 2
The UCLA Bruins (23-10) take the court against the Tennessee Volunteers (28-7) in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Saturday in Lexington, KY.
UCLA thumped Utah State, 72-47, on Thursday in the first round. Eric Dailey, Jr. and Skyy Clark paced the Bruins’ attack with 14 points apiece. UCLA was 10-24 from beyond the arc (41.7%).
Tennessee advanced to Saturday’s second round with a decisive victory of their own, dominating Wofford, 77-62. Chaz Lanier had 29 for the Vols in the win and the Tennessee defense allowed Wofford a mere 27 first half points.
The winner of this game earns a ticket to the Sweet 16.
Lets dive into the matchup and offer some information and possibly a sweat or two.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch the opening tip, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
Game details & how to watch UCLA vs. Tennessee
- Date: Saturday, March 22, 2025
- Time: 9:40PM EST
- Site: Rupp Arena
- City: Lexington, KY
- Network/Streaming: TBS / truTV
Never miss a second of the action and stay up to date with all the latest scores and player news. Check out our day-by-day NCAA Basketball Schedule Page that includes live game updates.
Game odds for UCLA vs. Tennessee
The latest odds as of Friday courtesy of BetMGM:
- Odds: UCLA Bruins (+170), Tennessee Volunteers (-210)
- Spread: Volunteers -4.5
- Total: 132.5 points
Expert picks & predictions for UCLA vs. Tennessee
NBC Sports Bet Best Bet
Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the NCAA calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, injuries, and the schedule.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Saturday’s Bruins & Volunteers game:
- Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play on the Moneyline.
- Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on Tennessee -4.5.
- Total: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play on the Game Total OVER 132.5.
UCLA vs. Tennessee: Top betting trends and recent stats
- UCLA has covered the spread in 3 of their last 4 games
- UCLA Game Totals have cashed to the OVER in 3 of their last 4 games
- Tennessee did not cover as 18.5-point favorites against Wofford
- Tennessee is now 3-7 against the spread in their last 10 games
- The OVER has cashed in 5 of Tennessee’s last 6 games
If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our NCAA Basketball Top Trends Tool on NBCSports.com!
Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.
Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:
· Jay Croucher (@croucherJD)
· Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper)
· Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports)
· Brad Thomas (@MrBradThomas)
LEXINGTON, Ky. − Tennessee basketball and UCLA are playing for a spot in the Sweet 16.
The No. 2 seed Vols (27-8) face the No. 10 seed Bruins (23-10) at 9:40 p.m. ET on Saturday on TNT/TruTV at Rupp Arena.
Tennessee advanced with a 77-62 win against No. 15 Wofford on Thursday then the Bruins walloped No. 10 Utah State 72-47. UT is playing for its third straight trip to the Sweet 16 under coach Rick Barnes, including last season’s Elite Eight berth. It also went to the Sweet 16 in 2019.
How Tennessee basketball advanced in the NCAA Tournament
Chaz Lanier starred in his first NCAA Tournament game. He scored 29 points, which is the third-most in an NCAA Tournament game UT history. He hit six 3-pointers, which matched Dalton Knecht, Santiago Vescovi and Chris Lofton for the most in an NCAA Tournament game by a Vol.
Zakai Zeigler had 12 points and 12 assists. He broke Johnny Darden’s career assists record with his second assist against Wofford.
Jahmai Mashack had nine points and seven rebounds.
How UCLA advanced in the NCAA Tournament to face Tennessee
The Bruins easily handed Utah State in the nightcap Thursday. Skyy Clark and Eric Dailey Jr. had 14 points each. Kobe Johnson had eight points and eight rebounds.
UCLA limited the Aggies to 4-for-31 3-point shooting, while hitting 10-for-24.
Mike Wilson covers University of Tennessee athletics. Email him at michael.wilson@knoxnews.com and follow him on X @ByMikeWilson or Bluesky @bymikewilson.bsky.social. If you enjoy Mike’s coverage, consider a digital subscription that will allow you access to all of it.
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