Tennessee

Replacing Derrick Henry doesn’t end with Spears, Pollard: Tennessee Titans search for RB3

Published

2 years ago

June 24, 2024

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.

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Tennessee

Tennessee is 230 years old, and it all started right here in Knoxville

Published

8 hours ago

May 29, 2026

Press Room

Tennessee is 230 years old, and it all started right here in Knoxville

Tennessee became the 16th state on June 1, 1796, after President George Washington signed the bill for its admission.
John Sevier was chosen as the first governor, and Knoxville was the state’s first capital.
Before becoming a state, the territory was known as the “Southwest Territory” and briefly existed as the unrecognized state of Franklin.
The state has had three constitutions, with the current one adopted in 1870 after the Civil War.

Much to-do is being made of America’s 250th birthday, as well it should.

But did you know June 1 is Tennessee’s 230th birthday?

It was on June 1, 1796, that President George Washington signed a bill granting Tennessee immediate admission as the 16th state. Gov. John Sevier was chosen to lead the new state, and Knoxville was picked as its first capital.

A decade before, settlers west of the Appalachian mountains had sought admission to the union for the state of Franklin. But despite four years of existence, Franklin never gained federal approval.

Tennessee’s first official state constitution – drafted by 55 delegates in Knoxville in 1796 – is on display at the Tennessee State Library and Archives.

It was drafted in the home of William Blount, which still stands on West Hill Avenue in downtown Knoxville.

Tennessee actually has three state constitutions: the first, adopted in 1796, a revision adopted in 1834 to update the taxation and court systems, and the 1870 constitution, adopted after the Civil War.

The 1870 constitution permanently abolished slavery in Tennessee and remains the state’s fundamental charter.

Celebrate Tennessee’s birthday in Knoxville

Marble Springs State Historic Site, home of Gov. John Sevier, will have a two-day free party for Tennessee’s Statehood Day.

Tennessee Field Day for kids (or kids at heart) is noon-5 p.m. May 29 and Statehood Day is 10 a.m.-4 p.m. May 30. Field Day explores history through many aspects and activities, and Statehood Day focuses more on lectures, demonstrations, music, line dancing and food.

The historic buildings and learning center are at 1200 W. Gov. John Sevier Highway in Knoxville.

Look back at how Tennessee was founded

1785-1789: Settlers establish independent systems of government and petition to become a state, but they fail to gain recognition for the state of Franklin. The territory is again under the control of North Carolina.

1789: North Carolina ratifies the United States Constitution and cedes its Tennessee lands to the federal government. It is designated as the “Territory of the United States, South of the River Ohio,” more commonly known as the “Southwest Territory.” William Blount is appointed by George Washington to be governor. Early governance of the territory is focused on making treaties with Native Americans, securing settlers from attacks and encouraging settlement. Warfare with Native American tribes increases through the 1790s.

1792: Knoxville is selected as the capital of the Southwest Territory.

January 1796: Gov. William Blount calls for a constitutional convention in Knoxville to begin the process of joining the Union. The delegates form an organized government and constitution before applying to Congress for admission to the Union. The delegates select John Sevier as governor, William Blount and William Cocke as senators and Andrew Jackson as representative.

June 1, 1796: Tennessee becomes the 16th state in America. Knoxville remains the capital until 1812.

1812: Tennessee earns its nickname “The Volunteer State” during the War of 1812 because it sends 1,500 volunteer soldiers.

1812-1816: Nashville is Tennessee’s capital.

1817-1818: Knoxville is Tennessee’s capital again.

1818-1826: Murfreesboro is the capital of Tennessee.

1826-present day: Nashville becomes – and remains – the capital of Tennessee.

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Tennessee

Former Tennessee Baseball Pitcher Gets Called Up

Published

20 hours ago

May 28, 2026

Press Room

Former Tennessee Baseball Pitcher Gets Called Up

The Tennessee Volunteers are constantly getting players in the MLB and the MILB farm system, which is the developmental program that all rookies and young players (a.k.a. prospects) start off in. One of the players who has been in the farm system since being drafted is Nate Snead, who was with the Tennessee Vols just last season as a pitcher, and one of the better pitchers on the Tennessee roster.

Nate Snead is one of the better players to come through the Tennessee program as a reliever, and he is one of the better pitchers when it comes to his fastball, as he throws what many would confirm to be “gas.”

Nate Snead Gets Called Up

Feb 18, 2026; Tempe, AZ, USA; Los Angeles Angels pitcher Nate Snead poses for a portrait during photo day at Tempe Diablo Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Snead was in Single-A to start his career, but he is now on his way up, as he is moving up to Double-A after a great start to his career. He is heading to the Rocket City Trash Pandas, which is an affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels. This would mean he is in the same farm system that both Christian Moore and Ben Joyce recently had to come through, and is one of the better players in the farm system for the Angels, anyway.

He currently holds an ERA of 2.80, which is great considering he has pitched 35.1 innings. He holds a win-loss record of 3-3, and also has a total of 39 strikeouts, which would mean he is averaging more than a strikeout every inning he pitches. He is also giving up less than a hit an inning, which is where he should be in order to get called up.

This decision doesn’t seem rushed, and it doesn’t seem that this is going to backfire. He will likely finish his season in Double-A, although a great stretch could lead to him being fast-tracked to Triple-A, the final team before the majors.

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Tennessee

What channel is Texas vs Tennessee today? Time, TV for WCWS softball game

Published

1 day ago

May 28, 2026

Press Room

What channel is Texas vs Tennessee today? Time, TV for WCWS softball game

Two teams who feel fated to face off will play each to open each other’s respective Women’s College World Series.

The Texas Longhorns and Tennessee Lady Vols square up in a battle of block Ts and oranges, with two of the sport’s eminent aces potentially facing off in Teagan Kavan and Karlyn Pickens.

Texas, the defending national champions, defeated the Lady Vols 2-0 in last year’s semifinals to advance to the Women’s College World Series final. It’s a massive game for Tennessee, which is looking to avoid dropping into the loser’s bracket as it did in 2023 and 2025. The goods news? Oklahoma isn’t in this field, which is the team that dropped Tennessee in both of those showings.

With that being said, Texas is a softball superpower in its own right. Led by Katie Stewart, the Longhorns have some big bats. Tennessee will need production from its bats if it is to win this opening matchup.

Watch Texas vs Tennessee live with Fubo (free trial)

Here’s how to watch Texas-Tennessee in a high-profile matchup.

What channel is Texas vs Tennessee softball on today?

Game 2 of the Women’s College World Series will air on ESPN. Streaming options for the game include the ESPN app (with a cable login) and Fubo, the latter of which offers a free trial to potential subscribers.

Watch 2026 NCAA Softball Tournament live with Fubo (free trial)