KNOXVILLE - In less than a month, John Kelly went from relative anonymity to the top spot in Tennessee's backfield.
Many in the program are excited to see what the sophomore does as the featured back for the Volunteers.
With Jalen Hurd gone from the program and Alvin Kamara unable to play due to his knee injury, Kelly quickly went from third to first on the depth chart for Volunteers running backs, and after his performances with increased opportunities against Southeastern Conference opponents Texas A&M and South Carolina, coaches and teammates expect more success.
"I have all the confidence in the world in J.K," Vols left tackle Brett Kendrick said this week. "In my opinion, he's one of the best backs in the SEC. Y'all have got to see him twice and he's a great running back. He's really going to get a chance this week to prove himself, and the offensive line's going to do everything we can to get him in the end zone as many times as possible."
Kamara hopes to return for next week's game against Kentucky, but Kelly is in line for 20-plus carries against Tennessee Tech with freshmen Carlin Fils-aime and Jeremy Lewis the only other scholarship running backs available for Saturday's home game.
Tennessee coach Butch Jones said Kelly has been "business as usual" this week and praised him for being an energized, behind-the-scenes leader, though he's behind nothing anymore.
"Five weeks ago very (few) people really knew who you were," Jones told Kelly. "(You had) very little carries. Now all of the sudden you may be the most talked-about Vol at this particular time.
"He kind of laughed and he chuckled."
The 5-foot-9, 212-pound Kelly had just 43 career carries when Hurd's absence opened up a larger role for him against Texas A&M. Kelly rushed for 89 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries and caught a pass for 12 yards against the Aggies.
In last Saturday's loss at South Carolina, with Kamara out for the game and Hurd not playing in the second half, Kelly had 94 yards on 14 carries - including runs of 17 and 34 yards - with a 17-yard reception.
"He's a very passionate runner," Vols quarterback Josh Dobbs said. "He wants the ball in his hands. He does a great job of getting yards after contact, breaking tackles and just getting the ball north and south and not running east and west. That's exactly what we need, and he's continued to grow each and every week.
"He'll definitely have more of an impact this week as well, and we'll be excited to get the ball in his hands."
Defensive end LaTroy Lewis, who like Kelly wears No. 4, recalled watching him as a freshman last preseason while recovering from a knee injury.
"I watched this kid - of course I was watching him because he's No. 4 and I wanted to see what he was going to do - and he just ran so hard," Lewis said. "Whether it was a negative play that he was making a 2-yard gain or he was busting out a 30-yard gain, I'm like, 'This kid runs hard. I trust him on other side of the ball.'
"I'm excited to see him getting his chance. He's getting his chance, he's getting carries and he's making the most of it. He's doing exactly what I expect and what the team expects from him, because that's what he's showed, and that's to run hard."
After the South Carolina game Kelly said he runs so angry because "everybody's out to get me," and many in Tennessee's program believe his physical, downhill style better fits its offense.
"I've never seen anyone run as angry as John Kelly," Kendrick said. "He's got crazy legs. He got up running off the ground a couple of times at A&M. He's unlike anybody I've ever seen before. He just gets up off the ground so angry and wants the ball again. He's fun, though, he's fun to block for."
The Vols expect to have fun watching him carry a heavier load in the season's final month.
"He's a very violent runner," Tennessee linebacker Darrin Kirkland Jr. said. "He really just runs with a lot of aggression, and I feel like that's a credit to his body build and everything. He's definitely a challenging runner to bring down at different times, so I feel like he'll be a great asset to our offense."
Contact Patrick Brown at pbrown@timesfreepress.com.