Tennessee Football: 5 Toughest RBs Vols Will Face in 2016

As laughable as the list of quarterbacks on Tennessee's football schedule is in 2016, the stable of running backs on the docket is just as salty.

No, the Volunteers don't have to face LSU man-child Leonard Fournette unless they and the Tigers make it to the SEC Championship Game in Atlanta, but the group of runners that UT must face is sturdy.

Georgia and Alabama always have stud running backs, and this season is no different. A couple of cellar-dwellers in the SEC East have dynamic players for quarterbacks to lean on, and there are few weeks where the Vols will have a break from game-planning around a top-shelf back.

When guys like Virginia Tech 1,000-yard rusher Travon McMillian, top-ranked JUCO running back Mark Thompson of Florida and Appalachian State star runner Marcus Cox failed to make the list, you know it's a strong one.

Thompson may wind up being one of the top players in the bunch, and the fact that he plays for the Vols-killing Gators should make UT fans everywhere cringe. But he isn't the only one who will.

There's plenty up in the air, too. The reasoning behind this list included some past performance, sure, but potential is a key piece, too. That's why an argument could be made for Thompson being on the list, especially considering one of the guys hasn't been in his team's two-deep yet.

Toss in the fact that Georgia star Nick Chubb's status is unclear, and there's a lot of guess work here. Still, many believe Chubb is going to be fine by season's start.

"Word is that Chubb is coming along nicely with his rehab, and he could be healthy by Week 1," ESPN.com's Edward Aschoff wrote. "But after shredding multiple ligaments in his knee, it's just not a guarantee that he'll be 100 percent by the first part of the season."

If he is, it's fairly certain Chubb will surge to near the top of this list. Let's take a look at the top runners the Vols will face in '16.

5. Stanley "Boom" Williams, Kentucky

Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports

You don't hear a whole lot about Stanley "Boom" Williams.

One reason is because he plays for the Kentucky Wildcats, who aren't really much of a threat in the SEC East. The Vols have obliterated them in each of the past three years by an average of 26 points since Butch Jones took over UT and Mark Stoops stepped into the helm at UK.

Another overlooked aspect of why Williams doesn't make a lot of top running backs lists is because he's hurt a lot.

But, make no mistake, the Georgia native has elite speed and change of direction and would be a marquee running back if he could stay on the field. With new offensive coordinator Eddie Gran in Lexington, Williams may shine.

Gran is known for his work with runners over the course of his career. Look no further than his time at Auburn when Carnell Williams and Ronnie Brown, among others, starred on the Plains.

Williams must buy in totally, though. Along with the injuries, a "personal issue" kept him from the team last year. If he becomes a leader, his natural athletic ability is already there, and he could take the next step toward being a household name. Gran told the Courier-Journal's Jon Hale that Williams needs to get it soon.

"

He's got to buy into what we’re doing. He's got to be able to learn it. He's got to be able to say, 'I'm going to learn it.' He's got to make sure he's on the same page. He's got to be humble. He's got to be selfless. This isn't about Boom. This is not about Jojo (Kemp), (Mikel) Horton, none of them. This about the Kentucky football team. This is about the offense, one of three phases. You've got a job to do, and here’s your job. Do it well, do it the way I'm going to coach it. If he'll buy in to all that—and they all will—they'll be successful. If not, then you know what? There's going to be another guy that will. I’m old school that way. You've got to be able to be accountable and dependable.

"

The 5'9", 196-pound runner finished with 929 offensive yards from scrimmage a season ago and scored six touchdowns. He also averaged an eye-popping 7.1 yards per rush. But he has to be consistent, and he has to produce at big moments.

Williams is on this list because of his big-play ability and his massive potential. Entering his junior season, all the ingredients are there for Kentucky to be his offense this year. Gran will let him be the showcase guy, but he's got to prove he belongs in the spotlight.

4. Sony Michel, Georgia

Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

The only thing wrong with Sony Michel is that he's not Nick Chubb.

Then again, who is?

A season ago when Chubb went down with his gruesome, season-ending injury against Tennessee, Michel came in and produced a spectacular sophomore season, emerging from the shadow of the Heisman Trophy candidate and turning in a great individual year.

The former star prospect from Florida wound up with 1,161 rushing yards and eight touchdowns. He added 26 catches for 270 yards and three more touchdowns and was, at times, a one-man show for a Bulldogs team that couldn't find any production in the passing game.

With Chubb expected to return in '16, Michel will go back to a supporting role. But that doesn't mean he won't be incredibly dangerous. Probably the only teams Michel wouldn't start for in the SEC this year would be LSU, Vanderbilt, Tennessee, Alabama and the one he's currently on.

Michel is a potential star who likely will be a longtime NFL player. At 5'11", 208 pounds, he's a prototypical running back with solid speed and the entire skill set to be a weapon in the SEC. He proved that he's a No. 1 back last year. But, of course, Chubb is a special talent.

The biggest question: How long will it take Chubb to be the unstoppable force he was pre-injury? If the answer takes a while, Michel could find himself in a starring role yet again. He thinks it could be a big year.

"I’m taking a big step," Michel told SEC Country's Zach Abolverdi (via Adam Stites). "I'm trying to expand my skills and do everything so I can be on the field a lot more."

How much he winds up on the field will probably be dictated by Chubb's recovery timeline, but he's good enough that new head coach Kirby Smart must find him a role.

No matter how big a playmaker Chubb is, Michel can hurt you, too.

3. Ralph Webb, Vanderbilt

Frederick Breedon/Getty Images

The most underrated and underappreciated running back in the SEC resides in Nashville. 

Somehow, the Florida Gators let Ralph Webb get out of Gainesville and find his way to Vanderbilt, where he put up the best season in school history for a sophomore running back. All of this while the Gators couldn't find a premier running back.

Just a glimpse at Webb's production on what was a pretty one-dimensional offense under head coach Derek Mason shows you just how good the 5'10", 200-pound rising redshirt junior is.

According to his VU bio, Webb earned postseason third-team All-SEC honors from Phil Steele publications, setting a sophomore record with 1,152 rushing yards—the second-highest total in team history.

He established a single-season mark with 277 rush attempts, averaged 106.7 rushing yards over the last nine games and 111.6 rushing yards in his last five SEC games. When the competition got better, so did Webb.

He's the focal point of Mason's offense, and if the Commodores can have quarterback Kyle Shurmur (or perhaps another signal-caller) step up and provide some balance and continuity on that side of the ball, Webb will really thrive.

With everybody focused on Heisman Trophy-winning running back Derrick Henry of Alabama, Fournette, Chubb and Jalen Hurd a season ago, Webb didn't get the headlines. But he was still a dynamic player who proved against the Vols he can be a home run hitter, too.

Mason's team appeared hopeless two seasons ago, but the Commodores showed marked improvement a season ago. This year, it's possible they could contend for a bowl berth if they can win all the toss-up games on their schedule.

Beating UT at the end of the year would be a tall feat to ask, but one thing is for certain: Everybody playing VU will have to implement a defensive game plan that revolves around Webb. On a team with few weapons, he certainly can beat you.

2. Bo Scarbrough, Alabama

Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports

The biggest wild card on this entire list also has perhaps the biggest upside.

Yes, Alabama head coach Nick Saban is known for his recruiting prowess, and he has pulled some of the most freakish athletes that college football has ever seen in his days luring recruits to LSU and Alabama. Scarbrough may be the most ridiculous physical specimen of them all.

The 6'2", 230-pound sophomore running back was behind Heisman winner Henry and NFL draft pick Kenyan Drake a season ago, so he doesn't have a huge body of work. That hasn't dampened the hype.

By now, you've probably seen the picture; the one where he's standing in the same picture (via 247Sports) as defensive lineman D.J. Pettway, and Scarbrough towers over him. He looks like a sculpted, pass-rushing defensive end. Yet he runs the football with deceptive speed and reckless abandon.

Scarbrough is just another former 5-star recruit on a roster full of them, but he's developed somewhat of a legendary status hailing from Tuscaloosa. This spring, nobody did anything to put out the buzz, either.

"Man, he brings it, so you better bring it," defensive end Da'Shawn Hand told AL.com's John Talty. "He's a man."

Added Saban, per Talty:

"

I certainly think he's capable of doing all the things that we need him to do. I think part of it is confidence, knowledge, experience. Having confidence in what he's supposed to do, how he's supposed to do it, why it's important to do it that way. I think when he understands that he plays fast and he's very effective. So those are the kinds of things that we can improve on.

"

If Saban has that kind of praise, you've got some special ability. So, there's plenty of reason for Scarbrough to not only be on this list but to be this high on the list.

The Vols are going to be strong defensively, but they've got to get stronger and deeper on the defensive front by the time they play the Crimson Tide. Scarbrough is one of the main reasons. A player with his size and strength will punish defenses that can't measure up.

It's going to be intriguing watching whether or not the sophomore can match the excitement around him. Following in the 6'3", 238-pound Henry's cleats won't be easy, but if size matters, Scarbrough won't have much problem.

1. Nick Chubb, Georgia

Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

By now, you know the story: Nick Chubb's first play last year in Neyland Stadium was the final play of his sterling sophomore season. All of a sudden, a player who seemed destined to win a Heisman Trophy in his career was facing an extensive rehab.

Maybe you've gasped at the picture floating around the internet of Chubb's large, ragged scar (here it is in an article by SEC Country's Jordan James). It isn't pretty.

But no matter how unfortunate that injury was, it's something that happens in football. It even happened to the last great Georgia running back, Todd Gurley, who came back bigger and better than ever and tore up the NFL during his rookie season.

Most of the time, even terrible knee injuries don't end careers. It won't erase Chubb's, either.

Last year, he had 747 rushing yards on 92 carries with seven touchdowns before the injury ended a promising season. That followed up a 1,547-yard freshman season that included 14 touchdowns.

When Chubb is healthy, there's nobody besides maybe Fournette who is in the same league as him. Hurd could reach that level this season, but Chubb is already there. The only question is can he get back there? How long will it take him to?

There's no denying the magnitude of Chubb's knee injury and subsequent surgery.

But given that he was reportedly ahead of schedule this spring, per Dawg Nation's Seth Emerson, the fact that he's a powderkeg who was already a workout machine prior to the injury and that he has unfinished business on the college gridiron, it would be unwise to bet against him.

By the time the Vols head to Athens and the Dawgs are geared up to exact revenge for UT's comeback victory from a 24-3 deficit a season ago, Chubb will almost certainly be back to his old ways.

If that's indeed true, Chubb will be the best running back the Vols will face all year. Along with Texas A&M defensive end Myles Garrett, Chubb will be one of the two best players UT faces all season.

He's that good. He has the ability to be one of those generational players on the college football field, and though that was a nasty injury, he'll be back. The Vols had better be ready.

All quotes and information gathered firsthand unless otherwise noted. All recruiting information gathered from 247Sports unless otherwise noted. All stats gathered at CFBStats.com unless otherwise noted.

Brad Shepard covers SEC football and is the Tennessee lead writer for Bleacher Report. Follow Brad on Twitter @Brad_Shepard.