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Tennessee Volunteers football, Kentucky Wildcats football, USC Trojans football, Running back

Tennessee, Kentucky, USC Running Backs Raise the Stakes in SEC, Pac-12

Vols' Jabari Small, Wildcats' Chris Rodriguez Jr., Trojans' Travis Dye Among Nation's Elite

The Southeastern Conference (SEC) and Pac-12 Conference are home to some of the nation's top running backs, and Tennessee, Kentucky, and USC boast three of the best in Jabari Small, Chris Rodriguez Jr., and Travis Dye, respectively.

Small, a 5-foot-11, 214-pound junior, is coming off a breakout season in which he rushed for 1,292 yards and nine touchdowns. He also caught 24 passes for 245 yards and two touchdowns.

Rodriguez, a 5-foot-11, 224-pound junior, is one of the most physical running backs in the country. He rushed for 1,379 yards and nine touchdowns last season, and he also caught 26 passes for 216 yards.

Dye, a 5-foot-10, 195-pound senior, is a versatile running back who can also line up as a wide receiver. He rushed for 914 yards and six touchdowns last season, and he also caught 40 passes for 402 yards and two touchdowns.

All three running backs are expected to play major roles in their teams' offenses this season. Small is the No. 1 running back on Tennessee's depth chart, and he is expected to be a workhorse for the Vols. Rodriguez is the No. 1 running back on Kentucky's depth chart, and he is expected to be a key part of the Wildcats' offense. Dye is the No. 2 running back on USC's depth chart, but he is expected to play a significant role in the Trojans' offense.

With Small, Rodriguez, and Dye all in the SEC and Pac-12, there is no shortage of talented running backs in these two conferences. These three running backs are all capable of having big seasons, and they will be key players for their teams in 2023.

Small, Rodriguez, and Dye Among Nation's Best

Small, Rodriguez, and Dye are all considered to be among the best running backs in the nation. Small was named to the All-SEC Second Team last season, and he was also named to the All-America Third Team by the Associated Press.

Rodriguez was named to the All-SEC First Team last season, and he was also named to the All-America Second Team by the Associated Press.

Dye was named to the All-Pac-12 Second Team last season, and he was also named to the All-America Third Team by the Associated Press.

All three running backs are expected to be even better in 2023, and they will be key players for their teams in the SEC and Pac-12.