Tennessee Volunteers Sep 1, 2018; Charlotte, NC, USA; A Tennessee Volunteers player holds their helmet along the sidelines during the second quarter at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-USA TODAY Sports
ArticlesBy Chris Novak on

Tennessee star Dylan Sampson will head to the pros. Sampson announced on Friday that he plans to enter the 2025 NFL Draft.

Sampson’s exit from Knoxville ends a very exciting career for Sampson, who had his best year yet in 2024. He’ll be part of a very touted running back class this coming season.

Sampson announced his decision on his personal Instagram account.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Dylan Sampson 🥀 (@lahsamp_.1)

“Vol Nation, your support has been nothing short of amazing,” Sampson said. “Knoxville has become my home and has made me a better human being over the years. I’m going to miss the feeling of rolling up to Vol Walk, running through the ‘T’, and hearing the Pride of Southland bnad play ‘Rocky Top.’ I poured my heart and soul into this program and community.

“With that being said, I will be declaring for the 2025 NFL Draft,” Sampson announced.

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Sampson won the 2024 SEC Offensive Player of the Year Award after his prodigious season. He led with 258 carries, 1,491 yards, and 22 touchdowns. While Josh Heupel’s offenses are known for their passing game, the run game took the bulk this past season. Sampson was more than willing to take on that load.

That should spell good things for him in the NFL. He’s a very talented player who’ll likely get a lot of good looks this year. The running back class is pretty stacked, led by Heisman runner-up Ashton Jeanty.

Expect Sampson to play on Sundays soon enough.

[Dylan Sampson on Instagram]

About Chris Novak

Chris Novak has been talking and writing about sports ever since he can remember. Previously, Novak wrote for and managed sites in the SB Nation network for nearly a decade from 2013-2022

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