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The deadline for underclassmen to declare for the NFL Draft was today, and Alvin Kamara became the third Vol to decide to return to Knoxville for big things in 2016:
Welp... Another year of this college football thing on rocky top.! What y'all think @Migos @DaFlippaMan ?
— Alvin Kamara (@A_kamara6) January 18, 2016
The lightning to Jalen Hurd's thunder, Kamara is a huge boost for Tennessee's offense because he gives them an additional dynamic. I would argue the Vols were at their most dangerous this year when both were on the field together, flanking Josh Dobbs in a triple threat attack.
Kamara didn't get a ton of carries (8.2 per game), which had to be a factor in his NFL consideration. But Tennessee got better at involving him in the passing game as the year went along: after just six catches for 37 yards in the first four games, Kamara had 28 for 254 and three touchdowns in the final nine. From scrimmage then Kamara earned 989 yards this season and seven yards per touch.
The Vols may have lost Marquez North this off-season, but they went three-for-three on their biggest underclassmen returning to school. Kamara's return ensures Tennessee's offense will have a chance to be even more explosive in 2016, where he can make a bigger name for himself and still look toward the NFL down the road.