Running back Daune Morris enters his sophomore season ready to show the coaching staff what he can do.
The Chattanooga native made a big statement during Tennessee’s closed scrimmage on Saturday, breaking loose for a 99-yard touchdown run.
“It’s always good to be able to show what I can do in certain areas, like being able to just be me in open field and just do what I normally been doing,” Morris said.
Morris is competing with Javin Gordon and Justin Baker for the backup role behind DeSean Bishop. The sophomore has taken the competition seriously by putting on weight the right way, while leaning on his natural versatility.
“He’s a jack of all trades,” running backs coach De’Rail Sims said. “Like in high school, he played out wide, he played in the backfield, played wildcat quarterback. He has really good vision, spatial awareness in the passing game, and in the run game, he does a really good job now of leveling his pads off.”
The speed has never been in question. Before fall camp, Morris clocked in at 21.9 miles per hour, making him nearly impossible to catch once he breaks into open space.
When asked if he is the fastest running back on the team, he cracked a smile and said, “Some people may have their days. You never know.”
Beyond his breakaway speed, his coaches praise his acceleration, low center of gravity and ability to fight through clutter at the line of scrimmage.
Morris rushed for 133 yards and a touchdown on 35 attempts last season, while also seeing action on special teams. Now, after watching Bishop grow into his role, Morris is ready to expand his footprint.
“Everything is not going to come at once, but being patient and just staying closer to God is really the main thing that you have to focus on when you’re young,” Morris said.
Whether the 99-yard scamper is the exact spark he needs to crack the regular rotation remains to be seen, but Morris is locked in on doing the work until his number is called.
