KNOXVILLE — As personalities go, on Tennessee's football team there probably are none bigger than Alvin Kamara.

From his sense of fashion and on-field swagger to his engaging and occasionally humorous interviews after practices and games, the running back went from an uproven newcomer a year ago to one of the faces of the program.

So perhaps it's not surprising that the Volunteers' flashiest player spent his spring break last week in a hotspot like Miami training with one of the NFL's best players.

"Alvin's going down to Miami," Tennessee coach Butch Jones said after Tuesday's practice, "and I get a text message, and there's him and Antonio Brown together."

Brown, a two-time All-Pro wide receiver for the Pittsburgh Steelers, played for Jones and Tennessee wide receivers coach Zach Azzanni when they were at Central Michigan.

"They hear the Antonio Brown stories all the time, and now he's able to meet up with him," Jones continued. "They're going to meet up again some time in May and work out. To me, that's the exciting thing, is to see these players grow and elevate their game when they have time off."

Kamara's description of his spring break was more comical after he was asked to divulge the highlights and lowlights of his trip south.

"The highlights, I got away from the academics a little bit. Everybody needs a break from that," he said.

"Lowlights, I was in Miami, but I didn't go to the beach."

That part of his answer was met with incredulity by the half-dozen reporters surrounding Kamara.

"I'm a dark guy, and if I go to the beach, I've got tattoos and you won't be able to see my tattoos," he explained with a laugh. "When it starts getting hot out here, I'm going to put on long sleeves.

"I was training, man," he added, "and working on my physique."

Kamara — who spent his freshman season at Alabama — provided an immediate spark on offense and special teams for the Vols in 2015. He compiled 989 yards rushing and receiving, averaging 7 yards per touch, and he also returned a punt for a touchdown (and would have had a second if not for a penalty wiping out the score).

It was an impressive debut season for Tennessee's biggest home-run threat.

"This spring I feel like a vet," Kamara said. "Last spring I was kind of like a wet noodle, just running around and not knowing what's going on. Now I know the flow of practice, I know what's going on. I know what's expected of me. I know what my teammates expect from me."

After flirting with entering the NFL draft, Kamara remained at Tennessee and could have an expanded role in 2016.

He caught 34 passes for 291 yards and three touchdowns last season, and he could line up in the slot in some formations. The Vols also will continue to put Kamara and fellow running back Jalen Hurd on the field together.

It took half of last season for offensive coordinator Mike DeBord to find the plays that best suited Kamara's blend of speed and shiftiness, and he was effective on sweeps and edge runs after that.

"I know what to look for," Kamara said. "I know what I need to get better at. I know where I need to tweak and adjust and work on. I know what Coach G (running backs coach Robert Gillespie) wants from me. I know when I need to raise my level to raise the offense. I know when I need to talk to guys and how to talk to guys."

As for special teams, although kickoff returner Evan Berry and punt returner Cameron Sutton led the country in those categories last season, that won't keep Kamara from lobbying for more opportunities, particularly on punt returns.

"We're always trying to one-up each other," Kamara said of Sutton. "It's all love back there when we're returning. I want him to score as much as I want to score, and he wants me to score as much as he wants to score. It's healthy back there."

If Hurd and Kamara stay healthy, they could improve on last season's combined 2,467 offensive yards and 25 total touchdowns.

"We're just working to be the best group in the country," Kamara said, "and I feel like we do that every day."

Even if Miami's beaches are just around the corner.

Contact Patrick Brown at pbrown@timesfreepress.com.