Another day. Another impressive performance for Alvin Kamara.

Tennessee rising sophomore running back Alvin Kamara

Ho-hum.

After just six practices at Tennessee, it’s becoming more and more clear that running back Alvin Kamara is every bit as dynamic as the Vols hoped he’d be when they plucked the five-star prospect from Kansas’ Hutchinson Community College.

Tennessee coach Butch Jones he and his staff and players now expect Kamara to come out and look as good as he did during Saturday’s situational scrimmage in Neyland Stadium.

“Alvin continues to just show up, have a workmanlike approach, run with very, very good pad level, be able to make you miss and also pass protection,” Jones said. “He’s a very good back without the ball in his hands and a very good back with the ball in his hands.”

Kamara took the ball on the first play, found a sliver of space toward the sideline, darted approximately 30 yards and finished inside the 5-yard line. He didn’t have that much space, but he didn’t need much. He rarely does.

Media were sent inside after four possessions —Â two ones-versus-ones, two twos-versus twos —Â but several players on both sides of the ball said the story didn’t change that much after reporters were sent to the bullpen.

“I love the way Alvin’s been running all spring,” said rising sophomore guard Jashon Robertson, an All-SEC player in 2014. “We talked about it today. I told him, I said, ‘Look, man, we’re gonna come out here, and you’re gonna get 150 rushing yards in this scrimmage, two touchdowns and 50 receiving yards.’

“He did a great job today, running hard, being patient, letting us work and finish and strain. I really enjoyed the scrimmage today.”

Added rising sophomore wide receiver Josh Malone: “We know anytime Alvin touches the ball that he can break it. As a group of wide receivers, we feel like if we secure the perimeter, he’s gonna have big, big days.”

Kamara, as usual, credited his offensive line for much of the damage, including his impressive scrimmage-starter.

“The O-line, they blocked it right up front,” he said. “I understand what they were doing, and it was just about being comfortable enough to read the hole and make the right cut and bounce outside. I just give the kudos to the O-line for that.”

Kamara put down his humility guard for just a second later in the interview, though, saying he’s been happy to break a few big runs.

“I’ve had a couple of big ones this spring,” he said. “That just goes, again, to understanding the offense and just understanding the tempo of the game. When I’m comfortable with all that, anything is possible. I can break runs all day.”

Despite being known more — and rightfully so — for his ability to make plays in space, Kamara at times Saturday again showed an ability to lower his head and fight for ground in short-yardage situations. Defenders insisted they got the better of the offense overall in those situations, but Kamara certainly collected at least a couple of scalps, as well. He lowered his head and scored on a fourth-and-goal from the 1-yard line on the day’s first drive.

“Some people think I’m kind of small and might be a little light, but if I have to put my head down and go get that 1 yard, I’m gonna go get it,” he said. “That’s what I’m here to do — whatever I’ve got to do to get those yards, get those touchdowns.”

Rising redshirt freshman middle linebacker Dillon Bates insisted the defense’s best work of the day came when it bowed up for big stops in some short-yardage situations, but even he didn’t try to downplay the difficulties that occur against Kamara in any spot.

“I’ve been really impressed with Alvin all spring,” Bates said. “He’s a hard runner, he’s a fast runner and he’s kind of a quick twitch guy, so he can really get downfield in a hurry. It’s not surprising at all [when he breaks off a big run]. When he first got here, we were throwing the ball with him, and you could tell that he was gonna be a playmaker.”

Jones said he and his staff pride themselves on their evaluations of prospects on and off the field, but even Tennessee’s coach admitted you never fully understand what you’re getting until it shows up and starting practicing on your campus.

Fortunately for them, Kamara has somehow managed to exceed their expectations since January.

“It’s basically what we expected,” Jones said. “What you see on video is what you see in person. He runs with very, very good body lean, very good pad level. The things you don’t see on video, though, has been great. Our football team has embraced him. He’s becoming a leader of this football team. He shows up with great consistency and approach every single day. We know what we’re getting with him. He’s very, very competitive.

“He had an ankle sprain Thursday, and we were saying, ‘OK, let’s see if he goes,’ and he had his best practice. And then he put two [good] practices back to back. He’s been extremely productive for us, and he’s been a great spokesperson for the culture here and what we’re building here, as well.”

———————————————

Contact Wes Rucker BY EMAIL at wesrucker247@gmail.com, or ON TWITTER or ON FACEBOOK