“Ultimately, everybody is bought in, just like Roschon. The team comes first and if the team needs you, we’re going to play you.”
— Tom Herman
Herman’s statement may not intentionally carry an ulterior meaning, but I can see where RJ would perceive that as “I’m the backup and will see action all year” while Herman is planning on needing him just until Whittington comes back.
Harsh reality is there are no guarantees. Especially in a program like UT. You can have great, great talent yet still not play the position you worked hard to achieve , or as often as you’d like.
The great upside is this: as RJ sees more touches and gets better acclimated, he may turn out to be be the #1 back at UT for 4 years. And regardless, he is experiencing big time football, a bit of national attention, and will end up with a great education.