DS #22

Dylan Sampson

Running Back · Tennessee

The SEC's leading rusher and Offensive Player of the Year in 2024, now working as a receiving-and-change-of-pace back for the Browns after Cleveland drafted him in round four.

Dylan Sampson broke Tennessee's single-season rushing touchdown record on his way to SEC Offensive Player of the Year honors, then landed with the Browns in the fourth round of the 2025 draft. He spent his rookie year carving out a role as both a runner and a pass-catcher out of the backfield in Cleveland's crowded running back room.

★ SEC Offensive Player of the Year (2024)

★ First Team All-SEC and Second Team All-American (2024)

★ Tennessee's single-season rushing touchdown record holder

Path to the league

Sampson rewrote the record book at Dutchtown High School in Geismar, Louisiana, breaking Eddie Lacy's school rushing mark, and committed to Tennessee as a four-star prospect. The Browns selected him in the fourth round with the 126th overall pick in the 2025 draft, a selection acquired via trade with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Career highlights

Sampson's junior season in 2024 was his breakout: 256 carries for 1,485 yards and 22 touchdowns, plus 19 receptions for 141 yards, leading the SEC in rushing yards. He broke Tennessee's single-season rushing touchdown record, a mark that had stood since Gene McEver set it in 1929, and earned First Team All-SEC, Second Team All-American, and SEC Offensive Player of the Year honors.

2025 season recap

As a rookie, Sampson worked in a backfield that also included second-round pick Quinshon Judkins, rushing for 175 yards on 65 carries while contributing significantly through the air with 33 receptions for 271 yards and 2 receiving touchdowns.