Senior tailback Corey Larkins made a positive impression on coaches at Tuesday's scrimmage.

Senior Corey Larkins practiced with the first team Wednesday, and could be the starting tailback if Tennessee's season began today, running backs coach Trooper Taylor said following the Vols' 40-minute workout at Neyland-Thompson football facility.

Asked if it was significant that Larkins mostly worked with the No. 1 unit along with freshman quarterback Brent Schaeffer and the No. 1 offensive line, Taylor responded, "Yes, because of the grades from (Tuesday's) scrimmage.

"To me, you are only as good as your last play. They understand that. I'm going to reward guys who make plays."

Taylor added, "It would be tough" to name a starter today but "Larkins might be the guy." However, he hastened to add that could change by kickoff for the season opener against Nevada Las Vegas on Sept. 5.

The emergence of Larkins has been one of the surprises of fall practice given that Cedric Houston, Jabari Davis and Gerald Riggs are more heralded backs. Larkins and Riggs have been battling to become the starter.

"Half of the time when running backs are mentioned, my name doesn't come up and that just makes me want to work harder and harder and make a name for myself,'' said Larkins, who has 40 career carries for 192 yards.

Larkins downplayed a sideline incident with Taylor during last Saturday's scrimmage when he threw his helmet to the ground, took off his shoulder pads and exchanged shoves with Taylor.

"He was just trying to get me fired up to go back out there for the next drive,'' Larkins said. "Unfortunately Coach (Phillip) Fulmer called the scrimmage off early and I didn't get a chance to get back out there. He (Taylor) was just trying to get me pumped up. That's all it was."

With the bulk of the hard hitting already finished in preseason drills, what could change the depth chart at running back? Taylor said, "You don't have to fumble it in a game or practice" to lose the job.

"To me if you can't make a guy miss right now we shouldn't have recruited you,'' Taylor said. "How he lines up and his aiming points when he gets the ball are things they will get graded off on the film. Watch, there will be somebody who skips class. There will be somebody who does something he is not supposed to do. If I can't trust him now, I'm not going to put him on the field."

Taylor also indicated he is not playing a media game by making comments just to boost a player's confidence while saying something else to the running backs in private. He said he is not into "giving a guy high expectations, knowing in my heart he's not going to play.

"Those guys read the paper just like I do," Taylor said. "Anybody who says they don't read the paper isn't telling the truth. You tend to believe what you read. I don't want them getting caught up in reading things about what is going to be. The difference is when they stop between the white lines. It's about guys making plays."

Still the speculation about the starting running back continues. One media member told Fulmer that he heard from Taylor that Riggs would be the starter and Larkins the backup.

"Well, I don't know,'' Fulmer responded. "That's not what he (Taylor) told me this morning. Maybe you have them a little backward."

Gary Lundy may be reached at 865-342-6274.