OFFENSE
Dominick Wood-Anderson: Tennessee simply didn't have anyone on the roster like Wood-Anderson at tight end. Not even close. A dynamic athlete with the size and speed to stretch the field and make plays. He also has the size to block when lined up like a traditional tight end. In two junior college seasons, Wood-Anderson had 43 receptions for 476 yards and 4 touchdowns. He's only getting better as well. A starting job looks like his to lose at this point. Remember his name. He could be All-SEC before he's done in Knoxville. In preparation of playing in the SEC, he's reportedly bulked up as tight end coach Brian Niedermeyer has stated he's up to 258.
Alontae Taylor: Taylor is raw as a receiver, but he's as dynamic an athlete as you'll find in the country. I mean, what else can you say about a kid who passed for 1,746 yards, rushed for 6,000 yards, caught for 479 yards, had 43 tackles with 5 tackles for loss and 2 sacks along with an interception and a fumble recovery, and 187 return yards on just 7 returns. All told, he accounted for 87 touchdowns either as a passer, receiver, runner, or returner. With an athlete who does so much, it's only natural to assume he'll make an impact, especially since he enrolled early. He's likely to find himself at slot receiver and I'll wager we'll see him early and often. He will be a top playmaker in the SEC.
Jerome Carvin - Tennessee's offensive line wasn't great last year. Okay, it was bad. That's why it's not a stretch to think Carvin could find himself as a starter as a freshman. Carvin is big, aggressive, and strong. At 6-4, 330, he can play tackle or guard. I'm of the opinion that he'll find his home at guard, not because he couldn't play tackle but because Drew Richmond, Trey Smith, and Marcus Tatum all have starts at tackle and the long JUCO transfer Jahmir Johnson looks likely to add to the tackle options. Perhaps Chance Hall as well if he's healthy enough to contribute. Carvin is the type of mauler that Smith was last year at the guard position, but he probably isn't athletic enough to do some of the things on the edge that Smith was able to do. Even so, I think Carvin can be an upgrade on the offensive line.
Jahmir Johnson: This was one of the big early signing pulls for the Vols along with Carvin and Wood-Anderson. Johnson is incredibly athletic at offensive tackle. In the right situation, he could be a big blocking tight end. He moves that well. He's on the skinny side at 290, but once he gets on campus in May it's reasonable to think he'll add good weight before the beginning of the season. As with Carvin, the offensive line is in need of improved play and Johnson has been brought in specifically to be part of that equation. He is likely capable of playing tackle or guard, but with his athleticism he may be best served to play on the edge.
Jeremy Banks: I had a real dilemma here because I'm not entirely certain how much Banks will play, and I could see offensive lineman Ollie Lane or receiver Cedric Tillman being early contributors, but ultimately the nod went to Banks because he is the type of back the new staff sought out due to a lack of taller, bigger backs. Banks is three inches taller than every other back on the roster and by the start of next season could be over 220 pounds comfortably. It's tough to gauge how many carries he'll get with Ty Chandler, Tim Jordan, Carlin Fils-aime, and Trey Coleman in the mix as well, but Banks has a unique build in that mix and it's tough to imagine he won't ultimately see touches in some capacity.
DEFENSE
Jordan Allen: One of the best stories in the class. Allen hadn't heard from Tennessee until a week from early signing. His mother turned the coaches away initially before allowing them to recruit her son. His mother is battling cancer, but she made a point of making sure her son enrolled early at Tennessee. He is a former high school defensive back and receiver who has made the transition to linebacker/defensive end. He initially attended UC-Davis out of high school before opting to head to a junior college for a chance to play at a higher level after redshirting as a freshman. Now at Tennessee, the hyper-athletic and long linebacker looks to build on his success as a redshirt freshman in his first season on the defensive line, where he had 27 tackles, 8 tackles for loss, and 4.5 sacks. He tossed in a couple passes broken up and a blocked kick for good measure. With the move to a 3-4 base, he is the type of pass rushing linebacker Tennessee seemingly had a lack of heading into the upcoming season. While he'll no doubt have to earn his place, it seems inevitable that he will find a spot in the rotation.
Greg Emerson: Emerson was forced to miss his senior season after injuries suffered at Nike's The Opening, but he appears to be on the mend and may even be full go in time for spring football, and that's very good news for the Vols. Emerson is big, strong, and very athletic. He ran in the 4.8 range at over 290 between his junior and senior seasons, and during early signing he was announced at 6-3, 280. Of course, he has since been mentioned by at least one staff member as 6-5, 305. Height discrepancies aside, his athleticism is indisputable regardless of his weight. The bigger he is, the better as he could play 3-4 end or 4-3 defensive tackle. Emerson fits the part of the type of defensive linemen the staff seems likely to pursue moving forward, and keeping him in the fold through the coaching change was a stroke of brilliance.
JJ Peterson: Peterson was the big National Signing Day addition that got fans excited, and for good reason. Peterson is the type of linebacker the excels in the defenses of coaches like Saban, Pruitt, and Smart, and all three coaches wanted him in a bad way. In the end, his relationship with Pruitt saw Peterson land at Tennessee, and he has a real shot to start early and often in his Tennessee career. Peterson has the ability to cover as a linebacker, but where he really excelled in high school was as a disruptive force, attacking downhill. His high school seems to have treated tackles for loss and sacks as completely separate, so in actuality it appears he had 44.5 tackles for loss with his 15.5 sacks over the course of three seasons. He also had 210 tackles and 40 quarterback pressures. While probably not ideal for the Jack role, he could likely play any of the other three linebacker spots, and he may have a very good shot at the strongside linebacker spot.
Emmit Gooden: Gooden had issues with qualifying out of high school, which led to him and Tennessee parting ways at that time. Concerns about academics almost kept this from happening this time around too, but a late unofficial visit saw both sides part feeling good about the academic situation and Emmit Gooden finally came home where he belongs in Knoxville. For a team needing to find answers at nose guard following the early departure of big man Kahlil McKenzie, the 6-4, 305 pound active defender is a perfect fit. On film, he looks like a defensive end at times with the way he moves, but he's plenty strong enough to take on double teams. He'll get challenges for the nose guard job from Alexis Johnson and redshirt freshman Eric Crosby, but no matter who wins the job expect to see plenty of Gooden. I could have probably included Brant Lawless to this mix as well, but he's perhaps tougher to gauge in this equation than Emerson and Gooden.
Trevon Flowers: This one is absolutely a reach, but hear me out. While it's true that this baseball player has only played one season of high school football, this incredible athlete made sure it was a quality season. The stats from his senior season are incomplete, but his highlights appear to show at least three interceptions and numerous well-defended passes as well as excellent speed and instincts from his free safety position. Now, Tennessee doesn't seem to have a need at safety, but corner and Star...well, those may well be a different situation. Flowers may well be able to play any spot in the secondary, and there is plenty of uncertainty in the secondary. I won't call Flowers a favorite to win any jobs, but it's reasonable to think he can find a way to contribute with his length and athleticism. Of course, given the uncertainty in the secondary, I could also include blueshirts Brandon Davis and Joseph Norwood, but right now Flowers looks on paper like the player closest to a quick contribution.
SPECIALIST
Paxton Brooks: Tennessee has no easy task replacing Combine participant and possible late round draft selection Trevor Daniel. Indeed, Daniel was second in the nation in yards per punt last season and that despite being tied for 19th nationally in punts per game. How good was Daniel? Well, he broke records set by Jimmy Colquitt back in the early 80s. I don't think I have to tell anyone anything about the Colquitt family. 28 punts inside the 20 last season. 33 punts of over 50 yards. 81 inside 20 and 76 of 50+ over his career. Trying to replace a man who has cemented himself in the Tennessee record books won't fall solely on the true freshman Brooks. He will face competition from Joe Doyle, Grayson Linde, and Grayson Pontius, but Brooks may be the smart bet. He averaged more yards per punt than any of the other options and appears to be the most likely to take the biggest strides. He enrolled early and is going to get a jump on developing over Pontius. Doyle was the closest to Brooks in high school and he may be the biggest potential challenger now, but my guess is that at worst the two split punts based on the field position. I fully expect to see Brooks next season on the field booting punts.
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