Ranking: What can you say about the Vols ranking right now? Well, "We're Number One!" has a nice ring to it. Will they hold onto it? That might be tougher to do, not because of anything the Vols will or won't do but because of the overall perceived strength of the Big Ten and ACC, potentially giving boosts to the cause for the top spot in the rankings for Virginia, Duke, Michigan, and even Michigan State. Any stumble could cost the Vols that top spot, but it would take a critically bad stretch for them to fall outside the top four or five teams right now, it would seem.
Strengths: If there was a relative weakness for the 2017-18 team, it was the offense. That is no longer the case as the Vols are the top offense in the SEC and a top ten offense nationally right now. Five Vols currently average in double figures for the Vols and there's a strong chance that a sixth will join them in that regard. The Vols lead the nation in assist to turnover ratio and are second nationally in assists per game. They are second nationally in field-goal percentage and 16th in free-throw percentage, although they fall a fair bit down the list at 83rd in three-point field-goal percentage. That said, they still his 36.4%, so they aren't shooting badly from behind the arc. They are 21st nationally in defensive rebounding, but at 139th nationally in offensive rebounding, they need to improve on second-chance opportunities (although when you shoot 51.1% on field-goals, there are only so many second-chance opportunities to be had). The rebounding works out to 31st nationally, so they are still fairly strong in that category. Tennessee finds themselves 6th nationally in blocks per game, in large part due to the combined efforts of Grant Williams, Kyle Alexander, John Fulkerson, and Yves Pons, who as a quartet average 5.1 blocks per game, most of the 5.9 blocks per game the team averages. The Vols also sit at 4th nationally in scoring margin, 10th nationally in scoring offense, 19th in fewest turnovers per game, 75th in turnover margin, 7th in field goal percentage defense, 39th in rebound margin, and 39th in three-point defense.
Weaknesses: There aren't many, but the defense is at least an area of some concern as the Vols are forcing a lower turnover average per game, allowing more points per game, and stealing the ball less. Not a bunch of major concerns, but concerns all the same. The three-point shooting average is down this season, which is being offset by the field-goal average but could become a problem in games when the opponent is hitting from three. In truth, none of these are issues until they hit tournament time, but areas for improvement before March.
Standouts: Jordan Bone is one of the nation's best point guards right now, and that's just a fact. He's 7th nationally in assist to turnover ratio and 17th in assists per game. He's playing more aggressively which has improved his scoring averages and he is now a threat to score himself or set someone else to do so. Admiral Schofield is steady as ever and good at everything even if he isn't the leader in any category, but he's improving his averages in pretty much every category and is possibly the most complete offensive player on the roster. Kyle Alexander is a scoring threat in the paint now on top of his shot blocking and rebounding, both of which have continued to progress. His field-goal percentage is 68%, so if he gets the ball, points are almost sure to follow. Of course, I can't fail to mention Grant Williams, who is the best player in the SEC right now and among the nation's best. 18.9 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.1 steals, and 1.5 blocks per game. He's either #1 or #2 in each category on the team. Jordan Bowden and Lamonte Turner are both excellent off the bench, averaging double-figures in scoring, and Yves Pons, while not a leader in any category, has become a glue-guy, smothering other teams top scorers at times. Still, Alexander, Williams, Schofield, and Bone make this thing go and losing any of the four of them would be bad news for their national championship ambitions.
Season Finish Prediction: I'll tentatively guess that this team continues to remain relatively healthy, and that's bad news for everybody else. That said, expect a loss or two on the road to the SEC tournament because everyone is gunning to take down one of the nation's top teams. In particular, Kentucky and Ole Miss are concerning teams to have to face, and LSU, Mississippi State, and Auburn won't lie down and play dead. The Vols won't lose many though. Likely they'll only drop one or two more games, but losses are just part of the game when you play 30+ games. In addition to being the top seed in the SEC tournament and outright regular-season champion, I'll go ahead and guess that the Vols win the tournament as well. A number one seed seems likely at that point, and the Vols should be able to ride that to the Elite Eight at a minimum and maybe all the way to the title game. That said, seeding by the time of the Final Four will become a big factor in whether or not they can go all the way as some teams will provide tougher matchups than others. Bottom line is this: the Vols are on their way to the best season in program history.
Tuesday, January 22, 2019
Sunday, January 20, 2019
Projecting the Depth Chart: Defense
Same thing here as yesterday: not signed or on the roster without sitting in the transfer portal and the name won't be popping up here. This is just for fun while we wait on any further staff changes and national signing day, so at most consider it as a snapshot of where the roster is ahead of NSD and spring practice. I'll revisit this after spring ball wraps up. I'm not going to be doing special teams because it will largely be the same as things stand right now. Now to get it going.
DE1 - Matthew Butler, 6-4, 276, JR
DE2 - John Mincey, 6-3, 264, SO
Reasoning: Butler was the most common backup to Kyle Phillips last year, and in his nine games played he had 13 tackles and a tackle for loss. Phillips didn't come out of the games often, so Butler didn't see as much action as he probably could have. If they dug deeper than Phillips and Butler, Mincey was that next man up more often than anyone else. The staff added Mincey late last cycle and really liked his skill set as both a stout run stopper and pass rusher, and in his five appearances, he finished with 5 tackles and a sack. Short of adding another player to the mix here, which isn't currently the case in the class, these two and Kurott Garland are the options so there will be some inevitable drop in production from the group. Butler was highly productive in high school and seems like a player who can rise to the challenge. That said, Mincey surpassing Butler wouldn't be shocking based on how the staff has raved about him.
NT1 - Emmit Gooden, 6-3, 306, SR
NT2 - Kingston Harris, 6-3, 316, FR
Reasoning: Gooden is by far the best of the returning defensive linemen, and frankly it isn't even close. In his first year in Knoxville after coming over from the JUCO ranks, he had 33 tackles, 7 tackles for loss, and a sack despite never starting a game. When this is likely to be a fairly young group, it's a good idea to put your best player in the middle of the defense, although he did show he could play defensive end last year as well. Harris played in the first two games of the season last year on defense before moving over to guard to help with depth concerns on that side of the ball. He moved back to defense just before the season ended and his big, strong frame is perfect for the nose position. Freshman Elijah Simmons could be interesting at this spot in the future, but the 6-2, 344-pounder will have some work to do in strength and conditioning that may hold him back in his first year on campus.
DE1 - Savion Williams, 6-4, 315, JR
DE2 - Darel Middleton, 6-7, 290, JR or Greg Emerson, 6-3, 305, RFR
Reasoning: Williams is a no-brainer here just like Gooden is. He's the #1 JUCO defensive tackle in the 2019 cycle and like Gooden looks to have the athleticism to play either end or nose. Frankly, the two can be regarded as somewhat interchangeable at the two spots. Even their numbers last year are pretty similar as Williams had 33 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, and a sack for his undefeated Lackawanna team. Darel Middleton had a long and winding road to Tennessee that saw him spend a couple years out of football, then in the JUCO ranks, and now on his way to represent his home state team. Middleton is a former high school tight end with great athleticism who had 29 tackles, 7 tackles for loss, and a sack in his return to the football field last year, helping East Mississippi CC to an undefeated season and the national championship. Greg Emerson was one of the top players added by the Vols in the 2018 recruiting class but struggles due to injuries and getting back into form held him back last season and he only appeared in a single game. He did a bit of bouncing back and forth between offensive and defensive line, but he seems settled in on defense and if he's healthy he should find a spot in the rotation.
OLBJ1 - Deandre Johnson, 6-3, 244, JR
OLBJ2 - Kivon Bennett, 6-2, 266, RSO or Jordan Allen, 6-4, 242, RJR
Reasoning: Deandre Johnson was the next man up after Jonathan Kongbo got hurt and thus far nobody has proven themselves to be a better fit at that spot. Considering the nature of this spot as a hybrid outside linebacker and defensive end, Johnson is a perfect fit. In two seasons in Knoxville, Johnson has had 17 tackles, 5 tackles for loss, 3 sacks, and 2 forced fumbles. All he does is make plays, and more chances to do so can only benefit him and the team. Bennett was a mid-season move to the Jack linebacker spot, and the staff was very happy with his progress there, holding him out late in the season to preserve a redshirt for him. Allen arrived last year having played high school wide receiver and defensive back before becoming a JUCO defensive end and now an SEC linebacker. He understandably needed time to adjust, although he did have 6 tackles and a pass defended. He played the Sam linebacker last year, but I think an influx of new talent and a more natural fit sees him shift to Jack this season as they look for the best way to utilize his talents.
ILBM1 - Daniel Bituli, 6-3, 244, SR or Will Ignont, 6-1, 239, JR
ILBM2 - Quavaris Crouch, 6-1, 237, FR
Reasoning: Daniel Bituli has led the Vols in tackles both of the last two seasons, but even he would tell you that last season probably wasn't up to the standard he set as a sophomore. He managed to make more plays behind the line of scrimmage, but he also looked lost at times in the new defense. In fact, he was replaced as the starter in a couple of games by Ignont, who made fewer negative yardage plays but was more consistently in position. I would venture to say both play and play a lot of minutes, and both probably register a few starts over the course of the season. Crouch hasn't been healthy for much of the past year, but he's expected to be ready to go for spring football and this elite athlete has proven himself to be very productive as both a linebacker and a running back. He'll get his first look on defense and he has the tools to play early.
ILBW1 - Darrin Kirkland Jr., 6-1, 234, RSR or J.J. Peterson, 6-2, 231, RFR
ILBW2 - Shanon Reid, 6-0, 218, JR
Reasoning: Kirkland clearly wasn't his old self after his serious injury issue from fall of 2017. Even so, he was still relatively productive. The Vols continue to wait, hoping to see a full return to the form he showed as a freshman. Meanwhile, Tennessee has an intriguingly talented option in Peterson, who is coming off a redshirt that was largely forced by his late arrival in Knoxville. He wasn't really in football shape at all and that held him back from contributing much, but he was getting back into form late in the season and he was highly coveted. Kirkland will struggle to hold him off unless he does return to form. I debated moving Jeremy Banks to defense, but there seems to still be a bit of uncertainty surrounding that move becoming permanent, so I went with Reid, who has been a special teams standout the last two seasons as well as a reserve linebacker. If Banks does move to defense, this is a good guess at a landing spot and the flashes he showed last season practicing on defense suggest he could have a bright future there.
OLBS1 - Darrell Taylor, 6-4, 247, RSR
OLBS2 - Roman Harrison, 6-2, 240, FR
Reasoning: We love to talk about players who emerge or explode onto the scene, and Taylor certainly fits that bill. Although a lot of his production came in two games, those two games were so excellent you couldn't help but see what he might become. 36 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, and 8 sacks were teamed up with three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. He just made plays in big games. When he's at his best, the defense as a whole is at its best. Anyone who has talked to me about my top guys in this class has heard me rave about Roman Harrison. He was forced to perform out of position on an undersized team and still put up huge numbers, and his career totals are awesome. He may have to make an adjustment, but he also has ridiculous athleticism, including being timed running a 4.6-forty and displaying a vertical of 38-inches. He's an early enrollee and with his talents, I think he quickly establishes himself as the #2 behind Taylor to offer a legitimate second option.
CB1 - Bryce Thompson, 5-11, 180, SO
CB2 - Warren Burrell, 6-0, 170, FR
Reasoning: Thompson was a Freshman All-American after a spectacular introductory season in college football. 34 tackles, 4 tackles for loss, a sack, 3 interceptions, 10 passes defended, and a forced fumble. He did it all as a freshman corner. He even returned 4 kickoffs for an average of 25 yards per return. He is excellent and aside from adding on a couple of pounds to improve his physicality, there's not much more you can ask from him aside from reasonable improvement from year one to year two. Warren Burrell had at least ten interceptions in high school (some stats for him are a bit incomplete), is a sure tackler, and has displayed the athleticism to block at least three kicks. He's an early enrollee eyeballing 180-185 by the start of his freshman season. There really isn't an established #2 behind Thompson, and Burrell looks like he will be the best candidate for the job.
CB1 - Alontae Taylor, 6-0, 186, SO
CB2 - Kenneth George Jr., 5-11, 195, RJR
Reasoning: Taylor had a bit more of an up-and-down freshman campaign compared to Thompson, but he still gave fans plenty of reason to be excited about his future. He is an elite athlete and solid tackler who is learning to be a better playmaker on the ball as he goes. It would take someone very special to knock him out of the job, and that player doesn't currently seem to be on campus. George was an early camp surprise after running with the first unit at times, but some injury setbacks and the emergence of the freshmen derailed his redshirt sophomore season, limiting him to a few appearances on special teams. However, he has the size and athleticism to become a top-tier performer. At worst, he appears to be a strong candidate to serve as the #2 to Taylor. At the corner spots, redshirt freshman Brandon Davis (could also be a safety), redshirt sophomore Terrell Bailey, redshirt sophomore Cheyenne Labruzza (also safety), junior Shawn Shamburger (also safety), and freshman Tyus Fields could be in the mix. Also don't count out nickel Baylen Buchanan, who filled in at corner at times last season.
NB1 - Baylen Buchanan, 5-11, 193, SR
NB2 - Tyus Fields, 5-10, 190, FR
Reasoning: Buchanan is kinda good at this football thing, in case you missed it. He was all over the field last season with 49 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 4 passes defended, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. He looked like the second-best defensive back on the field to Thompson most of the time last season, and unseating him just isn't happening. Fields is an early enrollee, and I still think that's a nice advantage, but an injury will force him to sit out the spring. Even so, this young man hits like a safety and covers like a corner, so nickel is a perfect fit for him. He had 182 tackles and 7 interceptions during his high school career as well as being a capable kick returner. His brother plays at Clemson and his father played in the NFL, so the bloodlines are there. He seems like a good bet.
SS1 - Nigel Warrior, 6-0, 188, SR
SS2 - Jaylen McCollough, 6-0, 194, FR
Reasoning: Warrior had a similar regression as a junior as Daniel Bituli, and he'll hope for a similar rebound as well. He has the bloodlines, athleticism, and instincts to be elite at safety, and he certainly will make the case to be drafted into the NFL, but there's work to be done. Regardless, it is hard to see him being passed up by anyone right now. If a candidate to unseat Warrior can emerge, McCollough looks like the guy. An early enrollee who has seen his stock rise in recent weeks, he is a downhill, run-stopping tackler similar to Warrior, although he may not be quite as fast. He's actually pretty similar to former Vol Brian Randolph, from my perspective. For those who remember, Brian Randolph had a solid chance at the NFL before an injury knocked him out in his first preseason.
FS1 - Trevon Flowers, 5-11, 184, SO
FS2 - Theo Jackson, 6-2, 190, JR or Brandon Davis, 5-10, 170, RFR or Aaron Beasley, 6-1, 220, FR
Reasoning: The departure of Micah Abernathy leaves the Vols needing to fill this spot, but Trevon Flowers was playing plenty prior to getting hurt last season. He never quite got back on track after returning from injury, but his talent is excellent and he's probably the heir apparent to Abernathy. After that, things get trickier. Jackson has yet to really establish himself in the secondary. His talent shows up too inconsistently. Brandon Davis redshirted last season, but the staff is high on him and there is definitely talent there, although it's also fair to say he's undersized for the job right now. Beasley is an interesting option. He's built like a strong safety or a linebacker, but his skill set lines up fairly well for free safety, with over 110 tackles, six interceptions, and a couple fumble recoveries in his last two high school seasons. Also an accomplished running back, he has ball skills and soft hands. I'd be a bit more bullish about him taking a #2 job if he were an early enrollee, but with no clearly established #2 here, he's at least going to have a chance unless someone emerges this spring.
DE1 - Matthew Butler, 6-4, 276, JR
DE2 - John Mincey, 6-3, 264, SO
Reasoning: Butler was the most common backup to Kyle Phillips last year, and in his nine games played he had 13 tackles and a tackle for loss. Phillips didn't come out of the games often, so Butler didn't see as much action as he probably could have. If they dug deeper than Phillips and Butler, Mincey was that next man up more often than anyone else. The staff added Mincey late last cycle and really liked his skill set as both a stout run stopper and pass rusher, and in his five appearances, he finished with 5 tackles and a sack. Short of adding another player to the mix here, which isn't currently the case in the class, these two and Kurott Garland are the options so there will be some inevitable drop in production from the group. Butler was highly productive in high school and seems like a player who can rise to the challenge. That said, Mincey surpassing Butler wouldn't be shocking based on how the staff has raved about him.
NT1 - Emmit Gooden, 6-3, 306, SR
NT2 - Kingston Harris, 6-3, 316, FR
Reasoning: Gooden is by far the best of the returning defensive linemen, and frankly it isn't even close. In his first year in Knoxville after coming over from the JUCO ranks, he had 33 tackles, 7 tackles for loss, and a sack despite never starting a game. When this is likely to be a fairly young group, it's a good idea to put your best player in the middle of the defense, although he did show he could play defensive end last year as well. Harris played in the first two games of the season last year on defense before moving over to guard to help with depth concerns on that side of the ball. He moved back to defense just before the season ended and his big, strong frame is perfect for the nose position. Freshman Elijah Simmons could be interesting at this spot in the future, but the 6-2, 344-pounder will have some work to do in strength and conditioning that may hold him back in his first year on campus.
DE1 - Savion Williams, 6-4, 315, JR
DE2 - Darel Middleton, 6-7, 290, JR or Greg Emerson, 6-3, 305, RFR
Reasoning: Williams is a no-brainer here just like Gooden is. He's the #1 JUCO defensive tackle in the 2019 cycle and like Gooden looks to have the athleticism to play either end or nose. Frankly, the two can be regarded as somewhat interchangeable at the two spots. Even their numbers last year are pretty similar as Williams had 33 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, and a sack for his undefeated Lackawanna team. Darel Middleton had a long and winding road to Tennessee that saw him spend a couple years out of football, then in the JUCO ranks, and now on his way to represent his home state team. Middleton is a former high school tight end with great athleticism who had 29 tackles, 7 tackles for loss, and a sack in his return to the football field last year, helping East Mississippi CC to an undefeated season and the national championship. Greg Emerson was one of the top players added by the Vols in the 2018 recruiting class but struggles due to injuries and getting back into form held him back last season and he only appeared in a single game. He did a bit of bouncing back and forth between offensive and defensive line, but he seems settled in on defense and if he's healthy he should find a spot in the rotation.
OLBJ1 - Deandre Johnson, 6-3, 244, JR
OLBJ2 - Kivon Bennett, 6-2, 266, RSO or Jordan Allen, 6-4, 242, RJR
Reasoning: Deandre Johnson was the next man up after Jonathan Kongbo got hurt and thus far nobody has proven themselves to be a better fit at that spot. Considering the nature of this spot as a hybrid outside linebacker and defensive end, Johnson is a perfect fit. In two seasons in Knoxville, Johnson has had 17 tackles, 5 tackles for loss, 3 sacks, and 2 forced fumbles. All he does is make plays, and more chances to do so can only benefit him and the team. Bennett was a mid-season move to the Jack linebacker spot, and the staff was very happy with his progress there, holding him out late in the season to preserve a redshirt for him. Allen arrived last year having played high school wide receiver and defensive back before becoming a JUCO defensive end and now an SEC linebacker. He understandably needed time to adjust, although he did have 6 tackles and a pass defended. He played the Sam linebacker last year, but I think an influx of new talent and a more natural fit sees him shift to Jack this season as they look for the best way to utilize his talents.
ILBM1 - Daniel Bituli, 6-3, 244, SR or Will Ignont, 6-1, 239, JR
ILBM2 - Quavaris Crouch, 6-1, 237, FR
Reasoning: Daniel Bituli has led the Vols in tackles both of the last two seasons, but even he would tell you that last season probably wasn't up to the standard he set as a sophomore. He managed to make more plays behind the line of scrimmage, but he also looked lost at times in the new defense. In fact, he was replaced as the starter in a couple of games by Ignont, who made fewer negative yardage plays but was more consistently in position. I would venture to say both play and play a lot of minutes, and both probably register a few starts over the course of the season. Crouch hasn't been healthy for much of the past year, but he's expected to be ready to go for spring football and this elite athlete has proven himself to be very productive as both a linebacker and a running back. He'll get his first look on defense and he has the tools to play early.
ILBW1 - Darrin Kirkland Jr., 6-1, 234, RSR or J.J. Peterson, 6-2, 231, RFR
ILBW2 - Shanon Reid, 6-0, 218, JR
Reasoning: Kirkland clearly wasn't his old self after his serious injury issue from fall of 2017. Even so, he was still relatively productive. The Vols continue to wait, hoping to see a full return to the form he showed as a freshman. Meanwhile, Tennessee has an intriguingly talented option in Peterson, who is coming off a redshirt that was largely forced by his late arrival in Knoxville. He wasn't really in football shape at all and that held him back from contributing much, but he was getting back into form late in the season and he was highly coveted. Kirkland will struggle to hold him off unless he does return to form. I debated moving Jeremy Banks to defense, but there seems to still be a bit of uncertainty surrounding that move becoming permanent, so I went with Reid, who has been a special teams standout the last two seasons as well as a reserve linebacker. If Banks does move to defense, this is a good guess at a landing spot and the flashes he showed last season practicing on defense suggest he could have a bright future there.
OLBS1 - Darrell Taylor, 6-4, 247, RSR
OLBS2 - Roman Harrison, 6-2, 240, FR
Reasoning: We love to talk about players who emerge or explode onto the scene, and Taylor certainly fits that bill. Although a lot of his production came in two games, those two games were so excellent you couldn't help but see what he might become. 36 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, and 8 sacks were teamed up with three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. He just made plays in big games. When he's at his best, the defense as a whole is at its best. Anyone who has talked to me about my top guys in this class has heard me rave about Roman Harrison. He was forced to perform out of position on an undersized team and still put up huge numbers, and his career totals are awesome. He may have to make an adjustment, but he also has ridiculous athleticism, including being timed running a 4.6-forty and displaying a vertical of 38-inches. He's an early enrollee and with his talents, I think he quickly establishes himself as the #2 behind Taylor to offer a legitimate second option.
CB1 - Bryce Thompson, 5-11, 180, SO
CB2 - Warren Burrell, 6-0, 170, FR
Reasoning: Thompson was a Freshman All-American after a spectacular introductory season in college football. 34 tackles, 4 tackles for loss, a sack, 3 interceptions, 10 passes defended, and a forced fumble. He did it all as a freshman corner. He even returned 4 kickoffs for an average of 25 yards per return. He is excellent and aside from adding on a couple of pounds to improve his physicality, there's not much more you can ask from him aside from reasonable improvement from year one to year two. Warren Burrell had at least ten interceptions in high school (some stats for him are a bit incomplete), is a sure tackler, and has displayed the athleticism to block at least three kicks. He's an early enrollee eyeballing 180-185 by the start of his freshman season. There really isn't an established #2 behind Thompson, and Burrell looks like he will be the best candidate for the job.
CB1 - Alontae Taylor, 6-0, 186, SO
CB2 - Kenneth George Jr., 5-11, 195, RJR
Reasoning: Taylor had a bit more of an up-and-down freshman campaign compared to Thompson, but he still gave fans plenty of reason to be excited about his future. He is an elite athlete and solid tackler who is learning to be a better playmaker on the ball as he goes. It would take someone very special to knock him out of the job, and that player doesn't currently seem to be on campus. George was an early camp surprise after running with the first unit at times, but some injury setbacks and the emergence of the freshmen derailed his redshirt sophomore season, limiting him to a few appearances on special teams. However, he has the size and athleticism to become a top-tier performer. At worst, he appears to be a strong candidate to serve as the #2 to Taylor. At the corner spots, redshirt freshman Brandon Davis (could also be a safety), redshirt sophomore Terrell Bailey, redshirt sophomore Cheyenne Labruzza (also safety), junior Shawn Shamburger (also safety), and freshman Tyus Fields could be in the mix. Also don't count out nickel Baylen Buchanan, who filled in at corner at times last season.
NB1 - Baylen Buchanan, 5-11, 193, SR
NB2 - Tyus Fields, 5-10, 190, FR
Reasoning: Buchanan is kinda good at this football thing, in case you missed it. He was all over the field last season with 49 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 4 passes defended, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. He looked like the second-best defensive back on the field to Thompson most of the time last season, and unseating him just isn't happening. Fields is an early enrollee, and I still think that's a nice advantage, but an injury will force him to sit out the spring. Even so, this young man hits like a safety and covers like a corner, so nickel is a perfect fit for him. He had 182 tackles and 7 interceptions during his high school career as well as being a capable kick returner. His brother plays at Clemson and his father played in the NFL, so the bloodlines are there. He seems like a good bet.
SS1 - Nigel Warrior, 6-0, 188, SR
SS2 - Jaylen McCollough, 6-0, 194, FR
Reasoning: Warrior had a similar regression as a junior as Daniel Bituli, and he'll hope for a similar rebound as well. He has the bloodlines, athleticism, and instincts to be elite at safety, and he certainly will make the case to be drafted into the NFL, but there's work to be done. Regardless, it is hard to see him being passed up by anyone right now. If a candidate to unseat Warrior can emerge, McCollough looks like the guy. An early enrollee who has seen his stock rise in recent weeks, he is a downhill, run-stopping tackler similar to Warrior, although he may not be quite as fast. He's actually pretty similar to former Vol Brian Randolph, from my perspective. For those who remember, Brian Randolph had a solid chance at the NFL before an injury knocked him out in his first preseason.
FS1 - Trevon Flowers, 5-11, 184, SO
FS2 - Theo Jackson, 6-2, 190, JR or Brandon Davis, 5-10, 170, RFR or Aaron Beasley, 6-1, 220, FR
Reasoning: The departure of Micah Abernathy leaves the Vols needing to fill this spot, but Trevon Flowers was playing plenty prior to getting hurt last season. He never quite got back on track after returning from injury, but his talent is excellent and he's probably the heir apparent to Abernathy. After that, things get trickier. Jackson has yet to really establish himself in the secondary. His talent shows up too inconsistently. Brandon Davis redshirted last season, but the staff is high on him and there is definitely talent there, although it's also fair to say he's undersized for the job right now. Beasley is an interesting option. He's built like a strong safety or a linebacker, but his skill set lines up fairly well for free safety, with over 110 tackles, six interceptions, and a couple fumble recoveries in his last two high school seasons. Also an accomplished running back, he has ball skills and soft hands. I'd be a bit more bullish about him taking a #2 job if he were an early enrollee, but with no clearly established #2 here, he's at least going to have a chance unless someone emerges this spring.
Saturday, January 19, 2019
Projecting the Depth Chart: Offense
A quick note on the projections here: only players expected to be eligible, not currently in the transfer portal, and already signed with the Vols are going to be included, so understand that this may change. Given the uncertain status of Trey Smith, I also won't include him at this time. I will do this again after spring football with all the reasonable updates and changes. This will only be a two-deep, mostly for the sake of simplicity. If I can't decide between a couple of players, they will be slotted together.
QB1 - Jarrett Guarantano, 6-4, 209, RJR
QB2 - J.T. Shrout, 6-3, 210, RFR or Brian Maurer, 6-3, 199, FR
Reasoning: I just don't think Shrout or Maurer are going to step out and take this job from Guarantano, but between the two I don't have a good feel for who wins the backup job. Maurer being an early enrollee gives him the jump on learning the system that Shrout didn't have last year. Shrout winning the number 2 role will probably boil down to decision-making and protecting the ball as that was one of the tougher things for him in his one season starting in high school. He has the talent. Maurer is easily the more mobile of the two, but he's not a dual-threat by any means. As for Guarantano retaining the starting job, he would need to get hurt or simply regress to lose the job. While it's absolutely fair to say Guarantano needs to become more productive as far as touchdowns are concerned, he's been excellent at not making the mistakes that can cost teams games. Jim Chaney, the new offensive coordinator and presumed quarterback coach, has been excellent at developing passers, so the entire group should benefit. That said, for anyone thinking unseating Guarantano will be easy, three other quarterbacks have played meaningful snaps the last two seasons for a combined 116-228, 1,527 yards, 10 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions with a 51% completion percentage in 16 appearances. For comparison, Guarantano has thrown for 239-385, 2,904 yards, 16 touchdowns, and 5 interceptions with a 62% completion percentage in 21 appearances. He's the man until somebody can beat the man. Hasn't happened yet.
RB1 - Ty Chandler, 5-11, 201, JR or Tim Jordan, 5-11, 203, JR
RB2 - Eric Gray, 5-9, 194, FR or Carlin Fils-aime, 5-11, 180, SR
Reasoning: Tennessee was running back by committee last year, and short of one of the backs really pulling away they will be again in 2019. That said, the Vols were not necessarily handing out carries equally across the board as Chandler and Jordan combined for 21.5 carries per game compared with the other two top ballcarriers who had a combined 7.8 per game over the course of the season. That distribution of carries was fully justified as Jordan and Chandler combined for 1,152 rushing yards and 7 touchdowns while averaging 4.7 yards per carry and also had 299 receiving yards and 3 touchdowns while averaging 9.7 yards per reception. However, they still needed more help from the offensive line as they lost a combined 81 yards on the season as well. Eric Gray is highly ranked and is a bit of a different back from Chandler and Jordan. Chandler is speedy, Jordan is tough and fearless, and Gray is shifty and tough to get a clean shot on. Carlin Fils-aime didn't get many carries after returning to running back from corner, but he averaged 5.1 yards and scored a touchdown on his 7 carries. With Madre London out of eligibility and Jeremy Banks still a possibility to end up at linebacker, Fils-aime looks like a candidate to see a larger workload right now.
WR1 - Marquez Callaway, 6-2, 200, SR
WR2 - Ramel Keyton, 6-3, 185, FR
Reasoning: Marquez Callaway is a no-brainer. He has produced at a high level over the last two seasons and continues to show improvement. He is good right now; Tennessee needs him to become great, but he appears to be on his way. Brandon Johnson was one of the best receivers on the team in 2017, but last season was less kind to him. Keyton is bigger and rangier, so if he's healthy it would take Johnson returning to his sophomore season form to be able to hold off the true freshman. The sure-handed Johnson will still play, but his snaps will likely drop as he gives way to the younger Keyton. Keyton enrolling early gives him an added boost in earning a role early in his career.
WR1 - Josh Palmer, 6-2, 201, JR
WR2 - Jordan Murphy, 6-0, 177, JR
Reasoning: Josh Palmer exploded onto the scene last year, turning his 23 receptions into almost 500 yards and two touchdowns. Realistically he can't keep that pace up as far as his yards per reception are concerned, but he should continue to progress and provide an explosive option, especially on the deep ball. Jordan Murphy also came along in 2018, although with less explosiveness than Palmer, becoming a strong contributor among the second group of receivers. Murphy, like Palmer, can fly down the field as evidenced by his work against Kentucky in which he had a 59-yard run and a 38-yard reception. He also had a 50-yard reception against ETSU. Murphy seems the perfect complement to Palmer when the latter needs a breather.
WR1 - Jauan Jennings, 6-3, 221, RSR
WR2 - Brandon Johnson, 6-2, 189, SR or Cedric Tillman, 6-3, 212, RFR
Reasoning: Jauan Jennings returning for one more season was so far the biggest recruiting win for the staff this offseason. His personality and production potential is simply unparalleled right now. He is the biggest dog in the yard among the receivers, and he plays like it no matter who he's lined up against. If you put him on the offensive line, he might not win many battles, but he'd make sure they were battles. He's fearless and plays that way. The former high school quarterback has also thrown two touchdowns during his time in Knoxville and with a coordinator like Jim Chaney, that offers up some creative potential for him to toy with. If Brandon Johnson wants to keep his minutes up, winning the job behind Jennings is his best bet. However, he's not nearly as physically imposing as Jennings or redshirt freshman Cedric Tillman. Tillman would need to take significant strides to become the guy at this spot, but he at least appears to have the body type and ability to fill that role, if not now then down the line.
TE1 - Dominick Wood-Anderson, 6-4, 257, SR
TE2 - Jackson Lowe, 6-5, 242, FR
Reasoning: Wood-Anderson was the top tight end last year, but he took a bit longer to find his stride with the Vols than many had initially expected. Had he been able to enroll early, I think he would have gotten off to a much faster start in an offense that wanted to utilize the tight end more than they ended up able to. Jim Chaney loves to use tight ends, and for an example, he turned JUCO product Mychal Rivera into a three-year player, two-year starter, and All-SEC performer on his way to being drafted into and playing in the NFL. Rivera was not the physical specimen or performer that Wood-Anderson can and should be as a senior. Bet on the early enrollees is a good rule when trying to figure out which freshmen might contribute early, and Lowe is a very good one. He has the size and skill set to become a very good early rotation piece for the Vols as he is solid as both a blocker and receiver.
TE1 - Austin Pope, 6-4, 240, RJR
TE2 - LaTrell Bumphus, 6-3, 263, JR or James Brown, 6-3, 229, RSO or Sean Brown, 6-5, 250, FR
Reasoning: Chaney has used a fullback/H-back type in the past, and it is something that Pruitt believes in using. Austin Pope was the primary guy in the role last season, and there's no reason to think he wouldn't be again in 2019. The harder to predict part would be who spells Pope when needed or in case of injury. Assuming he doesn't move, Bumphus is the most logical guy to fill that role. That said, he's someone that the coaches have toyed around with moving to the defensive side of the ball so he may not be at tight end to play H-back. James Brown is a former high school quarterback who has been developing at the tight end spot. He has the right build for this role. Sean Brown is big for the typical H-back, but he's a strong blocker coming out of high school and serving as a lead blocker might be a quicker adjustment for him as opposed to adapting to college tight end.
LT1 - Wanya Morris, 6-6, 311, FR
LT2 - K'Rojhn Calbert, 6-5, 327, RSO
Reasoning: Honestly, I'm slotting Morris here because he's probably one of the Vols five best offensive linemen, Drew Richmond is likely to transfer, Trey Smith is in doubt with health concerns, and Morris is simply the best option here as things currently stand. You hope someone a bit older and more developed can challenge him for the job, but aside from maybe Calbert or Marcus Tatum, I don't know who that might be short of Jahmir Johnson moving out to tackle, and someone has to play right tackle this season. The Vols are trying to improve the situation as they approach national signing day.
LG1 - Jahmir Johnson, 6-5, 285, RJR or Jerome Carvin, 6-5, 303, SO
LG2 - Chance Hall, 6-5, 328, RSR
Reasoning: The reason I won't simply slot Johnson as the outright starter is that a healthy Carvin might have secured a starting job at guard last year allowing Johnson to play at tackle. If Carvin can, the situation at tackle becomes a lot better and also a lot more interesting as Johnson is probably one of the best of the Vols' offensive linemen as well. Johnson is definitely not expected to play as light as he did last season. Hall is trying to bounce back from his injuries in the past. He made progress last year but hasn't looked like the same player yet. If he's back to his old form, that's a big boost for the line.
C1 - Brandon Kennedy, 6-3, 301, RSR
C2 - Ryan Johnson, 6-6, 302, RJR
Reasoning: Kennedy was brought in as a grad transfer from Alabama to be the starter, and was for a game before a season-ending injury cut things short last year. He has every reason to expect to be that guy in 2019. Ryan Johnson was very good filling in last year, but when it's all said and done Kennedy is just better right now.
RG1 - Ryan Johnson, 6-6, 302, RJR or Nathan Niehaus, 6-6, 287, RJR
RG2 - Jackson Lampley, 6-4, 300, FR
Reasoning: If Johnson isn't needed to start at center or fill in there, he's probably the best option at right guard right now. Niehaus is certainly capable, although he needs to get stronger to really hold up against SEC defenders. Lampley is going to make me a liar right now because he isn't an early enrollee, but he is super talented and might be one of the better offensive linemen the moment he steps on campus. Ollie Lane could make progress to become a guy in this mix, but he wasn't there last year and will need to show it.
RT1 - Marcus Tatum, 6-6, 293, RJR or Jahmir Johnson, 6-5, 285, RJR
RT2 - Chris Akporoghene, 6-5, 294, FR
Reasoning: Tatum could be the #2 here if Johnson is able to move outside to tackle (or if the Vols land a certain top offensive tackle target) because as good as Tatum has been at times he's also been inconsistent enough that he has really only filled in as an injury replacement in his starts. He's really not one of the five best offensive linemen; he's one of the best at this position as things stand. Johnson would easily be the better start here with the roster as it stands. Bet on the early enrollees. Akporoghene is raw, but he's got all the talent and physicality you could ask for. He probably doesn't know enough yet to start, but he has all spring to try and catch up.
Summary: The skill positions look every bit as talented as the majority of the SEC can offer up, but that's all for nothing if the offensive line can't become consistent enough to give them a chance to show off that talent. Wanya Morris, Jackson Lampley, and Chris Akporoghene are three guys who certainly look like possibilities to improve the two-deep, but a certain Darnell Wright would be a huge step in the right direction at tackle if he does sign with the Vols. Even coming in this summer, he is simply too talented to keep off the field and would allow the Vols to keep Jahmir Johnson at left guard and maybe move Carvin to right guard to compete with Ryan Johnson and Nathan Niehaus for the job there. In other words, it would take them from maybe having five to seven SEC level offensive linemen to eight, which would give them more flexibility to find the five best and start them. Until that gets settled, the offensive line still has the potential to be a liability.
QB1 - Jarrett Guarantano, 6-4, 209, RJR
QB2 - J.T. Shrout, 6-3, 210, RFR or Brian Maurer, 6-3, 199, FR
Reasoning: I just don't think Shrout or Maurer are going to step out and take this job from Guarantano, but between the two I don't have a good feel for who wins the backup job. Maurer being an early enrollee gives him the jump on learning the system that Shrout didn't have last year. Shrout winning the number 2 role will probably boil down to decision-making and protecting the ball as that was one of the tougher things for him in his one season starting in high school. He has the talent. Maurer is easily the more mobile of the two, but he's not a dual-threat by any means. As for Guarantano retaining the starting job, he would need to get hurt or simply regress to lose the job. While it's absolutely fair to say Guarantano needs to become more productive as far as touchdowns are concerned, he's been excellent at not making the mistakes that can cost teams games. Jim Chaney, the new offensive coordinator and presumed quarterback coach, has been excellent at developing passers, so the entire group should benefit. That said, for anyone thinking unseating Guarantano will be easy, three other quarterbacks have played meaningful snaps the last two seasons for a combined 116-228, 1,527 yards, 10 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions with a 51% completion percentage in 16 appearances. For comparison, Guarantano has thrown for 239-385, 2,904 yards, 16 touchdowns, and 5 interceptions with a 62% completion percentage in 21 appearances. He's the man until somebody can beat the man. Hasn't happened yet.
RB1 - Ty Chandler, 5-11, 201, JR or Tim Jordan, 5-11, 203, JR
RB2 - Eric Gray, 5-9, 194, FR or Carlin Fils-aime, 5-11, 180, SR
Reasoning: Tennessee was running back by committee last year, and short of one of the backs really pulling away they will be again in 2019. That said, the Vols were not necessarily handing out carries equally across the board as Chandler and Jordan combined for 21.5 carries per game compared with the other two top ballcarriers who had a combined 7.8 per game over the course of the season. That distribution of carries was fully justified as Jordan and Chandler combined for 1,152 rushing yards and 7 touchdowns while averaging 4.7 yards per carry and also had 299 receiving yards and 3 touchdowns while averaging 9.7 yards per reception. However, they still needed more help from the offensive line as they lost a combined 81 yards on the season as well. Eric Gray is highly ranked and is a bit of a different back from Chandler and Jordan. Chandler is speedy, Jordan is tough and fearless, and Gray is shifty and tough to get a clean shot on. Carlin Fils-aime didn't get many carries after returning to running back from corner, but he averaged 5.1 yards and scored a touchdown on his 7 carries. With Madre London out of eligibility and Jeremy Banks still a possibility to end up at linebacker, Fils-aime looks like a candidate to see a larger workload right now.
WR1 - Marquez Callaway, 6-2, 200, SR
WR2 - Ramel Keyton, 6-3, 185, FR
Reasoning: Marquez Callaway is a no-brainer. He has produced at a high level over the last two seasons and continues to show improvement. He is good right now; Tennessee needs him to become great, but he appears to be on his way. Brandon Johnson was one of the best receivers on the team in 2017, but last season was less kind to him. Keyton is bigger and rangier, so if he's healthy it would take Johnson returning to his sophomore season form to be able to hold off the true freshman. The sure-handed Johnson will still play, but his snaps will likely drop as he gives way to the younger Keyton. Keyton enrolling early gives him an added boost in earning a role early in his career.
WR1 - Josh Palmer, 6-2, 201, JR
WR2 - Jordan Murphy, 6-0, 177, JR
Reasoning: Josh Palmer exploded onto the scene last year, turning his 23 receptions into almost 500 yards and two touchdowns. Realistically he can't keep that pace up as far as his yards per reception are concerned, but he should continue to progress and provide an explosive option, especially on the deep ball. Jordan Murphy also came along in 2018, although with less explosiveness than Palmer, becoming a strong contributor among the second group of receivers. Murphy, like Palmer, can fly down the field as evidenced by his work against Kentucky in which he had a 59-yard run and a 38-yard reception. He also had a 50-yard reception against ETSU. Murphy seems the perfect complement to Palmer when the latter needs a breather.
WR1 - Jauan Jennings, 6-3, 221, RSR
WR2 - Brandon Johnson, 6-2, 189, SR or Cedric Tillman, 6-3, 212, RFR
Reasoning: Jauan Jennings returning for one more season was so far the biggest recruiting win for the staff this offseason. His personality and production potential is simply unparalleled right now. He is the biggest dog in the yard among the receivers, and he plays like it no matter who he's lined up against. If you put him on the offensive line, he might not win many battles, but he'd make sure they were battles. He's fearless and plays that way. The former high school quarterback has also thrown two touchdowns during his time in Knoxville and with a coordinator like Jim Chaney, that offers up some creative potential for him to toy with. If Brandon Johnson wants to keep his minutes up, winning the job behind Jennings is his best bet. However, he's not nearly as physically imposing as Jennings or redshirt freshman Cedric Tillman. Tillman would need to take significant strides to become the guy at this spot, but he at least appears to have the body type and ability to fill that role, if not now then down the line.
TE1 - Dominick Wood-Anderson, 6-4, 257, SR
TE2 - Jackson Lowe, 6-5, 242, FR
Reasoning: Wood-Anderson was the top tight end last year, but he took a bit longer to find his stride with the Vols than many had initially expected. Had he been able to enroll early, I think he would have gotten off to a much faster start in an offense that wanted to utilize the tight end more than they ended up able to. Jim Chaney loves to use tight ends, and for an example, he turned JUCO product Mychal Rivera into a three-year player, two-year starter, and All-SEC performer on his way to being drafted into and playing in the NFL. Rivera was not the physical specimen or performer that Wood-Anderson can and should be as a senior. Bet on the early enrollees is a good rule when trying to figure out which freshmen might contribute early, and Lowe is a very good one. He has the size and skill set to become a very good early rotation piece for the Vols as he is solid as both a blocker and receiver.
TE1 - Austin Pope, 6-4, 240, RJR
TE2 - LaTrell Bumphus, 6-3, 263, JR or James Brown, 6-3, 229, RSO or Sean Brown, 6-5, 250, FR
Reasoning: Chaney has used a fullback/H-back type in the past, and it is something that Pruitt believes in using. Austin Pope was the primary guy in the role last season, and there's no reason to think he wouldn't be again in 2019. The harder to predict part would be who spells Pope when needed or in case of injury. Assuming he doesn't move, Bumphus is the most logical guy to fill that role. That said, he's someone that the coaches have toyed around with moving to the defensive side of the ball so he may not be at tight end to play H-back. James Brown is a former high school quarterback who has been developing at the tight end spot. He has the right build for this role. Sean Brown is big for the typical H-back, but he's a strong blocker coming out of high school and serving as a lead blocker might be a quicker adjustment for him as opposed to adapting to college tight end.
LT1 - Wanya Morris, 6-6, 311, FR
LT2 - K'Rojhn Calbert, 6-5, 327, RSO
Reasoning: Honestly, I'm slotting Morris here because he's probably one of the Vols five best offensive linemen, Drew Richmond is likely to transfer, Trey Smith is in doubt with health concerns, and Morris is simply the best option here as things currently stand. You hope someone a bit older and more developed can challenge him for the job, but aside from maybe Calbert or Marcus Tatum, I don't know who that might be short of Jahmir Johnson moving out to tackle, and someone has to play right tackle this season. The Vols are trying to improve the situation as they approach national signing day.
LG1 - Jahmir Johnson, 6-5, 285, RJR or Jerome Carvin, 6-5, 303, SO
LG2 - Chance Hall, 6-5, 328, RSR
Reasoning: The reason I won't simply slot Johnson as the outright starter is that a healthy Carvin might have secured a starting job at guard last year allowing Johnson to play at tackle. If Carvin can, the situation at tackle becomes a lot better and also a lot more interesting as Johnson is probably one of the best of the Vols' offensive linemen as well. Johnson is definitely not expected to play as light as he did last season. Hall is trying to bounce back from his injuries in the past. He made progress last year but hasn't looked like the same player yet. If he's back to his old form, that's a big boost for the line.
C1 - Brandon Kennedy, 6-3, 301, RSR
C2 - Ryan Johnson, 6-6, 302, RJR
Reasoning: Kennedy was brought in as a grad transfer from Alabama to be the starter, and was for a game before a season-ending injury cut things short last year. He has every reason to expect to be that guy in 2019. Ryan Johnson was very good filling in last year, but when it's all said and done Kennedy is just better right now.
RG1 - Ryan Johnson, 6-6, 302, RJR or Nathan Niehaus, 6-6, 287, RJR
RG2 - Jackson Lampley, 6-4, 300, FR
Reasoning: If Johnson isn't needed to start at center or fill in there, he's probably the best option at right guard right now. Niehaus is certainly capable, although he needs to get stronger to really hold up against SEC defenders. Lampley is going to make me a liar right now because he isn't an early enrollee, but he is super talented and might be one of the better offensive linemen the moment he steps on campus. Ollie Lane could make progress to become a guy in this mix, but he wasn't there last year and will need to show it.
RT1 - Marcus Tatum, 6-6, 293, RJR or Jahmir Johnson, 6-5, 285, RJR
RT2 - Chris Akporoghene, 6-5, 294, FR
Reasoning: Tatum could be the #2 here if Johnson is able to move outside to tackle (or if the Vols land a certain top offensive tackle target) because as good as Tatum has been at times he's also been inconsistent enough that he has really only filled in as an injury replacement in his starts. He's really not one of the five best offensive linemen; he's one of the best at this position as things stand. Johnson would easily be the better start here with the roster as it stands. Bet on the early enrollees. Akporoghene is raw, but he's got all the talent and physicality you could ask for. He probably doesn't know enough yet to start, but he has all spring to try and catch up.
Summary: The skill positions look every bit as talented as the majority of the SEC can offer up, but that's all for nothing if the offensive line can't become consistent enough to give them a chance to show off that talent. Wanya Morris, Jackson Lampley, and Chris Akporoghene are three guys who certainly look like possibilities to improve the two-deep, but a certain Darnell Wright would be a huge step in the right direction at tackle if he does sign with the Vols. Even coming in this summer, he is simply too talented to keep off the field and would allow the Vols to keep Jahmir Johnson at left guard and maybe move Carvin to right guard to compete with Ryan Johnson and Nathan Niehaus for the job there. In other words, it would take them from maybe having five to seven SEC level offensive linemen to eight, which would give them more flexibility to find the five best and start them. Until that gets settled, the offensive line still has the potential to be a liability.
Friday, January 11, 2019
The Road Map to Besting Alabama
Clemson. Auburn. Ole Miss. Ohio State. The four teams to beat Alabama since 2014. How did they do it? Did they out-recruit Alabama? Out-develop them? Out-scheme? What is the secret? I'm going to try and suss out the reasons some teams have been able to have success where most others have failed.
Let's be totally honest and admit that no one factor ensures success, but some programs have clearly done things better than others and Alabama is the king of the recruiting board. In fact, most programs aren't even remotely close. Over the last five years, based on the 247Sports Composite rankings, Alabama has finished with an average class ranking of 1.8 and a per recruit rating average of 93.12. That's a solid mid-ranked 4-star recruit on average! Most programs are thrilled to land a few guys ranking like that. Averaging that is almost unheard of. In fact, the next closest programs to pulling it off are Ohio State (3.6 class, 92.27 per recruit), Georgia (4.8 class, 91.60 per recruit), and Florida State (5.4 class, 91.28 per recruit). The Tennessee Volunteers, on the other hand, have averaged a class ranking of 12.6 and per player ranking of 88.58 That's about a high 3-star recruit on average despite having a class ranking close to Clemson (11.8 class, 90.73 per recruit), who averages a 4-star ranking per recruit over the last five seasons. Of course, the flip-side to that is Oklahoma, who is very similar to the Vols in class ranking and per recruit average at 13 for their class and 88.97 per recruit on average, so recruiting isn't everything by any means. Auburn and Ole Miss are much closer to Tennessee than they are Alabama in per recruit average.
So it's clear that recruiting isn't how any team has made themselves able to compete with Alabama because nobody has out-recruited them. What about development? Well, Ohio State, Georgia, and Ole Miss have all seen a fair bit of turnover on their staffs of late. Auburn has seen some as well. That makes for inconsistency in the development of players at their positions, but this has been true at Alabama as well. Granted, these programs aren't molding the same caliber of talent as Alabama usually is. However, Clemson is the great outlier. They seldom find themselves replacing coaches. They have turned that consistency on the staff into elite player development, drawing the best out of the talent they land. At least in part due to that staff consistency, they have less of the transfers and early draft entrants that pick apart the Alabama roster year in and year out.
What about scheme? Well, that's where Ole Miss and Auburn come in for the most part. Hugh Freeze was simply able to out-scheme Saban on a couple of occasions. He didn't have better talent. He didn't have better coaches. His staff wasn't necessarily that much more stable at that point. Hugh Freeze was simply able to put players in space and make the most of what he did have with his offensive system. Auburn runs a spread, which prior to this last season was something Saban had largely resisted adopting until he had a pair of quarterbacks in Jalen Hurts and Tua Tagovailoa who were perfect fits for such a system, and he finally realized that spreading opponents out didn't have to mean abandoning power running. Ohio State also falls into this category to a degree, but Ohio State also recruits as close to the Crimson Tide as anyone, so they have the added advantage of putting strong talent into their spread scheme that they ran under Urban Meyer, which should have been the model that Saban had adopted several years ago.
If you're a program looking to catch up to Alabama, even to a lesser degree like Auburn and Ole Miss have, the model shouldn't be the Crimson Tide. You cannot bank on out-recruiting Nick Saban and his staff. The program sells itself. Ask Georgia, who these last couple of cycles has recruited as close to the Tide as possible. Even so, they haven't managed to beat Alabama. Yes, it landed them in the title game, but we all saw how that ended for them as Tua Tagovailoa launched a Heisman campaign off his performance. Clemson has become the foil to Alabama by being the anti-Alabama. They bring in guys who largely stay for four to five years. They keep the staff together and develop those players with consistency. They recruit at a high level but not at the same level as Alabama, leaning on the player development and program stability to overcome any talent deficiencies they have in comparison to the Tide.
None of this is to suggest that Alabama doesn't develop or retain players. It's not to suggest that the coaching turnover has significantly hurt the Tide. Clearly, neither thing would be true, but it is to suggest that Clemson, through unparalleled stability and development, has found a way to keep pace with Alabama by doing it their own way. For a program like Tennessee, they cannot look to Alabama as the model to follow because they can't bank on success breeding further success. Tennessee hasn't recruited at that level during the age of recruiting websites, and the idea that they will now is blindly optimistic at best. What they might do, however, is recruit at the level of a Clemson, LSU, or Georgia, keep the bulk of the staff together, promote from within when necessary, and stabilize the program. Chasing Alabama has yielded mixed results at best for most programs. Chasing Clemson is the easier road, although it still isn't an easy road by any means in an age where coaches seldom remain at one school for more than three years.
I'm inclined to believe Jeremy Pruitt is a smart young coach, and it's likely he's seen the results of Georgia trying to become another Alabama as opposed to what has been done at Clemson. If Pruitt is the coach I believe he is, he's electing to follow the Clemson method of competing with Nick Saban and the Crimson Tide, and so far that does appear to be the case as he has fought to retain his current on-field coaches and significant support staffers while also hiring a new offensive coordinator with ties to the program who seems likely to stay as long as he's welcome to do so. Having said all of that, remember that it wasn't until year four that Clemson saw their first ten win season under Dabo Swinney. Still, once they reached that threshold, they never looked back, now having recorded eight seasons with 10+ wins, a 97-15 overall record and 56-8 conference record, three national title game appearances, and two national titles. If Tennessee fans can remain patient and Pruitt can properly follow the road map laid forth by Swinney, Vol fans may find themselves incredibly well-rewarded.
Let's be totally honest and admit that no one factor ensures success, but some programs have clearly done things better than others and Alabama is the king of the recruiting board. In fact, most programs aren't even remotely close. Over the last five years, based on the 247Sports Composite rankings, Alabama has finished with an average class ranking of 1.8 and a per recruit rating average of 93.12. That's a solid mid-ranked 4-star recruit on average! Most programs are thrilled to land a few guys ranking like that. Averaging that is almost unheard of. In fact, the next closest programs to pulling it off are Ohio State (3.6 class, 92.27 per recruit), Georgia (4.8 class, 91.60 per recruit), and Florida State (5.4 class, 91.28 per recruit). The Tennessee Volunteers, on the other hand, have averaged a class ranking of 12.6 and per player ranking of 88.58 That's about a high 3-star recruit on average despite having a class ranking close to Clemson (11.8 class, 90.73 per recruit), who averages a 4-star ranking per recruit over the last five seasons. Of course, the flip-side to that is Oklahoma, who is very similar to the Vols in class ranking and per recruit average at 13 for their class and 88.97 per recruit on average, so recruiting isn't everything by any means. Auburn and Ole Miss are much closer to Tennessee than they are Alabama in per recruit average.
So it's clear that recruiting isn't how any team has made themselves able to compete with Alabama because nobody has out-recruited them. What about development? Well, Ohio State, Georgia, and Ole Miss have all seen a fair bit of turnover on their staffs of late. Auburn has seen some as well. That makes for inconsistency in the development of players at their positions, but this has been true at Alabama as well. Granted, these programs aren't molding the same caliber of talent as Alabama usually is. However, Clemson is the great outlier. They seldom find themselves replacing coaches. They have turned that consistency on the staff into elite player development, drawing the best out of the talent they land. At least in part due to that staff consistency, they have less of the transfers and early draft entrants that pick apart the Alabama roster year in and year out.
What about scheme? Well, that's where Ole Miss and Auburn come in for the most part. Hugh Freeze was simply able to out-scheme Saban on a couple of occasions. He didn't have better talent. He didn't have better coaches. His staff wasn't necessarily that much more stable at that point. Hugh Freeze was simply able to put players in space and make the most of what he did have with his offensive system. Auburn runs a spread, which prior to this last season was something Saban had largely resisted adopting until he had a pair of quarterbacks in Jalen Hurts and Tua Tagovailoa who were perfect fits for such a system, and he finally realized that spreading opponents out didn't have to mean abandoning power running. Ohio State also falls into this category to a degree, but Ohio State also recruits as close to the Crimson Tide as anyone, so they have the added advantage of putting strong talent into their spread scheme that they ran under Urban Meyer, which should have been the model that Saban had adopted several years ago.
If you're a program looking to catch up to Alabama, even to a lesser degree like Auburn and Ole Miss have, the model shouldn't be the Crimson Tide. You cannot bank on out-recruiting Nick Saban and his staff. The program sells itself. Ask Georgia, who these last couple of cycles has recruited as close to the Tide as possible. Even so, they haven't managed to beat Alabama. Yes, it landed them in the title game, but we all saw how that ended for them as Tua Tagovailoa launched a Heisman campaign off his performance. Clemson has become the foil to Alabama by being the anti-Alabama. They bring in guys who largely stay for four to five years. They keep the staff together and develop those players with consistency. They recruit at a high level but not at the same level as Alabama, leaning on the player development and program stability to overcome any talent deficiencies they have in comparison to the Tide.
None of this is to suggest that Alabama doesn't develop or retain players. It's not to suggest that the coaching turnover has significantly hurt the Tide. Clearly, neither thing would be true, but it is to suggest that Clemson, through unparalleled stability and development, has found a way to keep pace with Alabama by doing it their own way. For a program like Tennessee, they cannot look to Alabama as the model to follow because they can't bank on success breeding further success. Tennessee hasn't recruited at that level during the age of recruiting websites, and the idea that they will now is blindly optimistic at best. What they might do, however, is recruit at the level of a Clemson, LSU, or Georgia, keep the bulk of the staff together, promote from within when necessary, and stabilize the program. Chasing Alabama has yielded mixed results at best for most programs. Chasing Clemson is the easier road, although it still isn't an easy road by any means in an age where coaches seldom remain at one school for more than three years.
I'm inclined to believe Jeremy Pruitt is a smart young coach, and it's likely he's seen the results of Georgia trying to become another Alabama as opposed to what has been done at Clemson. If Pruitt is the coach I believe he is, he's electing to follow the Clemson method of competing with Nick Saban and the Crimson Tide, and so far that does appear to be the case as he has fought to retain his current on-field coaches and significant support staffers while also hiring a new offensive coordinator with ties to the program who seems likely to stay as long as he's welcome to do so. Having said all of that, remember that it wasn't until year four that Clemson saw their first ten win season under Dabo Swinney. Still, once they reached that threshold, they never looked back, now having recorded eight seasons with 10+ wins, a 97-15 overall record and 56-8 conference record, three national title game appearances, and two national titles. If Tennessee fans can remain patient and Pruitt can properly follow the road map laid forth by Swinney, Vol fans may find themselves incredibly well-rewarded.
Saturday, January 5, 2019
The Road to NSD: Needs and Targets
Tennessee has potentially six spots to fill in their class, with two of those spots currently filled with commitments that remain unsigned as of right now following the decommitment of Lakia Henry. Tennessee is in a rebuild, so the best answer as far as needs are concerned is that they have needs pretty much everywhere. Of course, that's not how recruiting works anymore with oversigning a thing of the past for the most part. What will the Vols do with their remaining scholarships? Will the current unsigned commitments end up being Vols? Who might fill the remaining open spots? Let's dive in.
Offensive playmaker: The Vols clearly have added some potential offensive playmakers with Eric Gray at running back, Ramel Keyton and Jerrod Means at wide receiver, and a pair of big tight ends in Jackson Lowe and Sean Brown, not to mention a pair of athletes who will get their first looks on defense but could ultimately wind up playing at running back themselves. That said, Keyton and Means both had injuries as seniors and it's worth wondering what they can immediately provide from the wide receiver position, and another sure-fire running back might not go amiss. Realistically, the Vols aren't currently actively pursuing any running backs that I can see, but wide receiver is at least somewhat a different story. Jadon Haselwood is off the board as he will be enrolling early with Oklahoma following his commitment at the All-American Bowl. Arjei Henderson, who recently committed to Florida, could be an option but the Vols weren't among the four finalists he had announced so there would be work to do there. Perhaps the Vols could make a play at Demariyon Houston, a top prospect from the state of Oklahoma, but at the moment his wide-open recruitment doesn't feel like one that the Vols are likely to push their way into as the programs he's considering mostly have a Big Ten/Big 12 feel for now. TJ Jones is one the Vols could have a shot at if they choose to press for him. He's got a nice mix of size and speed, but his recruitment is one that should have taken off more than it seems to have. The way things stand, the Vols will probably put most of their focus into George Pickens for now as they try to get the big Auburn commitment on campus for a visit and see if they can't flip him. JaVonta Payton is also very much an option for the Vols here. The JUCO standout originally from Nashville has always been high on the Vols and could potentially flip him from Mississippi State if they do push for him. Dywan Griffin is maybe the emergency option for the Vols. He's been very productive and is garnering a fair bit of attention now. He is the brother of Speedy Noil, but he's a fair bit longer than Speedy. I'll go ahead and predict that the Vols will manage to add another wide receiver just to ensure they will have at least one healthy and ready to play for the season opener as a security blanket in case of injuries. As far as who it might be, there are a lot of options and it's hard to say who they land at this point.
Offensive tackle: This is an obvious need after the offensive line's struggles the last two seasons. They cannot right the ship without fixing things in the trenches, and after signing four offensive linemen during the early signing period, there is really only one target on the board: Darnell Wright. The top offensive tackle in the class is the lone offensive line target they are focusing on heading towards national signing day. They have been a top school for him the entire cycle and that remains unchanged. There doesn't appear to be any backup plan. It's Wright or bust, and I don't think they'll go bust here. Look for Wright to become the top signee in the class come February.
Defensive end: I wish I could tell you there is a long list of targets here as the Vols look to replace Kyle Phillips, but there really isn't. In fact, there's really just the one name as far as I can tell at this juncture. The good news is that one name is the #9 strongside defensive end in the 2019 class and has already said he plans to visit the Vols. The bad news is Charles Moore is currently committed to Mississippi State and has indicated that Auburn may currently be the team with the best chance of flipping him. Tennessee may have a bit of an uphill battle to land him, but he has visited the Vols four times since late 2017. He has left the door open to flipping, and he has a good relationship with the Vols coaches, so although I will lean toward this not happening I will say it absolutely could.
Defensive tackle: The Vols signed three defensive linemen early, and all three project as defensive tackle/nose guard/3-4 end types of bigger bodies, so why would the Vols still see this as a priority? Depth is the short answer, as they had to ride 4-5 defensive linemen harder than they would have preferred last season. They have a fourth committed currently in LeDarrius Cox, but Cox has at least been keeping his options open and could take further visits, so keeping Cox in the fold remains important. For now, I'll lean toward them holding onto him as he's been quiet but relatively solid with the Vols up to this point. However, if he did flip I think the Vols would make a run at Jared Harrison-Hunte, who looks more the part of the 3-4 end/4-3 defensive tackle than Cox, who has a bigger frame. Harrison-Hunte is high on the Vols and if the Vols come calling they would represent his best chances of playing in the SEC. Otherwise, it tentatively looks like an Ohio State-Penn State battle for his services. Mami is also a player there. Ideally, Cox sticks and the Vols won't have to work on landing anyone. Sometimes it's easier to keep what you have rather than trying to identify and secure what you don't.
Linebacker: Things here have been a good news/bad news deal of late. The good news is signee Quavaris Crouch will start his career at linebacker and if Aaron Beasley doesn't work out at safety he might be an option at inside linebacker at 6-1, 220. The bad news is top OLB target Khris Bogle has picked Alabama, top linebacker commitment Lakia Henry has now decommitted after not signing early, and the Vols top remaining uncommitted target Henry To'oto'o is considered an Alabama lean. Now, that said I've also heard promising things regarding Tennessee and To'oto'o and I think landing him is still a realistic possibility. The Vols also have two underrated but very athletic linebacker targets left to pursue in Christopher Russell and Eugene Asante. Russell is an in-state linebacker with good size at 6-2, 220. His ranking doesn't reflect the opinions of coaches of Russell's talent as Tennessee is competing with Auburn, Arkansas, and Texas A&M for him as things stand and new names could easily pop up in his recruitment. Asante is similar in that he has good size (6-1, 212) to go with great athleticism and his recruitment has taken off, with Virginia Tech, Maryland, UCLA, Baylor, Miami, Nebraska, UNC, and TCU among the names the Vols will be competing with for his services. I think the Vols only add two here if they miss on Moore. Russell looks like the most likely addition here, but I won't rule out the possibility of being the landing spot for To'oto'o as Alabama is beginning to run low on space and has those spaces filled with other highly-ranked players at positions of need.
Secondary: The staff may disagree with me, but this may be the position of least need as they have Beasley starting out at safety along with signees Jaylen McCollough, Tyus Fields, and Warren Burrell. Still, unsigned commitment Anthony Harris is an increasingly hot commodity as programs look at the safety position so the Vols will have to fight to keep him in the mix. If Harris were to flip to another school, it's probable that the staff would turn most of their attention to Jammie Robinson and Jamal Hill, but that would only be if they elect to take that third safety this cycle. They could also work at flipping a corner from someone, with Travis Jay maybe representing one of the better chances to do so if he can be flipped from Florida State. Texas-based Shilo Sanders, the son of Deion Sanders, is perhaps another option at corner. UNC might represent the biggest threat to flip Harris, a long-time Tennessee commitment. I'll tentatively guess the Vols hold onto him, but if they do lose him the Vols may have a difficult time replacing him as I wouldn't consider them in the driver's seat for any of the targets mentioned.
Tentatively, I'll guess at them holding onto LeDarrius Cox and Anthony Harris, adding JaVonta Payton, Darnell Wright, Christopher Russell, and either adding one other player or holding the spot for potential transfers. I think they'll manage to work the numbers somehow to still take 25 plus Aubrey Solomon rather than 25 with Solomon. I just can't predict what that last spot amounts to right now. The one thing that seems certain is that barring a massive collapse down the finish, the Vols will finish with their best average recruiting grade for their commitments since 2009, and if they somehow pull off a magical finish with Darnell Wright, George Pickens, Henry To'oto'o, and Charles Moore to go with LeDarrius Cox and Anthony Harris, they will finish with a top ten class and one that would have the highest average grade since the 2005 class with a average commit ranking in the Alabama/Georgia/Clemson territory. As far as the class ranking, it would fall somewhere from as high as 5th to no lower than maybe 8th assuming that spectacular, magical class close. The bottom line is the Vols have a few needs, but at least some of those can be addressed by holding onto the two commitments they already have and other than Darnell Wright it's all just about icing the cake on a strong class.
Offensive playmaker: The Vols clearly have added some potential offensive playmakers with Eric Gray at running back, Ramel Keyton and Jerrod Means at wide receiver, and a pair of big tight ends in Jackson Lowe and Sean Brown, not to mention a pair of athletes who will get their first looks on defense but could ultimately wind up playing at running back themselves. That said, Keyton and Means both had injuries as seniors and it's worth wondering what they can immediately provide from the wide receiver position, and another sure-fire running back might not go amiss. Realistically, the Vols aren't currently actively pursuing any running backs that I can see, but wide receiver is at least somewhat a different story. Jadon Haselwood is off the board as he will be enrolling early with Oklahoma following his commitment at the All-American Bowl. Arjei Henderson, who recently committed to Florida, could be an option but the Vols weren't among the four finalists he had announced so there would be work to do there. Perhaps the Vols could make a play at Demariyon Houston, a top prospect from the state of Oklahoma, but at the moment his wide-open recruitment doesn't feel like one that the Vols are likely to push their way into as the programs he's considering mostly have a Big Ten/Big 12 feel for now. TJ Jones is one the Vols could have a shot at if they choose to press for him. He's got a nice mix of size and speed, but his recruitment is one that should have taken off more than it seems to have. The way things stand, the Vols will probably put most of their focus into George Pickens for now as they try to get the big Auburn commitment on campus for a visit and see if they can't flip him. JaVonta Payton is also very much an option for the Vols here. The JUCO standout originally from Nashville has always been high on the Vols and could potentially flip him from Mississippi State if they do push for him. Dywan Griffin is maybe the emergency option for the Vols. He's been very productive and is garnering a fair bit of attention now. He is the brother of Speedy Noil, but he's a fair bit longer than Speedy. I'll go ahead and predict that the Vols will manage to add another wide receiver just to ensure they will have at least one healthy and ready to play for the season opener as a security blanket in case of injuries. As far as who it might be, there are a lot of options and it's hard to say who they land at this point.
Offensive tackle: This is an obvious need after the offensive line's struggles the last two seasons. They cannot right the ship without fixing things in the trenches, and after signing four offensive linemen during the early signing period, there is really only one target on the board: Darnell Wright. The top offensive tackle in the class is the lone offensive line target they are focusing on heading towards national signing day. They have been a top school for him the entire cycle and that remains unchanged. There doesn't appear to be any backup plan. It's Wright or bust, and I don't think they'll go bust here. Look for Wright to become the top signee in the class come February.
Defensive end: I wish I could tell you there is a long list of targets here as the Vols look to replace Kyle Phillips, but there really isn't. In fact, there's really just the one name as far as I can tell at this juncture. The good news is that one name is the #9 strongside defensive end in the 2019 class and has already said he plans to visit the Vols. The bad news is Charles Moore is currently committed to Mississippi State and has indicated that Auburn may currently be the team with the best chance of flipping him. Tennessee may have a bit of an uphill battle to land him, but he has visited the Vols four times since late 2017. He has left the door open to flipping, and he has a good relationship with the Vols coaches, so although I will lean toward this not happening I will say it absolutely could.
Defensive tackle: The Vols signed three defensive linemen early, and all three project as defensive tackle/nose guard/3-4 end types of bigger bodies, so why would the Vols still see this as a priority? Depth is the short answer, as they had to ride 4-5 defensive linemen harder than they would have preferred last season. They have a fourth committed currently in LeDarrius Cox, but Cox has at least been keeping his options open and could take further visits, so keeping Cox in the fold remains important. For now, I'll lean toward them holding onto him as he's been quiet but relatively solid with the Vols up to this point. However, if he did flip I think the Vols would make a run at Jared Harrison-Hunte, who looks more the part of the 3-4 end/4-3 defensive tackle than Cox, who has a bigger frame. Harrison-Hunte is high on the Vols and if the Vols come calling they would represent his best chances of playing in the SEC. Otherwise, it tentatively looks like an Ohio State-Penn State battle for his services. Mami is also a player there. Ideally, Cox sticks and the Vols won't have to work on landing anyone. Sometimes it's easier to keep what you have rather than trying to identify and secure what you don't.
Linebacker: Things here have been a good news/bad news deal of late. The good news is signee Quavaris Crouch will start his career at linebacker and if Aaron Beasley doesn't work out at safety he might be an option at inside linebacker at 6-1, 220. The bad news is top OLB target Khris Bogle has picked Alabama, top linebacker commitment Lakia Henry has now decommitted after not signing early, and the Vols top remaining uncommitted target Henry To'oto'o is considered an Alabama lean. Now, that said I've also heard promising things regarding Tennessee and To'oto'o and I think landing him is still a realistic possibility. The Vols also have two underrated but very athletic linebacker targets left to pursue in Christopher Russell and Eugene Asante. Russell is an in-state linebacker with good size at 6-2, 220. His ranking doesn't reflect the opinions of coaches of Russell's talent as Tennessee is competing with Auburn, Arkansas, and Texas A&M for him as things stand and new names could easily pop up in his recruitment. Asante is similar in that he has good size (6-1, 212) to go with great athleticism and his recruitment has taken off, with Virginia Tech, Maryland, UCLA, Baylor, Miami, Nebraska, UNC, and TCU among the names the Vols will be competing with for his services. I think the Vols only add two here if they miss on Moore. Russell looks like the most likely addition here, but I won't rule out the possibility of being the landing spot for To'oto'o as Alabama is beginning to run low on space and has those spaces filled with other highly-ranked players at positions of need.
Secondary: The staff may disagree with me, but this may be the position of least need as they have Beasley starting out at safety along with signees Jaylen McCollough, Tyus Fields, and Warren Burrell. Still, unsigned commitment Anthony Harris is an increasingly hot commodity as programs look at the safety position so the Vols will have to fight to keep him in the mix. If Harris were to flip to another school, it's probable that the staff would turn most of their attention to Jammie Robinson and Jamal Hill, but that would only be if they elect to take that third safety this cycle. They could also work at flipping a corner from someone, with Travis Jay maybe representing one of the better chances to do so if he can be flipped from Florida State. Texas-based Shilo Sanders, the son of Deion Sanders, is perhaps another option at corner. UNC might represent the biggest threat to flip Harris, a long-time Tennessee commitment. I'll tentatively guess the Vols hold onto him, but if they do lose him the Vols may have a difficult time replacing him as I wouldn't consider them in the driver's seat for any of the targets mentioned.
Tentatively, I'll guess at them holding onto LeDarrius Cox and Anthony Harris, adding JaVonta Payton, Darnell Wright, Christopher Russell, and either adding one other player or holding the spot for potential transfers. I think they'll manage to work the numbers somehow to still take 25 plus Aubrey Solomon rather than 25 with Solomon. I just can't predict what that last spot amounts to right now. The one thing that seems certain is that barring a massive collapse down the finish, the Vols will finish with their best average recruiting grade for their commitments since 2009, and if they somehow pull off a magical finish with Darnell Wright, George Pickens, Henry To'oto'o, and Charles Moore to go with LeDarrius Cox and Anthony Harris, they will finish with a top ten class and one that would have the highest average grade since the 2005 class with a average commit ranking in the Alabama/Georgia/Clemson territory. As far as the class ranking, it would fall somewhere from as high as 5th to no lower than maybe 8th assuming that spectacular, magical class close. The bottom line is the Vols have a few needs, but at least some of those can be addressed by holding onto the two commitments they already have and other than Darnell Wright it's all just about icing the cake on a strong class.
Tuesday, January 1, 2019
The Offensive Coordinator Hand-wringing is Wrong
Yeah, I just said that. I can already hear some of you firing up the keyboards on your phone and computer to argue with me, but you are wrong. You've all been led astray by rumor and speculation with little to no concrete information, convincing yourselves that certain names are top or even probable targets. You've manufactured no's in your mind based on wounds from the past and vague at best information. Please stop.
I suppose it's worth diving into some specific names: Hugh Freeze, Kendal Briles, and Mike Yurcich. I truly hate that I even have to address these names, but here we go all the same. Hugh Freeze has the NCAA stink on him, and the SEC has apparently reserved the right to refuse his hire or even add punishments on if he was hired. That makes him a huge risk at best. Additionally, he has chosen to coach as a head coach at lower levels in the past over being an offensive coordinator before. Even assuming there was mutual interest there, which remains rumored but unconfirmed, there is no real evidence to suggest an offer was ever made. That's not a no. That's a never was.
It's been stated that Pruitt did interview Kendal Briles. That honestly is the extent of that. It sounded pretty quickly like that had gone nowhere. That makes a bit of sense too considering the fact that Briles was on Baylor's staff during their own Title IX issues and Tennessee had their own problems on that front not too long ago. The optics of that hire would have been awful, and what Briles does offensively does seem to be outside of Pruitt's comfort zone. Again, not a no.
Mike Yurcich is maybe the most complicated of the names on this list, but how much interest there was or how far that went seems to depend on who one is talking to. An offer may have been made. I don't see much questioning of that as a fact. However, it seems like that happened earlier in December, things didn't work out between the two sides, and it was dropped. All the new talk on that front seems to have come about as people on the Oklahoma State side of thing tried to connect the dots with the probability that Yurcich wasn't going to be back. Maybe it was a no. Maybe it was just not a fit for the two sides. Regardless, Yurcich is going home to Ohio, according to reports, including from ESPN's Adam Rittenberg.
So tires were at least kicked in the college ranks initially and a fit wasn't found, leading to a suspension of the search. Vol fans, worried about measuring their...you can fill in that blank...with every other program in the SEC and country, increasingly become concerned about the amount of time being taken to fill the role. Why?
I ask that question sincerely. Why do you care who fills what roles where? Why do you care how long it takes to make the hire when you have no clue who will end up with the job? Everyone seems determined to call the search a mess when it hasn't really even had a chance to be judged as anything.
Everyone needs to chill out. A plethora of new names have become available from the NFL ranks to interview and potentially pursue. As other pieces move around the chessboard, the picture becomes clearer for the best options to fit what Pruitt is looking for. The end result is the only thing that matters. All the handwringing in the world won't make that result any better or worse when it's all said and done.
Some potential names to watch moving forward: Steve Sarkisian, Freddie Kitchens, Matt Canada, Major Applewhite, and Chip Long, although it's possible other names will come up as things progress. Perhaps another name to keep an eye on could be Jim Chaney, but there doesn't seem to be much interest there. At any rate, Georgia has yet to give him an extension and he may be on the market soon enough.
Reserve your judgment, Vol fans. There are names available and names that are also probably better philosophical fits with Pruitt, and at least two that he has prior relationships with. Life may be about the journey rather than the destination, but that isn't true of hirings. You will only be judged on the final outcome and whether or not it works out. Until that's revealed, all this panic just makes the entire fan base look silly. Stop it.
I suppose it's worth diving into some specific names: Hugh Freeze, Kendal Briles, and Mike Yurcich. I truly hate that I even have to address these names, but here we go all the same. Hugh Freeze has the NCAA stink on him, and the SEC has apparently reserved the right to refuse his hire or even add punishments on if he was hired. That makes him a huge risk at best. Additionally, he has chosen to coach as a head coach at lower levels in the past over being an offensive coordinator before. Even assuming there was mutual interest there, which remains rumored but unconfirmed, there is no real evidence to suggest an offer was ever made. That's not a no. That's a never was.
It's been stated that Pruitt did interview Kendal Briles. That honestly is the extent of that. It sounded pretty quickly like that had gone nowhere. That makes a bit of sense too considering the fact that Briles was on Baylor's staff during their own Title IX issues and Tennessee had their own problems on that front not too long ago. The optics of that hire would have been awful, and what Briles does offensively does seem to be outside of Pruitt's comfort zone. Again, not a no.
Mike Yurcich is maybe the most complicated of the names on this list, but how much interest there was or how far that went seems to depend on who one is talking to. An offer may have been made. I don't see much questioning of that as a fact. However, it seems like that happened earlier in December, things didn't work out between the two sides, and it was dropped. All the new talk on that front seems to have come about as people on the Oklahoma State side of thing tried to connect the dots with the probability that Yurcich wasn't going to be back. Maybe it was a no. Maybe it was just not a fit for the two sides. Regardless, Yurcich is going home to Ohio, according to reports, including from ESPN's Adam Rittenberg.
So tires were at least kicked in the college ranks initially and a fit wasn't found, leading to a suspension of the search. Vol fans, worried about measuring their...you can fill in that blank...with every other program in the SEC and country, increasingly become concerned about the amount of time being taken to fill the role. Why?
I ask that question sincerely. Why do you care who fills what roles where? Why do you care how long it takes to make the hire when you have no clue who will end up with the job? Everyone seems determined to call the search a mess when it hasn't really even had a chance to be judged as anything.
Everyone needs to chill out. A plethora of new names have become available from the NFL ranks to interview and potentially pursue. As other pieces move around the chessboard, the picture becomes clearer for the best options to fit what Pruitt is looking for. The end result is the only thing that matters. All the handwringing in the world won't make that result any better or worse when it's all said and done.
Some potential names to watch moving forward: Steve Sarkisian, Freddie Kitchens, Matt Canada, Major Applewhite, and Chip Long, although it's possible other names will come up as things progress. Perhaps another name to keep an eye on could be Jim Chaney, but there doesn't seem to be much interest there. At any rate, Georgia has yet to give him an extension and he may be on the market soon enough.
Reserve your judgment, Vol fans. There are names available and names that are also probably better philosophical fits with Pruitt, and at least two that he has prior relationships with. Life may be about the journey rather than the destination, but that isn't true of hirings. You will only be judged on the final outcome and whether or not it works out. Until that's revealed, all this panic just makes the entire fan base look silly. Stop it.
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