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.
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