Another spring of football is in the books, and it's time to evaluate the spring as a whole. I'll be looking at it position-by-position, both the good and the bad. Now, bear in mind that Tennessee still has several players waiting to join the roster in May, so this isn't everyone they'll have and guys won't necessarily remain in their current spot in the pecking order. Also, 15 practices is rarely enough time to add many wrinkles to the scheme and a lot of time gets spent on establishing the fundamentals, especially with younger players.
Quarterback - Although it didn't look that way early in the spring game, Jarrett Guarantano really took major strides as a leader and a passer. He made a point of adding strength and weight, and he had moments where he looked like he had become somewhat more comfortable taking off and running as well. If he has time to throw, there is no reason he can't have a big junior campaign and enter 2020 as one of the top passers in the SEC ranks and a legitimate NFL quarterback prospect. For Tennessee's offense to take off, Guarantano will have to be that good because the options behind him aren't exactly setting the world on fire yet. Now, that isn't necessarily their fault as both are freshmen. Inconsistency is just part of the development process for a young quarterback, but given the Vols will enter 2019 with just three scholarship quarterbacks on the roster the development of J.T. Shrout and Brian Maurer is incredibly important. Maurer had moments of brilliance at times, but he also tossed a pair of interceptions despite completing 9 of 13 passes. Shrout wasn't as sharp passing in the spring game, but he accounted for the only touchdown that wasn't in some part attributable to Guarantano. Both were inconsistent in practices as well, so that much was at least on par with the springs they had. All three looked to have solid chemistry with their receivers and showed good arm talent.
Running Back - Spring games are the worst for trying to evaluate running backs because nobody is going all out, running or tackling. No one wants to be responsible for a serious injury, so everyone lays off at least a little bit and the whistle blow fast. Also, rushing stats at the collegiate level are the worst because they account for sacks, which is just not helpful. Toss in two of the likely running back contributors missing the game and talking about the spring game isn't really worth spending much time on. The running backs (Ty Chandler, Tim Jordan, Jeremy Banks, Chip Omer) combined for 109 yards on 27 carries (4.0 yards per carry) and 51 yards on 9 receptions (5.7 yards per reception). It's probably reasonable to think that Carlin Fils-aime and Eric Gray would have improved the overall production if they were available, which both are expected to be this summer ahead of fall camp. Gray, despite being very limited this spring, was a sponge, absorbing every bit of information he could and basically having to be held back from jumping into action in practices. Carlin Fils-aime was having a strong spring prior to getting hurt and shut down until July. He has averaged about one touchdown for every ten carries so he could continue to be a very effective option whether or not he sees his touches increase. Banks is the power back, not necessarily displaying elite speed but showing off power and a fearless running style. Chandler and Jordan remain entrenched as the top options at running back. Chandler has plenty of speed while Jordan is a compact, powerful runner. Depth could become an issue with only five backs, which is what prompted Chip Omer to get five carries in the spring game.
Wide Receiver - One spot where depth isn't necessarily a concern, the wide receivers have experience, size, and plenty of bodies. What they might be lacking right now is enough speed. Marquez Callaway, Jauan Jennings, and Josh Palmer have all shown the ability to make plays on deep balls, but especially with Callaway and Jennings, sometimes those plays take a bit too long to develop. Palmer has the best size/speed combination, and Jordan Murphy and Tyler Byrd both certainly have the speed to get downfield and make plays when they're dialed in. The same can be true of Jacquez Jones, but he's had fewer opportunities to display that ability. Heaven help most defensive backs in jump ball situations though as Tennessee only has two scholarship receivers checking in at under 6-feet tall. If they can muster the speed to make deep balls take less time to develop, the passing game can be pretty explosive. That was on display in the spring game as the wide receivers combined for 19 receptions for 298 yards and 3 touchdowns and an average of 15.7 yards per reception.
Tight End - What if I told you Tennessee might be productive at tight end again? Sounds too good to be true, right? I mean, Tennessee hasn't had a tight end break 301 receiving yards or 3 touchdowns in a season since 2012, but that last explosive tight end season came under Jim Chaney's watch with Mychal Rivera at tight end. Now, Tennessee once again has a JUCO at tight end and Jim Chaney running the offense, and in the spring game, the tight ends combined for 10 receptions, 105 yards, and 2 touchdowns. Tennessee needs the tight ends to step up and produce to give Guarantano an outlet when things break down as well as attacking the middle of the defense. Tennessee also has a couple of big bodies capable of serving as quality blockers as well. Dominick Wood-Anderson and Jackson Lowe look likely to be the top two tight ends out of the spring, but it's also worth keeping an eye on James Brown for a nice receiving option after he had a very nice reception for a touchdown late in the spring game. Austin Pope also had a pretty strong spring and is very much in that mix as well. As bigger bodies go, really only Lowe and Wood-Anderson fit that bill as far as guys on campus for spring practices.
Offensive Line - Um...mixed bag, I guess. When the OL was clicking in the spring game, they let the offense do some pretty quality work out there. When they were off their game, the two offensive line units gave up a combined 8 sacks and 9 tackles for loss. Now, to put some of those sacks into perspective, some were on the quarterbacks and some probably wouldn't be sacks with the quarterbacks live as it just took brushing their jersey to get a blown whistle. Still, to touch the passer, you have to be letting a defender into the backfield. That's a problem. Additional perspective: there were 11 healthy scholarship offensive linemen available this spring as Brandon Kennedy was limited and Trey Smith is dealing with his well-documented health issues. The staff was pretty clear in stating that had there been a real game to be played, Kennedy would have been available. Also, Trey Smith, though limited, did more than anyone would have guessed when he was able to go through drills. Add in three more offensive linemen joining the roster in May, including a 5-star tackle and 4-star guard/center, and the depth chart could quickly get a lot more talented and should. The only real question mark on future availability right now is Smith, and the door is pretty wide open for him to return if he's cleared medically. Wanya Morris was interesting to keep an eye on in the spring game as he had moments of brilliance but also had some pretty serious lapses. Not a huge shock with a true freshman going through spring football. A converted defensive lineman and two walk-ons were among the reserves available, so that shouldn't be the case in August.
Defensive Line - Let's go mixed bag again. The group only managed one sack in the spring game, but they freed up the linebackers to make a lot of plays and held up fairly well. At least the first team group did. The second team made fewer plays, but they also helped the linebackers make plays by keeping blockers off them for the most part. The defensive line was a bit thin this spring to begin with, but they were without Kurott Garland for a good chunk of spring practice, which did nothing to help that situation. The particularly good news is help is on the way and LaTrell Bumphus caught on quicker than expected in making the move to defense from tight end. By the time you get past the top three options on the defensive line this spring, John Mincey and Greg Emerson were probably the top options, although Kurott Garland was probably working his way into that category as well. Kingston Harris is a solid option as a nose, but he needs to be able to explode more from that spot instead of simply holding his ground.
Linebacker - 27 tackles, 5 tackles for loss, and 4 sacks from the linebackers in the spring game bodes fairly well, especially with J.J. Peterson and Darrin Kirkland Jr. unavailable. The group was able to get around and make plays in ways that was rare to see last season. To make things even better, a pair of 4-stars are joining the group this summer to make things even more competitive. There's a chance that Kirkland won't play next season, and yet fans should feel pretty comfortable with this group. Quavaris Crouch made some excellent plays at times, and Peterson was reportedly making solid progress this spring before getting hurt. It's pretty clear that these guys are much more comfortable in the scheme than they were at any point last year. Shanon Reid may have been the greatest revelation of the spring, ending the spring game with 10 tackles.
Defensive Backs - Again, something of a mixed bag. The safeties were really good. They were making plays all over the place on both units in the spring game. The depth at safety is pretty strong, and since the Star (nickel) is an extension of the safeties in this defense, you have to feel pretty good with two guys from that group out (Tyus Fields and Baylen Buchanan). The corners kind of got their lunch money stolen. Alontae Taylor, in particular, struggled in covering Jauan Jennings. He's far from the first or last corner to run into that particular problem, but there weren't really any standout plays from the corners. That said, the corners played well last season and there's really no reason to think there's going to be some huge regression from the starters. There are some defensive backs still to enroll, as well. The group should be fine when it's all said and done, but the safeties were the standouts in the Orange & White Game.
Special Teams - I'm not really sure what to make of Freshman All-American Joe Doyle's seeming regression. Apparently, he's been booming punts on the practice field but faltering in Neyland, and his average of 37.5 yards per punt for the White team was evidence of some of that. However, he also kicked punts of 46 and 47 yards. Regardless, he was out-punted by Paxton Brooks by any measure. Punt returns were okay but not great. Ty Chandler and Bryce Thompson both had some solid kickoff returns with long returns of 35 and 28 respectively. Brooks appears to be the backup for field goal kicking duties and he has more than enough leg to do the job, although accuracy was an issue on a 46 yarder in the first quarter. Cimaglia didn't end up with any field goal attempts on the day. There appears to be a legitimate competition between Brooks and Cimaglia for the kickoff duties.
Overall - The offense showed signs of potentially being very explosive, but the playcalling also pretty clearly showed that Chaney wanted to get a good look at his quarterbacks as he called 69 pass plays to just 43 run plays. Given Chaney is usually close to a 50-50 play-caller or slightly skewed towards the run, the playcalling was obviously about looking at the signal-callers more than the running backs, who are a relatively well-established group. Being short-handed at running back likely influenced the playcalling as well. The defense showed flashes of being able to make explosive plays, and the playcalling on that side of the ball was aggressive at times. Neither the offenses or defenses looked like finished products. Time will tell how much more progress can be made by both groups, but there is additional help coming in on both offense and defense, and the Vols are at worst kicking the tires with transfers still. It was a productive spring. There's reason to expect a largely healthy roster come August and there is certainly talent to be found at almost every position group. How much further the team can go will depend on how quickly young players can catch on to the playbook and new level of play and how much further the guys already on campus can develop in the strength and conditioning program. This is a better team than it was at this time last spring, and it's really not even close. That much everyone should feel confident in.
