I won't rehash the loss any more than I have to. It was arguably the lowest low for a program that has been discovering new lows with decent frequency for the last decade. The question then becomes one of whether or not the team, not the program but this team, can recover within a week before facing off against a good BYU team. Obviously, I won't tell you that these things will happen, but these are the things that this writer believes needs to happen if this team is going to settle down and bounce back from this devastating loss.
Let's begin with the coaching. You have to decide who your starters are and make sure that those starters are ready to play. There can't be some nonsensical rotation where 10-11 players are considered potential starters and you divide your time and attention between all of them when preparing for a game. When everyone is a starter, you have no starters. You have no depth chart. You have no continuity. That was painfully apparent on Saturday. Based on the newest depth chart released for the BYU game week, they have starters and hopefully they'll stop rotating players so heavily that nobody can find any rhythm or comfort level.
Speaking of rotating, stop doing it to experiment with different looks during a game. That is serving no one. Not the players, not the fans, and not the outcome of the game. Frankly, it made the staff look more than a little silly and left the impression that the staff hadn't prepared this team appropriately because no one had been able to emerge and establish themselves. Heaven forbid you not keep an eye on the roster because it was probably your only hope of knowing who was on the field at the time. Oh, and those too many men on the field issues? Rotate less and that stops being an issue.
You cannot prepare 85 guys equally to play. It's just not realistic. Toss in walk-ons and we're up to 115 and that's spreading yourself miserably thin trying to get a roster ready to play. Identify your starters. They get the most attention. Your second string gets a decent amount of attention, but a little less. Beyond that, you shouldn't need to rely on them much anyway, so coach them but don't spend much time on integrating them into the game planning and game preparation.
No opponent is unimportant. Saying it to the press sounds all well and good, but it's painfully obvious that it was lip service based on what everyone saw last weekend. Until this roster is both mentally and physically at a point where they can walk all over most teams, you are not good enough to overlook an opponent. It will never be said aloud, but that is precisely what happened with GSU. Georgia State was a couple days of prep before turning the attention to BYU. Well, that backfired pretty resoundingly.
Stop pretending like you're playing chess. You aren't going to use every play in your playbook ever, but going so simple as to become predictable is ridiculous. The game plan was garbage. You showed nothing as planned, and it bit you squarely on the keister. If that was the goal, well done. If the goal is to win, find your plays each week regardless of how complex they are in order to best attack the opponent and stop pretending that being basic for a week or two is going to be the key to beating Florida. The key to beating anyone is execution and game planning. Not sitting on plays until you think you can pull out the big surprise to beat someone.
Finally, even if you find yourselves as a staff at a loss as to what to do to motivate the players or get them to execute, you simply cannot reflect that with your body language. In the film Remember the Titans, the line is uttered: "attitude reflects leadership, captain", and that's significantly truer when referring to the coaches. If the team is demoralized and quitting, guess who gets to own that? Don't throw your hands up. Don't shrug your shoulder. Don't drop your head. You are who they are looking to. Be a leader in every sense.
Players, you don't get a pass. Before diving into individual units or singular performances, to the team as a whole: don't you dare quit on your teammates, your coaches, your fans, or your school again, but more than that don't you even think about quitting on yourselves one more time. The fact that many of us would give up years of our lives for one chance to run through that T, take the field in the Orange and White, and give our all for Tennessee just once notwithstanding, you owe yourselves and your teammates more than giving up because it gets hard. Don't drop your head and lay down playing dead for any opponent, least of all this one. The hell with owing it to us fans. You owe it to your brothers on the field and yourselves. Don't give yourselves a reason to look back on these moments with regret, and don't give any NFL staffs a reason to doubt your fire.
Jarrett Guarantano, you have been much discussed. I'm not here to pile on and suggest you should be benched or blah, blah, blah. I am going to make a couple of statements and then move on. Find your leadership style. Vocal, by actions, whatever that may look like, you need to find it, stick to it, and be the guy that offense rallies around when times get tough. Trust your offensive line. I know that one is tough to do, but you have to trust them so that you can run through your progressions, stop either running or dumping the pass off to your outlet guy because of perceived pressure, etc. The offense can't progress as long as the quarterback is running the show under duress, whether or not the pressure is real. Trust what Chaney has taught you. Change plays and protections accordingly. Don't be afraid to assert that authority given to you by your offensive coordinator and head coach. They've entrusted you with it because they believe in you. Take that to heart. You are the heart of the offense. It will only be as good as you enable it to be.
Running backs: secure the ball. I don't care which running back it is. You cannot put the ball on the ground. The running game has to be reliable enough to keep defenses honest, and that simply cannot happen when the coaches are afraid to put the ball in the hands of their best backs. You also need to trust your blockers. Trust your vision out there. If the hole isn't there, find the gap in the defense or take what's available, but you cannot bail on the running lane just because you don't trust what you're seeing. Secure the ball, whether it's a passing play or a running play. Then worry about yardage. You can't gain an inch without the ball in hand.
Receivers...well...yeah. You were pretty much fine for most of the game. Keep that up. Make sure you keep watching the ball into your hands because there were a couple of missed connections that didn't have to be missed, but all in all, solid day for arguably the best position group. Continue working hard and making plays.
Now, that prior note included Dominick Wood-Anderson, but to the rest of the tight ends, he can't do it alone. Jacob Warren. Sean Brown. Jackson Lowe. One of you guys needs to emerge as an additional passing threat and legitimate blocker because the seven offensive lineman thing is too telegraphed and isn't a sustainable formation to be used. It would be preferable that they can use a similar look with a pair of eligible receivers out there.
Offensive line, you honestly didn't have the worst day for three quarters. Heck, it wasn't even the worst I've seen as a whole because you weren't responsible for some of those sacks. Once you know who the starting five or top eight OLs are though, understand that these are your best friends. They are your brothers and you are inseparably close. Outside of classes and sleep, y'all spend your time together. You work on signals and chemistry and timing until you know what one another is thinking with a glance at each other. The quarterback and the running backs are your younger siblings or nephews or little cousins, you choose. You don't let anyone hurt them, and if someone has the audacity to touch them it's on you to make them pay for it.
To the defensive line, you have to know where to line up, fire off the line, and even if you're wrong, be wrong at full speed. The only cure for inexperience is to line up and play, making mistakes along the way. That said, everyone cannot be listed as a starter and anyone feel comfortable, and a rotation that's so heavy that you can't get into a rhythm isn't helpful. Still, whoever is on the field at the time has to attack like their name is Bobby Boucher. Break faces out there. Make the offensive line regret taking the field.
Inside linebackers, I know it sucks not having Bituli out there to help with getting guys lined up. I know it's all a bit new, especially for you, Henry To'o To'o. It's going to get easier, but until it does you just need to seek and destroy because attacking the offense has never gotten a defender in trouble. Make plays, whether you did your job right or not, until you get the assignments down. Don't overthink it. Football is still just football.
Outside linebackers, you had moments. Bennett, Johnson, both of you got after it and made some plays behind the line of scrimmage. Keep doing that. Taylor, aside from that nice play in coverage you'll need to get going, but we've seen that you have that talent. Until the younger guys get caught up, it's up to you three to provide that OLB pass rush. Things should be freed up once the staff begins rolling out the blitzes and stunts.
Secondary, mixed bag, right? Warren Burrell, you got tossed into a no-win situation due to circumstances off the field. The same more or less happened to you as well, Alontae Taylor, as a three-man rotation was trimmed down to two, more or less. Shawn Shamburger, build on that strong game of yours. Make the Star position your own. Safeties, we need better as a whole. If the corners are probably not going to have a chance to rotate, it's going to be up to you guys to provide them the necessary support when they start getting tired or get beat by the receivers. Support one another. That's how being a team works.
Specialists, I don't really have any notes. Keep up the good work. You all kicked great, the snaps looked crisp, no flubbed holds. Returners, same as I said about the running backs. Secure the ball. Then worry about everything else. If you fumble and lose it, no one will remember the return. Just the turnover.
BYU is solid, but they aren't unbeatable. Winning or losing is all going to fall on execution by the coaches and players. There's no excuse for what happened. There's no reason it should continue happening. There's plenty of talent. There's enough experience on the roster to win games. This staff has set winning expectations at every stop until now. Put up or shut up time. Get it right and beat BYU. It won't forgive everything, but it's a place to start.
Monday, September 2, 2019
Sunday, August 25, 2019
Projected Week One Depth Chart
OFFENSE
- Quarterback
- Jarrett Guarantano, 6-4, 213, RJR
- J.T. Shrout, 6-3, 213, RFR
- Running back
- Ty Chandler, 5-11, 201, JR
- Tim Jordan, 5-11, 203, JR or Eric Gray, 5-10, 195, FR
- Wide receiver 1
- Marquez Callaway, 6-2, 204, SR
- Brandon Johnson, 6-2, 195, SR
- Wide receiver 2
- Jauan Jennings, 6-3, 208, RSR
- Jordan Murphy, 6-0, 180, JR
- Wide receiver 3
- Josh Palmer, 6-2, 195, JR
- Tyler Byrd, 5-11, 210, SR
- Tight end
- Dominick Wood-Anderson, 6-4, 257, SR
- Jacob Warren, 6-6, 241, RFR or Jackson Lowe, 6-4, 249, FR
- Left tackle
- Wanya Morris, 6-4, 313, FR
- Jahmir Johnson, 6-5, 285, RJR
- Left guard
- Jerome Carvin, 6-5, 313, SO
- Jahmir Johnson, 6-5, 285, RJR
- Center
- Brandon Kennedy, 6-3, 301, RSR
- Ryan Johnson, 6-6, 301, RJR
- Right guard
- K'Rojhn Calbert, 6-5, 330, RSO
- Riley Locklear, 6-4, 286, JR
- Right tackle
- Marcus Tatum, 6-6, 316, RJR
- Darnell Wright, 6-6, 330, FR
DEFENSE
- Defensive end
- Darel Middleton, 6-6, 311, JR
- John Mincey, 6-3, 271, SO
- Nose guard
- Greg Emerson, 6-3, 309, RFR
- Kurott Garland, 6-3, 304, RFR
- Defensive tackle
- Savion Williams, 6-4, 304, JR
- Matthew Butler, 6-4, 285, JR
- Jack linebacker
- Deandre Johnson, 6-3, 246, JR
- Kivon Bennett, 6-2, 248, RSO
- Will linebacker
- Henry To'o To'o, 6-2, 232, FR
- Shanon Reid, 6-0, 224, JR
- Mike linebacker
- Daniel Bituli, 6-3, 252, SR or Will Ignont, 6-1, 225
- J.J. Peterson, 6-2, 233, RFR
- Sam linebacker
- Darrell Taylor, 6-4, 255, RSR
- Quavaris Crouch, 6-1, 246, FR
- Cornerback 1
- Alontae Taylor, 6-0, 193, SO
- Kenneth George Jr., 5-11, 201, RJR
- Cornerback 2
- Warren Burrell, 6-0, 176, FR
- Terrell Bailey, 5-11, 188, RSO
- Star(nickel)
- Shawn Shamburger, 5-11, 187, JR
- Theo Jackson, 6-2, 190, JR
- Safety 1
- Nigel Warrior, 6-0, 190, SR
- Jaylen McCollough, 6-0, 204, FR
- Safety 2
- Trevon Flowers, 5-11, 193, SO
- Theo Jackson, 6-2, 190, JR
Obviously, there are a handful of notable names not listed here. For various reasons, Aubrey Solomon, Trey Smith, Bryce Thompson, and Daniel Bituli, all probable starters if available, have uncertain statuses heading into this week's game. If the status of any of these four individuals change and they are determined to be available, I'll provide an update to that effect. As is, this is a pretty solid guess as to the depth chart that we should see provided by the middle of this week.
Thursday, August 22, 2019
Vols Making Moves in Camp
Let me start by saying that I don't expect all of these guys to start, but there's a lot of reason to expect all of them to play some meaningful minutes this season. Now, a caveat: I don't intend to include any offensive linemen right now. The reason for that is things are still very much in flux on the offensive line and I could probably name ten guys I expect to make an impact this season, but how big that impact might be hinges heavily on who winds up where in that pecking order that doesn't exist yet. Some inconsistent performances this camp have also made things harder to call there.
Eric Gray - You would think it might go without saying that a guy who established state records and dominated the state as a running back might make an immediate impact, and yet there's a case to be made that heading into fall camp Gray was an afterthought at the running back position. Now, he's having the kind of lead-up to the season that should have Tim Jordan looking over his shoulder when it comes to getting touches out of the backfield. Where Ty Chandler is a speedster who can flat fly once he gets into the open field, Gray is more similar to Alvin Kamara, who wasn't the fastest back but was a nightmare to tackle because of his quick-twitch movements that prevented tacklers from getting clean hits in. Gray is also an excellent receiver and kick returner, so expect to see quite a bit of the freshman back this season.
Brandon Johnson - As a sophomore, Johnson looked like one of the most consistent receivers on the roster and was seemingly poised for a big junior season. That never materialized with the return of Jauan Jennings and emergence of Josh Palmer, and ultimately Johnson fell out of use and had arguably his worst season in Knoxville. If camp has been any indication, Johnson has absolutely no intentions of repeating last year's struggles as a senior. He's at minimum returned to his sophomore form, and with improvement in the strength and conditioning program, has likely exceeded where he's been at any point in the past. Johnson is right there as one of the first two guys off the bench when the staff wants to get Jennings, Palmer, or Callaway a breather, and with his experience, it's likely he would be the first man up if an injury occurred.
Jacob Warren - It's hard to say right now how much use Warren might get this season as part of the mix at tight end, and he could still find himself passed up by the freshmen, but Warren has become one of the more consistent options at tight end. He's bulked up for the position, and he is the tallest of the tight ends. After arriving looking like a wide receiver, he now looks the part of a tight end and is more than capable of holding his own as a receiver. There is still some reason for concern regarding his blocking, but with true freshmen Sean Brown and Jackson Lowe finding their heads swimming a bit and with Austin Pope and Andrew Craig looking more likely to fill an H-back role, Warrren has a very good chance to be the primary backup to Dominick Wood-Anderson.
Darel Middleton - Of the two JUCO defensive linemen who joined the team this summer, Middleton was more of an afterthought. He was a very large afterthought at 6-7, 311-pounds, but he wasn't necessarily expected to be a big contributor. Now, some are projecting he may be a starter and that's not a reach at all. Middleton doesn't always know what to do out there, but what he does do is attack quickly with a high motor. Sometimes you'd rather have a high-motor guy go out there doing the wrong thing as opposed to having someone do everything right but fail to make plays. Middleton now makes it two JUCO defensive linemen likely to make immediate impacts this fall.
Greg Emerson - A top defensive line recruit, a serious injury before his senior season essentially cost him two years as he was unable to play as a senior and essentially took most of a year to return to form, but he's getting there now and is another lineman poised to take over a starting role. The season-ending injury suffered by Emmit Gooden was a terrible loss but also an opportunity that Emerson has seized upon. A former high school defensive end, he brings an attacking, playmaking mindset to the nose tackle position.
Matthew Butler - Butler has carried a strong spring over into the summer, and he's probably sitting as a likely starter right now with Aubrey Solomon's status still uncertain. Butler wasn't the most heralded addition to the Vols, but all he's done since arriving is provide solid minutes as a reserve, biding his time until the opportunity came for an expanded role. Once that chance came for him, he took it by the reins and has shown no sign of fading away. Butler was a sack machine in high school and a return to anything close to that form is bad news for the SEC.
Henry To'o To'o - Summer enrollees rarely emerge as starters in the SEC. Henry To'o To'o isn't a typical SEC freshman, and right now he has the inside track on starting at Will linebacker for the Vols. In fact, his integration into the defense reminds me somewhat of Darrin Kirkland Jr.'s, but with one big difference: Kirkland didn't start week one. This is the type of player that the Vols have struggled to secure in recent years in recruiting and is a guy who will make a huge impact this season.
Quavaris Crouch - While he may not be currently poised to start, Crouch is certainly in a position to play significant minutes after shifting from inside linebacker, where he spent the spring, to outside linebacker. With Jordan Allen out indefinitely, one of the younger players must step up, and Crouch, with his spring jump, looks most likely to emerge as a key reserve.
Shawn Shamburger - Although he's been a regular contributor over the last two seasons, it appears Shamburger's time has finally come as he looks likely to at least begin the season as the starting Star (nickel). Baylen Buchanan's injury situation will keep him off the field indefinitely, which had the staff re-evaluating their plans at the position. They looked at a number of options, but Shamburger has made a strong case for the job. A possible factor in this could be Alontae Taylor, who is locked in a battle for his job at corner and could potentially become a more realistic option at Star if the staff elects to go with the final name on this list.
Warren Burrell - Never underestimate the importance of being on campus for spring football. Warren Burrell wasn't the most heralded recruit of the cycle by a long-shot, but here he is pushing for a starting job at corner. Burrell still doesn't always know exactly what he should be doing, but he does it all well, full speed, and with an eye on making plays. It's that playmaking ability that has him fighting for that job with Alontae Taylor. No matter who wins, expect all three to be big parts of the defense this season.
Eric Gray - You would think it might go without saying that a guy who established state records and dominated the state as a running back might make an immediate impact, and yet there's a case to be made that heading into fall camp Gray was an afterthought at the running back position. Now, he's having the kind of lead-up to the season that should have Tim Jordan looking over his shoulder when it comes to getting touches out of the backfield. Where Ty Chandler is a speedster who can flat fly once he gets into the open field, Gray is more similar to Alvin Kamara, who wasn't the fastest back but was a nightmare to tackle because of his quick-twitch movements that prevented tacklers from getting clean hits in. Gray is also an excellent receiver and kick returner, so expect to see quite a bit of the freshman back this season.
Brandon Johnson - As a sophomore, Johnson looked like one of the most consistent receivers on the roster and was seemingly poised for a big junior season. That never materialized with the return of Jauan Jennings and emergence of Josh Palmer, and ultimately Johnson fell out of use and had arguably his worst season in Knoxville. If camp has been any indication, Johnson has absolutely no intentions of repeating last year's struggles as a senior. He's at minimum returned to his sophomore form, and with improvement in the strength and conditioning program, has likely exceeded where he's been at any point in the past. Johnson is right there as one of the first two guys off the bench when the staff wants to get Jennings, Palmer, or Callaway a breather, and with his experience, it's likely he would be the first man up if an injury occurred.
Jacob Warren - It's hard to say right now how much use Warren might get this season as part of the mix at tight end, and he could still find himself passed up by the freshmen, but Warren has become one of the more consistent options at tight end. He's bulked up for the position, and he is the tallest of the tight ends. After arriving looking like a wide receiver, he now looks the part of a tight end and is more than capable of holding his own as a receiver. There is still some reason for concern regarding his blocking, but with true freshmen Sean Brown and Jackson Lowe finding their heads swimming a bit and with Austin Pope and Andrew Craig looking more likely to fill an H-back role, Warrren has a very good chance to be the primary backup to Dominick Wood-Anderson.
Darel Middleton - Of the two JUCO defensive linemen who joined the team this summer, Middleton was more of an afterthought. He was a very large afterthought at 6-7, 311-pounds, but he wasn't necessarily expected to be a big contributor. Now, some are projecting he may be a starter and that's not a reach at all. Middleton doesn't always know what to do out there, but what he does do is attack quickly with a high motor. Sometimes you'd rather have a high-motor guy go out there doing the wrong thing as opposed to having someone do everything right but fail to make plays. Middleton now makes it two JUCO defensive linemen likely to make immediate impacts this fall.
Greg Emerson - A top defensive line recruit, a serious injury before his senior season essentially cost him two years as he was unable to play as a senior and essentially took most of a year to return to form, but he's getting there now and is another lineman poised to take over a starting role. The season-ending injury suffered by Emmit Gooden was a terrible loss but also an opportunity that Emerson has seized upon. A former high school defensive end, he brings an attacking, playmaking mindset to the nose tackle position.
Matthew Butler - Butler has carried a strong spring over into the summer, and he's probably sitting as a likely starter right now with Aubrey Solomon's status still uncertain. Butler wasn't the most heralded addition to the Vols, but all he's done since arriving is provide solid minutes as a reserve, biding his time until the opportunity came for an expanded role. Once that chance came for him, he took it by the reins and has shown no sign of fading away. Butler was a sack machine in high school and a return to anything close to that form is bad news for the SEC.
Henry To'o To'o - Summer enrollees rarely emerge as starters in the SEC. Henry To'o To'o isn't a typical SEC freshman, and right now he has the inside track on starting at Will linebacker for the Vols. In fact, his integration into the defense reminds me somewhat of Darrin Kirkland Jr.'s, but with one big difference: Kirkland didn't start week one. This is the type of player that the Vols have struggled to secure in recent years in recruiting and is a guy who will make a huge impact this season.
Quavaris Crouch - While he may not be currently poised to start, Crouch is certainly in a position to play significant minutes after shifting from inside linebacker, where he spent the spring, to outside linebacker. With Jordan Allen out indefinitely, one of the younger players must step up, and Crouch, with his spring jump, looks most likely to emerge as a key reserve.
Shawn Shamburger - Although he's been a regular contributor over the last two seasons, it appears Shamburger's time has finally come as he looks likely to at least begin the season as the starting Star (nickel). Baylen Buchanan's injury situation will keep him off the field indefinitely, which had the staff re-evaluating their plans at the position. They looked at a number of options, but Shamburger has made a strong case for the job. A possible factor in this could be Alontae Taylor, who is locked in a battle for his job at corner and could potentially become a more realistic option at Star if the staff elects to go with the final name on this list.
Warren Burrell - Never underestimate the importance of being on campus for spring football. Warren Burrell wasn't the most heralded recruit of the cycle by a long-shot, but here he is pushing for a starting job at corner. Burrell still doesn't always know exactly what he should be doing, but he does it all well, full speed, and with an eye on making plays. It's that playmaking ability that has him fighting for that job with Alontae Taylor. No matter who wins, expect all three to be big parts of the defense this season.
Saturday, August 10, 2019
Fall Camp Impressions So Far
Before we get this under way, these are just my impressions based on reports from practice and what I've seen on film. There's going to be jockeying as far as the depth chart is concerned, there's always the possibility of injuries, and everyone has limits on their access to practices. don't take any of this as gospel truth. It's one man's opinions based on what he's seen.
As an overall impression, this team is physically more imposing than they have been in the past several seasons. While the freshmen showing up looking the part is a credit to the recruiting, the overall physical improvement of the team is a testament to the work of Craig Fitzgerald and his staff. That's not to say Tennessee is going to get off the bus and look like Alabama, but they won't be getting off the bus against a Kentucky looking out of place anymore.
The team also looks faster and more agile out there. Although they obviously had a fairly impactful injury that they are having to deal with, otherwise the team simply looks bigger, faster, more physical, more flexible, and less likely to become excessively injury-prone than they were at times in the past.
Things at quarterback are both somewhat settled and also very much competitive as well. There is no question of the starter for the Vols. Jarrett Guarantano has that job firmly locked down and no one is remotely close to challenging him. Not only is this team, but he is a clear leader out there and has become more vocal in that role. The competition is between JT Shrout and Brian Maurer for the backup job, and as such the two of them are getting additional reps in practice that Guarantano is less in need of. They need to identify a backup quarterback who can step in if needed. Now, before you think Guaratano isn't out there throwing passes, that isn't the case. He's just throwing fewer than Shrout and Maurer.
When it comes to the running backs, it's not a crowded room, but it's a talented one. Carlin Fils-aime is still working on recovering from a spring injury and has yet to return to full contact, which is bad news from a depth perspective but is good news for freshman Eric Gray, who is able to get in more reps as a consequence. This has allowed Gray to make himself part of the conversation to make an immediate impact at running back this season. Jeremy Banks is absolutely a running back now after some shuffling back and forth during his freshman season, and he's by far the biggest of the backs out there. He has spent a fair amount of time working on the fumbling issues that plagued him at times during his freshman campaign, and at least through spring and now it appears to largely be behind him. Fans pretty much know what they have in Ty Chandler and Tim Jordan, although I've gotten at least some indication that Jordan has taken a step forward in his decisiveness and footwork while Chandler has added strength to better run between the tackles. This group should be a strength of the team if they can get some help from the offensive line.
The wide receivers are everything fans expected them to be and maybe actually better than anticipated. While everyone knows how good Marquez Callaway and Jauan Jennings are from their career exploits, Josh Palmer's productive season last year left fans hopeful he would take another step forward. Well, that certainly seems to be the case. Physically he looks NFL ready, and he's been playing the part in camp so far as well. Brandon Johnson is having probably his best offseason so far in Knoxville, and Jordan Murphy continues to display the blazing speed he brings to the table. Tyler Byrd has returned to making circus catches, and now the group is also getting some exciting catches in camp from redshirt freshman Cedric Tillman and true freshman Ramel Keyton. I genuinely think this is a group with the potential to see all eight receivers I've named get some play in big-time moments, but for certain the top six will get the bulk of the work. With several seniors in the mix, they are playing for a rookie contract now.
At tight end, Dominick Wood-Anderson is everything fans hoped he would be. That's good news. The less awesome news is that it's still unclear if someone is close to taking the reins hind him. For a few practices, Jacob Warren was getting run alongside him. Other times, it has been Jackson Lowe. Warren and Austin Pope don't have their heads swimming quite like Lowe and fellow true freshman Sean Brown. Princeton Fant seems likely to be a candidate for the H-back/fullback role largely held last season by Pope, although Pope and walk-on Andrew Craig are also guys in that mix. There's plenty of talent here. They just need to figure out how the rest of this group shakes out.
The offensive line is obviously the most closely watched group on the practice field right now. Tennessee cannot afford the struggles of the last two seasons from the group again. The good news is that they look bigger and better overall. The bad news is they are still trying to figure out what the starting five might look like. They have about ten guys they are currently focusing on in order to sort out a pecking order, and honestly last year they didn't have that many, so they are already in good shape. Add in that they aren't even fully healthy on the offensive line yet, with Trey Smith still trying to sort out his status as well as Ollie Lane and Chris Akporoghene mainly working with the strength staff and the staff has options. They just need to sort out the status of Smith and find a starting five. I expect the line to be better; I'm just not sure how much better yet.
Losing Emmit Gooden isn't good news and nobody is ever going to suggest that it is. If there is a silver lining to it, it is that Gooden will be back next year and part of a much more experienced defensive line. However, I'm significantly less doom and gloom about the development than some have been. The defensive line is deeper this season, and more guys look ready to play at this level. The idea of having a three-deep and actually using it isn't as far-fetched as it was a year ago. Gooden is a hit as far as experience in SEC games is concerned, but it's not a crippling injury, in part due to the addition of Savion Williams, Darel Middleton, and Elijah Simmons as well as the continued development of Kingston Harris, Matthew Butler, and Greg Emerson. The defensive line won't be Alabama or Georgia good, but they should be good enough to allow the linebackers to handle the edge-rushing while they push from the interior and give the secondary the help they need to defend the pass. Also, like everyone else, this group is bigger, stronger, and faster so they are ready to hold their own against the run as well. The biggest thing here is the same as at tight end and offensive line: establishing a pecking order.
Will Ignont and Daniel Bituli have both had some maintenance days and are being managed as both are fairly important to the success of the defense. Since the pads went on, maintenance days are rolling back around for certain key players again. This has enabled Henry To'o To'o to get some running time with the ones, and he's certainly right there in the mix to be the first man up behind Bituli and Ignont. Shanon Reid is also very much in the mix inside, and JJ Peterson has been settling in and having better practices after a rough first few days. Solon Page is still on the thin side but also looks the part and is a solid candidate for the third Will linebacker. Outside, things have pretty well established themselves regarding a starting duo there as well with Darrell Taylor and Deandre Johnson looking more or less locked into the top spots. Kivon Bennett has certainly established himself as the #2 behind Johnson and his most likely challenger if one should emerge. Exciting freshmen Roman Harrison and Quavaris Crouch have both looked good out there and are physically well-along, but they are also freshmen going through their first camps and are trying to grasp all the new concepts. Jordan Allen is working to get back out there and he could be a factor for a #2 job once he does.
There's not a ton of drama in the secondary, and this looks to be right there with wide receiver for the greatest strength of the roster. However, the injury bug has been keeping Baylen Buchanan out of practices, and that means the staff needs to identify who will fill in while he remains unavailable. Depth at safety gives the staff a number of options to shift down there, including possibly senior safety and presumed starter Nigel Warrior, which would likely bump freshman Jaylen McCollough into the starting role. This is less of a concern and more of a minor nuisance. While the top three corners are pretty well settled with Bryce Thompson, Alontae Taylor, and freshman Warren Burrell, there is an opportunity as the fourth corner in the rotation. Candidates right now would appear to include Kenney Solomon, Kenneth George Jr., Jerrod Means, and Cheyenne Labruzza. No one has separated themselves yet, but my guess would be George if he can pick back up where he left off this spring when he was emerging before an off-field incident.
Nobody ever sees the specialists doing work, so I can't offer much here beyond saying that this should be a reasonably strong group as a whole.
I'm feeling fairly good about the team and where they're at right now, and I'm potentially going to land on being a bit higher on them than some of the media will be. Some of that is faith in the team and staff, but also a big factor in my thoughts on that front are some key potential weaknesses in some of the Vols opponents in 2019. No, it doesn't feel like '98, but it might be feeling a bit like 2015, and for now that's big after 9-15 the last two seasons.
As an overall impression, this team is physically more imposing than they have been in the past several seasons. While the freshmen showing up looking the part is a credit to the recruiting, the overall physical improvement of the team is a testament to the work of Craig Fitzgerald and his staff. That's not to say Tennessee is going to get off the bus and look like Alabama, but they won't be getting off the bus against a Kentucky looking out of place anymore.
The team also looks faster and more agile out there. Although they obviously had a fairly impactful injury that they are having to deal with, otherwise the team simply looks bigger, faster, more physical, more flexible, and less likely to become excessively injury-prone than they were at times in the past.
Things at quarterback are both somewhat settled and also very much competitive as well. There is no question of the starter for the Vols. Jarrett Guarantano has that job firmly locked down and no one is remotely close to challenging him. Not only is this team, but he is a clear leader out there and has become more vocal in that role. The competition is between JT Shrout and Brian Maurer for the backup job, and as such the two of them are getting additional reps in practice that Guarantano is less in need of. They need to identify a backup quarterback who can step in if needed. Now, before you think Guaratano isn't out there throwing passes, that isn't the case. He's just throwing fewer than Shrout and Maurer.
When it comes to the running backs, it's not a crowded room, but it's a talented one. Carlin Fils-aime is still working on recovering from a spring injury and has yet to return to full contact, which is bad news from a depth perspective but is good news for freshman Eric Gray, who is able to get in more reps as a consequence. This has allowed Gray to make himself part of the conversation to make an immediate impact at running back this season. Jeremy Banks is absolutely a running back now after some shuffling back and forth during his freshman season, and he's by far the biggest of the backs out there. He has spent a fair amount of time working on the fumbling issues that plagued him at times during his freshman campaign, and at least through spring and now it appears to largely be behind him. Fans pretty much know what they have in Ty Chandler and Tim Jordan, although I've gotten at least some indication that Jordan has taken a step forward in his decisiveness and footwork while Chandler has added strength to better run between the tackles. This group should be a strength of the team if they can get some help from the offensive line.
The wide receivers are everything fans expected them to be and maybe actually better than anticipated. While everyone knows how good Marquez Callaway and Jauan Jennings are from their career exploits, Josh Palmer's productive season last year left fans hopeful he would take another step forward. Well, that certainly seems to be the case. Physically he looks NFL ready, and he's been playing the part in camp so far as well. Brandon Johnson is having probably his best offseason so far in Knoxville, and Jordan Murphy continues to display the blazing speed he brings to the table. Tyler Byrd has returned to making circus catches, and now the group is also getting some exciting catches in camp from redshirt freshman Cedric Tillman and true freshman Ramel Keyton. I genuinely think this is a group with the potential to see all eight receivers I've named get some play in big-time moments, but for certain the top six will get the bulk of the work. With several seniors in the mix, they are playing for a rookie contract now.
At tight end, Dominick Wood-Anderson is everything fans hoped he would be. That's good news. The less awesome news is that it's still unclear if someone is close to taking the reins hind him. For a few practices, Jacob Warren was getting run alongside him. Other times, it has been Jackson Lowe. Warren and Austin Pope don't have their heads swimming quite like Lowe and fellow true freshman Sean Brown. Princeton Fant seems likely to be a candidate for the H-back/fullback role largely held last season by Pope, although Pope and walk-on Andrew Craig are also guys in that mix. There's plenty of talent here. They just need to figure out how the rest of this group shakes out.
The offensive line is obviously the most closely watched group on the practice field right now. Tennessee cannot afford the struggles of the last two seasons from the group again. The good news is that they look bigger and better overall. The bad news is they are still trying to figure out what the starting five might look like. They have about ten guys they are currently focusing on in order to sort out a pecking order, and honestly last year they didn't have that many, so they are already in good shape. Add in that they aren't even fully healthy on the offensive line yet, with Trey Smith still trying to sort out his status as well as Ollie Lane and Chris Akporoghene mainly working with the strength staff and the staff has options. They just need to sort out the status of Smith and find a starting five. I expect the line to be better; I'm just not sure how much better yet.
Losing Emmit Gooden isn't good news and nobody is ever going to suggest that it is. If there is a silver lining to it, it is that Gooden will be back next year and part of a much more experienced defensive line. However, I'm significantly less doom and gloom about the development than some have been. The defensive line is deeper this season, and more guys look ready to play at this level. The idea of having a three-deep and actually using it isn't as far-fetched as it was a year ago. Gooden is a hit as far as experience in SEC games is concerned, but it's not a crippling injury, in part due to the addition of Savion Williams, Darel Middleton, and Elijah Simmons as well as the continued development of Kingston Harris, Matthew Butler, and Greg Emerson. The defensive line won't be Alabama or Georgia good, but they should be good enough to allow the linebackers to handle the edge-rushing while they push from the interior and give the secondary the help they need to defend the pass. Also, like everyone else, this group is bigger, stronger, and faster so they are ready to hold their own against the run as well. The biggest thing here is the same as at tight end and offensive line: establishing a pecking order.
Will Ignont and Daniel Bituli have both had some maintenance days and are being managed as both are fairly important to the success of the defense. Since the pads went on, maintenance days are rolling back around for certain key players again. This has enabled Henry To'o To'o to get some running time with the ones, and he's certainly right there in the mix to be the first man up behind Bituli and Ignont. Shanon Reid is also very much in the mix inside, and JJ Peterson has been settling in and having better practices after a rough first few days. Solon Page is still on the thin side but also looks the part and is a solid candidate for the third Will linebacker. Outside, things have pretty well established themselves regarding a starting duo there as well with Darrell Taylor and Deandre Johnson looking more or less locked into the top spots. Kivon Bennett has certainly established himself as the #2 behind Johnson and his most likely challenger if one should emerge. Exciting freshmen Roman Harrison and Quavaris Crouch have both looked good out there and are physically well-along, but they are also freshmen going through their first camps and are trying to grasp all the new concepts. Jordan Allen is working to get back out there and he could be a factor for a #2 job once he does.
There's not a ton of drama in the secondary, and this looks to be right there with wide receiver for the greatest strength of the roster. However, the injury bug has been keeping Baylen Buchanan out of practices, and that means the staff needs to identify who will fill in while he remains unavailable. Depth at safety gives the staff a number of options to shift down there, including possibly senior safety and presumed starter Nigel Warrior, which would likely bump freshman Jaylen McCollough into the starting role. This is less of a concern and more of a minor nuisance. While the top three corners are pretty well settled with Bryce Thompson, Alontae Taylor, and freshman Warren Burrell, there is an opportunity as the fourth corner in the rotation. Candidates right now would appear to include Kenney Solomon, Kenneth George Jr., Jerrod Means, and Cheyenne Labruzza. No one has separated themselves yet, but my guess would be George if he can pick back up where he left off this spring when he was emerging before an off-field incident.
Nobody ever sees the specialists doing work, so I can't offer much here beyond saying that this should be a reasonably strong group as a whole.
I'm feeling fairly good about the team and where they're at right now, and I'm potentially going to land on being a bit higher on them than some of the media will be. Some of that is faith in the team and staff, but also a big factor in my thoughts on that front are some key potential weaknesses in some of the Vols opponents in 2019. No, it doesn't feel like '98, but it might be feeling a bit like 2015, and for now that's big after 9-15 the last two seasons.
Saturday, July 27, 2019
Harrison Bailey, 247Sports, and Outraged Fans
I didn't want to touch this one. I figured it would blow over fairly quickly. After all, recruiting rankings are fluid right up until National Signing Day, so a couple of days of outrage and things mellow out until the next round of recruiting rankings. That's how it usually goes, but not this time. Nope. For some reason, the chatter just keeps growing. Fans are getting angrier and angrier.
For those lucky enough to have missed the current perceived slight to the Vols, quarterback commitment Harrison Bailey saw his ranking with 247Sports drop 49 spots in the latest recruiting ranking update after a somewhat up and down showing at The Opening. Harrison Bailey was at one time ranked as high as #48 nationally very early in the rankings for the 2020 class back in February of 2018, and since then has seen his ranking with 247Sports dip to its current low of #210 nationally. He is holding steady as the #5 pro-style quarterback in the class.
For fans, who have developed a victim mentality both deserved and unwarranted at times, it adds 247Sports to a list of those who hate Tennessee, along with referees, ESPN, CBS, and presumably God. Now, on the victim mentality matter, fans have every reason to feel disrespected, but it's not the media or referees or SEC or the Lord above they have to blame. It's the University of Tennessee. It's mismanagement from the top on down that has led to this mess. Questionable athletic director hires led to bad head coaching hires, iffy staffs, poor recruiting results, underwhelming player development, etc. Honesty from the media or veering off onto other topics during Tennessee games when the Vols aren't performing is all a consequence of over a decade of mismanagement and poor play.
ESPN absolutely does not hate Tennessee. That would be cutting their nose off to spite their face. Knoxville, as of 2017, was tied for the #4 market for college football in the country. Nashville tied for #6. Feel free to toss in at least portions of the viewing audience in some of the other top ten markets like Birmingham, Atlanta, and Greenville and you can see why ESPN isn't trying to run off Tennessee fans. Knoxville is the #60 market for television overall, but when it comes to college football the numbers skyrocket. Trust me, ESPN knows this.
Similar for CBS's Tennessee games. They know they get a boost from Vol fans when they air them. They aren't looking to run you off. They also can't ask announcers to spend too much time talking about a lopsided blowout loss by Tennessee again. Guys, I've been in the booth. You have to have something to talk about, and frankly, there's only so much you can say about one-sided contests.
247Sports isn't out to get anyone. GoVols247 is among the top 15 to 20 sites for traffic every month in the 247Sports network. The idea that they want to run people off or attack Tennessee recruits because they didn't commit to Alabama or Georgia is ridiculous. They aren't seeking to run off subscribers. Heck, when it comes to Tennessee content, there aren't many sites that give Vol fans as much to read as 247Sports, especially when it comes to things that can be read for free.
What about the rankings though? Why did Harrison Bailey fall so much? First of all, he didn't fall quite the way some fans are making it out that he did. He's still #210 in the country and is well within the Top247. As a four-star prospect, he is a player expected to play professionally. He didn't drop to a three-star prospect. He fell within the top 210 players in the country. He fell somewhat because other guys at different positions clearly moved ahead of him. That happens. All the time.
However, the other factor is that a prior concern proved to still be lingering, and that is his quickness in making his drops, moving his feet, and getting the ball out quickly. These are things that can be fixed with coaching, of course. They aren't even necessarily things that are uncommon to find among quarterbacks coming out of high school. It's a different level of competition week in and week out.
Jack Miller and Harrison Bailey both participated in The Opening and both saw some changes to their rankings out of the event. The Opening is a big stage, and it's a big stage with many of the best players at every position showing up and showing out. That means that little issues with a player's game can be highlighted as they are compared to other top talents. It's normal to see players move up or down after such an event.
Now, many fans are pointing to the Rivals 5-Star Challenge, where Bailey won MVP, as proof that 247Sports is being biased against him. That's not particularly meaningful in 247Sports' ranking because they aren't hosting the event, don't attend the event, and don't get a chance to analyze players at that event. In truth, The Opening is probably the first chance they had to evaluate Bailey since he went to the Charlotte regional back in May. Rivals is going to rank Bailey accordingly since they hosted the event, and that will boost Bailey's composite ranking. It's silly to accuse 247Sports for being biased against a player because they haven't had all the same events to evaluate a recruit at.
As for a bias against Tennessee, spare me. Cooper Mays moved up 72 spots in the last update. He has moved from being ranked as low as #531 in February to being at an all-time high now for him of #236 and entering the Top247. You can't ask for honesty from recruiting analysts and then get angry when they give honest assessments.
I get it. Bailey is one of the earliest big names to join the class. He's a quarterback, so he's viewed as the leader of the recruiting class. Anything that happens with him, positive or negative, is going to be overblown. Feel free to disagree with the recruiting assessments or the importance of recruiting rankings or even the value of mobility within the pocket. I'm all for that. Express yourselves to your heart's content. However, stop making false accusations of bias. Stop playing the victim when any network or website does something you disagree with.
Settle down. Harrison Bailey is the same kid you were excited about before. He's still the future at quarterback for the Vols. He's still one of the most active player recruiters. He is everything you thought he was no matter what one site has him ranked at as a recruit. Ultimately, he's going to decide who he's going to be as a Tennessee quarterback, not rankings from a website. If you can't handle kids being ranked and evaluated, maybe don't follow recruiting until National Signing Day and just enjoy the final result. It might be healthier for you mentally.
For those lucky enough to have missed the current perceived slight to the Vols, quarterback commitment Harrison Bailey saw his ranking with 247Sports drop 49 spots in the latest recruiting ranking update after a somewhat up and down showing at The Opening. Harrison Bailey was at one time ranked as high as #48 nationally very early in the rankings for the 2020 class back in February of 2018, and since then has seen his ranking with 247Sports dip to its current low of #210 nationally. He is holding steady as the #5 pro-style quarterback in the class.
For fans, who have developed a victim mentality both deserved and unwarranted at times, it adds 247Sports to a list of those who hate Tennessee, along with referees, ESPN, CBS, and presumably God. Now, on the victim mentality matter, fans have every reason to feel disrespected, but it's not the media or referees or SEC or the Lord above they have to blame. It's the University of Tennessee. It's mismanagement from the top on down that has led to this mess. Questionable athletic director hires led to bad head coaching hires, iffy staffs, poor recruiting results, underwhelming player development, etc. Honesty from the media or veering off onto other topics during Tennessee games when the Vols aren't performing is all a consequence of over a decade of mismanagement and poor play.
ESPN absolutely does not hate Tennessee. That would be cutting their nose off to spite their face. Knoxville, as of 2017, was tied for the #4 market for college football in the country. Nashville tied for #6. Feel free to toss in at least portions of the viewing audience in some of the other top ten markets like Birmingham, Atlanta, and Greenville and you can see why ESPN isn't trying to run off Tennessee fans. Knoxville is the #60 market for television overall, but when it comes to college football the numbers skyrocket. Trust me, ESPN knows this.
Similar for CBS's Tennessee games. They know they get a boost from Vol fans when they air them. They aren't looking to run you off. They also can't ask announcers to spend too much time talking about a lopsided blowout loss by Tennessee again. Guys, I've been in the booth. You have to have something to talk about, and frankly, there's only so much you can say about one-sided contests.
247Sports isn't out to get anyone. GoVols247 is among the top 15 to 20 sites for traffic every month in the 247Sports network. The idea that they want to run people off or attack Tennessee recruits because they didn't commit to Alabama or Georgia is ridiculous. They aren't seeking to run off subscribers. Heck, when it comes to Tennessee content, there aren't many sites that give Vol fans as much to read as 247Sports, especially when it comes to things that can be read for free.
What about the rankings though? Why did Harrison Bailey fall so much? First of all, he didn't fall quite the way some fans are making it out that he did. He's still #210 in the country and is well within the Top247. As a four-star prospect, he is a player expected to play professionally. He didn't drop to a three-star prospect. He fell within the top 210 players in the country. He fell somewhat because other guys at different positions clearly moved ahead of him. That happens. All the time.
However, the other factor is that a prior concern proved to still be lingering, and that is his quickness in making his drops, moving his feet, and getting the ball out quickly. These are things that can be fixed with coaching, of course. They aren't even necessarily things that are uncommon to find among quarterbacks coming out of high school. It's a different level of competition week in and week out.
Jack Miller and Harrison Bailey both participated in The Opening and both saw some changes to their rankings out of the event. The Opening is a big stage, and it's a big stage with many of the best players at every position showing up and showing out. That means that little issues with a player's game can be highlighted as they are compared to other top talents. It's normal to see players move up or down after such an event.
Now, many fans are pointing to the Rivals 5-Star Challenge, where Bailey won MVP, as proof that 247Sports is being biased against him. That's not particularly meaningful in 247Sports' ranking because they aren't hosting the event, don't attend the event, and don't get a chance to analyze players at that event. In truth, The Opening is probably the first chance they had to evaluate Bailey since he went to the Charlotte regional back in May. Rivals is going to rank Bailey accordingly since they hosted the event, and that will boost Bailey's composite ranking. It's silly to accuse 247Sports for being biased against a player because they haven't had all the same events to evaluate a recruit at.
As for a bias against Tennessee, spare me. Cooper Mays moved up 72 spots in the last update. He has moved from being ranked as low as #531 in February to being at an all-time high now for him of #236 and entering the Top247. You can't ask for honesty from recruiting analysts and then get angry when they give honest assessments.
I get it. Bailey is one of the earliest big names to join the class. He's a quarterback, so he's viewed as the leader of the recruiting class. Anything that happens with him, positive or negative, is going to be overblown. Feel free to disagree with the recruiting assessments or the importance of recruiting rankings or even the value of mobility within the pocket. I'm all for that. Express yourselves to your heart's content. However, stop making false accusations of bias. Stop playing the victim when any network or website does something you disagree with.
Settle down. Harrison Bailey is the same kid you were excited about before. He's still the future at quarterback for the Vols. He's still one of the most active player recruiters. He is everything you thought he was no matter what one site has him ranked at as a recruit. Ultimately, he's going to decide who he's going to be as a Tennessee quarterback, not rankings from a website. If you can't handle kids being ranked and evaluated, maybe don't follow recruiting until National Signing Day and just enjoy the final result. It might be healthier for you mentally.
Wednesday, July 17, 2019
2019 Position Breakdowns: Tight End
Tennessee will likely find themselves relying on a couple of young tight ends this season in addition to their senior, but ultimately the general situation is viewed as better than it was last year when starter Dominick Wood-Anderson was basically the only guy who really fit the physical profile the coaches were looking for. Now they have at least three with the two freshmen, and depending on how a couple of other players have used the spring and summer, they could have as many as five that fit the bill.
Dominick Wood-Anderson was a JUCO that pretty much everyone wanted at the tight end position after moving there following being a high school quarterback and basketball player. He was solidly productive at Arizona Western, finishing his two years there with 45 receptions for 476 yards and 4 touchdowns while learning the position. Tennessee won the battle for his signature, looking to him to become the starter following the departure of Ethan Wolf. In his first year as the primary starter for Tennessee, he had 17 catches for 140 yards and 2 touchdowns, but given that it was his first season in the SEC and only his third playing tight end, it was at least good enough. Wood-Anderson took a big jump from his first season at Arizona Western to his second, more than doubling his receptions, and it's not a huge leap to think he could do the same this season. If not, it will likely mean one of the two highly-regarded freshmen have cut into his receptions. Wood-Anderson had 4 receptions for 19 yards and a touchdown in the spring game, so a good start toward a jump in receptions.
Jackson Lowe was an early enrollee this spring and quickly made his presence felt, not as though you were likely to miss the 6-4, 253-pounder. Lowe arrived probably needing to improve his strength some to further develop as a blocker, even though he wasn't exactly known for being the most explosive of receiving tight ends. That said, he can certainly make big plays as evidenced by his 16.2 yards per catch average in high school. He also put that on display in the spring game with 3 receptions for 60 yards, although his longest reception ended in a bit of tragedy has he lost some focus and fell victim to a defender's punch and fumbled away the ball. Lowe is almost certainly heading into the season as the #2 tight end, but it's certainly reasonable to expect his fellow freshman to push him for playing time.
Summer enrollee Sean Brown isn't going to be a receiving stat sheet stuffer, but if you want a player to help create a hole, the 6-5, 250-pound freshman is your man. Also a productive defender, Brown brings that defensive mentality to the tight end position, looking to punish the man across from him and advance to the next level. He was also an occasional ballcarrier for his high school team, although I don't know that we'll see that feature too much in Knoxville. If Lowe brings the receiving to the table, Brown is the enforcer on blocking downs. That said, I would expect Lowe to progress as a blocker and Brown to become a decent receiver. Brown could also fill the H-back/fullback role.
I know I've spent a lot of time on these two, but believe it or not they aren't the only scholarship tight ends on the roster. Austin Pope is easily the most experienced tight end on the roster, having spent three years at Tennessee so far. He's just not the most productive, having only caught three passes during his time with the Vols. His weight has fluctuated some. Ideally, he'll enter the next season around 240 or so and become part of the rotation at tight end. Pope was a very productive high school player who has been trying to strike the right balance between size and athleticism to get the job done. Last year he saw some time at fullback as well, a role he could continue to fill, although he may face new competition in that role.
Redshirt sophomore Princeton Fant has had a heck of a time finding his home on the roster, having been listed at wide receiver, running back, and tight end at different times. For now, tight end appears to be his official role, but he is a very strong candidate to fill the fullback role given his winding path. At 6-2, 230, he isn't necessarily the ideal fit for a tight end, but as an H-back/fullback type, he's exactly what you typically look for in that capacity.
Jacob Warren is a redshirt freshman and the tallest of the tight ends at 6-6. He arrived on campus looking much more like a skinny wide receiver than a tight end, but 20-some odd pounds later, he is filling out nicely. Warren racked up over 1,000 receiving yards in his last two years of high school and averaged 16.7 yards per reception, so he's a player who can certainly make an impact if he can grow into a contributor physically.
Andrew Craig made the move last season from preferred walk-on to contributor, even though he didn't add any statistics. He played in 11 games as a reserve tight end and goalline fullback, a role he'll look to continue to fill as a redshirt junior. When Craig was added, he was best known for his play as a defensive lineman although he had the build to play tight end. Now, he's fulfilled that vision.
It's a pretty similar situation right now with new preferred walk-on Hunter Salmon, who was a highly productive defensive end in high school who mostly spent his time at tight end clearing holes for the running backs. Salmon blocks with a defensive lineman mentality, similar to that of Brown. He doesn't just look to block his man; he looks to run him completely out of the play, put him on his back, and block the next man if he keeps his feet.
Up next, an article I'm sure many have been waiting for: the offensive line. Will the blocking again hold the offense back or will they clear the way back to bowl eligibility? We take a deeper look next time.
Dominick Wood-Anderson was a JUCO that pretty much everyone wanted at the tight end position after moving there following being a high school quarterback and basketball player. He was solidly productive at Arizona Western, finishing his two years there with 45 receptions for 476 yards and 4 touchdowns while learning the position. Tennessee won the battle for his signature, looking to him to become the starter following the departure of Ethan Wolf. In his first year as the primary starter for Tennessee, he had 17 catches for 140 yards and 2 touchdowns, but given that it was his first season in the SEC and only his third playing tight end, it was at least good enough. Wood-Anderson took a big jump from his first season at Arizona Western to his second, more than doubling his receptions, and it's not a huge leap to think he could do the same this season. If not, it will likely mean one of the two highly-regarded freshmen have cut into his receptions. Wood-Anderson had 4 receptions for 19 yards and a touchdown in the spring game, so a good start toward a jump in receptions.
Jackson Lowe was an early enrollee this spring and quickly made his presence felt, not as though you were likely to miss the 6-4, 253-pounder. Lowe arrived probably needing to improve his strength some to further develop as a blocker, even though he wasn't exactly known for being the most explosive of receiving tight ends. That said, he can certainly make big plays as evidenced by his 16.2 yards per catch average in high school. He also put that on display in the spring game with 3 receptions for 60 yards, although his longest reception ended in a bit of tragedy has he lost some focus and fell victim to a defender's punch and fumbled away the ball. Lowe is almost certainly heading into the season as the #2 tight end, but it's certainly reasonable to expect his fellow freshman to push him for playing time.
Summer enrollee Sean Brown isn't going to be a receiving stat sheet stuffer, but if you want a player to help create a hole, the 6-5, 250-pound freshman is your man. Also a productive defender, Brown brings that defensive mentality to the tight end position, looking to punish the man across from him and advance to the next level. He was also an occasional ballcarrier for his high school team, although I don't know that we'll see that feature too much in Knoxville. If Lowe brings the receiving to the table, Brown is the enforcer on blocking downs. That said, I would expect Lowe to progress as a blocker and Brown to become a decent receiver. Brown could also fill the H-back/fullback role.
I know I've spent a lot of time on these two, but believe it or not they aren't the only scholarship tight ends on the roster. Austin Pope is easily the most experienced tight end on the roster, having spent three years at Tennessee so far. He's just not the most productive, having only caught three passes during his time with the Vols. His weight has fluctuated some. Ideally, he'll enter the next season around 240 or so and become part of the rotation at tight end. Pope was a very productive high school player who has been trying to strike the right balance between size and athleticism to get the job done. Last year he saw some time at fullback as well, a role he could continue to fill, although he may face new competition in that role.
Redshirt sophomore Princeton Fant has had a heck of a time finding his home on the roster, having been listed at wide receiver, running back, and tight end at different times. For now, tight end appears to be his official role, but he is a very strong candidate to fill the fullback role given his winding path. At 6-2, 230, he isn't necessarily the ideal fit for a tight end, but as an H-back/fullback type, he's exactly what you typically look for in that capacity.
Jacob Warren is a redshirt freshman and the tallest of the tight ends at 6-6. He arrived on campus looking much more like a skinny wide receiver than a tight end, but 20-some odd pounds later, he is filling out nicely. Warren racked up over 1,000 receiving yards in his last two years of high school and averaged 16.7 yards per reception, so he's a player who can certainly make an impact if he can grow into a contributor physically.
Andrew Craig made the move last season from preferred walk-on to contributor, even though he didn't add any statistics. He played in 11 games as a reserve tight end and goalline fullback, a role he'll look to continue to fill as a redshirt junior. When Craig was added, he was best known for his play as a defensive lineman although he had the build to play tight end. Now, he's fulfilled that vision.
It's a pretty similar situation right now with new preferred walk-on Hunter Salmon, who was a highly productive defensive end in high school who mostly spent his time at tight end clearing holes for the running backs. Salmon blocks with a defensive lineman mentality, similar to that of Brown. He doesn't just look to block his man; he looks to run him completely out of the play, put him on his back, and block the next man if he keeps his feet.
Up next, an article I'm sure many have been waiting for: the offensive line. Will the blocking again hold the offense back or will they clear the way back to bowl eligibility? We take a deeper look next time.
Tuesday, July 16, 2019
My Media Day Impressions
Don't expect this to be a particularly long write-up, in part because no program wants to tip their hand too much in July. That said, I wanted to at least offer up my own impressions of what was said by Jeremy Pruitt, Jarrett Guarantano, Darrell Taylor, and Daniel Bituli today at SEC Media Days.
The first thing that really jumped out at me was Jeremy Pruitt making recruiting pitches from the podium. Pruitt fully understands that recruiting is the lifeblood of any program, and he pushed for recruits to jump on board with some of his comments, most notably a pitch to receiver recruits when he mentioned the four seniors that will be departing from the wide receiver corps. He didn't skip a beat. He just threw it out there that there was a need and playing time to be found in Knoxville.
Another big takeaway is how thrilled everyone seemed to be with the results from the staff shuffling this offseason. It's impossible to think that you can upgrade at offensive coordinator, move a Heisman winning quarterback to quarterback coach, add a national champion quarterback and former offensive coordinator to handle the wide receivers, and shift a well-regarded receivers coach to work with the running backs (who were already pretty gifted receivers), and not find some joy in those changes. Indeed, Pruitt and Guarantano both sang the praises of the changes and their impact on the offense and development of Guarantano as a signal-caller. The defense saw less drastic changes, but Derrick Ansley was praised as well for his work as the defensive coordinator and as the defensive backs coach, both of which are Pruitt's babies. If Jeremy Pruitt is happy with the defensive direction, you have to view that as a net positive.
Confidence. On the list of things I wasn't really expecting, confidence was well up there. Certainly, fans aren't nearly as confident as many have repeated to me predictions that suggest most are leaning toward six or seven wins, and many seem to be ready to waffle on that prediction the moment they have a small flashback to the past. However, Pruitt and company sounded like a group expecting to win 8-10 games this season, which would be a degree of success the vast majority of Tennessee fans could get behind in year two. Now, I'm not telling anyone that this team is going to do that. Don't get me wrong at all. However, this is a staff and group of players that don't sound ready to settle for just getting to a bowl game. They have greater ambitions than that and seem to believe they are capable of accomplishing those goals.
Another thing that was obvious was self-reflection and improvement. Pruitt talked about how his first several months on campus were spent trying to fix things, be it strength and conditioning, facilities, and organizational matters. While dealing in those areas, he lost a focus on building a relationship with the players. He let trust slip through the cracks. In Derek Dooley, the Vols had a big-picture guy who missed out on those relationships. In Butch Jones, they had someone who had the relationships in many cases, but let everything else fall to ruin. Pruitt seems determined not to allow himself to fall into either trap. Guarantano offered up an anecdote about sitting down to dinner with his head coach, hashing things out and developing the type of relationship that allows Pruitt to trust him and vice versa. These are the important steps in building the type of program everyone wants to see. Additionally, Pruitt owned the lack of effort and focus seen in certain games last year that led to the Vols missing out on a very achievable bowl berth.
Pruitt also touched on the very important physical development of this team, reflecting on the fact that he had very few 300+ pound players to work with last year. That has changed. A quick readthrough of the current roster shows a total of 21 players listed at over 300 pounds, and realistically there are probably going to be more when the roster is updated and finalized in the coming weeks. Darrell Taylor talked about his own development and growing comfort at his new weight as he approaches 260 pounds after arriving in Knoxville at around 210 following playing at wide receiver in high school.
Not all the news was ideal, of course. Pruitt didn't shy away from talking about the fact that there aren't many experienced guys on the defensive line and pointed out that the outside linebacker spots are a bit thin. There's still work to be done on the roster to get things to a place where Pruitt will be comfortable. Although he focused on the defensive side of the ball for depth and experience issues, for the most part, he also discussed the lack of experience at quarterback behind Guarantano and the necessity of preparing somebody to handle the backup duties. Although it wasn't explicitly mentioned, I would personally also toss in the running backs as a position group in need of further depth as this spring showed, when walk-on Chip Omer became a more important part of the Orange offense due to Carlin Fils-aime and Eric Gray being unavailable due to injury matters.
Aubrey Solomon and Deangelo Gibbs remain in relative limbo. Although there was an outbreak of excitement yesterday regarding their status, Pruitt confirmed today that there has been no response at this time from the NCAA. Now, while official word might not have come down yet, it's likely that excitement stemmed from something, whether it's a bit of positive feedback from the NCAA or a confirmation of support for the transfer from Michigan. Either way, the staff is moving forward like Solomon will play until something changes.
Trey Smith is also waiting to determine his availability. Pruitt did confirm that Smith and his doctors are working on a plan to allow him to play, whether or not such efforts will be successful is harder to determine. Blood clot issues are tricky to deal with, and whether or not he plays there will still be some degree of risk management and regular medical maintenance. Don't assume he will be available to play. Be hopeful, by all means, but ultimately if he can't play, that's alright. His health has to come first.
My personal takeaway from everything today is that the program is still very much a work in progress, but for those who expected it to take three years for the Vols to become a factor in the East, that may not be the case. The Vols certainly would have to be viewed as a significant long-shot to win the East, but they can have a big influence on where others fall in that pecking order. Tennessee pulled off big upsets last season against Auburn and Kentucky, and they should have won the South Carolina game. The bizarre turnover nightmare against Florida wasn't typical of the Vols last season, so that too seems like a game that could have at least been much more competitive than it was. If this team is fully bought in, which it sounds like they are, the only teams the Vols can't match up with from a talent perspective are Georgia and Alabama, and the coaching staff would seem upgraded. I'm not suggesting the Vols will win ten games, but finding eight wins on the schedule isn't particularly far-fetched. Two bye weeks in the season, falling before the Georgia and Missouri games, can't hurt any either. My takeaway is this is a bowl team and maybe even one capable of finishing as high as third in the East, and after going 9-15 the prior two seasons, that's a gigantic leap in the right direction.
The first thing that really jumped out at me was Jeremy Pruitt making recruiting pitches from the podium. Pruitt fully understands that recruiting is the lifeblood of any program, and he pushed for recruits to jump on board with some of his comments, most notably a pitch to receiver recruits when he mentioned the four seniors that will be departing from the wide receiver corps. He didn't skip a beat. He just threw it out there that there was a need and playing time to be found in Knoxville.
Another big takeaway is how thrilled everyone seemed to be with the results from the staff shuffling this offseason. It's impossible to think that you can upgrade at offensive coordinator, move a Heisman winning quarterback to quarterback coach, add a national champion quarterback and former offensive coordinator to handle the wide receivers, and shift a well-regarded receivers coach to work with the running backs (who were already pretty gifted receivers), and not find some joy in those changes. Indeed, Pruitt and Guarantano both sang the praises of the changes and their impact on the offense and development of Guarantano as a signal-caller. The defense saw less drastic changes, but Derrick Ansley was praised as well for his work as the defensive coordinator and as the defensive backs coach, both of which are Pruitt's babies. If Jeremy Pruitt is happy with the defensive direction, you have to view that as a net positive.
Confidence. On the list of things I wasn't really expecting, confidence was well up there. Certainly, fans aren't nearly as confident as many have repeated to me predictions that suggest most are leaning toward six or seven wins, and many seem to be ready to waffle on that prediction the moment they have a small flashback to the past. However, Pruitt and company sounded like a group expecting to win 8-10 games this season, which would be a degree of success the vast majority of Tennessee fans could get behind in year two. Now, I'm not telling anyone that this team is going to do that. Don't get me wrong at all. However, this is a staff and group of players that don't sound ready to settle for just getting to a bowl game. They have greater ambitions than that and seem to believe they are capable of accomplishing those goals.
Another thing that was obvious was self-reflection and improvement. Pruitt talked about how his first several months on campus were spent trying to fix things, be it strength and conditioning, facilities, and organizational matters. While dealing in those areas, he lost a focus on building a relationship with the players. He let trust slip through the cracks. In Derek Dooley, the Vols had a big-picture guy who missed out on those relationships. In Butch Jones, they had someone who had the relationships in many cases, but let everything else fall to ruin. Pruitt seems determined not to allow himself to fall into either trap. Guarantano offered up an anecdote about sitting down to dinner with his head coach, hashing things out and developing the type of relationship that allows Pruitt to trust him and vice versa. These are the important steps in building the type of program everyone wants to see. Additionally, Pruitt owned the lack of effort and focus seen in certain games last year that led to the Vols missing out on a very achievable bowl berth.
Pruitt also touched on the very important physical development of this team, reflecting on the fact that he had very few 300+ pound players to work with last year. That has changed. A quick readthrough of the current roster shows a total of 21 players listed at over 300 pounds, and realistically there are probably going to be more when the roster is updated and finalized in the coming weeks. Darrell Taylor talked about his own development and growing comfort at his new weight as he approaches 260 pounds after arriving in Knoxville at around 210 following playing at wide receiver in high school.
Not all the news was ideal, of course. Pruitt didn't shy away from talking about the fact that there aren't many experienced guys on the defensive line and pointed out that the outside linebacker spots are a bit thin. There's still work to be done on the roster to get things to a place where Pruitt will be comfortable. Although he focused on the defensive side of the ball for depth and experience issues, for the most part, he also discussed the lack of experience at quarterback behind Guarantano and the necessity of preparing somebody to handle the backup duties. Although it wasn't explicitly mentioned, I would personally also toss in the running backs as a position group in need of further depth as this spring showed, when walk-on Chip Omer became a more important part of the Orange offense due to Carlin Fils-aime and Eric Gray being unavailable due to injury matters.
Aubrey Solomon and Deangelo Gibbs remain in relative limbo. Although there was an outbreak of excitement yesterday regarding their status, Pruitt confirmed today that there has been no response at this time from the NCAA. Now, while official word might not have come down yet, it's likely that excitement stemmed from something, whether it's a bit of positive feedback from the NCAA or a confirmation of support for the transfer from Michigan. Either way, the staff is moving forward like Solomon will play until something changes.
Trey Smith is also waiting to determine his availability. Pruitt did confirm that Smith and his doctors are working on a plan to allow him to play, whether or not such efforts will be successful is harder to determine. Blood clot issues are tricky to deal with, and whether or not he plays there will still be some degree of risk management and regular medical maintenance. Don't assume he will be available to play. Be hopeful, by all means, but ultimately if he can't play, that's alright. His health has to come first.
My personal takeaway from everything today is that the program is still very much a work in progress, but for those who expected it to take three years for the Vols to become a factor in the East, that may not be the case. The Vols certainly would have to be viewed as a significant long-shot to win the East, but they can have a big influence on where others fall in that pecking order. Tennessee pulled off big upsets last season against Auburn and Kentucky, and they should have won the South Carolina game. The bizarre turnover nightmare against Florida wasn't typical of the Vols last season, so that too seems like a game that could have at least been much more competitive than it was. If this team is fully bought in, which it sounds like they are, the only teams the Vols can't match up with from a talent perspective are Georgia and Alabama, and the coaching staff would seem upgraded. I'm not suggesting the Vols will win ten games, but finding eight wins on the schedule isn't particularly far-fetched. Two bye weeks in the season, falling before the Georgia and Missouri games, can't hurt any either. My takeaway is this is a bowl team and maybe even one capable of finishing as high as third in the East, and after going 9-15 the prior two seasons, that's a gigantic leap in the right direction.
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