Tennessee's 2017 Opponents, Part 1

• Georgia Tech: The Yellow Jackets/Rambling Wreck are an intriguing team and a popular darkhorse ACC Coastal pick. Unfortunately that is probably mostly predicated on the fact that Georgia Tech exceeded expectations last season while ignoring some important personnel losses like quarterback Justin Thomas, who put up 7,157 yards of total offense and accounted for 62 touchdowns over the last four seasons. Here's the kicker: Georgia Tech has no clear-cut replacement for Thomas, with the two most likely candidates being Matthew Jordan and TaQuon Marshall, a pair of juniors with little experience at the quarterback position between them. Now, the news on offense certainly isn't all bad as a dynamic trio of backs returns in Dedrick Mills, Clinton Lynch, and JJ Green. Mills handles the B-back duties and is a bigger back who is very capable of picking up the tough yards. JJ Green and Clinton Lynch are the A-backs and both offer up good change of direction skills. Qua Searcy is another quality option at the A-back, but Georgia Tech lost a very good player in Marcus Marshall, who was the #2 rusher by yardage last year and third on the team in all-purpose yards. Marshall has transferred to James Madison. Tech also needs to replace the center and left tackle on the offensive line but the staff seems to be optimistic about the OL, hoping to build on the second lowest rushing yard per game average in Paul Johnson's tenure at 258.1 yards per game. The starting wide receivers return for whatever that's worth. A-back Clinton Lynch was the leading receiver last season with wideouts Ricky Jeune and Brad Stewart accounting for 25 receptions, 427 yards, and a touchdown and 19 receptions, 382 yards, and no touchdowns respectively. The days of Calvin Johnson and Demaryius Thomas at GT have clearly come and gone. Defensively, Tech has questions to answer throughout it's front six. The presumed starting linebackers combined for a whole 6.5 tackles for loss last season. Their projected starters on the defensive line accounted for an unimpressive 10 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks. That means that last season the anticipated starters for Georgia Tech's front six were far from impressive. However, pass against the Tech secondary at your own risk as all five of the starters return after combining for 13 interceptions and 32 passes broken up. Georgia Tech will likely be relying on freshmen to take over the kicking duties this season. As much as people are picking the Jackets to match or even improve on last season, it's equally possible that they will fail to match last season's win total and could take a step back.
• Indiana State: The Sycamores went 4-7 last season in the Missouri Valley Conference, and I feel like that's probably the best possible starting point here is to establish that Indiana State isn't on Tennessee's level at all. In the spring game, ISU's quarterbacks combined for 23-55 with 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. Issac Harker, last season's starter, went 5 of 13 for 33 yards. Freshman Zach Larkin got a fair bit of work and might be Harker's top competition for the #1 job. The Sycamores will be looking for a new top running back. Dimitri Taylor is the returning leading rusher with 451 yards and a touchdown on 107 carries in 2016, but in the spring game he seemed to give up some ground to another former top back at ISU in LeMonte Booker (missed last season with an ACL tear) and perhaps even a true freshman in Jason Berango. The Sycamores are hoping to see overall improvement in their running game this season after only managing 1,729 yards and 11 touchdowns last season. All of last season's starting wideouts are gone, but #2's Bob Pugh and Kelvin Cook return along with starting tight end Jacquet McClendon, although McClendon is primarly a blocker. The interior of the offensive line returns, but replacements must be found for three of the top four offensive tackle options from last season. The defensive ends and a linebacker return in the front six of ISU's 3-3-5 defense. The returners in the front six combined for 105 tackles, 18.5 tackles for loss, and 8 sacks, so there is some talent to work with, but finding people to fill the remaining holes will be important in trying to improve on last season. In the secondary, the nickel and both safeties must be replaced, but the starting corners from last season return. All of last season's key specialists return, and LeMonte Booker has excelled on kickoff returns in the past.
• Florida: Any conversation about a team begins with the quarterbacks, and opinions vary greatly on the Gator's current quarterback situation. Luke Del Rio didn't exactly set the world on fire when he was playing last season, with Austin Appleby ultimately producing the better numbers after Del Rio's season officially ended with an injury. Felippe Franks was a top quarterback recruit in the 2016 class who ultimately redshirted last year before throwing his name very much in the mix this spring. Then, because that quarterback room wasn't already crowded and complicated, Florida added graduate transfer quarterback Malik Zaire from Notre Dame. Zaire is known to have plenty of talent but he's yet to really put things together yet. So that's three possible starters and no clear answer as to how things will pan out. Florida has options at running back, the three best appearing to be Jordan Scarlett, Mark Thompson, and Lamical Perine. An interesting possibility is Kadarius Toney, who got looks at running back in the spring. Antonio Callaway, Brandon Powell, and Tyrie Cleveland appear to be the top receiving options out wide, having combined for 113 receptions, 1,406 yards, and 7 touchdowns. Top two tight ends DeAndre Goolsby and C'yontai Lewis chipped in 5 touchdowns on their 56 receptions and 526 yards. Those five have and likely will continue to provide the bulk of the receiving production. Freddie Swain and Josh Hammond will also continue to have roles in the rotation. There has been some shuffling along the offensive line with Martez Ivey moving from left guard to left tackle, prompting Fred Johnson to replace Ivey. T.J. McCoy takes over at center full time. There is a fair bit of experience up front for the Gators and they should be an asset to the quarterbacks. Quality depth does appear to be a potential concern if injuries pile up. Defensively, Florida is looking for defensive tackles, outside linebackers, corner, and to find a permanent solution to the revolving door at end opposite CeCe Jefferson and Jordan Sherit. Cece Jefferson is still looking to finally deliver fully on his promise after being a highly touted recruit. Sherit has been solid but unspectacular. Promising redshirt sophomore Jabari Zuniga only started three games last year but is the Gators returning leader in tackles for loss and sacks. Physically impressive upperclassmen Khairi Clark and Taven Bryan appear to be the top options to take over at defensive tackle, but both have plenty to prove as the two juniors have a combined 59 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, and 2 sacks to their credit. Freshmen like Elijah Conliffe, Kyree Campbell, and Zachary Carter have opportunities present for playing time on the defensive line. David Reese appears to have things pretty well locked down at middle linebacker, but the two outside jobs are very much up for grabs. Redshirt sophomore Kylan Johnson appears to be a strong candidate to win one of the open spots with redshirt freshman Jeremiah Moon positioning himself well for the other job. Moon was on his way toward playing a fair bit as a freshman before a season-ending injury. Former nickel Duke Dawson appears likely to take over at one of the starting corner spots while season-ending starting safety Chauncey Gardner Jr. appears to be the frontrunner for the other vacant corner opening. Nick Washington should take over at one of the safety spots after starting six games there before having his season derailed by injury, and Marcell Harris should carry over his starting role from last season into this one. Second team All-SEC placekicker Eddy Pineiro returns as does All-American punter Johnny Townsend. It's not set in stone, but Antonio Callaway is likely to handle return duties on both kickoffs and punts.
• Massachusetts: One of the few remaining independent programs in the FBS, UMass struggled last season but returns a much more experienced team in 2017. However, it's not a team without some flaws, as one would expect from a team that won two games in 2016. Quarterback Andrew Ford, a Virginia Tech transfer, had a pretty respectable season for his part, completing 60.8% of his passes for 2,665 yards and 26 touchdowns with 14 interceptions. His favorite target is high school teammate and Penn State transfer Adam Breneman, a 6-4 tight end who averaged 11.5 yards per catch while collecting 8 touchdowns on his 70 receptions. Ford's second favorite target Andy Isabella also returns after collecting 62 passes (12.9 ypr) and 7 touchdowns. The other two receiver jobs appear to be fairly wide open, but Sadiq Palmer and Brennon Dingle are the likely candidates. Last season's starting running back Marquis Young returns after accounting for 898 yards and 4 touchdowns. UMass has all of four running backs on their roster and of them only two have carried the football in a game. Only their both tackles and a guard return on the offensive line. All four defensive linemen who ended the season as starters return, having combined for 151 tackles, 24.5 tackles for loss, and 11 sacks last season. Downey was a starting linebacker last year, moving down to end this season under new defensive coordinator Ed Pinkham, who has scrapped the 3-3-5 in favor of a more traditional 4-3 scheme, creating an opportunity for Shane Huber, who had 20 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, and an interception in 4 games played and 3 starts last season. Colbert Calhoun and Steve Casali will continue to man the other two linebacker spots, where they accounted for 163 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, and 6.5 sacks. Lee Moses and Jesse Monteiro look likely to hold down their safety jobs with Jackson Porter continuing to hold onto the corner job he ended the season with, joined by returning starter Isaiah Rodgers. UMass has some nice pieces to work with to potentially improve on last season, but there is a big talent disparity between the Vols and Minutemen.
• Georgia: Georgia is tough to pin down. They have an excellent group of running backs and some wide receiver talent, and quarterback Jacob Eason showed some flashes as a freshman. Of course, that offense was pretty bad, the running backs haven't been able to stay healthy, and the offensive line was pretty well gutted from last season. Oh, and leading receiver Isaiah McKenzie took his talents to Denver, leaving for the NFL. Jacob Eason has been believed to be pushed by freshman Jake Fromm. The running backs have to stay healthy. Talented receivers have to step up. And last but definitely not least the offensive line has to do their best to keep the running backs and quarterback upright. Bottom line: the offense is mostly one big question mark. Things look pretty bright as far as returning talent goes on defense, but whether or not that defense can take the next step is a little less clear. The defense needs the linebackers to step up and produce more like 3-4 outside linebackers. Trenton Thompson is a standout on the defensive line, but the defense needs him to go from very good to consistently dominant. Georgia is a few steps away from being very, very good and taking control of the top of the SEC East, but it's hard to say for sure whether or not that will happen this season. I'm of the opinion that there may be too many questions for them to take command of the division, even if they do manage to win it.
• South Carolina: Well, if I know anything about South Carolina, it's that they have a quarterback they like and believe  is ready to lead the team as a true sophomore. Jake Bentley is a name Vol fans wish they didn't know as well as they do. The Gamecocks should have plenty of weapons at running back as well, adding UNC transfer Ty'Son Williams to go with Rico Dowdle and A.J. Turner. A two tight end base consists of former walk-on Hayden Hurst and K.C. Crosby, who combined for 833 receiving yards and 5 touchdowns last year. The top two wideouts are back in Bryan Edwards and Deebo Samuel. Just for good measure they also return four of five starting offensive linemen. On paper, this offense should make significant strides. On defense, this is not one of Will Muschamp's Florida defenses. Certainly not at defensive end. South Carolina had 21 sacks last year, but 9 of them left with Darius English. In fact, players who produced 12 of the 21 sacks are gone. At this point, there doesn't appear to be much help coming from the 2017 class, so look for help to come from returning players or some serious struggles this season. The defensive tackles are back but Ulric Jones and Taylor Stallworth were largely unspectacular last year. The secondary returns in good shape with all four expected starters getting at least six starts under their belt last year. Skai Moore is back after redshirting last year with a neck injury and he will join Bryson Allen-Williams as leaders of the defense. Rashad Fenton looks to frequently be the 11th man as the nickel.

Fall Camp Position Battles

Quarterback: This one seems pretty obvious as Quinten Dormady and Jarrett Guarantano continue to battle it out for the starting job, but also worthy of attention is the scramble between a redshirt sophomore walk-on, true freshman scholarship player, and likely two true freshmen walk-ons for the third string spot. For what it's worth, I think Zac Jancek is trailing Will McBride right now, but I also don't think that door is closed. Ultimately, the staff would like to redshirt McBride, and I imagine they would also like to redshirt Seth Washington and Brandon Hines assuming health allows for that. This may make Jancek the #3 by default barring injury as he could be the only player other than Dormady and Guarantano not on track for a redshirt. As for the winner between Dormady and Guarantano, consistency will be the name of the game. Whoever can complete passes with the highest percentage and the fewest turnovers/50-50 balls is probably going to have the best chance to start. This spring, that player was Dormady, but he's not a shoe-in to start just yet.

Running back: The starter is clear and undisputed. John Kelly will be the top back to start the season barring an injury or a freshman doing something insane in the next month. Of more interest is who the two or three backs sharing carries with Kelly is the much more interesting question. Ty Chandler and Carlin Fils-aime seem the obvious answers, but it's worth bearing in mind that Fils-aime still has plenty to prove and Chandler has proven just as much as Trey Coleman and Tim Jordan the college game. All three freshmen backs have earned praise at times this summer, but none of that has happened in pads. The trio are also all bigger than Fils-aime and in particular Jordan looks to have his frame very nicely filled out and college ready. Jordan's neck is unnaturally thick, while Coleman and Chandler have much more the type of physique one might expect of a true freshman. I don't think any of the five backs will redshirt based on how the staff has used backs in the past, but the top three will handle almost all of the non-garbage time carries along with the quarterbacks. For my part, I'd guess at Chandler and Jordan spelling Kelly in that order.

Wide receiver: If you're a wide receiver at Tennessee and your name isn't Jauan Jennings, you are playing for your spot in the rotation in camp. Jennings is clearly the only player secure in his job. Josh Smith has something to prove after an underwhelming redshirt junior campaign that showed none of the flashes of brilliance he had shown as a true sophomore and redshirt sophomore. Tyler Byrd needs to turn promise into results, particularly in the form of touchdowns. Marquez Callaway's insane athleticism has to translate finally. Brandon Johnson has to prove himself to be healthy. Jeff George will have to earn the playing time he received last year again this year by producing, something he often neglected to do last season. Latrell Williams needs to show off the speed that made him a coveted piece in the 2016 class. All the freshmen will have to show what they've got, but one in particular who has gotten some summer praise has been Josh Palmer. No guesses as to the order of the receivers is wrong, but if I were betting on the starting trio I'd guess at the three dogs in the group: Jennings, Byrd, and Callaway.

Tight end: Ethan Wolf is the starter. At the end of spring, Jakob Johnson was the #2. Eli Wolf is also a strong candidate to play at tight end this season. There's really only one wild card in the group right now and that is LaTrell Bumphus, who has the size you'd like in a tight end at 6-3, 258 and has displayed promise. If Bumphus doesn't break through into the rotation, I don't think Austin Pope will at this time and the Wolf brothers and Johnson will handle the bulk of the work at that position.

Offensive line: One of the most dramatic sets of battles, but it's in the best way. Tennessee has a lot of talented and proven options throughout the group and there will be plenty of shuffling. Trey Smith, Brett Kendrick, Chance Hall, Marcus Tatum, and Drew Richmond will jockey for position at tackle. At guard, Venzell Boulware, Jack Jones, Ryan Johnson, and maybe Jashon Robertson, K'Rohjn Calbert, and Chance Hall will battle it out for the starting roles. Jashon Robertson will also compete with Coleman Thomas at center. Options abound and there's no reason to think this won't be a very good offensive line, no matter who starts where.

Defensive tackle: The position battles are less interesting than tracking player health, specifically the health of Shy Tuttle. If he isn't competing because he isn't there yet, the starters are pretty clearly Kahlil McKenzie and Kendal Vickers. If Tuttle is healthy, he will battle for one of the starting jobs. Otherwise, Alexis Johnson and Quay Picou are the most likely guys to play, although likely defensive end Matthew Butler can also play some tackle when needed.

Defensive end: This is as dramatic as it gets. Two five stars and a four star will battle to win two starting jobs in Jonathan Kongbo, Kyle Phillips, and Darrell Taylor. Beyond them, two freshmen appear to be the most likely contributors in Matthew Butler and early enrollee Deandre Johnson, although converted linebacker Ja'Quain Blakely will look to make progress after a rough spring. No one is guaranteed anything right now. These six players will have to earn it every single day of practice. They will likely jockey back and forth throughout camp, but for now I'm going with the spring leaders to be the starters come September 4th: Jonathan Kongbo and Darrell Taylor.

Linebacker: The drama is all at the outside spots as Darrin Kirkland Jr. is the man in the middle. As for the outside linebacker spots, there are at least favorites to start right now in Cortez McDowell and Austin Smith. Still, Daniel Bituli, who is the likely #2 in the middle, is a possibility to play outside as well. Quart'e Sapp is healthy again and ready to push for a job. Colton Jumper appears to be a possibility at both outside linebacker spots, and Dillon Bates is reportedly right there with Jumper for the strongside #2 job. The good news with the weakside and middle linebackers is they are somewhat interchangeable, so Bituli really is a candidate to start there. If he does, all this gets blown up as the depth charts change completely.

Cornerback: I'm including nickel here because the #2 nickel is definitely a battle with Shawn Shamburger and Baylen Buchanan possible options there. Justin Martin is currently the favorite to win the boundary corner job and Rashaan Gaulden should continue to handle the nickel duties. Who will play the field corner is tougher to figure out as graduate transfer Shaq Wiggins and Emmanuel Moseley are likely to duke it out for the starting job. Cheyenne Labruzza, Marquill Osborne, and even Shamburger could throw a wrench into Martin's plans, while Terrell Bailey will try to catch up quickly to compete with Wiggins and Moseley, not for the top job but for the #2 duties. Osborne has the ability to also play at nickel and even field corner, making him one of the most versatile corners on the roster. D.J. Henderson could come along late in the game, but so far he's likely relegated to a reserve role.

Safety: Todd Kelly Jr. is locked in as the starter at strong safety. As for free safety, right now it appears to be Nigel Warrior, but Micah Abernathy is healthy again and the same is true for Evan Berry. I would still lean towards Warrior as the starter, but Abernathy started ten games last season and can't be dismissed in the competition. Berry, on the other hand, has been a bit easier to dismiss as he has yet to really emerge on defense in the way he has on special teams. Regardless, right now these four are likely the two deep at safety. Maleik Gray is converting from high school linebacker to safety and Theo Jackson is a little light to play SEC safety right now. Both look more likely to help on special teams if they don't redshirt.

Punt returner: This is really the only other competition, and that is because the staff will be looking for a reliable returner to replace Alvin Kamara and Cam Sutton, who handled the bulk of the punts the last two seasons. Of the few punts that the two current NFL players didn't handle, two went to Marquez Callaway, and he was electric both times, returning one for a touchdown and averaging 57 yards per return with a long of 62. Josh Smith has also handled punts in the past, but he offers more of a steady hand rather than any explosiveness in the role. I favor Callaway to handle the job, but any player who has that kind of explosion in the open field will give themselves a chance.

Two Quarterbacks Equals No Quarterbacks?

Not necessarily, but there's not much point into getting into all of that because people are worrying about a problem that won't be a problem. Tennessee will not have a true two quarterback system, no matter how things play out. In fact, there are two scenarios that seem most likely to play out. I'm going to touch on those two scenarios and move on because camp is coming and we'll finally get to have the answers to the many lingering questions.

First and probably the most likely scenario is this: Quinten Dormady wins the starting job outright and the staff finds ways to take advantage of Jarrett Guarantano's athleticism with special packages designed to utilize his skill set. The staff continues to be consistent in stating that ball security and decision making are the top prerequisites for the starting quarterback job this season, and Dormady has frequently been described as having the best command of the offense and the fewest mental mistakes. Of course, that's great and all but Guarantano is obviously an excellent athlete who can do spectacular things with his legs. While Dormady isn't a statue, he's been timed in the high 4.7 range in the forty, which doesn't really compare well to Guarantano's 4.51 forty out of high school. Ultimately, if Dormady wins the job outright, you still have to find a way to use Guarantano's skill set by giving him a set package with a handful of plays that don't really change too much from week to week. In other words, you have to look to the 2006 Florida Gators for inspiration. Tim Tebow didn't throw a lot that season, but when he did he made it count. He didn't run a lot that season, but when he did he made it count. Chris Leak handled the bulk of the responsibility running the offense. That would be the playbook for Tennessee this year under this scenario.

The second possibility is that Jarrett Guarantano outright wins the job and he handles almost all the snaps outside of garbage time work or unless he gets hurt. From a depth perspective down the line, this is probably not the best news because there's little chance Dormady would return for his senior season. For those wanting a single quarterback to handle all the work, this might be the best case scenario for them. While Guarantano is certainly able to bring an element of speed to the table that Dormady can't match, if Guarantano is the man he's certainly capable of passing. This likely leaves Dormady stuck sitting on the sideline because he isn't able to offer up a good reason to rotate him in. There is reason to think that this particular scenario doesn't bode well for the overall prospects of the team as Guarantano will be learning on the job since he's yet to take a snap in live action in a college game, but if the current staff feels secure enough in getting at least two more seasons in Knoxville, this may be worth the growing pains to develop what they would hope will be something special for the 2018 season.

Either way, there's no doubt that Tennessee has talent at the quarterback position, but for anyone messing their pants worrying that Tennessee will be swapping quarterbacks drive by drive, don't. If that is going to happen, it would be in the first two games of the season. After Indiana State, they'll have things settled in time for the Florida game. I'm not even entirely certain they'll rotate that much in the first two games, instead splitting things up more by quarter as opposed to by drive, allowing the guys to get into a rhythm. I know this is pretty short, but it's also not something I think has been worth all the hand wringing that has been happening.

Meet the New Walk-ons

People are always curious about the newcomers on the roster, and when it comes to walk-ons people rarely know much about them. While I can't share all the details about them with you, here's what I can find regarding the least heralded additions to the roster every year.

Joe Doyle - Arguably this talented punter is one of the best known newcomers among the those relatively close to Knoxville as he had made a name for himself during his time at Farragut High. He was also the only punter in the 2017 cycle to be invited to both the Under Armour and U.S. Army All-American games, opting to participate in the Under Armour event. He was a captain for Farragut for his last two seasons with the team and was a 2016 Tennessee Titans Mr. Football Semi-Finalist as a punter. He was all-state and in the 2016 state championship game he hit both a 42 yard field goal and a 60 yard punt, showing off his versatility. He was ranked as the #6 punter in the class by Chris Sailer Kicking and #5 by Kohl's Professional Camps (specialist camps). To the best of my knowledge, his career long punt was a 72 yarder as a sophomore. He should be considered the heir apparent to senior punter Trevor Daniel.

Nick Humphrey - Humphrey is probably not a guy many would expect to walk on with the Volunteers, but it actually makes a bit more sense that one might expect. Humphrey was brought in as a linebacker to join the Vols, and his recruitment was a little slow to take off. That probably had something to do with him shedding weight after the football season each year to continue is wrestling career, where he placed in the state. Then there was his baseball career in high school as well. Oh, and for good measure he was named to the all-region offense as a running back and the Monroe County Region Defensive Player of the Year. You know, nothing special. He racked up 1,554 yards and 15 touchdowns on the ground, caught two passes for 49 yards and two touchdowns, and added on 132 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, an interception, and two fumble recoveries, one for a touchdown. He holds he record at his high school for career tackles with 273 over three seasons. Even if he never plays a down for the Vols, he will be a valuable scout team addition.

Cooper Melton - Another player some of the Tennesseans will recognize, Melton really made a name for himself with his play on defense versus one Tee Higgins, who Vol fans will recognize as a big fish who got away to Clemson. In the upset win against Oak Ridge, Melton had 7 receptions for 150 yards and a touchdown and had an interception while defending Higgins. Melton also had four tackles in the game. Melton finished his career at Walker Valley High with 146 receptions for 2,281 yards and 16 touchdowns, 119 tackles with 5 for a loss, 5 interceptions, 6 passes defended, and 2 fumble recoveries. Melton is definitely still on the raw side as a receiver, but his talent is very apparent and he has the physical tools with strong coaching to become a contributor for the Vols down the road, not because they need him but because he's that good.

TJ Minnifee - Minnifee may have a bit of name recognition with fans, but he also had some interest from a school like South Carolina. Minnifee was a 2-star outside linebacker recruit on Rivals and 247Sports, but he returned to his more natural position of defensive end for his senior campaign. Minnifee certainly appears to have the growth potential to play end, and that seems to be the plan for the athletic defender. His journey through positions was in part due to a move from Hillwood High to Wilson Central, which led to him going from defensive end to outside linebacker and finally back to end.

Richard Mize Jr. - The undersized quarterback's numbers don't jump out at you at face value, having thrown for 3, 221 yards on 54.2% completion percentage with 21 touchdowns and 16 interceptions, but it's not fair to evaluate Mize just on what he does with his arm. That's because he tacked on 1,497 yards rushing and 19 touchdowns with his legs. He played a bit of defense as well and even returned a punt as a senior. Mize was a captain for his team as well as the starting quarterback as a junior and senior, attending Calvary Christian in Clearwater. The Tampa native is a pretty fluid athlete and could be a candidate for a move to slot receiver or running back in the future.

Jake Powers - This Memphis native is another player who did a bit of everything in high school and did it fairly well. Powers threw two passes in high school, completing both for 54 yards and a touchdown. He also ran the ball 43 times for 283 yards and 6 touchdowns. On offense, he primarily played wide receiver, catching 75 balls for 1,227 yards and 11 touchdowns. Tennessee brought him in with an eye on him playing defense, where he had 75 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 4 interceptions (one returned for a touchdown), and 16 passes defended in two seasons. He also handled some return duties, returning 6 kicks for 86 yards but 12 punts for 23.1 yards and a touchdown. With a more defined focus on the field at Tennessee, it will be interesting to see how he develops. At worst, he has the size and ability to make the starters work each week on the scout team.

Seth Washington - Washington might be the most intriguing addition to the class, walk-on or otherwise. This 3-star quarterback was ranked very similarly to scholarship addition Will McBride, but due to an injury plagued senior season his recruitment never quite took off like it was expected to. Despite offers to UTEP, Louisiana-Lafayette, New Mexico State, and North Texas, Washington elected to walk on with the Volunteers. The Long Horn State native passed for 3,736 yards and 46 touchdowns to 20 interceptions over two seasons while also running for 299 yards and 2 touchdowns as a junior. Washington was typically ranked as a dual-threat quarterback and was an All-Southwest Prep Conference honoree as a junior and senior. If he is healthy, his development will be a story worth tracking as he could potentially compete alongside Will McBride for playing time in the future.

The Tennessee Condundrum: or What to Expect When You Don't Know What to Expect

This season's iteration of the Tennessee Volunteers is a conundrum for analysts to get a feel for, which has resulted in projections that are from all over the board. You can find projections anywhere from 5-7 to 9-3 with just a little looking around, and guesses from fans can reach as high as a ten win season. So what should fans be looking forward to? Well, probably the unexpected.

Tennessee will have a new starting quarterback no matter who wins the job. Quinten Dormady isn't a statue, but he's also not Josh Dobbs running out of the backfield. He may be a step up as a passer though. Jarrett Guarantano is a very athletic quarterback with speed to spare from the quarterback position, but he's a work in progress as a passer and really isn't as elusive in the open field as Dobbs was. Ultimately, the quarterbacks will have to play to their personal strengths and make smart decisions with the football.

Normally, a young quarterback's best friend is an experienced running back. John Kelly sort of fits that bill. He's only started one game, but in two seasons in Knoxville Kelly has proven himself to be a productive, explosive, and tough back capable of carrying the load out of the backfield. He's averaged 5.8 yards per carry in his 138 career carries with 6 touchdowns. He is still working to become a consistent receiver out of the backfield, but he's certainly capable of getting the job done. The bigger question is the collection of backs behind him, where there is plenty of talent but almost no experience. Some of these young backs will have to step up and help carry the load.

The receivers all comes down to who is going to help Jauan Jennings. Josh Smith would be the answer normally, but he had the worst season of his career at Tennessee statistically last year which makes it tough to figure him out. Tyler Byrd, Marquez Callaway, Latrell Williams, and Brandon Johnson all have the talent but need to get more involved to pick up the slack for the departure of Josh Malone. Jeff George played a lot of minutes last year but only contributed a single reception. A quartet of freshmen join the mix, and while there is the talent to help right away it's tough to gauge how well they'll make the jump to college. Tight end Ethan Wolf has been inconsistent but has shown the talent to be a top tight end in the SEC. He too needs the depth behind him to sort itself out.

The offensive line is one of the areas Vol fans can feel confident about. Drew Richmond has been steadily improving and is perceived as a near lock to start at left tackle. Freshman early enrollee Trey Smith immediately commanded attention with his physicality and skill set and appears poised to start somewhere. Jack Jones, Jashon Robertson, Coleman Thomas, and Venzell Boulware provide strong, steady presences at the inside spots. Chance Hall is on the mend and with his talent and versatility could play at guard or tackle, and Marcus Tatum and Brett Kendrick provide additional strong options at the tackle spots. There is talent, depth, and experience to spare on the offensive line, which should be able to help every other aspect of the offense.

Defensively, there are a ton of questions. At defensive tackle, Kendal Vickers and Kahlil McKenzie are healthy and ready to compete. Alexis Johnson and Quay Picou had strong springs. Newcomers like Eric Crosby and Kivon Bennett currently look redshirt-bound despite their 4-star rankings. Shy Tuttle's return is still in question. Matthew Butler is probably ready to help somewhere on the defensive line, but at 6-4, 274 it's hard to say whether he'll make more of an impact at end or tackle. Walk-on Paul Bain has played and showed flashes at times, but he's still not necessarily at the level of some of the other options. Even if Bennett and Crosby need redshirt seasons, such a luxury may be in doubt depending on the availability of Tuttle.

At end, Jonathan Kongbo and Darrell Taylor, the likely starters out of spring, are joined by Deandre Johnson and Kyle Phillips as the likely top four options. Converted linebacker Ja'Quain Blakely didn't look ready to help this spring, and Ryan Thaxton still has work to be done in order to get to the point physically that he can help out at this level.  So who are the other options right now? Matthew Butler is pretty much it at this point. Keep an eye on the possibility that LaTrell Bumphus could move to defense if tight end doesn't pan out this spring or if the need on defense is such that he is needed on that side of the ball. As is, Bumphus would need a number change if that happens. Ryan Thaxton's development is very important at this juncture. They desperately need options if injuries impact the group.

The news at linebacker really isn't all that bad. Experienced options like Darrin Kirkland Jr., Cortez McDowell, and Colton Jumper are in place, and young exciting players like Quart'e Sapp, Daniel Bituli, and Will Ignont are in the mix as well. Dillon Bates garnered more minutes last year with the injury ravaged group, and the same is true of Elliott Berry. Shanon Reid and Austin Smith are interesting names to watch in the group. Reid has added about 10 pounds since spring football, and with his 4.4 range speed he could begin to steal minutes as the season progresses. Smith moves back to linebacker after moving to end last year. He is a true linebacker, but one that likes to attack. He could be a nice asset in situations where the defense wants to really get after the passer.

Corner is really interesting because things really are so wide open. Aside from the likelihood of Rashaan Gaulden retaining his starting nickel job, everything is up for grabs. Emmanuel Moseley and Justin Martin are experienced options. Baylen Buchanan and Marquill Osborne displayed flashes of their potential last season. D.J. Henderson is looking to make an impact after failing to do so last year. Shaq Wiggins has elected to end his collegiate journey with the Vols after stops in Athens and Louisville. A trio of talented newcomers join the mix in Cheyenne Labruzza, Shawn Shamburger, and Terrell Bailey. The secondary really struggled last year despite an excellent pass rush group up front. With Corey Vereen, Derek Barnett, and LaTroy Lewis all pursuing their NFL dreams and Cam Sutton now a Pittsburgh Steeler, the remaining corners will have to step up in a big way.

Todd Kelly Jr. is the most recognizable name at safety for the Vols right now, but the four veteran options all have famous family members. Nigel Warrior had a strong spring and has emerged as a likely starter, a first step in creating his own legacy at Tennessee like his father Dale Carter did before him. Evan Berry hasn't entirely emerged on defense like his Pro Bowl brother Eric, but Evan is an All-American kick returner, cementing his own place in the Tennessee record books. Micah Abernathy is creating his legacy on the football field, but his grandfather created a legacy by fighting for civil rights alongside the likes of Martin Luther King Jr. This quartet who are emerging from the shadows of those who came before them will be joined by freshmen Maleik Gray and Theo Jackson. The safeties weren't always excellent, but they were far from the worst group on the field. In the case of Kelly, he's dropped some weight and will look to be more rangy than he was last year. Warrior and Abernathy should be much more comfortable in their roles at safety. Berry will need to emerge on defense or run the risk of being surpassed by Gray, who has all the talent in the world but not much of a clue as to what he's doing at safety after playing linebacker in high school.

Aaron Medley has certainly frustrated fans at times, either when he's kicking off out of bounds or when he misdirects long field goals, but despite that frustration he holds onto the starting job due to his career 71.23% field goal percentage and 97 career touchbacks on kickoffs. He's also been very reliable on PATs, not missing one since his freshman season. Fans hoping he will be pushed for the job by incoming freshman Brent Cimaglia are probably in for disappointment unless Cimaglia ends up taking over kickoff duties. Cimaglia has a strong leg but is still in need of accuracy, especially on field goals.

Trevor Daniel is both one of the best punters in the SEC and in the nation, continuing the current streak of success with punters the Vols have enjoyed over the last couple decades. His understudy this season will be elite walk-on punter Joe Doyle, one of the nation's best in the last recruiting cycle. Doyle was one of the top punters at the Kohl's Kicking National Invitational Camp and was offered spots in both the Under Armour and U.S. Army All-American bowls. Doyle, like Cimaglia, is likely on the road to a redshirt before competing to take over their respective kicking jobs next year.

On kick returns, I've already mentioned Evan Berry's record-setting stint at Tennessee. Right now, it would appear that punt returns will be handled by Marquez Callaway. Callaway, who's very much in the mix for a starting receiver job, has already shown flashes of how good he can be as a punt returner with two returns for 114 yards and a touchdown last season.

If you've followed me so far, you can see that at this point I've talked about a lot of promising potential but not a ton of proven commodities at most spots. That's pretty much the whole story on Tennessee: a piece here and a piece there, but for the most part highly rated players who everyone around the program is hoping will play to their full potential. With a nearly new staff (two position coaches, one coordinator in the same positions they held last season) there's plenty of reason for fans to have hope, but remember that anyone who has doubts also has plenty of reason to do so. 

With so many unknowns on the roster, most will not offer up the benefit of the doubt to the new starters or coaches. Add in the returning constant of head coach Butch Jones, a coach now plagued by a reputation for failing to meet expectations, and even Bob Shoop, a coach who spearheaded one of the worst defensive efforts in program history over the second half of the season, and you have a strong argument against the Vols.

So what do I expect? The unexpected, for better or worse. If we're lucky, the staff fills the holes with quality starters, the new coaches pay off in a big way, and Tennessee does what they were expected to do...a year late. If we're unlucky, the roster is still too thin in spots and simply can't get rolling in the same direction, either with the staff or the players, and fans take a punch to the gut with a return to .500 football or worse. To be honest, I'm having the hardest time believing that the Vols will split the difference. If the Vols have a good enough roster to win eight games, I'm not enough of a believer in Georgia or Florida to believe the Vols couldn't and wouldn't beat them. If the Vols aren't good enough to beat Florida or Georgia, I have no reason to believe they can beat Georgia Tech or South Carolina, and maybe not even Kentucky. 

That's my biggest issue right now is I think this season will be all or nothing, win big or lose big. No middle road, and that belief on my part is why I think this is as unpredictable a team as there is in the country. With the schedule and the status of the Vols opponents throughout the East, if they find the answers they're looking for the East will be theirs. If it isn't, I think Tennessee may find themselves waiting to see what new AD John Currie will decide regarding Butch Jones's future. Here's hoping I'm both right and that we're all lucky on the road to a 10-11 win season! GBO!

Tennessee at SEC Media Day: The Important Stuff

Tennessee has had their say in Hoover and now it is time for Butch to get back on the jet in anticipation of the Tri-Cities Big Orange Caravan stop tomorrow. Butch Jones isn't known for being the most forthcoming coach with the press, so you have to pick through the coach speak to get to any meaningful information. The good news is that there weren't many of the facepalm worthy statements of the past. He had a message and passed it along pretty clearly for him. He was contradicted a little bit by Kendal Vickers on his most cringe-worthy comment regarding whether or not last season was a disappointment, but all in all this was one of his best press appearances since year one.

The first really big news to come out today was that Shy Tuttle is running again and should be available in a limited capacity at the start of camp. This certainly doesn't guarantee he'll be available to start the season but should improve the odds of him being ready near the start of the SEC slate.

Kyle Phillips also got a very positive update regarding his health, reportedly having the all-clear from the medical staff. If Phillips is indeed 100% right now as stated, that is a huge boost to the defensive end position.

Speaking of defensive end, Jonathan Kongbo and Darrell Taylor were also praised as players who have built on their strong springs with an equally impressive summer. They appear to be in line to start this season, which would give the Vols a pair of long, athletic ends.

Jones talked at length about having a more mature team with much better leadership throughout the roster than teams past. Perhaps this is indeed true as the captain positions will alternate weekly, seemingly being awarded based on merit. If the team is indeed well-suited with leaders, this will help the team continue to emerge in those roles in order to earn the right to be a team captain each week.

Butch talked about the quarterback competition, and he mostly said what you'd expect regarding not naming a starter until he's ready and the competition carrying on throughout the summer. Normally I'd dismiss those comments, but Jones has shown a willingness throughout his career to make a change if he feels one is warranted and holding open competitions as long as he deems necessary.

Of greater interest regarding the quarterbacks is the fact that the door continues to be left open for both Quinten Dormady and Jarrett Guarantano to be major parts of the offense this season. Now, I know how gun-shy people get about the idea of a two-quarterback system, but I don't think it will be a true version of that situation where the guys are alternating drives. Both quarterbacks have their own strengths and weaknesses and Jones would be foolish not to take advantage of the strength of Guarantano's running or Dormady's precision and strength as a passer. A situation similar to that with Chris Leak and Tim Tebow seems much more likely than a revolving door at quarterback.

Swinging back around to the leadership issue, it sounds like Shaq Wiggins is growing into one. At least that's how his primary competition for s starting job, Emmanuel Moseley, sees things. Wiggins is plenty battle tested, as is Moseley. Toss in Justin Martin, Baylen Buchanan, Marquill Osborne, and a trio of skilled freshmen and you have a recipe for improvement in one of the Vols weakest areas, especially under the watchful eye of Charlton Warren.

Rock Gullickson continues to get praise heaped upon him by Jones and by the players. By all accounts, the players have made huge strides under Rock, and true to his name he's going hard on them. Jones raved about how this summer has gone, and I have to say that he seemed much more genuine in his praise this time around versus years past.

Another thing that seems to have paid off was allowing 7-on-7 this summer. For a team needing to improve timing between the quarterbacks and receivers as well as fixing flaws in pass defense, this should be an invaluable tool. Jones quipped about having to run the players out of the facility for their own good.

Honestly, that's about it, but it's also probably the most information I've gotten from Butch at media days during his time at Tennessee, so I'm happy to take it and pass it along to you. GBO!

Welcome to the Report

If you're reading this, you have decided to come along for the ride while I begin working on a new venture. This blog is hopefully just the first step, but I'll get into more as I move forward and begin to really establish myself. For now, I imagine it's not a bad idea to introduce myself.

Many of you may know me from various Facebook groups, but I don't know how much you know about me. I'm going on 32 years old and I work in television as an editor and director. I have a degree in journalism specializing in radio, television, and video production. I'm from...a lot of places, honestly, but Tennessee was my home for the longest of all the places I've lived. I'm currently based out of Oklahoma, but that's never stopped me from keeping track of everything happening with the Vols. I had a strong, life-long connection to Clemson athletics from birth, but I'm a Tennessee Volunteer by choice. A true Volunteer, if you will. I've been covering, especially writing about, the Vols since 2011 although the venues through which I've done so have changed from time to time. Through that time I've developed various connections and something of a reputation for accuracy and thoroughness which I work very hard to maintain.

Now to give you a rough idea of the plan for this website. We're still currently under construction, so you'll continue to see changes taking place on the page as we work to enhance the content. The bulk of the focus will be on football and football recruiting, but there will also be posts regarding other topics surrounding the University of Tennessee athletics, the SEC, and NCAA. Sometimes I'll tackle controversial topics with my opinions. Other times, the posts will be nothing but the facts. Sometimes it will be a mix of both. Regardless of the subject of the article, I will always try to approach things with every ounce of professionalism I can muster.

This likely won't end up being the extent of the content I provide. Consider this simply the starting point. I will put every ounce of available passion into this project, and I hope you'll enjoy it. Also feel free to follow me on Twitter (@RockyTopReports) and on Facebook (www.facebook.com/RockyTopReport/). At these pages, you'll find short updates that I don't have time to put into an article, so definitely keep up with the news there as well as here and Go Big Orange!