2020 Returning Career Production

Passing: 541-935, 57.9%, 7,095 yards, 7.6 yards per attempt, 46 touchdowns, 22 interceptions

Kasim Hill's production at Maryland boosts these numbers a bit, but the bulk of this production still belongs to Jarrett Guaratano. As frustrated as fans can get with the rising redshirt senior, he's simply not faced a sufficient challenge for playing time to put him on the bench. Perhaps the incoming freshmen can mount a challenge, and Maurer showed flashes last season. My money would be on Guarantano though.

Rushing: 992 carries, 3,788 yards, 3.8 yards per carry, 30 touchdowns

I concede that at first blush, 3.8 combined yards per carry is pretty abysmal. That said, this number includes Jarrett Guarantano's 155 career carries for -79 yards. Scratch that and you have a much more respectable 4.6 career yards per carry for the remainder of the team. Given there hasn't been any sort of a power running element in the mix, the fact that the running game hasn't been awful is relatively impressive. All that said, it's worth hoping that this group can improve with bigger backs added to the group. Quavaris Crouch didn't rack up a ton of yards on his carries, but he turned his 7 attempts into a pair of touchdowns, but the staff would prefer having dedicated big backs.

Receiving: 268 receptions, 3,119 yards, 11.6 yards per reception, 10 touchdowns

It would be an extreme understatement to say that the loss of Marquez Callaway and Jauan Jennings hurts the production level in this category. Toss in Dominic Wood-Anderson and those three players alone leave with more receptions, receiving yards, and touchdowns than the combined production of the receivers and running backs coming back in 2020. It's impossible to sugarcoat how badly the Vols will need someone, or several someones, to step up. At tight end, it's even more abysmal when it comes to trying to replace Wood-Anderson as Austin Pope is really the only experienced option there. If the tight ends can't provide a reliable outlet for the quarterbacks, look for a lot more checking down to the running back.

Defensive: 931 tackles, 80.5 tackles for loss, 29.5 sacks, 9 forced fumbles, 4 fumble recoveries, 12 interceptions, 56 passes defended

Much like on offense, the Vols didn't lose a lot. They just lost a little that had done a lot. On defense, that trio was Daniel Bituli, Darrell Taylor, and Nigel Warrior, who combined for 623 tackles, 48.5 tackles for loss, 24.5 sacks, 11 forced fumbles, 5 fumble recoveries, 6 interceptions, and 31 passes defended just on their own during their time in Knoxville. There's no easy way to replace that kind of production. The good news is the Vols return the bulk of the defensive roster intact and an infusion of young talent is joining the mix.

Returns: 131 returns, 2,998 yards, 22.9 yards per return, 4 touchdowns

This includes solely returns related to special teams, and it includes the returns on blocked kicks as well. Although the Vols lose a gifted punt returner in Marquez Callaway, they added another quality kickoff returner to join Ty Chandler in Velus Jones Jr. Tennessee has also recruited a number of speedy and gifted athletes who could assist on punt returns in 2020. Two of those career touchdowns are returns of blocked punts.

Kicking: 126 kickoffs, 7,748 yards, 61.8 yards per kickoff, 73 touchbacks, 2 kickoffs out of bounds, 41-53 field goals, 77.4%, 2 field goals blocked, 69-69 PATs, 31 punts, 1,294, 41.7 yards per punt, 2 touchbacks, 12 inside the 20, 6 50+, 1 blocked punt

Going into last season, the punting looked like a major strength with Joe Doyle coming off a Freshman All-American campaign, but Doyle gave way to Paxton Brooks and has elected to transfer out of the program now. Brooks was serviceable last season on punts, but now knowing he is the man I expect him to improve significantly. Brooks handles the kickoff duties as well, where he does an admirable if unspectacular job. Placekicker Brent Cimaglia established himself as one of the nation's best last season and will continue to aim at moving up the list in the Tennessee record books.