QUARTERBACK
QB1 - 2 Jarrett Guarantano, 6-4, 215, RSR
QB2 - 18 Brian Maurer, 6-3, 195, SO or 15 Harrison Bailey, 6-5, 223, FR
QB3 - 12 JT Shrout, 6-3, 213 or 10 Jimmy Holiday, 6-0, 196, FR
A lot of 'or', I know. The reality is that while Maurer separated himself as the #2 quarterback last year and Shrout showed enough promise to be considered the #3, Tennessee also added some impressive talents in the 2020 class. Harrison Bailey was one of the top quarterbacks in the class, fitting a bit more in the mold of a traditional pro-style pocket passer. Jimmy Holiday is a ridiculously fast runner (timed at 4.38 in the forty) with the ability to throw competently to keep a defense honest. With the funky offseason, it's pretty much not in the cards for anyone to beat Guarantano, who has thus far held off all comers who try to take his job. He could lose it once the season begins, but it would take a Herculean effort from Maurer or Bailey to take the starting job to begin the season unless he suffers a preseason injury.
RUNNING BACK
RB1 - 8 Ty Chandler, 5-11, 209, SR or 3 Eric Gray, 5-10, 200, SO
RB2 - 27 Carlin Fils-aime, 5-11, 185, RSR or 44 Tee Hodge, 6-1, 220, FR
RB3 - 33 Jabari Small, 6-0, 195, FR or 35 Len'Neth Whitehead, 6-2, 230, FR
Again, lots of 'or', but there would have been a lot less prior to Tim Jordan's dismissal. Jordan was poised to be the clear #2 back with everyone else jockeying for carries behind the starters and him, but now Fils-aime's experience and the need for a bigger back to help in the red zone makes way for a duo at the backup spot. Fils-aime has made the most of every carry he's earned in Knoxville, and it's reasonable to assume he will continue to do so. Hodge is healthier right now than Whitehead, giving him the early nod as the power back. Small is very talented, but his early impact is likely to be largely on special teams rather than offense short of a special summer.
WIDE RECEIVER 1
WR1 - 5 Josh Palmer, 6-2, 200, SR
WR2 - 6 Deangelo Gibbs, 6-1, 200, RJR
WR3 - 9 Jimmy Calloway, 6-0, 207, FR
Where's the 'or', right? Wide receiver isn't going to be deep enough for too many of those. For the most part, the wideouts will be in a pretty clear pecking order. Palmer is a big, gifted, explosive receiver with solid NFL prospects. Gibbs has gotten very impressive reviews from practices last year and some reports have him being arguably the top athlete at the position, but he hasn't played the spot in a game since high school. Calloway is an excellent athlete who had to do a bit of everything in high school and he may take a bit of time to fully settle in at wide receiver, but he's got the chops to be a quick contributor on special teams if nothing else.
WIDE RECEIVER 2
WR1 - 7 Brandon Johnson, 6-2, 202, RSR
WR2 - 85 Cedric Tillman, 6-3, 215, RSO or 1 Malachi Wideman, 6-4, 195, FR
WR3 - 34 Dee Beckwith, 6-5, 215, FR
Johnson redshirted specifically to come back for this season, so don't expect him to give way to a younger receiver without one heck of a fight. That said, Tillman and Wideman are at least capable of putting up a fight. Tillman has seen the field in 15 games through his first two seasons on campus, and while he has only caught 5 passes he's managed to pluck one in the end zone while proving himself to be a strong blocker. Wideman is a long and very athletic receiver, and while he's plenty quick getting down the field he's also a big-time leaper who can beat most anyone when it comes to high-pointing the football. Beckwith had to play a lot of quarterback in high school, although he did get some work at receiver in that mix. It's feasible that he could get into the rotation, but I also think it's fair to expect him to take a season to adjust to the position full-time.
SLOT RECEIVER
Slot1 - 80 Ramel Keyton, 6-3, 190, SO
Slot2 - 13 Velus Jones Jr., 6-0, 202, RSR
Slot3 - 21 Jalin Hyatt, 6-1, 178, FR
Consider this a vote of confidence in Keyton, who didn't catch a lot of passes in his 12 games last season, but averaged a blistering 26 yards per catch while showing off strong blocking ability largely playing in the slot. Jones could easily get the start here though, given his experience. That said, so far Jones has done the bulk of his damage at the college level on special teams while being a reserve receiver, and it's probably fair to expect that to continue to be the case. If Hyatt's self-reported 6-1, 178 is accurate, he could be a threat to Jones on offense for snaps, but his NSD reported listing of 6-0, 164 is still the case, speed is great but being rail-thin isn't necessarily great news in the SEC.
TIGHT END 1
TE1 - 81 Austin Pope, 6-4, 235, RSR
TE2 - 82 Jackson Lowe, 6-4, 245, RFR
TE3 - 87 Jacob Warren, 6-6, 244, RSO
Pope is the clear leader at tight end as he is easily the most experienced. He's a strong blocker and a capable if underutilized receiver. Lowe redshirted last year after showing some promise in the spring, but he's probably capable of contributing this season as a receiver, but his blocking was probably part of what kept him sidelined last season. Warren is a work in progress as a blocker, but he possesses dynamic receiving ability.
TIGHT END 2
TE1 - 86 Jordan Allen, 6-4, 241, RJR
TE2 - 83 Sean Brown, 6-5, 241, RFR
TE3 - 88 Princeton Fant, 6-2, 234, RJR
Allen spent his first two seasons in Knoxville playing at outside linebacker, but it never really worked out. However, he was a high school wide receiver and safety who was initially recruited to UC Davis as a wideout after catching 100 passes for 17 touchdowns over his final two high school seasons. Tennessee needs a reliable receiving threat at tight end, so even if Allen isn't ready to be the top dog at tight end, he may be the top receiving threat. Brown is a blocker who needs to learn to be a receiver. Fant may be the top option as an H-back, and a recently posted picture of him on a scale shows him breaking the 240-pound mark.
LEFT TACKLE
LT1 - 64 Wanya Morris, 6-5, 315, SO
LT2 - 58 Jahmir Johnson, 6-5, 286, RSR
At first blush, this position looks a bit thin. In reality, Johnson and Morris are starter-caliber players and both Trey Smith and Cade Mays have played left tackle in their collegiate careers, so if anything this spot is flush with depth if needed. Morris has the potential to be one of the best tackles in the SEC. Johnson can play pretty much any position other than center if called upon.
LEFT GUARD
LG1 - 73 Trey Smith, 6-6, 335, SR
LG2 - 58 Jahmir Johnson, 6-5, 286, RSR
LG3 - 76 - Javontez Spraggins, 6-3, 352, FR
Smith is one of the best offensive linemen in the country, not just the SEC. He's big, strong, athletic, and aggressive, a perfect recipe on the offensive line. Johnson has close to a season's worth of starts at left guard under his belt. Spraggins is unnaturally athletic for his size and is also more than capable of playing center as well as being a brutal option at guard.
CENTER
C1 - 55 Brandon Kennedy, 6-3, 301, RSR
C2 - 56 Riley Locklear, 6-4, 286, SR
C3 - 63 Cooper Mays, 6-3, 290, FR
Kennedy is a sixth-year senior, so you might as well elevate him to the same status as the collection of former 5-stars surrounding him. Kennedy is one of the top centers in the SEC and country. Locklear can play guard or center, but with it possible that Carvin will need to start at guard again, look for Locklear to play a fair bit of center in relief of Kennedy. Mays will be an excellent center for the Vols in time, but that time is probably next season.
RIGHT GUARD
RG1 - 68 Cade Mays, 6-6, 328, JR
RG2 - 75 Jerome Carvin, 6-5, 313, JR
RG3 - 71 James Robinson, 6-4, 343, FR
The assumption on this end is that if the season happens the elder Mays brother is likely to be eligible. If that is the case, the Vols may well have two of the top 5 guards in the SEC. Even if he's not, they have an experienced option in Carvin, who has started 13 games and played in 24 games in two seasons for the Vols, most of it at right guard. Robinson isn't as athletic as Spraggins, but he is massive and built like a college senior with a lot of muscle mass and little bad weight.
RIGHT TACKLE
RT1 - 74 K'Rojhn Calbert, 6-5, 330, RJR or 72 Darnell Wright, 6-6, 340, SO
RT2 - 77 Chris Akporoghene, 6-3, 296, RFR
Wright is a former 5-star recruit who seems like a no-brainer to start, and he did start seven games last season, five at tackle and two at guard, but the season ended with Calbert starting at right tackle for the final three games. These two will battle things out before the season and maybe even throughout the year. Akporoghene isn't the length of a normal tackle, but long arms and good use of leverage allowed him to play as a relief tackle in a couple games while redshirting.
DEFENSIVE END
DE1 - 97 Darel Middleton, 6-7, 305, SR
DE2 - 88 LaTrell Bumphus, 6-3, 286, SR
DE3 - 59 Dominic Bailey, 6-3, 303, FR
Middleton wasn't always consistent in his play, but when he was at his best he was nearly unblockable and he rapidly established himself as a starter, although he did alternate some with Bumphus in that regard. Basically, these are the clear top two at the defensive end spot. Bailey is very athletic for his size and can disrupt from any spot on the defensive line.
DEFENSIVE TACKLE
DT1 - 98 Aubrey Solomon, 6-5, 315, SR
DT2 - 94 Matthew Butler, 6-4, 289, SR
DT3 - 58 Omari Thomas, 6-4, 306, FR
Aubrey Solomon and Matthew Butler were excellent last season, doing much the same thing at their spot that Middleton and Bumphus did on the other side of the line, boxing out other would-be major contributors. That is unlikely to change. Solomon is the more athletically gifted of the two, but Butler is a high-volume and sure tackler who may not make as many flashy plays but will make all the routine ones. At this point, it's worth gambling on the freshmen to take over the third spots along the DL this season because there weren't many contributors beyond the top two at any spot last season.
NOSE TACKLE
NT1 - 93 Emmit Gooden, 6-3, 290, RSR
NT2 - 90 Greg Emerson, 6-3, 300, RSO or 79 Kurott Garland, 6-3, 304, RSO
NT3 - 51 Elijah Simmons, 6-2, 340, RFR
Gooden's return makes an already deep defensive line that much deeper. He was excellent in 2018, producing 33 tackles, 7 tackles for loss, and a sack with only one start along the way. Emerson and Garland split a lot of time at nose tackle in 2019, combining for 49 tackles, 6 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, and 2 passes defended. Simmons is massive and looks the part of a nose tackle, as well as being very athletic for the role. He redshirted last year but did see some goal-line work as the season progressed.
JACK LINEBACKER
JLB1 - 30 Roman Harrison, 6-2, 233, SO or 13 Deandre Johnson, 6-3, 246, SR
JLB2 - 56 Morven Joseph, 6-2, 220, FR
JLB3 - 40 Martavius French, 6-2, 250, FR
Johnson and Harrison combined for 21 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, and 2 sacks despite it not necessarily being a regular position used in 2019. If this group improves, they should see the field much more consistently, but as of last season playing the nickel proved more valuable most of the time. Joseph is ridiculously athletic and well-built for the job, but he's still a bit on the slight side to be more than a situational pass rusher. French is a downhill linebacker with somewhat limited athleticism who is likely to need a season of development, but that may not be in the cards.
SAM LINEBACKER
SLB1 - 95 Kivon Bennett, 6-2, 235, RJR
SLB2 - 9 Tyler Baron, 6-5, 248, FR
SLB3 - 40 Martavius French, 6-2, 250, FR
Bennett ended 2019 strong, and if he can continue to build on that he's likely to be a no-brainer starter this season. Certainly, he gave reason to believe that he can pick up the lost production from Darrell Taylor's departure to the NFL. Baron's father is a football staffer and he showed off a strong senior campaign on his way to join the Vols, and he's reporting about eight pounds of weight loss right now. His brother, Woody, was an excellent defensive lineman for Virginia Tech, even though the two are built differently physically. French may be pressed into service at one of the outside linebacker spots due to lack of depth unless the OLBs are regarded as interchangeable.
WILL LINEBACKER
WLB1 - 11 Henry To'o To'o, 6-2, 235, SO
WLB2 - 6 J.J. Peterson, 6-2, 225, RSO
WLB3 - 24 Aaron Beasley, 6-1, 215 SO
Many expect To'o To'o to take over at Mike, but realistically that's probably not that viable since Crouch isn't exactly built to play Will. To'o To'o is simply the better of the two in coverage, and that's going to be a needed skill set even in the 3-4 defense and especially when they shift into different looks that bump the Will outside. Peterson took strides as a redshirt freshman, playing in all 13 games the backup Will. Beasley didn't play much on defense, but he played plenty on special teams and should make headway towards breaking into the rotation more with added weight.
MIKE LINEBACKER
MLB1 - 27 Quavaris Crouch, 6-2, 241, SO
MLB2 - 55 Bryson Eason, 6-2, 270, FR
MLB3 - 38 Solon Page III, 6-2, 218, RJR
Crouch has room for improvement, but a lot of bouncing back and forth between Mike and Jack from the open of spring practices until the end of the season stunted his development some. He is very likely to be locked in at Mike now, although I don't know if it will be him or To'o To'o to call the defense and get people aligned. Eason is massive, incredibly athletic, and very gifted at linebacker, projects inside, and fits an immediate need as at least the #2 Mike. Page has served as a reserve and doesn't seem likely to move out of such a role as long as he's in Knoxville.
NICKELBACK (STAR)
NB1 - 12 Shawn Shamburger, 5-11, 185, SR
NB2 - 28 Baylen Buchanan, 5-11, 197, RSR
NB3 - 29 Tamarion McDonald, 6-2, 199, FR
Very rarely will a team have two high-end starters back at a single position, but that's the good fortune the Vols have in 2020 with Shamburger and Buchanan. The starters at Star the last two seasons combined for 96 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, 3 sacks, 7 passes defended, an interception, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery. McDonald is a 'tweener, capable of developing into a linebacker or a safety/Star. I'm banking on him spending a year or two developing as a nickel linebacker to fill that role.
CORNERBACK 1
CB1 - 20 Bryce Thompson, 5-11, 185, JR
CB2 - 4 Warren Burrell, 6-0, 176, SO
CB3 - 31 Kenney Solomon, 6-0, 176, SO
Thompson has already established himself as a top corner in the SEC, and he's poised to continue to build on that. Burrell and Solomon are young, but both had strong moments last season and continued development will allow both to expand their roles.
CORNERBACK 2
CB1 - 41 Kenneth George Jr., 5-11, 201, RSR or 2 Alontae Taylor, 6-0, 193, JR
CB2 - 14 Keshawn Lawrence, 6-2, 202, FR
CB3 - 31 Kenney Solomon, 6-0, 176, SO
George and Taylor split starts last season, and it's hard to say one has an edge over the other. Taylor's skill set may be better suited to Star or safety, but it's hard right now to justify moving him unless someone else can step up to bolster the depth at corner. Lawrence is an option in that capacity despite largely being recruited as a safety. He's physically gifted enough to play either corner or safety, but the expectation is he'll get his first look here.
SAFETY 1
S1 - 22 Jaylen McCollough, 6-0, 205, SO
S2 - 25 Trevon Flowers, 5-11, 193, JR
S3 - 18 Doneiko Slaughter, 6-0, 185, FR
McCollough took over as the starter for the final six games of the season, and he performed well in the role with 33 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, a sack, and a pair of passes defended. He also showed off his coverage skills in the 2019 Orange and White game when he managed to pick off a pair of passes. Flowers has been a bit inconsistent to say the least, and he's wrestled with injuries as well, but in the 13 games he's played over two seasons he's had 26 tackles, 2 passes defended, and an interception. He'll need to become more consistent to win and hold onto a starting job. Slaughter is a high-volume tackler from the safety position who showed off quality coverage skills and the ability to make plays behind the line of scrimmage, finishing his high school career with 121 tackles, 16 tackles for loss, 11 sacks, 6 interceptions, 2 forced fumbles, and a blocked field goal in three seasons. He too could be an option at Star, but for the time being I'd look for him to get his start early at safety and on special teams.
SAFETY 2
S1 - 26 Theo Jackson, 6-2, 190, SR
S2 - 17 Tyus Fields, 5-10, 186, RFR
S3 - 44 Cheyenne Labruzza, 5-11, 188, RJR
Theo Jackson has been a steady contributor and occasional starter at the safety position, playing in 34 games with six starts. He's bided his time and the odds are in his favor to start, especially after finishing 4th on the team in tackles last year, ending his best season with 53 tackles, a tackle for loss, 3 passes defended, and an interception. Fields is another guy with the potential to play Star, but safety was his home last year and that's not likely to change. He redshirted but finished his four games played with 2 tackles and a tackle for loss. A stout, well-built safety despite being on the shorter side for the position, he uses his aggressive playing style to overcome any height limitations. Labruzza has yet to have the light come on for him, but he is a reserve and special teams performer who has played in 20 games in three years with 4 tackles along the way.
LONG SNAPPER
LS1 - 46 Will Albright, 6-1, 220, FR
LS2 - 52 Matthew Salansky, 5-11, 235, SO
I'd say that the odds are in Albright's favor here. He has decent size, has dedicated himself to the craft of being a long snapper, and is athletic as a former high school linebacker and wide receiver. He's plenty capable of getting himself down the field to make plays. As a senior, on top of his snapping duties, he caught 26 passes for 402 yards and 4 touchdowns on offense and 70 tackles, 8 tackles for loss, 6 passes defended, an interception, a forced fumble, and a blocked punt on defense. Salansky was a solid linebacker and short-yardage back in high school, and his snaps are accurate and have a nice spiral, but he doesn't snap and clear as well as Albright, nor does he have the same kind of velocity on his snaps. It's possible we could see Albright handle punting snaps and Salansky handle field goals as the Vols have split the duties as recently as two years ago.
PLACEKICKER
PK1 - 42 Brent Cimaglia, 6-0, 210, SR
PK2 - 39 Toby Wilson, 5-10, 174, SO
Technically, Paxton Brooks was the #2 placekicker last year, but the guess on this end is that Wilson makes enough strides that Brooks can fully and completely focus on kickoffs and punting rather than practicing placekicking too. Cimaglia is the clear, undisputed man in this job and is rising in the record books in Knoxville. He could finish as one of the greatest placekickers in program history.
PUNTER
P1 - 37 Paxton Brooks, 6-6, 194, JR
P2 - -- Brett Graham, 6-3, 195, RSR
Graham is an overlooked but ridiculously important grad transfer addition. Walking on with the Vols, he is immediately eligible with experience at the FBS level as both a punter and a holder, and while his punting opportunities may be limited next season, he will almost assuredly be the holder. Brooks won the punting job during the season last year and with the transfer of Joe Doyle he is essentially unchallenged for the job.
KICKOFF RETURNER
KOR1 - 13 Velus Jones Jr., 6-0, 202, RSR
KOR2 - 8 Ty Chandler, 5-11, 209, SR
KOR3 - 3 Eric Gray, 5-10, 200, SO or 20 Bryce Thompson, 5-11, 185, JR
Tennessee has a lot of options for this job, but the primary returner should be the guy who is one of the most productive returning in the nation with Chandler serving as Jones's upback on kickoff returns. Gray and Thompson are both very good options here if needed, and one guy who could also explode in this role is Jabari Small, but I don't expect him to break through on kickoffs this season.
PUNT RETURNER
PR1 - 3 Eric Gray, 5-10, 200, SO / 20 Bryce Thompson, 5-11, 185, JR / 33 Jabari Small, 6-0, 195, FR /
9 Jimmy Calloway, 6-0, 207, FR / 14 Keshawn Lawrence, 6-2, 202, FR
No clue, guys. Gray is the only one to return a punt for UT of this group, although Thompson has returned kickoffs. Small, Calloway, and especially Lawrence were all productive to excellent high school punt returners, with Lawrence in particular showing off a penchant for finding the end zone on returns. This is a pretty wide-open competition and I'm not sure who to offer an edge to.
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