Spring Practice Primer

Spring practices get underway on March 7th with the spring game set to take place on April 13th at 6 p.m. Eastern. In order to help prepare everyone for spring football to get underway, here is a lengthy and thorough preview of what to keep an eye on next month.

Spring Enrollees

Up first, the new faces on the roster to be on the lookout for. Tennessee had 10 of their signees enroll early, as well as adding at least one preferred walk-on and two transfers. Of the 13 new additions, 7 are expected to contribute on the offensive side of the ball. At this time, defensive back Tyus Fields is expected to miss most or all of spring football as he recovers from offseason surgery.

Chris Akporoghene, OL, 6-5, 294
Warren Burrell, DB, 6-0, 170
Quavaris Crouch, LB, 6-2, 230
Tyus Fields, DB, 5-10, 190
Deangelo Gibbs, WR/DB, 6-1, 205 (transfer)
Eric Gray, RB, 5-10, 195
Ramel Keyton, WR, 6-3, 185
Jackson Lowe, TE, 6-5, 242
Brian Maurer, QB, 6-3, 184
Jaylen McCollough, DB, 6-0, 194
Wanya Morris, OL, 6-6, 311
West Shuler, LB, 6-3, 223 (preferred walk-on)
Aubrey Solomon, DL, 6-3, 297 (transfer)

Both Gibbs and Solomon are expected to have waiver requests submitted for immediate eligibility, but there exists no timetable right now for those waivers to be either granted or denied and the issue may extend into the summer. However, eligible or not, they will be allowed to practice fully with the team.

Known Spring Roster by Position

2 - Jarrett Guarantano, QB, 6-4, 209, RJR
12 - J.T. Shrout, QB, 6-3, 210, RFR
NA - Brian Maurer, QB, 6-3, 184, FR
8 - Ty Chandler, RB, 5-11, 201, JR
9 - Tim Jordan, RB, 5-11, 203, JR
27 - Carlin Fils-aime, RB, 5-11, 180, SR
28 - James Christian, RB, 5-8, 199, RJR
33 - Jeremy Banks, RB, 6-1, 211, SO
35 - Ramsey Hailey, RB, 5-7, 181, RSO
36 - Tanner Dobrucky, RB, 5-9, 185, RSO
42 - Chip Omer, RB, 6-0, 191, RJR
44 - Princeton Fant, RB, 6-2, 222, RSO
NA - Eric Gray, RB, 5-10, 195, FR
1 - Marquez Callaway, WR, 6-2, 200, SR
7 - Brandon Johnson, WR, 6-2, 189, SR
10 - Tyler Byrd, WR, 5-11, 200, SR
11 - Jordan Murphy, WR, 6-0, 177, JR
13 - Richard Mize Jr., WR, 5-10, 175, RSO
15 - Jauan Jennings, WR, 6-3, 221 RSR
21 - Jacquez Jones, WR, 5-10, 169, RSO
26 - Jay Shoop, WR, 6-1, 184, RSO
38 - Grant Frerking, WR, 6-5, 192, RSO
83 - Maleik Gray, WR, 6-2, 200, RSO
84 - Josh Palmer, WR, 6-2, 201, JR
85 - Cedric Tillman, WR, 6-3, 212, RFR
NA - Deangelo Gibbs, WR, 6-1, 205, RSO
NA - Ramel Keyton, WR, 6-3, 185, FR
4 - Dominick Wood-Anderson, TE, 6-4, 257, SR
81 - Austin Pope, TE, 6-4, 240, RJR
84 - James Brown, TE, 6-3, 229, RSO
86 - Andrew Craig, TE, 6-4, 240, RJR
87 - Jacob Warren, TE, 6-6, 224, RFR
88 - LaTrell Bumphus, TE, 6-3, 263, JR
NA - Jackson Lowe, TE, 6-5, 242, FR
50 - Joey Cave, OL, 6-4, 312, RJR
55 - Brandon Kennedy, OL, 6-3, 301, RSR
56 - Riley Locklear, OL, 6-4, 293, JR
57 - Nathan Niehaus, OL, 6-6, 287, RJR
58 - Jahmir Johnson, OL, 6-5, 285, RJR
60 - Michael Raymond, OL, 6-1, 267, RJR
66 - Eric Crosby, OL, 6-1, 328, RSO
67 - Joe Keeler, OL, 6-5, 290, RSR
68 - Marcus Tatum, OL, 6-6, 293, RJR
69 - Brian Garvey, OL, 6-3, 286, RJR
70 - Ryan Johnson, OL, 6-6, 302, RJR
73 - Trey Smith, OL, 6-6, 320, JR (future in doubt)
74 - K'Rojhn Calbert, OL, 6-5, 327, RSO
75 - Jerome Carvin, OL, 6-5, 303, SO
78 - Ollie Lane, OL, 6-4, 308, RFR
79 - Jarious Abercrombie, OL, 6-4, 322, RFR
NA - Chris Akporoghene, OL, 6-5, 294, FR
NA - Wanya Morris, OL, 6-6, 311, FR
48 - Ja'Quain Blakely, DL, 6-2, 260, RJR
52 - Maurese Smith, DL, 6-2, 305, RSO
54 - Kingston Harris, DL, 6-3, 316, RFR
55 - Gatkek Kueth, DL, 6-2, 234, RSO
59 - John Mincey, DL, 6-3, 264, SO
79 - Kurott Garland, DL, 6-3, 275, RFR
90 - Greg Emerson, DL, 6-3, 305, RFR
93 - Emmit Gooden, DL, 6-3, 306, SR
94 - Matthew Butler, DL, 6-4, 276, JR
96 - Airin Spell, DL, 6-1, 287, RFR
NA - Aubrey Solomon, DL, 6-3, 297, JR
8 - Jordan Allen, LB, 6-4, 242, RJR
13 - Deandre Johnson, LB, 6-3, 244, JR
19 - Darrell Taylor, LB, 6-4, 247, RSR
21 - Shanon Reid, LB, 6-0, 218, JR
23 - Will Ignont, LB, 6-1, 239, JR
31 - Nick Humphrey, LB, 6-1, 208, RSO
34 - Darrin Kirkland Jr., LB, 6-1, 234, RSR
35 - Daniel Bituli, LB, 6-3, 244, SR
38 - Solon Page III, LB, 6-2, 211, RSO
40 - J.J. Peterson, LB, 6-2, 231, RFR
46 - Joshua Warren, LB, 6-3, 222, RSO
47 - Landon Knoll, LB, 6-3, 219, RSR
48 - Matt Ballard, LB, 6-0, 219, RJR
57 - Nyles Gaddy, LB, 6-4, 226, RFR
95 - Kivon Bennett, LB, 6-2, 266, JR
NA - Quavaris Crouch, LB, 6-2, 230, FR
NA - West Shuler, LB, 6-3, 223, FR
6 - Alontae Taylor, DB, 6-0, 186, SO
9 - Garrett Johnson, DB, 5-11, 182, RJR
12 - Shawn Shamburger, DB, 5-11, 193, JR
18 - Nigel Warrior, DB, 6-0, 188, SR
20 - Bryce Thompson, DB, 5-11, 180, SO
25 - Trevon Flowers, DB, 5-11, 184, SO
26 - Theo Jackson, DB, 6-2, 193, JR
28 - Baylen Buchanan, DB, 5-11, 193, SR
29 - Brandon Davis, DB, 5-10, 170, RFR
33 - MaLeik Gatewood, DB, 5-10, 194, RSR
36 - Terrell Bailey, DB, 5-11, 186, RSO
37 - Sam Harvin, DB, 5-11, 192, RJR
41 - Kenneth George Jr., DB, 5-11, 195, RJR
43 - Jake Powers, DB, 6-0, 178, RSO
44 - Cheyenne Labruzza, DB, 5-11, 188, RSO
NA - Warren Burrell, DB, 6-0, 170, FR
NA - Tyus Fields, DB, 5-10, 190, FR
NA - Jaylen McCollough, DB, 6-0, 194, FR
46 - Riley Lovingood, LS, 6-0, 213, RSR
59 - Jake Yelich, LS, 6-2, 226, RJR
37 - Paxton Books, P, 6-6, 180, SO
47 - Joe Doyle, P, 6-0, 201, RFR
42 - Brent Cimaglia, PK, 6-0, 210, JR
43 - Laszlo Toser, PK, 5-8, 194, RSR

Projected Spring Depth Chart

• Quarterback
• Jarrett Guarantano, 6-4, 209
• J.T. Shrout, 6-3, 210 or Brian Maurer, 6-3, 184
• Running Back
• Ty Chandler, 5-11, 201 or Tim Jordan, 5-11, 203
• Eric Gray, 5-10, 195 or Carlin Fils-aime, 5-11, 180 or Jeremy Banks, 6-1, 211
• Wide Receiver 1
• Marquez Callaway, 6-2, 200
• Brandon Johnson, 6-2, 189
• Wide Receiver 2
• Jauan Jennings, 6-3, 221
• Ramel Keyton, 6-3, 185
• Wide Receiver 3
• Josh Palmer, 6-2, 201
• Jordan Murphy, 6-0, 177
• Tight End
• Dominick Wood-Anderson, 6-4, 257
• Jackson Lowe, 6-5, 242
• Left Tackle
• Wanya Morris, 6-6, 311
• K'Rojhn Calbert, 6-5, 327
• Left Guard
• Jerome Carvin, 6-5, 303
• Ollie Lane, 6-4, 308
• Center
• Brandon Kennedy, 6-3, 301
• Ryan Johnson, 6-6, 302
• Right Guard
• Jahmir Johnson, 6-5, 285
• Riley Locklear, 6-4, 293
• Right Tackle
• Marcus Tatum, 6-6, 293
• Chris Akporoghene, 6-5, 294
• Defensive End
• Matthew Butler, 6-4, 276 or John Mincey, 6-3, 264
• Ja'Quain Blakely, 6-2, 260
• Nose Tackle
• Emmit Gooden, 6-3, 306
• Kingston Harris, 6-3, 316
• Defensive Tackle
• Aubrey Solomon, 6-3, 297
• Greg Emerson, 6-3, 305
• Jack Linebacker
• Deandre Johnson, 6-3, 244
• Kivon Bennett, 6-2, 266
• Will Linebacker
• Darrin Kirkland Jr., 6-1, 234 or J.J. Peterson, 6-2, 231
• Shanon Reid, 6-0, 218
• Mike Linebacker
• Daniel Bituli, 6-3, 244
• Will Ignont, 6-1, 239
• Sam Linebacker
• Darrell Taylor, 6-4, 247
• Jordan Allen, 6-4, 242 or Quavaris Crouch, 6-2, 230
• Cornerback 1
• Bryce Thompson, 5-11, 180
• Kenneth George Jr., 5-11, 195
• Cornerback 2
• Alontae Taylor, 6-0, 186
• Warren Burrell, 6-0, 170
• Star (Nickel)
• Baylen Buchanan, 5-11, 193
• Shawn Shamburger, 5-11, 193
• Strong Safety
• Nigel Warrior, 6-0, 188
• Jaylen McCollough, 6-0, 194
• Free Safety
• Trevon Flowers, 5-11, 184
• Theo Jackson, 6-2, 193
• Placekicker
• Brent Cimaglia, 6-0, 210
• Laszlo Toser, 5-8, 194
• Punter
• Joe Doyle, 6-0, 201
• Paxton Brooks, 6-6, 180
• Kickoff Specialist
• Paxton Brooks, 6-6, 180
• Brent Cimaglia, 6-0, 201
• Kick Returner
• Ty Chandler, 5-11, 201
• Bryce Thompson, 5-11, 180
• Punt Returner
• Marquez Callaway, 6-2, 200
• Eric Gray, 5-10, 195
• Long Snapper
• Riley Lovingood, 6-0, 213
• Jake Yelich, 6-2, 226

Potential Position Changes

LaTrell Bumphus - Bumphus has been a situation tight end up to this point in his career, primarily serving as a blocker. However, coming out of high school many programs wanted Bumphus to play defensive end, a position he excelled at prior to having a solid senior campaign at tight end. With the Vols tight on numbers this spring on the defensive line, Bumphus could easily become a competitor for playing time at defensive end.

Eric Crosby - Crosby was a 4-star defensive tackle out of high school prior to being moved to guard last season. A major weight fluctuation and conditioning issues held him back after first arriving on campus. A lack of length was part of the move to offense as he wasn't able to consistently get separation from blockers, but he's yet to make any noise on offense either, and the number issues on the defensive line could prompt a move back to his old position.

Jeremy Banks - Banks did a bit of bouncing back and forth between running back and linebacker last season, and this spring the time has come to decide on his future home. Realistically, he probably ends up remaining at running back as the linebacker position got more crowded with the additions of three recruits to the mix there as well as redshirt freshman J.J. Peterson's continued development. Pruitt prefers bigger backs, and Banks fits that bill well. However, with his energy and upside, he could develop into an excellent linebacker as well.

Princeton Fant - Wide receiver. Tight end. Running back. Princeton Fant has had a time trying to find a home. He's a big athlete at 6-2, 222, and he could fit a number of roles, most likely either at tight end or running back right now. I'll go ahead and step out on a limb and say Fant settles in at running back, but as more of a fullback. I don't know if true fullbacks will be used by Chaney, but he has in the past. Fant certainly seems like someone who could excel in that role.

Alontae Taylor - This one is almost definitely not happening, but Taylor didn't have the finish to his freshman season that he was hoping for. There are three new likely corners joining the mix by this summer and two are on campus now. Taylor was viewed by most as an offensive weapon out of high school, and he could certainly become one. That said, he still had a solid freshman campaign, is still developing in that role, and there isn't a huge need on offense of his services right now.

Quavaris Crouch - Again, almost certainly not going to happen, but Crouch was highly recruited as a running back out of high school. However, Crouch would prefer to make his home on defense in order to try for a longer professional career. Crouch is expected to get his first look at the outside linebacker positions, but his highest upside might be at inside linebacker. Which of the four linebacker spots he ultimately lands at is hard to say, but he will almost certainly stick with defense primarily. That said, certain packages to allow him to run the ball on offense might end up popping up in order to utilize his size and athleticism as a running back.

Spring Strengths

Offensive Specialists - Quarterback. Running back. Wide receiver. Tight end. Things are actually pretty good here on the whole. The returning passing production amounts to 2,966 yards, 18 touchdowns, and just 5 interceptions with 12.3 yards per completion and 7.6 yards per attempt while completing 61.8%. The quarterbacks, running backs, and wide receivers have combined for 573 carries, 2,096 yards, and 19 touchdowns. While that only amounts to 3.7 yards per carry, that falls mainly on the quarterback numbers, where the average is -1.3 yards per carry. The running backs have averaged 4.6 yards per carry and the wide receivers averaged 7.1. As for the receiving numbers, it gets really impressive with 291 catches, 4,108 yards, and 25 touchdowns. This really is an offense that is better line play away from putting up very impressive numbers.

Secondary - There is experience here, and as a collective, they return career totals of 385 tackles, 15.5 tackles for loss, 3 sacks, 4 interceptions, 27 passes defended, 8 forced fumbles, and 2 fumble recoveries. There's still plenty of room for improvement, and spring newcomers Warren Burrell and Jaylen McCollough will try to help shore up areas of relative weakness, as will Tyus Fields once he's healthy enough to begin practicing with the team. This group should be able to provide a solid challenge to Tennessee's quality group of wide receivers, allowing them to push each other to improve.

Linebackers - Arguably the most experienced group on the field for the Vols in 2019, the linebackers have been at worst solidly productive and excellent when they've played at their best. Led by three seniors in Darrell Taylor, Daniel Bituli, and Darrin Kirkland Jr., it's also fair to say that with new talent entering the mix perhaps only Taylor is able to feel comfortable in keeping his job. As a group, the linebackers have career totals of 497 tackles, 49.5 tackles for loss, 20 sacks, 3 interceptions, 12 passes defended, 8 forced fumbles, and 4 fumble recoveries. Solid against both the run and the pass, this group can only get better this season.

Special Teams - Tennessee loses very little from what was a very solid special teams group. Freshman Paxton Brooks was solid all season on kickoffs. Joe Doyle was a Freshman All-American in his first season handling the Vols punting duties. Brent Cimaglia hit on nearly 77% of his field goals and 100% of his PATs. Tennessee had two punt return touchdowns and led the conference in fewest punt return yards allowed. This was a very good group that is only going to keep getting better with more experience.

Spring Weaknesses

Offensive Line - Obviously the Vols are still waiting on some offensive line additions that are coming in this summer, and the status of Trey Smith is up in the air. On top of that, three other offensive linemen have forced to retire due to medical issues and Drew Richmond, a starter in 25 games for the Vols, is in the transfer portal and is not expected to return. Wanya Morris and Chris Akporoghene are certainly going to be quality additions to the room this spring, and reports have Jahmir Johnson, Marcus Tatum, and Nathan Niehaus are all approaching or over 300 pounds. Things may prove better than they have been in the past, but there's still a lot of unknowns. Until the offensive line can prove itself, it has to be considered a probable weakness.

Defensive Line - This is partially about the limited availability of bodies with just 8 scholarship players expected on the defensive line to begin spring practice. As previously mentioned, there are a couple of guys who could be moved to the defensive line to help fill some of these holes, and a further three defensive linemen will be joining the team in May. This isn't necessarily going to be an issue into the season. The bigger concern is the lack of returning production. Emmit Gooden had 33 tackles, 7 tackles for loss, and a sack last season, his first with the Vols. The rest of the returning defensive linemen bring back a combined 24 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, and a sack of production in their careers. The defensive line is going to get a nice boost from the presence of Aubrey Solomon this spring, and four of the returners are going into just their second season in college. There's plenty of potential. The big question is whether or not that potential can be tapped.

What to Expect

In the spring, it's likely the offenses, and especially the running game will impress. The defensive line, even with additional moves, is going to be shorthanded and undermanned for the most part. This should be advantageous to the offensive line and running backs. It's reasonable to think that the quarterbacks should find time to work as well, and the receivers are an impressive group.

While the secondary should be solid in the spring, the front seven will probably struggle as a whole as the defensive line won't demand enough of the blockers' attention and the linebackers will find themselves having to beat blocks far too often. The longer the quarterback and receivers have to work, the tougher the job for the secondary and this could lead to the defense struggling on all three levels. Again, I maintain that there's still plenty of reason to think and hope things are much better by the end of August, but there will be struggles as the defensive line continues to develop.

Wanya Morris is the most obvious freshman to watch to potentially win a starting job this spring, but he's not the only one with a chance. While Dominick Wood-Anderson had his moments last season, he was far from explosive in the passing game. Jackson Lowe will have a chance to make a move to pass up the rising senior. Speaking of a freshman with a chance to surpass a rising senior, Nigel Warrior struggled last season, and Jaylen McCollough should come in and immediately push the senior legacy player. Chris Akporoghene is a raw talent, but depending on where he starts out on the offensive line, he could have an opportunity for his physical traits to push him toward the front of the line. I would guess that guard provides him the best chance of making that move, but I think he will start off at tackle just based on need. Quavaris Crouch is the last one to keep an eye on to push for a starting job, but he needs to figure out where he's going to fit as well. The staff wants to give him his first look at outside linebacker, and I think he would have trouble overtaking Darrell Taylor at Sam. Maybe he could push at Jack where there are some questions about the returning production, but he might not have the build to be an edge rusher. I think his best chance to start could be bouncing inside at either Will or Mike, where the two returning senior starters struggled last season.

Tennessee currently needs to clear more space to add all their signees, at least everyone in the transfer portal currently as well as at minimum three others. Right now, I'd say the top candidates to transfer if they don't make moves toward increased playing time this spring are defensive backs Terrell Bailey and Cheyenne Labruzza, linebacker Solon Page III, wide receivers Jacquez Jones and Maliek Gray, and running back/tight end Princeton Fant. Keep an eye out for news that one or more are missing practices or announcements regarding transferring.

Players to Watch

Alontae Taylor - Heading into his second season at corner, he's poised to take a significant leap forward in his skill set and really establish himself as a future star at the position.

Trevon Flowers - He had some shining moments when healthy last season, but now back to full health after an injury and with Todd Kelly Jr. and Micah Abernathy both out of eligibility, it should be his time to take the reins of a starting safety job.

Emmit Gooden - Gooden was very solid last year. He needs to be exceptional as a senior with four seniors and all three starters are gone from last year's defense.

John Mincey - This could also easily have been Matthew Butler because the same thing applies: Tennessee needs to replace Kyle Phillips so it's put up or shut up time for a player that the staff has raved about at times.

Jordan Allen - After flirting with transferring closer to home, Allen returns to Knoxville with a chance or perhaps even the expectation that his role will expand at outside linebacker. The time is now this spring because more competition comes in the form of Roman Harrison in May.

Quavaris Crouch - It may be up in the air which linebacker spot he lands at, but he's incredibly talented and other than Darrell Taylor nobody is well entrenched as a starter. Crouch can win a job this spring if he turns it on right away.

J.J. Peterson - Sometimes the forgotten star recruit, Peterson was the crown jewel of the 2018 class before issues enrolling stunted his development. Much like Crouch, he could play any of the four linebacker spots, but look for him to probably start out inside.

Wanya Morris - He's a 5-star recruit at a position of desperate need. He is fully expected to start for the Vols. He has to be good this spring and take the job or he probably finds himself at guard by the end of spring football.

Jerome Carvin - He was poised to see significant playing time last season, and he did play in all 12 games, but he was in and out of the starting lineup. He needs to establish himself as a starter this spring.

Jahmir Johnson - He was too good to be under 280-pounds in the SEC on the offensive line. He's reportedly packed on some meaningful weight and could become one of the conference's best guards. Similar stories for Nathan Niehaus and Marcus Tatum.

Jackson Lowe - Dominick Wood-Anderson wasn't pushed meaningfully for the job last season. Lowe could push the rising senior for playing time and that push should start this spring.

Brandon Johnson - A frustrating junior season should serve as motivation for Johnson to have a strong senior campaign. He went from 37 receptions as a sophomore to just 14 last season.

Spring Stars

Jarrett Guarantano - He doesn't just establish himself as the starter this spring but begins to show signs of being able to take over games with better and more focused coaching.

Ty Chandler - He's bigger, stronger, and more SEC-ready. He'll still share plenty of carries, but he's going to emerge as a legitimate SEC starter with his speed and improved physique.

Josh Palmer - He led the team in yards per reception last year and could easily become a top receiver in the conference if Guarantano does take the step forward expected under Chaney and Weinke.

Dominick Wood-Anderson - He was brought in with an eye toward him being an elite SEC tight end. He wasn't last year, but she showed flashes. A better Guarantano means better numbers for DWA.

Marcus Tatum - He's up to 312-pounds after arriving around 260 as a freshman. Now he's got the strength to go with the length. Right or left, I don't know. I just know he ends the spring starting at one of the tackle spots ahead of an expected summer battle for jobs at tackle.

Aubrey Solomon - No clue whether or not he'll be eligible to play in 2019, but he should absolutely take advantage of his fresh start at Tennessee and the change to playing closer to the edge more often.

Darrell Taylor - He was good last year...in certain games. In others, he was invisible. He should be much more consistent this season after a year at linebacker.

Bryce Thompson - He was a Freshman All-American last year, and he's only going to get better. He has All-American potential and might be a future first rounder.

Spring Game Predictions

• Orange over White, 38-13
• Jarrett Guarantano leading passer, but Shrout/Maurer combine for more overall passing yards
• Chandler and Jordan lead the way on the ground, but Eric Gray has the long run of the day
• Receivers look deep and produce well, but Josh Palmer leads the way
• Offensive lines shove the front seven around, but defenses manage 7 tackles for loss and 2 sacks
• Secondaries pick off three passes but get worked when it comes to yards and touchdowns
• 3-3 on field goals
• Everyone gets excited about the offense and overly nervous about the defense, a feeling that flips quickly in August when the word begins coming out about how good the defense looks with the newcomers in the mix

Tennessee's New Look Staff for 2019

Tennessee's first staff under Jeremy Pruitt saw some turnover, some of it forced internally and some of it just a function of guys leaving for other positions. Offensive coordinator Tyson Helton took the head coaching position at Western Kentucky, a school where he had previously served as the offensive coordinator. Safeties coach and special teams coordinator Charles Kelly returned home (sort of as he's from Alabama but played for Auburn) to Alabama to take a position with the Crimson Tide as the associate defensive coordinator and safeties coach. Cornerbacks coach Terry Fair was offered an off-field role on the staff that he declined, leading both sides to part ways. After the parting of the ways, Pruitt revealed that he was frequently having to lead the cornerback drills last season with Fair in place. This resulted in three new hires and three other staffers to see their duties shuffled in the wake of the shakeup in what has largely been viewed as an overall upgrading of the staff.

New to the staff:

Derrick Ansley, defensive coordinator, defensive backs - A rising star in the coaching ranks, Ansley served as the defensive backs coach under Jeremy Pruitt at Alabama prior to Pruitt accepting the head coaching job at Tennessee and Ansley taking over the secondary job with the Oakland Raiders. Ansley's first Power 5 position coaching job was with Tennessee in 2012, leading the secondary. That season, they produced 12 interceptions and 47 passes defended.

After that season, he took over at Kentucky, where they had an abysmal 2013 campaign that saw them intercept all of 3 passes and defending a conference-worst 31 passes while allowing a conference-worst 65.8% completion percentage. In 2014, they improved their numbers in a major way, producing 15 interceptions, 62 passes defended, and reducing the opponent completion percentage to 57.6%. The secondary took a small step back in 2015 in interceptions (11) and passes defended (59), but they finished 5th in the SEC in passing defense, improved in opponent completion percentage allowed (57.1%), and only allowed 14 passing touchdowns on the season. 2015 would also mark the first season in which Ansley was a co-defensive coordinator, a role he wouldn't assume again until his new position with Tennessee.

From there, Ansley took the job with Alabama alongside Jeremy Pruitt. In 2016, the secondary was among the nation's and conference's best with 16 interceptions, six of which were returned for touchdowns. They had 71 passes defended on the season, limited opponents to a 53.8% completion percentage, and finished the season with 15 touchdowns allowed to 16 interceptions. It was even better in 2017, where the Tide produced 19 interceptions, 85 passes defended, allowed the fewest passing touchdowns in the nation with just 8, and held steady on opponent completion percentage. They were also sixth nationally in passing yards per game allowed.

In his lone season in the NFL, he improved the Raider secondary, leading them to an improvement in interceptions (5 in 2017 to 14 in 2018) and passes defended (56 in 2017 to 73 in 2018), while also reducing the opponent completion percentage from 68.1% to 62.3% and a minor reduction in passing yards per game from 241.1 to 240.8 despite the team seeing their sack total drop from 31 in 2017 to just 13 in 2018.

Ansley's results and prior working relationship with Pruitt has led to Ansley taking the reins of the defense as the defensive play caller, a scenario that Pruitt was never fully comfortable with last season. Ansley will also be pulling double duty as he will handle the full secondary, one man filling the roles of two from last season. Ansley's results clearly speak for themselves as a secondary coach, and he has the trust of one of the better defensive minds in the country. To top it all off, Ansley has a strong reputation as a recruiter, particularly in the secondary, as well as a strong developer of talent.

Jim Chaney, offensive coordinator - Where to even begin with a 34-year coaching career. He had a 5-year stint with Cal State-Fullerton, a program that would be ended after his last year there in 1992. From there, he would resurface in 1995 at Wyoming before the job that first defined his career at Purdue.

At Purdue, he was known for his dynamic, pass-heavy spread offenses that finished in the top ten nationally in total offense six times and led the Big Ten in passing five times in nine seasons. Three of those seasons were led by Drew Brees, who completed 61.6% as a starter for 11,560 yards and 90 touchdowns against just 44 interceptions while also running for 891 yards and 12 touchdowns.

From Purdue, Chaney would head to the NFL for a three-year stint with the St. Louis Rams as the offensive line and tight end coach before returning to the college ranks in 2009 as the offensive coordinator on Lane Kiffin's Tennessee staff. His return to the college game would see a shift in philosophy to a more powerful and pro-style offensive system. After Kiffin left for USC, Chaney would remain under new Tennessee head coach Derek Dooley. During his four years as the offensive coordinator of the Vols, he would send a dozen players to the NFL. With Derek Dooley's dismissal, Chaney would find himself a free agent despite leading one of the best offenses in Tennessee's history.

Chaney would then join Bret Beilema's Arkansas staff, although this would never be an ideal fit as Beilema was looking for a run-heavy offense in the mold of the one he built at Wisconsin, however the talent left behind was recruited to run Bobby Petrino's pass-heavy scheme while Jim Chaney preferred to run a balanced system. This combination led to a miserably bad 2013 offense for the Hogs. While the offense looked much more balanced and stronger in running the football in 2014, Chaney and Arkansas parted ways after just two seasons.

A brief one-year stint at Pittsburgh proved to just be a layover for Chaney on his way back to the SEC, where he would spend the next three seasons as the offensive coordinator of the Georgia Bulldogs under Kirby Smart. In 2016, the offense was pretty much just alright. It was fairly balanced, but it wasn't particularly explosive and certainly didn't resemble the better offenses of Chaney. The next two seasons, the offense was very good, combining for 13,037 yards of total offense and 1,061 points of scoring offense. That is an average of 449.6 yards and 36.6 points per game over 29 games played. He also loosened up on the pure pro-style principles, beginning to integrate more of the spread and run-pass option princples that he had gotten away from.

Since returning to the college game, 27 of his players have drafted and all five of his draft-eligible starting quarterbacks have ended up on NFL rosters. He's also had 11 1,000 yard rushers in his ten seasons back in the college ranks. Chaney will be able to work with all position groups as needed as he won't be coaching a position, serving solely as the offensive coordinator. He has coached offensive line, tight end, and quarterback in the past, and he has a strong grasp over the principles for every position group, so his freedom to float between position groups in practices will be a huge bonus for the players and assistants.

Tee Martin, associate head coach, passing game coordinator, wide receivers - Since quarterbacking the Vols from 1998-99, including leading them to the 1998 National Championship, Martin has had a stint in the NFL before turning to coaching, where he has proven himself to be an elite recruiter and wide receiver coach as well as a developing talent as a coordinator.

He first entered the FBS coaching ranks in 2009 as the quarterbacks coach at New Mexico before heading to Kentucky in 2010 as the wide receiver coach, adding the passing game coordinator title in his second season with the Wildcats. While at Kentucky, he developed a star in Randall Cobb as well as Chris Matthews, a receiver who has bounced back and forth between the NFL and CFL after a one season stint in the AFL.

From there, Martin would join Lane Kiffin's staff at USC as the wide receiver coach, beginning an impressive recruiting and coaching run there. Within two years, he would add the passing game coordinator title before following it up with the offensive coordinator title two years later. Among the players he coached on the offense during his time at USC are current NFL players, including QBs Cody Kessler and Sam Darnold, RBs Ronald Jones, Javorius Allen, and Justin Davis, and WRs JuJu Smith-Schuster, Nelson Agholor, Marqise Lee, Robert Woods, and Deontay Burnett. 2018 would prove a rough season for Martin as the offensive coordinator, as the departures of Sam Darnold, Ronald Jones, and Deontay Burnett along with wide receiver Steven Mitchell and offensive linemen Nico Falah and Viane Talamaivao, all of whom at least got camp invites in the NFL. With the significant loss of talent, the offense was never able to recover and Martin was relieved of his playcalling duties mid-season and wasn't retained after the season.

Enter his alma mater, swooping in to land the former 247Sports Recruiter of the Year and former Broyles Award finalist. Yet again, he assumes the passing game coordinator role, one in which he has excelled in the past. He should be an excellent complement to Chaney in helping to coordinate the passing attack. He inherits a quality group of wide receivers as well, and as a former Vol he is now also the associate head coach for the school he took to a national championship as a player. He'll now look to do it again as a coach.

Returning staffers in new roles:

Chris Weinke, quarterbacks - Last year, Weinke found himself coaching the running backs, a position group he had never coached before. Although conventional knowledge tends to suggest that the running backs are the easiest position group to coach, Weinke is a former Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback as well as a former NFL quarterback coach. Now he is coaching the position he should have been all along. Weinke had some success with quarterbacks during his time with the NFL's St. Louis/Los Angeles Rams, working with Nick Foles, Case Keenum, and Jared Goff in his two seasons with the Rams. After his time with the Rams, he joined the Alabama staff as an offensive analyst in 2017, where he helped to plan each week for the #15 scoring offense in the country. Before his stint in the NFL, he was the head coach at IMG Academy, an athletically focused preparatory school in Florida. During his time there, Weinke helped to launch the Academy as well as working in the offseason with NFL quarterbacks including Russell Wilson, Cam Newton, Teddy Bridgewater, Ryan Tannehill, and Kirk Cousins to name a few. After his Heisman Trophy campaign as a senior, he launched a seven-year NFL career, getting most of his playing time with the Carolina Panthers before spending his final NFL season with the San Francisco 49ers.

David Johnson, running backs - Johnson was hired to head up the receiving corps, and the receivers had a fairly solid season on the whole. However, with Weinke being moved to man the quarterbacks and the addition of Tee Martin, David Johnson was asked to take the helm of the running backs, a position he coached during his time at Tulane. While at Tulane, he coached Orleans Darkwa to the third-best single-season rushing performance in program history and Sherman Badie to a Freshman All-American season. Both have also moved on to spend some time in the NFL and Badie's CFL rights are also held by the Saskatchewan Roughriders. The majority of his coaching experience has been working with tight ends and wide receivers, but he has shown the ability to develop quality running backs when coaching the position. With pretty impressive raw material to work with, Johnson should be a good fit in the role for the 2019 season.

Kevin Sherrer, special teams coordinator, inside linebackers - Sherrer will retain his duties over his position group, but his coordinating duties have changed significantly. After serving as the co-defensive coordinator last season, Sherrer finds himself shifting his focus to special teams. He's never coached special teams before, but Pruitt and Sherrer have a lengthy background together that has created a degree of trust that makes Pruitt comfortable handing the duties to Sherrer. Sherrer will be replacing Charles Kelly in the role, who did a good job with the group in 2018. In 2018, Joe Doyle took over the punting duties and was a Ray Guy Award finalist. Marquez Callaway led the SEC in punt return average, and the Vols returned two punts for touchdowns. They also blocked 5 kicks and allowed the fewest punt return yards in the SEC. All-around solid unit, but there is room for improvement and maybe Sherrer is the man to lead them to those improvements. Pruitt has expressed the importance of special teams, and it's potentially noteworthy that he's handed the duties to his friend.

2019 NSD Wrap

At some point, I'll end up doing a larger article that covers all the anticipated new additions to the roster, but this isn't that article. For an early signing period recap, here is the link to check all of that out. The final class rankings right now have the Vols with the #12 class in the 247Sports composite and a 90.49 average grade per recruit (4-star average). This article will focus on the newest signees and blueshirts. I'll also touch on a handful of preferred walk-ons that are set to join the Vols as well.

SIGNEES

Darnell Wright, 6-6, 320, OL, 5-star - A long-time priority for the Tennessee staff, Wright is one of the nation's best at the offensive tackle position, and the ability for the Vols to pair him with Wanya Morris is a huge win. Wright is already strong and has good footwork, enabling him to be someone who plays early. Wright played at right tackle in the Under Armour All-America Game, and I think that's probably his most natural early fit in college. That's not to say he couldn't eventually play left tackle, but he'll probably need to improve his lateral movement and athleticism before making that move. He's very similar to a former Vol offensive tackle, in my opinion, current Miami Dolphin Ja'Wuan James. The former 4-year starter has become a mainstay on the Dolphin offensive line at right tackle after starring in the role in Knoxville, and Wright certainly looks like he may follow in the footsteps of the former 5-star and first-round NFL Draft selection.

Henry To'oto'o, 6-2, 230, LB, 4-star - After things began to look like they were trending away from the Vols, this was a major victory at the end to land the elite linebacker over Alabama and Washington. To'oto'o can likely play at least three of the four linebacker spots, and he is as athletic as any linebacker in the country. That athleticism can work against him when he overpursues on a play, but he is still athletic enough to recover and make the play after that mistake. At first blush, he reminds me of former Tennessee Vol and New England Patriot Jerod Mayo in size, athleticism, and skill set.

BLUESHIRT

Anthony Harris, 6-2, 171, S, 4-star - A former high school quarterback, this long safety has all the athleticism you could ever want in a future safety. Aside from having an insane senior season at quarterback, as a safety, he finished his career with 168 tackles, 18 tackles for loss, a sack, 7 interceptions, and a forced fumble. He's effective in pretty much every phase of the game as a safety, but he has growing to do before being ready to make an impact. Micah Hyde is the comparison that comes to mind as Harris will probably never be a 200+ pound safety, but he will be very productive nonetheless as a free safety.

Kenney Solomon, 6-0, 170, CB, 3-star - If I ever figure out how his recruitment wasn't more active, I'll let you know because watching his film, looking at his stats, and seeing his size I frankly can't explain it. He's long, athletic, excelled on offense, defense, and special teams in high school, and seems to be a great young man by all accounts. He has seen his recruitment pick up with Tennessee joining Rutgers, Louisville, Colorado, and UCF among others in offering him. He's very similar to recent Denver Bronco Tramaine Brock in size, skill set, etc. and could be capable of competing for early playing time.

PREFERRED WALK-ON

Ethan Rinke, 6-4, 240, LB/DE, 3-star - Rinke had plenty of opportunities to play football on scholarship somewhere, including FBS programs Army, Bowling Green, and South Alabama. Instead, he's decided to walk-on with the Vols, one of a few SEC teams he grew up following. He had a quality senior season with 70 tackles, 16 tackles for loss, 8.5 sacks, and two fumble recoveries. He's one of a few incoming preferred walk-ons that are the types of talents you need to add to upgrade both the scout team and maybe even find someone who can contribute down the line. He'll get his first look at outside linebacker, but my guess is that he'll end up at defensive end before long.

Parker Ball, 6-4, 285, OL, 2-star - Ball is another quality addition, showing solid snapping ability, good judgment in taking blocks to the second level, and solid footwork and drive when blocking. Ball could stand to get stronger, but that's normal for almost everyone making the move from high school to college. Ball is also set to play baseball at Tennessee, so I guess one could say he's just a "Ball" player (I apologize for the bad/dad joke).

Devon Dillehay, 6-2, 210, LB, 2-star - Fun fact: I played for Northeast High as a freshman before a new high school opened and I found myself moving from an Eagle to a Hawk. Speaking of Eagles, Dillehay will seek to be the third Eagle in the last 25 years to make a big impact for the Vols, aiming to follow in the footsteps of Travis Stephens and Jalen Reeves-Maybin. A very good kicker in high school and a solid contributor on offense, it appears likely that defense will be his home in college. In two seasons, he stockpiled 239 tackles, 73 tackles for loss, 19 sacks, 3 forced fumbles, an interception, and three blocked kicks (2 punts, 1 field goal). He'll need to add some weight to his frame, but he certainly looks like a player with the potential to at least offer up a solid reserve and special teams option.

Fred Orr, 5-11, 195, RB, 2-star - Another Clarksvillian who played last season for Northeast High, he began his career at Rossview across town. He was a productive offensive player, producing 3,525 rushing yards and 41 rushing touchdowns while running for a 7.1 yard per carry clip. He also had 64 receptions for 770 yards and 2 touchdowns, good for 12 yards per catch. As a senior, just for good measure, he also returned a kickoff for a touchdown. Orr isn't the quickest back you'll see, but he is well-built and runs with some power and quickness, not entirely dissimilar to current Vol Tim Jordan. He's certainly not a guy that will be called upon to contribute early, but within a college strength and conditioning program, he could be a special teams contributor and occasional ball carrier.

Kwauze Garland, 6-2, 190, S/LB, unranked - The younger brother of current Vol defensive lineman Kurott Garland, Kwauze is a fair bit slimmer, likely projecting as a safety after finding himself playing a bit of everything in the back seven in high school. He finished his high school career with 235 tackles, 22 tackles for loss, 3 sacks, 2 interceptions, 6 passes defended, and 3 forced fumbles. A big hitter who needs to find a permanent home, he has shown solid production at both safety and linebacker. I'd venture right now to guess his final home will be in the secondary, where he has the size to develop into a contributor down the line.

Deontae Beauchamp, 6-1, 228, LB unranked - Beauchamp was a wide receiver primarily until his senior season when he started seeing playing time on defense at linebacker, where he had 37 tackles, 5 tackles for loss, a sack, and two fumble recoveries. On offense, he had 73 receptions for 652 yards and 6 touchdowns as well as 12 carries for 74 yards over three seasons. At the end of the day, his upside was going to be limited offensively, but it's only just being tapped on defense. Time will tell if he can develop into more than a special teams and scout team performer, but he at least appears to have some potential.

West Shuler, 6-3, 223, LB, unranked - The son of Heath Shuler, this legacy enrolled early to begin his Tennessee career. Although he has played some quarterback in the past, this Shuler appears to be very much a future linebacker after racking up 361 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, 6 sacks, 5 interceptions, and a couple of forced fumbles (at least). Considering these numbers came about across two schools, some of the stats, especially tackles for loss, seem to be off, but what isn't in doubt is that Shuler is a high-volume tackler and active defender. Shuler is a bit reminiscent of former Vol and current Memphis Express linebacker Colton Jumper, although he appears to get sideline to sideline a bit better.

Bryan Aiken, 6-4, 235, LB/DE, unranked - A late decision to join the Vols as a preferred walk-on gave the Vols another big, productive pass rushing option. Aiken, as a senior, had 81 tackles, 17.5 tackles for loss, 4 sacks, 3 forced fumbles, 3 fumble recoveries, and 16 quarterback hurries. He's long and certainly looks the part of a college defensive end or pass-rushing outside linebacker. He'll need to make more explosive plays on the quarterback behind the line of scrimmage, but as with most things that comes with coaching and development.

Camden Partington, 6-6, 245, DE, unranked - Long and strong summarizes Partington. Although I think the stats are somewhat incomplete, in watching his film a lot of his plays were made behind the line of scrimmage, and his recorded stats of 38 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, and 9 sacks over two seasons would mean close to a third of his plays would be for negative yardage. He is a large man with room to add to his frame, and he at least has the frame that the staff wants on the defensive line.

Dayne Davis, 6-7, 316, OT, unranked - Big man. He's not the quickest from a footwork standpoint, and in all likelihood, he will find himself at guard in college. He finishes blocks well, but he doesn't get on blocks quickly so he can be a possible liability when it comes to pulling. A project as he needs to improve his strength and athleticism, but the former Tusculum commitment is a quality addition.

Michael Bittner, 6-2, 205, QB, unranked - Largely used as a runner more than a passer until his senior season, he was arguably an offensive weapon more than a true quarterback. When it was all said and done, over three seasons he passed for 3,383 yards, 23 touchdowns, and 17 interceptions while completing 59.5%, ran for 1,549 yards and 29 touchdowns on 3.9 yards per carry, and 44 yards receiving on nine catches. He may develop into a quarterback, but his running and catching ability may give him some utility down the line at fullback or running back. Tennessee is currently set to have just three quarterbacks in 2019, so Bittner's presence is at least helpful for depth.

Bear in mind that preferred walk-ons and blueshirts aren't guaranteed to join the program until they enroll and begin practicing. These are declarations of intent at this point and won't mean anything until they are on campus for good.

Vols Basketball: Mid-Season Update

Ranking: What can you say about the Vols ranking right now? Well, "We're Number One!" has a nice ring to it. Will they hold onto it? That might be tougher to do, not because of anything the Vols will or won't do but because of the overall perceived strength of the Big Ten and ACC, potentially giving boosts to the cause for the top spot in the rankings for Virginia, Duke, Michigan, and even Michigan State. Any stumble could cost the Vols that top spot, but it would take a critically bad stretch for them to fall outside the top four or five teams right now, it would seem.

Strengths: If there was a relative weakness for the 2017-18 team, it was the offense. That is no longer the case as the Vols are the top offense in the SEC and a top ten offense nationally right now. Five Vols currently average in double figures for the Vols and there's a strong chance that a sixth will join them in that regard. The Vols lead the nation in assist to turnover ratio and are second nationally in assists per game. They are second nationally in field-goal percentage and 16th in free-throw percentage, although they fall a fair bit down the list at 83rd in three-point field-goal percentage. That said, they still his 36.4%, so they aren't shooting badly from behind the arc. They are 21st nationally in defensive rebounding, but at 139th nationally in offensive rebounding, they need to improve on second-chance opportunities (although when you shoot 51.1% on field-goals, there are only so many second-chance opportunities to be had). The rebounding works out to 31st nationally, so they are still fairly strong in that category. Tennessee finds themselves 6th nationally in blocks per game, in large part due to the combined efforts of Grant Williams, Kyle Alexander, John Fulkerson, and Yves Pons, who as a quartet average 5.1 blocks per game, most of the 5.9 blocks per game the team averages. The Vols also sit at 4th nationally in scoring margin, 10th nationally in scoring offense, 19th in fewest turnovers per game, 75th in turnover margin, 7th in field goal percentage defense, 39th in rebound margin, and 39th in three-point defense.

Weaknesses: There aren't many, but the defense is at least an area of some concern as the Vols are forcing a lower turnover average per game, allowing more points per game, and stealing the ball less. Not a bunch of major concerns, but concerns all the same. The three-point shooting average is down this season, which is being offset by the field-goal average but could become a problem in games when the opponent is hitting from three. In truth, none of these are issues until they hit tournament time, but areas for improvement before March.

Standouts: Jordan Bone is one of the nation's best point guards right now, and that's just a fact. He's 7th nationally in assist to turnover ratio and 17th in assists per game. He's playing more aggressively which has improved his scoring averages and he is now a threat to score himself or set someone else to do so. Admiral Schofield is steady as ever and good at everything even if he isn't the leader in any category, but he's improving his averages in pretty much every category and is possibly the most complete offensive player on the roster. Kyle Alexander is a scoring threat in the paint now on top of his shot blocking and rebounding, both of which have continued to progress. His field-goal percentage is 68%, so if he gets the ball, points are almost sure to follow. Of course, I can't fail to mention Grant Williams, who is the best player in the SEC right now and among the nation's best. 18.9 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.1 steals, and 1.5 blocks per game. He's either #1 or #2 in each category on the team. Jordan Bowden and Lamonte Turner are both excellent off the bench, averaging double-figures in scoring, and Yves Pons, while not a leader in any category, has become a glue-guy, smothering other teams top scorers at times. Still, Alexander, Williams, Schofield, and Bone make this thing go and losing any of the four of them would be bad news for their national championship ambitions.

Season Finish Prediction: I'll tentatively guess that this team continues to remain relatively healthy, and that's bad news for everybody else. That said, expect a loss or two on the road to the SEC tournament because everyone is gunning to take down one of the nation's top teams. In particular, Kentucky and Ole Miss are concerning teams to have to face, and LSU, Mississippi State, and Auburn won't lie down and play dead. The Vols won't lose many though. Likely they'll only drop one or two more games, but losses are just part of the game when you play 30+ games. In addition to being the top seed in the SEC tournament and outright regular-season champion, I'll go ahead and guess that the Vols win the tournament as well. A number one seed seems likely at that point, and the Vols should be able to ride that to the Elite Eight at a minimum and maybe all the way to the title game. That said, seeding by the time of the Final Four will become a big factor in whether or not they can go all the way as some teams will provide tougher matchups than others. Bottom line is this: the Vols are on their way to the best season in program history.

Projecting the Depth Chart: Defense

Same thing here as yesterday: not signed or on the roster without sitting in the transfer portal and the name won't be popping up here. This is just for fun while we wait on any further staff changes and national signing day, so at most consider it as a snapshot of where the roster is ahead of NSD and spring practice. I'll revisit this after spring ball wraps up. I'm not going to be doing special teams because it will largely be the same as things stand right now. Now to get it going.

DE1 - Matthew Butler, 6-4, 276, JR
DE2 - John Mincey, 6-3, 264, SO
Reasoning: Butler was the most common backup to Kyle Phillips last year, and in his nine games played he had 13 tackles and a tackle for loss. Phillips didn't come out of the games often, so Butler didn't see as much action as he probably could have. If they dug deeper than Phillips and Butler, Mincey was that next man up more often than anyone else. The staff added Mincey late last cycle and really liked his skill set as both a stout run stopper and pass rusher, and in his five appearances, he finished with 5 tackles and a sack. Short of adding another player to the mix here, which isn't currently the case in the class, these two and Kurott Garland are the options so there will be some inevitable drop in production from the group. Butler was highly productive in high school and seems like a player who can rise to the challenge. That said, Mincey surpassing Butler wouldn't be shocking based on how the staff has raved about him.

NT1 - Emmit Gooden, 6-3, 306, SR
NT2 - Kingston Harris, 6-3, 316, FR
Reasoning: Gooden is by far the best of the returning defensive linemen, and frankly it isn't even close. In his first year in Knoxville after coming over from the JUCO ranks, he had 33 tackles, 7 tackles for loss, and a sack despite never starting a game. When this is likely to be a fairly young group, it's a good idea to put your best player in the middle of the defense, although he did show he could play defensive end last year as well. Harris played in the first two games of the season last year on defense before moving over to guard to help with depth concerns on that side of the ball. He moved back to defense just before the season ended and his big, strong frame is perfect for the nose position. Freshman Elijah Simmons could be interesting at this spot in the future, but the 6-2, 344-pounder will have some work to do in strength and conditioning that may hold him back in his first year on campus.

DE1 - Savion Williams, 6-4, 315, JR
DE2 - Darel Middleton, 6-7, 290, JR or Greg Emerson, 6-3, 305, RFR
Reasoning: Williams is a no-brainer here just like Gooden is. He's the #1 JUCO defensive tackle in the 2019 cycle and like Gooden looks to have the athleticism to play either end or nose. Frankly, the two can be regarded as somewhat interchangeable at the two spots. Even their numbers last year are pretty similar as Williams had 33 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, and a sack for his undefeated Lackawanna team. Darel Middleton had a long and winding road to Tennessee that saw him spend a couple years out of football, then in the JUCO ranks, and now on his way to represent his home state team. Middleton is a former high school tight end with great athleticism who had 29 tackles, 7 tackles for loss, and a sack in his return to the football field last year, helping East Mississippi CC to an undefeated season and the national championship. Greg Emerson was one of the top players added by the Vols in the 2018 recruiting class but struggles due to injuries and getting back into form held him back last season and he only appeared in a single game. He did a bit of bouncing back and forth between offensive and defensive line, but he seems settled in on defense and if he's healthy he should find a spot in the rotation.

OLBJ1 - Deandre Johnson, 6-3, 244, JR
OLBJ2 - Kivon Bennett, 6-2, 266, RSO or Jordan Allen, 6-4, 242, RJR
Reasoning: Deandre Johnson was the next man up after Jonathan Kongbo got hurt and thus far nobody has proven themselves to be a better fit at that spot. Considering the nature of this spot as a hybrid outside linebacker and defensive end, Johnson is a perfect fit. In two seasons in Knoxville, Johnson has had 17 tackles, 5 tackles for loss, 3 sacks, and 2 forced fumbles. All he does is make plays, and more chances to do so can only benefit him and the team. Bennett was a mid-season move to the Jack linebacker spot, and the staff was very happy with his progress there, holding him out late in the season to preserve a redshirt for him. Allen arrived last year having played high school wide receiver and defensive back before becoming a JUCO defensive end and now an SEC linebacker. He understandably needed time to adjust, although he did have 6 tackles and a pass defended. He played the Sam linebacker last year, but I think an influx of new talent and a more natural fit sees him shift to Jack this season as they look for the best way to utilize his talents.

ILBM1 - Daniel Bituli, 6-3, 244, SR or Will Ignont, 6-1, 239, JR
ILBM2 - Quavaris Crouch, 6-1, 237, FR
Reasoning: Daniel Bituli has led the Vols in tackles both of the last two seasons, but even he would tell you that last season probably wasn't up to the standard he set as a sophomore. He managed to make more plays behind the line of scrimmage, but he also looked lost at times in the new defense. In fact, he was replaced as the starter in a couple of games by Ignont, who made fewer negative yardage plays but was more consistently in position. I would venture to say both play and play a lot of minutes, and both probably register a few starts over the course of the season. Crouch hasn't been healthy for much of the past year, but he's expected to be ready to go for spring football and this elite athlete has proven himself to be very productive as both a linebacker and a running back. He'll get his first look on defense and he has the tools to play early.

ILBW1 - Darrin Kirkland Jr., 6-1, 234, RSR or J.J. Peterson, 6-2, 231, RFR
ILBW2 - Shanon Reid, 6-0, 218, JR
Reasoning: Kirkland clearly wasn't his old self after his serious injury issue from fall of 2017. Even so, he was still relatively productive. The Vols continue to wait, hoping to see a full return to the form he showed as a freshman. Meanwhile, Tennessee has an intriguingly talented option in Peterson, who is coming off a redshirt that was largely forced by his late arrival in Knoxville. He wasn't really in football shape at all and that held him back from contributing much, but he was getting back into form late in the season and he was highly coveted. Kirkland will struggle to hold him off unless he does return to form. I debated moving Jeremy Banks to defense, but there seems to still be a bit of uncertainty surrounding that move becoming permanent, so I went with Reid, who has been a special teams standout the last two seasons as well as a reserve linebacker. If Banks does move to defense, this is a good guess at a landing spot and the flashes he showed last season practicing on defense suggest he could have a bright future there.

OLBS1 - Darrell Taylor, 6-4, 247, RSR
OLBS2 - Roman Harrison, 6-2, 240, FR
Reasoning: We love to talk about players who emerge or explode onto the scene, and Taylor certainly fits that bill. Although a lot of his production came in two games, those two games were so excellent you couldn't help but see what he might become. 36 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, and 8 sacks were teamed up with three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. He just made plays in big games. When he's at his best, the defense as a whole is at its best. Anyone who has talked to me about my top guys in this class has heard me rave about Roman Harrison. He was forced to perform out of position on an undersized team and still put up huge numbers, and his career totals are awesome. He may have to make an adjustment, but he also has ridiculous athleticism, including being timed running a 4.6-forty and displaying a vertical of 38-inches. He's an early enrollee and with his talents, I think he quickly establishes himself as the #2 behind Taylor to offer a legitimate second option.

CB1 - Bryce Thompson, 5-11, 180, SO
CB2 - Warren Burrell, 6-0, 170, FR
Reasoning: Thompson was a Freshman All-American after a spectacular introductory season in college football. 34 tackles, 4 tackles for loss, a sack, 3 interceptions, 10 passes defended, and a forced fumble. He did it all as a freshman corner. He even returned 4 kickoffs for an average of 25 yards per return. He is excellent and aside from adding on a couple of pounds to improve his physicality, there's not much more you can ask from him aside from reasonable improvement from year one to year two. Warren Burrell had at least ten interceptions in high school (some stats for him are a bit incomplete), is a sure tackler, and has displayed the athleticism to block at least three kicks. He's an early enrollee eyeballing 180-185 by the start of his freshman season. There really isn't an established #2 behind Thompson, and Burrell looks like he will be the best candidate for the job.

CB1 - Alontae Taylor, 6-0, 186, SO
CB2 - Kenneth George Jr., 5-11, 195, RJR
Reasoning: Taylor had a bit more of an up-and-down freshman campaign compared to Thompson, but he still gave fans plenty of reason to be excited about his future. He is an elite athlete and solid tackler who is learning to be a better playmaker on the ball as he goes. It would take someone very special to knock him out of the job, and that player doesn't currently seem to be on campus. George was an early camp surprise after running with the first unit at times, but some injury setbacks and the emergence of the freshmen derailed his redshirt sophomore season, limiting him to a few appearances on special teams. However, he has the size and athleticism to become a top-tier performer. At worst, he appears to be a strong candidate to serve as the #2 to Taylor. At the corner spots, redshirt freshman Brandon Davis (could also be a safety), redshirt sophomore Terrell Bailey, redshirt sophomore Cheyenne Labruzza (also safety), junior Shawn Shamburger (also safety), and freshman Tyus Fields could be in the mix. Also don't count out nickel Baylen Buchanan, who filled in at corner at times last season.

NB1 - Baylen Buchanan, 5-11, 193, SR
NB2 - Tyus Fields, 5-10, 190, FR
Reasoning: Buchanan is kinda good at this football thing, in case you missed it. He was all over the field last season with 49 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 4 passes defended, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. He looked like the second-best defensive back on the field to Thompson most of the time last season, and unseating him just isn't happening. Fields is an early enrollee, and I still think that's a nice advantage, but an injury will force him to sit out the spring. Even so, this young man hits like a safety and covers like a corner, so nickel is a perfect fit for him. He had 182 tackles and 7 interceptions during his high school career as well as being a capable kick returner. His brother plays at Clemson and his father played in the NFL, so the bloodlines are there. He seems like a good bet.

SS1 - Nigel Warrior, 6-0, 188, SR
SS2 - Jaylen McCollough, 6-0, 194, FR
Reasoning: Warrior had a similar regression as a junior as Daniel Bituli, and he'll hope for a similar rebound as well. He has the bloodlines, athleticism, and instincts to be elite at safety, and he certainly will make the case to be drafted into the NFL, but there's work to be done. Regardless, it is hard to see him being passed up by anyone right now. If a candidate to unseat Warrior can emerge, McCollough looks like the guy. An early enrollee who has seen his stock rise in recent weeks, he is a downhill, run-stopping tackler similar to Warrior, although he may not be quite as fast. He's actually pretty similar to former Vol Brian Randolph, from my perspective. For those who remember, Brian Randolph had a solid chance at the NFL before an injury knocked him out in his first preseason.

FS1 - Trevon Flowers, 5-11, 184, SO
FS2 - Theo Jackson, 6-2, 190, JR or Brandon Davis, 5-10, 170, RFR or Aaron Beasley, 6-1, 220, FR
Reasoning: The departure of Micah Abernathy leaves the Vols needing to fill this spot, but Trevon Flowers was playing plenty prior to getting hurt last season. He never quite got back on track after returning from injury, but his talent is excellent and he's probably the heir apparent to Abernathy. After that, things get trickier. Jackson has yet to really establish himself in the secondary. His talent shows up too inconsistently. Brandon Davis redshirted last season, but the staff is high on him and there is definitely talent there, although it's also fair to say he's undersized for the job right now. Beasley is an interesting option. He's built like a strong safety or a linebacker, but his skill set lines up fairly well for free safety, with over 110 tackles, six interceptions, and a couple fumble recoveries in his last two high school seasons. Also an accomplished running back, he has ball skills and soft hands. I'd be a bit more bullish about him taking a #2 job if he were an early enrollee, but with no clearly established #2 here, he's at least going to have a chance unless someone emerges this spring.

Projecting the Depth Chart: Offense

A quick note on the projections here: only players expected to be eligible, not currently in the transfer portal, and already signed with the Vols are going to be included, so understand that this may change. Given the uncertain status of Trey Smith, I also won't include him at this time. I will do this again after spring football with all the reasonable updates and changes. This will only be a two-deep, mostly for the sake of simplicity. If I can't decide between a couple of players, they will be slotted together.

QB1 - Jarrett Guarantano, 6-4, 209, RJR
QB2 - J.T. Shrout, 6-3, 210, RFR or Brian Maurer, 6-3, 199, FR
Reasoning: I just don't think Shrout or Maurer are going to step out and take this job from Guarantano, but between the two I don't have a good feel for who wins the backup job. Maurer being an early enrollee gives him the jump on learning the system that Shrout didn't have last year. Shrout winning the number 2 role will probably boil down to decision-making and protecting the ball as that was one of the tougher things for him in his one season starting in high school. He has the talent. Maurer is easily the more mobile of the two, but he's not a dual-threat by any means. As for Guarantano retaining the starting job, he would need to get hurt or simply regress to lose the job. While it's absolutely fair to say Guarantano needs to become more productive as far as touchdowns are concerned, he's been excellent at not making the mistakes that can cost teams games. Jim Chaney, the new offensive coordinator and presumed quarterback coach, has been excellent at developing passers, so the entire group should benefit. That said, for anyone thinking unseating Guarantano will be easy, three other quarterbacks have played meaningful snaps the last two seasons for a combined 116-228, 1,527 yards, 10 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions with a 51% completion percentage in 16 appearances. For comparison, Guarantano has thrown for 239-385, 2,904 yards, 16 touchdowns, and 5 interceptions with a 62% completion percentage in 21 appearances. He's the man until somebody can beat the man. Hasn't happened yet.

RB1 - Ty Chandler, 5-11, 201, JR or Tim Jordan, 5-11, 203, JR
RB2 - Eric Gray, 5-9, 194, FR or Carlin Fils-aime, 5-11, 180, SR
Reasoning: Tennessee was running back by committee last year, and short of one of the backs really pulling away they will be again in 2019. That said, the Vols were not necessarily handing out carries equally across the board as Chandler and Jordan combined for 21.5 carries per game compared with the other two top ballcarriers who had a combined 7.8 per game over the course of the season. That distribution of carries was fully justified as Jordan and Chandler combined for 1,152 rushing yards and 7 touchdowns while averaging 4.7 yards per carry and also had 299 receiving yards and 3 touchdowns while averaging 9.7 yards per reception. However, they still needed more help from the offensive line as they lost a combined 81 yards on the season as well. Eric Gray is highly ranked and is a bit of a different back from Chandler and Jordan. Chandler is speedy, Jordan is tough and fearless, and Gray is shifty and tough to get a clean shot on. Carlin Fils-aime didn't get many carries after returning to running back from corner, but he averaged 5.1 yards and scored a touchdown on his 7 carries. With Madre London out of eligibility and Jeremy Banks still a possibility to end up at linebacker, Fils-aime looks like a candidate to see a larger workload right now.

WR1 - Marquez Callaway, 6-2, 200, SR
WR2 - Ramel Keyton, 6-3, 185, FR
Reasoning: Marquez Callaway is a no-brainer. He has produced at a high level over the last two seasons and continues to show improvement. He is good right now; Tennessee needs him to become great, but he appears to be on his way. Brandon Johnson was one of the best receivers on the team in 2017, but last season was less kind to him. Keyton is bigger and rangier, so if he's healthy it would take Johnson returning to his sophomore season form to be able to hold off the true freshman. The sure-handed Johnson will still play, but his snaps will likely drop as he gives way to the younger Keyton. Keyton enrolling early gives him an added boost in earning a role early in his career.

WR1 - Josh Palmer, 6-2, 201, JR
WR2 - Jordan Murphy, 6-0, 177, JR
Reasoning: Josh Palmer exploded onto the scene last year, turning his 23 receptions into almost 500 yards and two touchdowns. Realistically he can't keep that pace up as far as his yards per reception are concerned, but he should continue to progress and provide an explosive option, especially on the deep ball. Jordan Murphy also came along in 2018, although with less explosiveness than Palmer, becoming a strong contributor among the second group of receivers. Murphy, like Palmer, can fly down the field as evidenced by his work against Kentucky in which he had a 59-yard run and a 38-yard reception. He also had a 50-yard reception against ETSU. Murphy seems the perfect complement to Palmer when the latter needs a breather.

WR1 - Jauan Jennings, 6-3, 221, RSR
WR2 - Brandon Johnson, 6-2, 189, SR or Cedric Tillman, 6-3, 212, RFR
Reasoning: Jauan Jennings returning for one more season was so far the biggest recruiting win for the staff this offseason. His personality and production potential is simply unparalleled right now. He is the biggest dog in the yard among the receivers, and he plays like it no matter who he's lined up against. If you put him on the offensive line, he might not win many battles, but he'd make sure they were battles. He's fearless and plays that way. The former high school quarterback has also thrown two touchdowns during his time in Knoxville and with a coordinator like Jim Chaney, that offers up some creative potential for him to toy with. If Brandon Johnson wants to keep his minutes up, winning the job behind Jennings is his best bet. However, he's not nearly as physically imposing as Jennings or redshirt freshman Cedric Tillman. Tillman would need to take significant strides to become the guy at this spot, but he at least appears to have the body type and ability to fill that role, if not now then down the line.

TE1 - Dominick Wood-Anderson, 6-4, 257, SR
TE2 - Jackson Lowe, 6-5, 242, FR
Reasoning: Wood-Anderson was the top tight end last year, but he took a bit longer to find his stride with the Vols than many had initially expected. Had he been able to enroll early, I think he would have gotten off to a much faster start in an offense that wanted to utilize the tight end more than they ended up able to. Jim Chaney loves to use tight ends, and for an example, he turned JUCO product Mychal Rivera into a three-year player, two-year starter, and All-SEC performer on his way to being drafted into and playing in the NFL. Rivera was not the physical specimen or performer that Wood-Anderson can and should be as a senior. Bet on the early enrollees is a good rule when trying to figure out which freshmen might contribute early, and Lowe is a very good one. He has the size and skill set to become a very good early rotation piece for the Vols as he is solid as both a blocker and receiver.

TE1 - Austin Pope, 6-4, 240, RJR
TE2 - LaTrell Bumphus, 6-3, 263, JR or James Brown, 6-3, 229, RSO or Sean Brown, 6-5, 250, FR
Reasoning: Chaney has used a fullback/H-back type in the past, and it is something that Pruitt believes in using. Austin Pope was the primary guy in the role last season, and there's no reason to think he wouldn't be again in 2019. The harder to predict part would be who spells Pope when needed or in case of injury. Assuming he doesn't move, Bumphus is the most logical guy to fill that role. That said, he's someone that the coaches have toyed around with moving to the defensive side of the ball so he may not be at tight end to play H-back. James Brown is a former high school quarterback who has been developing at the tight end spot. He has the right build for this role. Sean Brown is big for the typical H-back, but he's a strong blocker coming out of high school and serving as a lead blocker might be a quicker adjustment for him as opposed to adapting to college tight end.

LT1 - Wanya Morris, 6-6, 311, FR
LT2 - K'Rojhn Calbert, 6-5, 327, RSO
Reasoning: Honestly, I'm slotting Morris here because he's probably one of the Vols five best offensive linemen, Drew Richmond is likely to transfer, Trey Smith is in doubt with health concerns, and Morris is simply the best option here as things currently stand. You hope someone a bit older and more developed can challenge him for the job, but aside from maybe Calbert or Marcus Tatum, I don't know who that might be short of Jahmir Johnson moving out to tackle, and someone has to play right tackle this season. The Vols are trying to improve the situation as they approach national signing day.

LG1 - Jahmir Johnson, 6-5, 285, RJR or Jerome Carvin, 6-5, 303, SO
LG2 - Chance Hall, 6-5, 328, RSR
Reasoning: The reason I won't simply slot Johnson as the outright starter is that a healthy Carvin might have secured a starting job at guard last year allowing Johnson to play at tackle. If Carvin can, the situation at tackle becomes a lot better and also a lot more interesting as Johnson is probably one of the best of the Vols' offensive linemen as well. Johnson is definitely not expected to play as light as he did last season. Hall is trying to bounce back from his injuries in the past. He made progress last year but hasn't looked like the same player yet. If he's back to his old form, that's a big boost for the line.

C1 - Brandon Kennedy, 6-3, 301, RSR
C2 - Ryan Johnson, 6-6, 302, RJR
Reasoning: Kennedy was brought in as a grad transfer from Alabama to be the starter, and was for a game before a season-ending injury cut things short last year. He has every reason to expect to be that guy in 2019. Ryan Johnson was very good filling in last year, but when it's all said and done Kennedy is just better right now.

RG1 - Ryan Johnson, 6-6, 302, RJR or Nathan Niehaus, 6-6, 287, RJR
RG2 - Jackson Lampley, 6-4, 300, FR
Reasoning: If Johnson isn't needed to start at center or fill in there, he's probably the best option at right guard right now. Niehaus is certainly capable, although he needs to get stronger to really hold up against SEC defenders. Lampley is going to make me a liar right now because he isn't an early enrollee, but he is super talented and might be one of the better offensive linemen the moment he steps on campus. Ollie Lane could make progress to become a guy in this mix, but he wasn't there last year and will need to show it.

RT1 - Marcus Tatum, 6-6, 293, RJR or Jahmir Johnson, 6-5, 285, RJR
RT2 - Chris Akporoghene, 6-5, 294, FR
Reasoning: Tatum could be the #2 here if Johnson is able to move outside to tackle (or if the Vols land a certain top offensive tackle target) because as good as Tatum has been at times he's also been inconsistent enough that he has really only filled in as an injury replacement in his starts. He's really not one of the five best offensive linemen; he's one of the best at this position as things stand. Johnson would easily be the better start here with the roster as it stands. Bet on the early enrollees. Akporoghene is raw, but he's got all the talent and physicality you could ask for. He probably doesn't know enough yet to start, but he has all spring to try and catch up.

Summary: The skill positions look every bit as talented as the majority of the SEC can offer up, but that's all for nothing if the offensive line can't become consistent enough to give them a chance to show off that talent. Wanya Morris, Jackson Lampley, and Chris Akporoghene are three guys who certainly look like possibilities to improve the two-deep, but a certain Darnell Wright would be a huge step in the right direction at tackle if he does sign with the Vols. Even coming in this summer, he is simply too talented to keep off the field and would allow the Vols to keep Jahmir Johnson at left guard and maybe move Carvin to right guard to compete with Ryan Johnson and Nathan Niehaus for the job there. In other words, it would take them from maybe having five to seven SEC level offensive linemen to eight, which would give them more flexibility to find the five best and start them. Until that gets settled, the offensive line still has the potential to be a liability.

The Road Map to Besting Alabama

Clemson. Auburn. Ole Miss. Ohio State. The four teams to beat Alabama since 2014. How did they do it? Did they out-recruit Alabama? Out-develop them? Out-scheme? What is the secret? I'm going to try and suss out the reasons some teams have been able to have success where most others have failed.

Let's be totally honest and admit that no one factor ensures success, but some programs have clearly done things better than others and Alabama is the king of the recruiting board. In fact, most programs aren't even remotely close. Over the last five years, based on the 247Sports Composite rankings, Alabama has finished with an average class ranking of 1.8 and a per recruit rating average of 93.12. That's a solid mid-ranked 4-star recruit on average! Most programs are thrilled to land a few guys ranking like that. Averaging that is almost unheard of. In fact, the next closest programs to pulling it off are Ohio State (3.6 class, 92.27 per recruit), Georgia (4.8 class, 91.60 per recruit), and Florida State (5.4 class, 91.28 per recruit). The Tennessee Volunteers, on the other hand, have averaged a class ranking of 12.6 and per player ranking of 88.58 That's about a high 3-star recruit on average despite having a class ranking close to Clemson (11.8 class, 90.73 per recruit), who averages a 4-star ranking per recruit over the last five seasons. Of course, the flip-side to that is Oklahoma, who is very similar to the Vols in class ranking and per recruit average at 13 for their class and 88.97 per recruit on average, so recruiting isn't everything by any means. Auburn and Ole Miss are much closer to Tennessee than they are Alabama in per recruit average.

So it's clear that recruiting isn't how any team has made themselves able to compete with Alabama because nobody has out-recruited them. What about development? Well, Ohio State, Georgia, and Ole Miss have all seen a fair bit of turnover on their staffs of late. Auburn has seen some as well. That makes for inconsistency in the development of players at their positions, but this has been true at Alabama as well. Granted, these programs aren't molding the same caliber of talent as Alabama usually is. However, Clemson is the great outlier. They seldom find themselves replacing coaches. They have turned that consistency on the staff into elite player development, drawing the best out of the talent they land. At least in part due to that staff consistency, they have less of the transfers and early draft entrants that pick apart the Alabama roster year in and year out.

What about scheme? Well, that's where Ole Miss and Auburn come in for the most part. Hugh Freeze was simply able to out-scheme Saban on a couple of occasions. He didn't have better talent. He didn't have better coaches. His staff wasn't necessarily that much more stable at that point. Hugh Freeze was simply able to put players in space and make the most of what he did have with his offensive system. Auburn runs a spread, which prior to this last season was something Saban had largely resisted adopting until he had a pair of quarterbacks in Jalen Hurts and Tua Tagovailoa who were perfect fits for such a system, and he finally realized that spreading opponents out didn't have to mean abandoning power running. Ohio State also falls into this category to a degree, but Ohio State also recruits as close to the Crimson Tide as anyone, so they have the added advantage of putting strong talent into their spread scheme that they ran under Urban Meyer, which should have been the model that Saban had adopted several years ago.

If you're a program looking to catch up to Alabama, even to a lesser degree like Auburn and Ole Miss have, the model shouldn't be the Crimson Tide. You cannot bank on out-recruiting Nick Saban and his staff. The program sells itself. Ask Georgia, who these last couple of cycles has recruited as close to the Tide as possible. Even so, they haven't managed to beat Alabama. Yes, it landed them in the title game, but we all saw how that ended for them as Tua Tagovailoa launched a Heisman campaign off his performance. Clemson has become the foil to Alabama by being the anti-Alabama. They bring in guys who largely stay for four to five years. They keep the staff together and develop those players with consistency. They recruit at a high level but not at the same level as Alabama, leaning on the player development and program stability to overcome any talent deficiencies they have in comparison to the Tide.

None of this is to suggest that Alabama doesn't develop or retain players. It's not to suggest that the coaching turnover has significantly hurt the Tide. Clearly, neither thing would be true, but it is to suggest that Clemson, through unparalleled stability and development, has found a way to keep pace with Alabama by doing it their own way. For a program like Tennessee, they cannot look to Alabama as the model to follow because they can't bank on success breeding further success. Tennessee hasn't recruited at that level during the age of recruiting websites, and the idea that they will now is blindly optimistic at best. What they might do, however, is recruit at the level of a Clemson, LSU, or Georgia, keep the bulk of the staff together, promote from within when necessary, and stabilize the program. Chasing Alabama has yielded mixed results at best for most programs. Chasing Clemson is the easier road, although it still isn't an easy road by any means in an age where coaches seldom remain at one school for more than three years.

I'm inclined to believe Jeremy Pruitt is a smart young coach, and it's likely he's seen the results of Georgia trying to become another Alabama as opposed to what has been done at Clemson. If Pruitt is the coach I believe he is, he's electing to follow the Clemson method of competing with Nick Saban and the Crimson Tide, and so far that does appear to be the case as he has fought to retain his current on-field coaches and significant support staffers while also hiring a new offensive coordinator with ties to the program who seems likely to stay as long as he's welcome to do so. Having said all of that, remember that it wasn't until year four that Clemson saw their first ten win season under Dabo Swinney. Still, once they reached that threshold, they never looked back, now having recorded eight seasons with 10+ wins, a 97-15 overall record and 56-8 conference record, three national title game appearances, and two national titles. If Tennessee fans can remain patient and Pruitt can properly follow the road map laid forth by Swinney, Vol fans may find themselves incredibly well-rewarded.