Tennessee will welcome six newcomers to the 2019-20 basketball roster, and while at least two of those newcomers will have to wait on the NCAA to determine their eligibility for the upcoming season there is still a lot to be excited about with the new faces on the team. A balanced class of additions, there are three guards and three bigs in the mix, nicely replacing the departing members of last season's team.
Josiah-Jordan James, 6-6, 206, guard - Talk about a young man with blood flowing through his veins. His father, four of his uncles, and his older brother all played college basketball. His mother is a former Division I basketball official. This young man knows the game and knows it well. Although not the quickest guard, he uses his average speed in conjunction with his well-developed physique to attack the rim, although he does so looking for opportunities to create for others. He's an aggressive rebounder who can use his frame and leaping ability to box out against larger forwards. He attacks the rim with the mindset that he's going to destroy it or anything in his way, but he's also a smart player capable of pulling up and using a solid mid-range shot to score. However, he has a glaring offensive weakness in that he isn't a consistent threat from three, an area Barnes and staff will need to work with him on in order to make him a more complete guard. As a defender, he can guard the one through the four, and indeed he averaged over five blocks per game as a senior. James can also be a bit careless with the ball and his ball handling as well, so he'll need to clean these areas up if he's going to operate at the point guard position as the staff is currently envisioning for him. A 5-star recruit, fans will, of course, worry about whether or not he will elect to go pro after his freshman season, but at this time it's likely his game is lacking enough in polish that he will need more than one season in Knoxville to secure a first-round selection.
Davonte Gaines, 6-6, 164, guard - Gaines had a strong senior campaign with 18 points, 8.8 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 4 steals, and 2.5 blocks per game. He followed that up with a year in prep school at Hargrave Military, where he averaged about 14 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists per game. Gaines is lanky and will desperately need to add onto his long frame, but he's a strong finisher at the rim with good speed and athleticism to get up and down the floor. Gaines is also another strong defender. No surprise with Rick Barnes assembling the team. He lacks a polished shot at this point and more frequently needs others to create for him rather than displaying a regular ability to create for himself. However, further physical development may help him develop the tools to become more of a playmaker in his own right. For now, Gaines is a lengthy slasher and quality defender. That said, short of injuries or a huge summer/fall of development, this is a young man heading directly toward a redshirt season to work on his physique and tools.
Victor Bailey Jr., 6-4, 190, guard - Where James and Gaines lack in the shooting department, Bailey picks right up. Indeed, the Oregon transfer played a fair bit in Eugene the last two seasons, averaging 41.5% on his field goals, 38.3% from three, and 88.9% from the free throw line. Generally regarded as a three-and-D player, he averaged 17.9 minutes per game in his 73 games played for the Ducks. While characterized by some as a point guard, I've found little about his game to suggest that this is a fair way to look at his skill set. In fact, there's significantly more about his background that suggests he's a shooting guard at heart as he hasn't done much at this point in his collegiate career to suggest he's a facilitator for others. Another quality defender, he's more of a glue guy than a defensive playmaker, not necessarily forcing a lot of turnovers but smothering his man to limit scoring and passing opportunities. It's reasonable to assume that Tennessee will file an appeal on Bailey's behalf for immediate eligibility, but there certainly seems to be less optimism about his chances of being granted immediate eligibility than there is with another player to be discussed later in this article.
Olivier Robinson-Nkamhoua, 6-8, 210, forward - Originally hailing from Finland, he played for the Finnish under-16 team in 2016 as a point guard, so his growth into a forward is a slightly more recent development, and his development into a 4-star basketball recruit becomes even more impressive when you consider the fact that he missed his junior season with a broken leg. He came back strong, however, averaging 17 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 2 blocks per game, utilizing his 7-foot wingspan, decent athleticism, and skill set that mixes together guard and forward tools. While his athleticism won't necessarily blow anyone away, he has a reasonably complete game that allows him to do many of the same things that made Grant Williams a star in Knoxville. In fact, Robinson-Nkamhoua is likely to be a significant part of the plan to replace Williams next season. I think it's fairly likely he avoids a redshirt.
Drew Pember, 6-9, 190, forward - An ESPN 4-star recruit, Pember is a long forward with some guard skills in his tool chest. Pember is an effort player more than someone with unique length or elite athleticism, but he turns that effort into quality shooting, decent passing and distribution, and a defensive skill set that enables him to hold up against guards and forwards alike. The glaring weakness for Pember right now is, well, weakness. He's in pretty desperate need of added strength, and because he's a quality shooter he has an underdeveloped back to the basket post game. He could also stand to do a better job of boxing out on rebounds, but that should come with added bulk on his frame. He can score from pretty much anywhere, rebounds relatively well for a guy as slender as he is, and typically averages multiple blocks and steals per game. The lack of strength should see him redshirting as a freshman to fill out short of a particularly strong offseason in the weight room.
Uros Plavsic, 7-0, 240, center - The big Serbian will help fill a big void left by the departure of Kyle Alexander if he's granted immediate eligibility, which the coaches seem to think is a good possibility. Plavsic came to the US from Serbia ahead of his senior season and played his lone season of American high school ball in Chattanooga, averaging 9.6 points and 7.5 rebounds a game for his Hamilton Heights Christian Academy team that won the NACA national championship. Prior to that, he played in Serbia and crossed paths with current NBA players Nikola Jokic and Ivica Zubac. Plavsic is an effective low-post player with a solid defensive game, and he addressed one of the bigger concerns coming out of high school when he packed on roughly 30 pounds as a redshirt freshman at Arizona State. He's athletic enough to run the floor effectively and has a three-point shot in his offensive arsenal, albeit not an exceedingly effective one. He's shown himself to be almost as effective on the offensive glass as the defensive, an area Tennessee found themselves struggling with at times last year. Big areas for improvement at this point for Plavsic are floor awareness and increasing his aggression without it killing him with fouls. If he's eligible, it's difficult to imagine that he doesn't start right away.
Sunday, June 2, 2019
Saturday, May 25, 2019
Possible Surprise Summer Newcomers
I've talked about some of the new bodies coming in this summer, but this list has a specific requirement. Only blueshirts or 3-star additions can qualify, with a possible preferred walk-on or two appearing on the list.
"*GASP* Walk-ons?!?! How bad is the roster? The depth chart must be awful! 5 wins at most!"
Not at all, ladies and gents. Tennessee just happens to have added some surprisingly solid walk-ons this cycle at areas where opportunities for playing time may exist. It's not a doom-and-gloom addition to the list; it's a testament to the quality of walk-on and the quality of the players themselves.
UNDER THE RADAR BUT READY TO HELP
Aaron Beasley - I know where he's going to start out his time at Tennessee, but I don't know if I'm convinced that's where he's going to stay. Safety is pretty loaded for the Vols, and running back got thin fast this spring with a couple guys out. If you weren't aware, Beasley was pretty darn good on both sides of the ball. As a junior and senior, he had a combined 120 tackles, 6 interceptions, and 2 fumble recoveries on defense and ran for 3,710 yards and 52 touchdowns on offense. A bigger safety and running back at 6-1, 210, he fits what the staff would like on both sides of the ball. Ultimately it's likely that they will see how he does on both sides of the ball and then determine where he can help out the most in 2019. Short of him being out of shape, it's hard to envision a player with his versatility failing to see the field in some capacity.
Sean Brown - Tight end was a position that Pruitt singled out after the spring game, feeling that group didn't give him enough over the course of spring. With two really emerging as playmakers at a position where they would prefer to have 3-4, the big-bodied Brown is almost a shoo-in to play this season. Brown and early enrollee Jackson Lowe come in with the kind of fanfare that followed the duo of Ethan Wolf and Daniel Helm. Although Wolf and Helm didn't end up doing it together at the same school, the two ultimately combined for 166 receptions for 1,800 and 13 touchdowns. It's not necessarily a stretch to think these two have similar potential. Brown is more of a blocker than a receiver, but he's a capable receiver as well. Brown will play. I don't doubt that for one second.
Devon Dillehay - Dillehay isn't likely to find his way into the defensive rotation in 2019, but special teams could be a different story. A safety-turned-linebacker, he was ridiculously productive for Northeast High in Clarksville, stuffing the stat sheet with 239 tackles, 73 tackles for loss, 19 sacks, 3 forced fumbles, an interception, and three blocked kicks (2 punts, 1 field goal) in his two years since moving to linebacker. He's the type of player who flies all over the field at 6-2, 210 with the speed to help immediately on coverage units.
Jerrod Means - Wide receiver may seem like a tough spot to break into the rotation, and that's true enough. However, Means might be the most intriguing addition the Vols made last cycle. A player who was probably on his way to a much higher ranking by the recruiting services before losing half his senior campaign due to injury. Before getting hurt, he had racked up 19 receptions for 460 yards and 6 touchdowns, an explosive follow-up to his 400+ yards and 5 touchdown junior campaign. Means reportedly ran a 4.4-range forty during a camp with the Vols at over 210-pounds. He's little more than a downfield threat right now, but with his size and speed, he could be turned to when the Vols need a deep-threat on the edge.
Darel Middleton - Tennessee could stand to add to the depth on the defensive line, and Middleton is one of the JUCO summer additions there who might very well be able to contribute early. He's going to stand out on the defensive line as it currently stands, a solid two or so inches taller than everyone else in that group. Although he will need to add some strength this summer, his length and quick first step will give him a very good shot to find a role in the rotation at either end position.
Fred Orr - Remember me talking about running back being a potential need? Well, Tennessee did add a 2-star walk-on running back who set records during his high school career at Rossview and Northeast High Schools in Clarksville. He finished his career with 3,525 rushing yards and 41 rushing touchdowns while averaging 7.2 yards per carry, also adding on 64 receptions for 770 yards and 2 touchdowns, and he also handled kick returns, taking one back for a touchdown. Orr has good size at 5-11, 195 and has good balance with solid power and decent speed. Personally, I think he's somewhat similar to Tim Jordan but he sailed under the radar more than Jordan, in part because he split the workload as a senior with Air Force-bound Tyrique Freeman. How good is Orr? Well, he was #2 in rushing yards and touchdowns, #1 in receiving yards, and their leader in kickoff and punt return yardage, ending up as their leader in all-purpose yardage. If Beasley sticks on defense, keep an eye on Orr to see if he jumps ahead of older walk-ons in the pecking order.
Ethan Rinke - Every now and then, a player with an FBS recruiting profile will opt to walk-on with the school of their choice. Rinke turned down offers from lower-tier FBS programs in order to be a Vol, and this decision may prove to work out well for both sides. Rinke was productive as a senior, recording 70 tackles, 16 tackles for loss, 8.5 sacks, and a pair of fumble recoveries. He also has good size at 6-4, 240, which should open the door for him to try and remain primarily a pass rusher at outside linebacker or bulk up and move to the defensive line in Tennessee's base 3-4. Tennessee would love to find additional depth at both spots, and Rinke, while not an elite athlete, has a high motor and will certainly be given every opportunity to make an impact. At worst, high energy players can often find a home on special teams.
Kenney Solomon - Tennessee has a couple of strong rising sophomore cornerbacks, but depth at the end of spring was more than a little lacking at the position. Warren Burrell, a true freshman, put his stamp on a backup job, but with Tyus Fields hurt, Kenneth George Jr. in some off-field trouble, and the other real options an inexperienced duo, one of which is a former high school linebacker, true corners are more than welcome as Tennessee found themselves moving guys from nickel and safety to fill in at corner. Solomon is a corner, through and through. He's also a high school track star, but his speed is just a bonus considering he ran the ball, caught the ball, returned kicks and punts, and excelled on defense for Socastee High. Solomon averaged 3 interceptions per season in high school despite not being targeted particularly often, generally keeping him fresh to barely ever come off the field as he starred in every facet of the game. He also has excellent size at 6-0, 170, so the Vols will no doubt give him every opportunity to earn a slot in the rotation at corner.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
Bryan Aiken - A long outside linebacker/defensive end option. The Vols are looking for help there, so he's at least coming in at an area of opportunity.
Parker Ball - An excellent two-sport athlete, he'll likely need to add weight before being able to challenge anyone at center. However, there might be an avenue as a long snapper since the Vols weren't sharp there this spring.
Anthony Harris - Very likely makes this list but for one major issue: this blueshirt candidate is far from a guarantee to qualify and enroll.
Melvin McBride - Certainly got consideration at an area of need on the offensive line, but as a player who has only played two seasons of football, he's likely going to need time to develop.
Elijah Simmons - Very athletic for his size, but likely to need to trim weight before becoming a regular contributor. That said, the depth at nose tackle is lacking and he may have to play regardless of readiness.
"*GASP* Walk-ons?!?! How bad is the roster? The depth chart must be awful! 5 wins at most!"
Not at all, ladies and gents. Tennessee just happens to have added some surprisingly solid walk-ons this cycle at areas where opportunities for playing time may exist. It's not a doom-and-gloom addition to the list; it's a testament to the quality of walk-on and the quality of the players themselves.
UNDER THE RADAR BUT READY TO HELP
Aaron Beasley - I know where he's going to start out his time at Tennessee, but I don't know if I'm convinced that's where he's going to stay. Safety is pretty loaded for the Vols, and running back got thin fast this spring with a couple guys out. If you weren't aware, Beasley was pretty darn good on both sides of the ball. As a junior and senior, he had a combined 120 tackles, 6 interceptions, and 2 fumble recoveries on defense and ran for 3,710 yards and 52 touchdowns on offense. A bigger safety and running back at 6-1, 210, he fits what the staff would like on both sides of the ball. Ultimately it's likely that they will see how he does on both sides of the ball and then determine where he can help out the most in 2019. Short of him being out of shape, it's hard to envision a player with his versatility failing to see the field in some capacity.
Sean Brown - Tight end was a position that Pruitt singled out after the spring game, feeling that group didn't give him enough over the course of spring. With two really emerging as playmakers at a position where they would prefer to have 3-4, the big-bodied Brown is almost a shoo-in to play this season. Brown and early enrollee Jackson Lowe come in with the kind of fanfare that followed the duo of Ethan Wolf and Daniel Helm. Although Wolf and Helm didn't end up doing it together at the same school, the two ultimately combined for 166 receptions for 1,800 and 13 touchdowns. It's not necessarily a stretch to think these two have similar potential. Brown is more of a blocker than a receiver, but he's a capable receiver as well. Brown will play. I don't doubt that for one second.
Devon Dillehay - Dillehay isn't likely to find his way into the defensive rotation in 2019, but special teams could be a different story. A safety-turned-linebacker, he was ridiculously productive for Northeast High in Clarksville, stuffing the stat sheet with 239 tackles, 73 tackles for loss, 19 sacks, 3 forced fumbles, an interception, and three blocked kicks (2 punts, 1 field goal) in his two years since moving to linebacker. He's the type of player who flies all over the field at 6-2, 210 with the speed to help immediately on coverage units.
Jerrod Means - Wide receiver may seem like a tough spot to break into the rotation, and that's true enough. However, Means might be the most intriguing addition the Vols made last cycle. A player who was probably on his way to a much higher ranking by the recruiting services before losing half his senior campaign due to injury. Before getting hurt, he had racked up 19 receptions for 460 yards and 6 touchdowns, an explosive follow-up to his 400+ yards and 5 touchdown junior campaign. Means reportedly ran a 4.4-range forty during a camp with the Vols at over 210-pounds. He's little more than a downfield threat right now, but with his size and speed, he could be turned to when the Vols need a deep-threat on the edge.
Darel Middleton - Tennessee could stand to add to the depth on the defensive line, and Middleton is one of the JUCO summer additions there who might very well be able to contribute early. He's going to stand out on the defensive line as it currently stands, a solid two or so inches taller than everyone else in that group. Although he will need to add some strength this summer, his length and quick first step will give him a very good shot to find a role in the rotation at either end position.
Fred Orr - Remember me talking about running back being a potential need? Well, Tennessee did add a 2-star walk-on running back who set records during his high school career at Rossview and Northeast High Schools in Clarksville. He finished his career with 3,525 rushing yards and 41 rushing touchdowns while averaging 7.2 yards per carry, also adding on 64 receptions for 770 yards and 2 touchdowns, and he also handled kick returns, taking one back for a touchdown. Orr has good size at 5-11, 195 and has good balance with solid power and decent speed. Personally, I think he's somewhat similar to Tim Jordan but he sailed under the radar more than Jordan, in part because he split the workload as a senior with Air Force-bound Tyrique Freeman. How good is Orr? Well, he was #2 in rushing yards and touchdowns, #1 in receiving yards, and their leader in kickoff and punt return yardage, ending up as their leader in all-purpose yardage. If Beasley sticks on defense, keep an eye on Orr to see if he jumps ahead of older walk-ons in the pecking order.
Ethan Rinke - Every now and then, a player with an FBS recruiting profile will opt to walk-on with the school of their choice. Rinke turned down offers from lower-tier FBS programs in order to be a Vol, and this decision may prove to work out well for both sides. Rinke was productive as a senior, recording 70 tackles, 16 tackles for loss, 8.5 sacks, and a pair of fumble recoveries. He also has good size at 6-4, 240, which should open the door for him to try and remain primarily a pass rusher at outside linebacker or bulk up and move to the defensive line in Tennessee's base 3-4. Tennessee would love to find additional depth at both spots, and Rinke, while not an elite athlete, has a high motor and will certainly be given every opportunity to make an impact. At worst, high energy players can often find a home on special teams.
Kenney Solomon - Tennessee has a couple of strong rising sophomore cornerbacks, but depth at the end of spring was more than a little lacking at the position. Warren Burrell, a true freshman, put his stamp on a backup job, but with Tyus Fields hurt, Kenneth George Jr. in some off-field trouble, and the other real options an inexperienced duo, one of which is a former high school linebacker, true corners are more than welcome as Tennessee found themselves moving guys from nickel and safety to fill in at corner. Solomon is a corner, through and through. He's also a high school track star, but his speed is just a bonus considering he ran the ball, caught the ball, returned kicks and punts, and excelled on defense for Socastee High. Solomon averaged 3 interceptions per season in high school despite not being targeted particularly often, generally keeping him fresh to barely ever come off the field as he starred in every facet of the game. He also has excellent size at 6-0, 170, so the Vols will no doubt give him every opportunity to earn a slot in the rotation at corner.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
Bryan Aiken - A long outside linebacker/defensive end option. The Vols are looking for help there, so he's at least coming in at an area of opportunity.
Parker Ball - An excellent two-sport athlete, he'll likely need to add weight before being able to challenge anyone at center. However, there might be an avenue as a long snapper since the Vols weren't sharp there this spring.
Anthony Harris - Very likely makes this list but for one major issue: this blueshirt candidate is far from a guarantee to qualify and enroll.
Melvin McBride - Certainly got consideration at an area of need on the offensive line, but as a player who has only played two seasons of football, he's likely going to need time to develop.
Elijah Simmons - Very athletic for his size, but likely to need to trim weight before becoming a regular contributor. That said, the depth at nose tackle is lacking and he may have to play regardless of readiness.
Sunday, May 5, 2019
How Should Fans View Jarrett Guarantano?
Jarrett Guarantano has become something of a divisive topic for Vol fans. In one camp, they appreciate the young quarterback for his toughness and how well he takes care of the football while making more good decisions with the ball than bad ones. The other camp is frustrated by how many sacks he's taken, feel that he often takes unnecessary hits, question his timing and arm strength, and want more touchdowns and big plays from their young signal caller. Ultimately, both camps feel one side is right and the other is wrong. It's not necessarily that clear cut because few things in life are.
First things first, Guarantano has played in 21 games and started 18. He has one full season as a starter under his belt. In his time playing quarterback for the Vols, he's passed for 2,904 yards, 16 touchdowns, and 5 interceptions while completing 62.1% of his passes, which at present places him second to just Peyton Manning in career completion percentage. Short of missing significant time next season with injuries, he will almost certainly enter his senior year in the top ten at Tennessee in career passing yardage and has a very good shot at also being top 10 in career touchdowns with a season left to play.
So let's get into some numbers a bit more deeply. 1,185 passing yards will see Guarantano surpass Heath Shuler for tenth in career passing yardage and 16 touchdowns will put him in a three-way tie for ninth in career passing touchdowns. I want to potentially provide what might be reasonable progress for Guarantano in making the jump from his sophomore to junior campaigns. From his freshman to sophomore seasons, Guarantano increased his passing yards per game by 48.1 yards per game and increased his passing touchdowns by 8, so let's give him basically the same jumps in production and keep his touchdown-to-interception ratio of 4:1 intact. Crunching some additional numbers based on last season's yards per attempt and yards per completion while working out his completion percentage, his complete stats for 2019 would come out to:
199-319, 2,484 yards, 20 touchdowns, 5 interceptions, 62.4%
Now, keep in mind all of that is either based on reasonably minor increases in stats from 2018 or uses the exact same numbers. In all likelihood, Guarantano will do what most college quarterbacks do and continue to improve in nearly all categories. Guarantano had the fewest passing attempts of any starting quarterback in the SEC last year and yet finished with the fewest interceptions, 6th in yards per attempt, 7th in completion percentage, 8th in quarterback rating, 11th in yardage, and 12th in touchdowns among SEC starters. To put it another way, he did about as much as you could ask of him with the fewest opportunities to do it in.
Now, Tennessee did allow 23 sacks last season, which works out to 320 passes attempted on the season and about 27 passes attempted per game. That's 23 lost opportunities to complete a pass and realistically, not all of those sacks are solely on the offensive line. Guarantano does need to improve his field awareness and internal clock. He can be slow to run through his progressions.
The long passing criticism isn't entirely fair. Guarantano threw for more passes of 40+ yards last season than Josh Dobbs did as a senior and just one fewer that Dobbs did that year from 50+ and Guarantano basically matched Dobbs or exceeded him in those categories when compared to Dobbs junior campaign. Guarantano at worst compares well to what Dobbs did as a passer and that's just looking at Guarantano as a sophomore.
A fair complaint has been Guarantano's ability to take off and run, a skill set he shows at times but seldom utilizes well in games. He's by no means going to be Josh Dobbs, nor should anyone expect him to be. However, he's allowing himself to be dropped behind the line of scrimmage far too often for a player timed in the 4.6-range in the forty in high school. He needs to use his legs to avoid negative plays when things are breaking down whenever possible.
The Vols have a very good group of receivers, but the receivers aren't doing a great job of turning deep passes into scoring plays. Sometimes that might be on the quarterback when the pass isn't on target, but more often the receivers were stumbling last season on their way to the end zone. The receivers needed improvement on yards after the catch as much as Guarantano needs to improve touch and ball placement.
So how should fans be looking at Jarrett Guarantano? Well, I'd advise that fans should probably stop worrying about how he compares to the other quarterbacks going into their junior seasons, or at least Tua Tagovailoa and Jake Fromm. Guarantano, for the most part, doesn't have the same level of talent/protection around him as those two quarterbacks. Sure, he has good receivers, but the running games and offensive lines that Tagovailoa and Fromm have at their disposal is simply at a different level. Stick Guarantano on those teams and he'll put up better stats too. That's not to say he's necessarily at the same level as them, but I will say that it's a lot tougher to gauge where Guarantano would compare to them when the team MVP for the last two seasons was probably the punter.
Guarantano is a talented young quarterback displaying toughness in the face of being sacked probably 40+ times and also showing off a high level of efficiency. He's not a polished product yet, and that's understandable since he's going on his fourth offensive coordinator heading into his redshirt junior season. That kind of turnover will impact the development of almost any young signal caller. His feel for the game, ability to see the field, and speed with which he runs through progressions is a work in progress, but the arm talent is there, both from an accuracy and strength perspective. Above all else, he is their quarterback, and whether or not you think he can or will become a top SEC quarterback, there's little chance that a healthy Jarrett Guarantano isn't the Tennessee quarterback in 2019.
Now, how do I view Jarrett Guarantano? Frankly, he might ultimately be the second best Tennessee quarterback since 2004 by the time he's done. He has a realistic chance to challenge Peyton Manning for the best career completion percentage as he is currently just 4-tenths behind him in career percentage right now. He's also on his way to the best touchdown-to-interception ratio for a Vol quarterback as he's currently sitting 3.2 touchdowns per interception (Peyton Manning currently has the best at 2.7 touchdowns per interception in his Vol career). He has a realistic chance to finish in the top five in UT history in passing yardage and passing touchdowns. While he's probably not going to be able to compare to what Josh Dobbs was able to do as a playmaking quarterback, he likely will be the better passer of the two and second just to Dobbs as a quarterback since Casey Clausen wrapped up his Tennessee career. That's just my two cents when considering his accuracy and efficiency as a passer up to this point and considering the kind of receivers he has to work with.
First things first, Guarantano has played in 21 games and started 18. He has one full season as a starter under his belt. In his time playing quarterback for the Vols, he's passed for 2,904 yards, 16 touchdowns, and 5 interceptions while completing 62.1% of his passes, which at present places him second to just Peyton Manning in career completion percentage. Short of missing significant time next season with injuries, he will almost certainly enter his senior year in the top ten at Tennessee in career passing yardage and has a very good shot at also being top 10 in career touchdowns with a season left to play.
So let's get into some numbers a bit more deeply. 1,185 passing yards will see Guarantano surpass Heath Shuler for tenth in career passing yardage and 16 touchdowns will put him in a three-way tie for ninth in career passing touchdowns. I want to potentially provide what might be reasonable progress for Guarantano in making the jump from his sophomore to junior campaigns. From his freshman to sophomore seasons, Guarantano increased his passing yards per game by 48.1 yards per game and increased his passing touchdowns by 8, so let's give him basically the same jumps in production and keep his touchdown-to-interception ratio of 4:1 intact. Crunching some additional numbers based on last season's yards per attempt and yards per completion while working out his completion percentage, his complete stats for 2019 would come out to:
199-319, 2,484 yards, 20 touchdowns, 5 interceptions, 62.4%
Now, keep in mind all of that is either based on reasonably minor increases in stats from 2018 or uses the exact same numbers. In all likelihood, Guarantano will do what most college quarterbacks do and continue to improve in nearly all categories. Guarantano had the fewest passing attempts of any starting quarterback in the SEC last year and yet finished with the fewest interceptions, 6th in yards per attempt, 7th in completion percentage, 8th in quarterback rating, 11th in yardage, and 12th in touchdowns among SEC starters. To put it another way, he did about as much as you could ask of him with the fewest opportunities to do it in.
Now, Tennessee did allow 23 sacks last season, which works out to 320 passes attempted on the season and about 27 passes attempted per game. That's 23 lost opportunities to complete a pass and realistically, not all of those sacks are solely on the offensive line. Guarantano does need to improve his field awareness and internal clock. He can be slow to run through his progressions.
The long passing criticism isn't entirely fair. Guarantano threw for more passes of 40+ yards last season than Josh Dobbs did as a senior and just one fewer that Dobbs did that year from 50+ and Guarantano basically matched Dobbs or exceeded him in those categories when compared to Dobbs junior campaign. Guarantano at worst compares well to what Dobbs did as a passer and that's just looking at Guarantano as a sophomore.
A fair complaint has been Guarantano's ability to take off and run, a skill set he shows at times but seldom utilizes well in games. He's by no means going to be Josh Dobbs, nor should anyone expect him to be. However, he's allowing himself to be dropped behind the line of scrimmage far too often for a player timed in the 4.6-range in the forty in high school. He needs to use his legs to avoid negative plays when things are breaking down whenever possible.
The Vols have a very good group of receivers, but the receivers aren't doing a great job of turning deep passes into scoring plays. Sometimes that might be on the quarterback when the pass isn't on target, but more often the receivers were stumbling last season on their way to the end zone. The receivers needed improvement on yards after the catch as much as Guarantano needs to improve touch and ball placement.
So how should fans be looking at Jarrett Guarantano? Well, I'd advise that fans should probably stop worrying about how he compares to the other quarterbacks going into their junior seasons, or at least Tua Tagovailoa and Jake Fromm. Guarantano, for the most part, doesn't have the same level of talent/protection around him as those two quarterbacks. Sure, he has good receivers, but the running games and offensive lines that Tagovailoa and Fromm have at their disposal is simply at a different level. Stick Guarantano on those teams and he'll put up better stats too. That's not to say he's necessarily at the same level as them, but I will say that it's a lot tougher to gauge where Guarantano would compare to them when the team MVP for the last two seasons was probably the punter.
Guarantano is a talented young quarterback displaying toughness in the face of being sacked probably 40+ times and also showing off a high level of efficiency. He's not a polished product yet, and that's understandable since he's going on his fourth offensive coordinator heading into his redshirt junior season. That kind of turnover will impact the development of almost any young signal caller. His feel for the game, ability to see the field, and speed with which he runs through progressions is a work in progress, but the arm talent is there, both from an accuracy and strength perspective. Above all else, he is their quarterback, and whether or not you think he can or will become a top SEC quarterback, there's little chance that a healthy Jarrett Guarantano isn't the Tennessee quarterback in 2019.
Now, how do I view Jarrett Guarantano? Frankly, he might ultimately be the second best Tennessee quarterback since 2004 by the time he's done. He has a realistic chance to challenge Peyton Manning for the best career completion percentage as he is currently just 4-tenths behind him in career percentage right now. He's also on his way to the best touchdown-to-interception ratio for a Vol quarterback as he's currently sitting 3.2 touchdowns per interception (Peyton Manning currently has the best at 2.7 touchdowns per interception in his Vol career). He has a realistic chance to finish in the top five in UT history in passing yardage and passing touchdowns. While he's probably not going to be able to compare to what Josh Dobbs was able to do as a playmaking quarterback, he likely will be the better passer of the two and second just to Dobbs as a quarterback since Casey Clausen wrapped up his Tennessee career. That's just my two cents when considering his accuracy and efficiency as a passer up to this point and considering the kind of receivers he has to work with.
Sunday, April 14, 2019
2019 Spring Practice Wrap
Another spring of football is in the books, and it's time to evaluate the spring as a whole. I'll be looking at it position-by-position, both the good and the bad. Now, bear in mind that Tennessee still has several players waiting to join the roster in May, so this isn't everyone they'll have and guys won't necessarily remain in their current spot in the pecking order. Also, 15 practices is rarely enough time to add many wrinkles to the scheme and a lot of time gets spent on establishing the fundamentals, especially with younger players.
Quarterback - Although it didn't look that way early in the spring game, Jarrett Guarantano really took major strides as a leader and a passer. He made a point of adding strength and weight, and he had moments where he looked like he had become somewhat more comfortable taking off and running as well. If he has time to throw, there is no reason he can't have a big junior campaign and enter 2020 as one of the top passers in the SEC ranks and a legitimate NFL quarterback prospect. For Tennessee's offense to take off, Guarantano will have to be that good because the options behind him aren't exactly setting the world on fire yet. Now, that isn't necessarily their fault as both are freshmen. Inconsistency is just part of the development process for a young quarterback, but given the Vols will enter 2019 with just three scholarship quarterbacks on the roster the development of J.T. Shrout and Brian Maurer is incredibly important. Maurer had moments of brilliance at times, but he also tossed a pair of interceptions despite completing 9 of 13 passes. Shrout wasn't as sharp passing in the spring game, but he accounted for the only touchdown that wasn't in some part attributable to Guarantano. Both were inconsistent in practices as well, so that much was at least on par with the springs they had. All three looked to have solid chemistry with their receivers and showed good arm talent.
Running Back - Spring games are the worst for trying to evaluate running backs because nobody is going all out, running or tackling. No one wants to be responsible for a serious injury, so everyone lays off at least a little bit and the whistle blow fast. Also, rushing stats at the collegiate level are the worst because they account for sacks, which is just not helpful. Toss in two of the likely running back contributors missing the game and talking about the spring game isn't really worth spending much time on. The running backs (Ty Chandler, Tim Jordan, Jeremy Banks, Chip Omer) combined for 109 yards on 27 carries (4.0 yards per carry) and 51 yards on 9 receptions (5.7 yards per reception). It's probably reasonable to think that Carlin Fils-aime and Eric Gray would have improved the overall production if they were available, which both are expected to be this summer ahead of fall camp. Gray, despite being very limited this spring, was a sponge, absorbing every bit of information he could and basically having to be held back from jumping into action in practices. Carlin Fils-aime was having a strong spring prior to getting hurt and shut down until July. He has averaged about one touchdown for every ten carries so he could continue to be a very effective option whether or not he sees his touches increase. Banks is the power back, not necessarily displaying elite speed but showing off power and a fearless running style. Chandler and Jordan remain entrenched as the top options at running back. Chandler has plenty of speed while Jordan is a compact, powerful runner. Depth could become an issue with only five backs, which is what prompted Chip Omer to get five carries in the spring game.
Wide Receiver - One spot where depth isn't necessarily a concern, the wide receivers have experience, size, and plenty of bodies. What they might be lacking right now is enough speed. Marquez Callaway, Jauan Jennings, and Josh Palmer have all shown the ability to make plays on deep balls, but especially with Callaway and Jennings, sometimes those plays take a bit too long to develop. Palmer has the best size/speed combination, and Jordan Murphy and Tyler Byrd both certainly have the speed to get downfield and make plays when they're dialed in. The same can be true of Jacquez Jones, but he's had fewer opportunities to display that ability. Heaven help most defensive backs in jump ball situations though as Tennessee only has two scholarship receivers checking in at under 6-feet tall. If they can muster the speed to make deep balls take less time to develop, the passing game can be pretty explosive. That was on display in the spring game as the wide receivers combined for 19 receptions for 298 yards and 3 touchdowns and an average of 15.7 yards per reception.
Tight End - What if I told you Tennessee might be productive at tight end again? Sounds too good to be true, right? I mean, Tennessee hasn't had a tight end break 301 receiving yards or 3 touchdowns in a season since 2012, but that last explosive tight end season came under Jim Chaney's watch with Mychal Rivera at tight end. Now, Tennessee once again has a JUCO at tight end and Jim Chaney running the offense, and in the spring game, the tight ends combined for 10 receptions, 105 yards, and 2 touchdowns. Tennessee needs the tight ends to step up and produce to give Guarantano an outlet when things break down as well as attacking the middle of the defense. Tennessee also has a couple of big bodies capable of serving as quality blockers as well. Dominick Wood-Anderson and Jackson Lowe look likely to be the top two tight ends out of the spring, but it's also worth keeping an eye on James Brown for a nice receiving option after he had a very nice reception for a touchdown late in the spring game. Austin Pope also had a pretty strong spring and is very much in that mix as well. As bigger bodies go, really only Lowe and Wood-Anderson fit that bill as far as guys on campus for spring practices.
Offensive Line - Um...mixed bag, I guess. When the OL was clicking in the spring game, they let the offense do some pretty quality work out there. When they were off their game, the two offensive line units gave up a combined 8 sacks and 9 tackles for loss. Now, to put some of those sacks into perspective, some were on the quarterbacks and some probably wouldn't be sacks with the quarterbacks live as it just took brushing their jersey to get a blown whistle. Still, to touch the passer, you have to be letting a defender into the backfield. That's a problem. Additional perspective: there were 11 healthy scholarship offensive linemen available this spring as Brandon Kennedy was limited and Trey Smith is dealing with his well-documented health issues. The staff was pretty clear in stating that had there been a real game to be played, Kennedy would have been available. Also, Trey Smith, though limited, did more than anyone would have guessed when he was able to go through drills. Add in three more offensive linemen joining the roster in May, including a 5-star tackle and 4-star guard/center, and the depth chart could quickly get a lot more talented and should. The only real question mark on future availability right now is Smith, and the door is pretty wide open for him to return if he's cleared medically. Wanya Morris was interesting to keep an eye on in the spring game as he had moments of brilliance but also had some pretty serious lapses. Not a huge shock with a true freshman going through spring football. A converted defensive lineman and two walk-ons were among the reserves available, so that shouldn't be the case in August.
Defensive Line - Let's go mixed bag again. The group only managed one sack in the spring game, but they freed up the linebackers to make a lot of plays and held up fairly well. At least the first team group did. The second team made fewer plays, but they also helped the linebackers make plays by keeping blockers off them for the most part. The defensive line was a bit thin this spring to begin with, but they were without Kurott Garland for a good chunk of spring practice, which did nothing to help that situation. The particularly good news is help is on the way and LaTrell Bumphus caught on quicker than expected in making the move to defense from tight end. By the time you get past the top three options on the defensive line this spring, John Mincey and Greg Emerson were probably the top options, although Kurott Garland was probably working his way into that category as well. Kingston Harris is a solid option as a nose, but he needs to be able to explode more from that spot instead of simply holding his ground.
Linebacker - 27 tackles, 5 tackles for loss, and 4 sacks from the linebackers in the spring game bodes fairly well, especially with J.J. Peterson and Darrin Kirkland Jr. unavailable. The group was able to get around and make plays in ways that was rare to see last season. To make things even better, a pair of 4-stars are joining the group this summer to make things even more competitive. There's a chance that Kirkland won't play next season, and yet fans should feel pretty comfortable with this group. Quavaris Crouch made some excellent plays at times, and Peterson was reportedly making solid progress this spring before getting hurt. It's pretty clear that these guys are much more comfortable in the scheme than they were at any point last year. Shanon Reid may have been the greatest revelation of the spring, ending the spring game with 10 tackles.
Defensive Backs - Again, something of a mixed bag. The safeties were really good. They were making plays all over the place on both units in the spring game. The depth at safety is pretty strong, and since the Star (nickel) is an extension of the safeties in this defense, you have to feel pretty good with two guys from that group out (Tyus Fields and Baylen Buchanan). The corners kind of got their lunch money stolen. Alontae Taylor, in particular, struggled in covering Jauan Jennings. He's far from the first or last corner to run into that particular problem, but there weren't really any standout plays from the corners. That said, the corners played well last season and there's really no reason to think there's going to be some huge regression from the starters. There are some defensive backs still to enroll, as well. The group should be fine when it's all said and done, but the safeties were the standouts in the Orange & White Game.
Special Teams - I'm not really sure what to make of Freshman All-American Joe Doyle's seeming regression. Apparently, he's been booming punts on the practice field but faltering in Neyland, and his average of 37.5 yards per punt for the White team was evidence of some of that. However, he also kicked punts of 46 and 47 yards. Regardless, he was out-punted by Paxton Brooks by any measure. Punt returns were okay but not great. Ty Chandler and Bryce Thompson both had some solid kickoff returns with long returns of 35 and 28 respectively. Brooks appears to be the backup for field goal kicking duties and he has more than enough leg to do the job, although accuracy was an issue on a 46 yarder in the first quarter. Cimaglia didn't end up with any field goal attempts on the day. There appears to be a legitimate competition between Brooks and Cimaglia for the kickoff duties.
Overall - The offense showed signs of potentially being very explosive, but the playcalling also pretty clearly showed that Chaney wanted to get a good look at his quarterbacks as he called 69 pass plays to just 43 run plays. Given Chaney is usually close to a 50-50 play-caller or slightly skewed towards the run, the playcalling was obviously about looking at the signal-callers more than the running backs, who are a relatively well-established group. Being short-handed at running back likely influenced the playcalling as well. The defense showed flashes of being able to make explosive plays, and the playcalling on that side of the ball was aggressive at times. Neither the offenses or defenses looked like finished products. Time will tell how much more progress can be made by both groups, but there is additional help coming in on both offense and defense, and the Vols are at worst kicking the tires with transfers still. It was a productive spring. There's reason to expect a largely healthy roster come August and there is certainly talent to be found at almost every position group. How much further the team can go will depend on how quickly young players can catch on to the playbook and new level of play and how much further the guys already on campus can develop in the strength and conditioning program. This is a better team than it was at this time last spring, and it's really not even close. That much everyone should feel confident in.
Quarterback - Although it didn't look that way early in the spring game, Jarrett Guarantano really took major strides as a leader and a passer. He made a point of adding strength and weight, and he had moments where he looked like he had become somewhat more comfortable taking off and running as well. If he has time to throw, there is no reason he can't have a big junior campaign and enter 2020 as one of the top passers in the SEC ranks and a legitimate NFL quarterback prospect. For Tennessee's offense to take off, Guarantano will have to be that good because the options behind him aren't exactly setting the world on fire yet. Now, that isn't necessarily their fault as both are freshmen. Inconsistency is just part of the development process for a young quarterback, but given the Vols will enter 2019 with just three scholarship quarterbacks on the roster the development of J.T. Shrout and Brian Maurer is incredibly important. Maurer had moments of brilliance at times, but he also tossed a pair of interceptions despite completing 9 of 13 passes. Shrout wasn't as sharp passing in the spring game, but he accounted for the only touchdown that wasn't in some part attributable to Guarantano. Both were inconsistent in practices as well, so that much was at least on par with the springs they had. All three looked to have solid chemistry with their receivers and showed good arm talent.
Running Back - Spring games are the worst for trying to evaluate running backs because nobody is going all out, running or tackling. No one wants to be responsible for a serious injury, so everyone lays off at least a little bit and the whistle blow fast. Also, rushing stats at the collegiate level are the worst because they account for sacks, which is just not helpful. Toss in two of the likely running back contributors missing the game and talking about the spring game isn't really worth spending much time on. The running backs (Ty Chandler, Tim Jordan, Jeremy Banks, Chip Omer) combined for 109 yards on 27 carries (4.0 yards per carry) and 51 yards on 9 receptions (5.7 yards per reception). It's probably reasonable to think that Carlin Fils-aime and Eric Gray would have improved the overall production if they were available, which both are expected to be this summer ahead of fall camp. Gray, despite being very limited this spring, was a sponge, absorbing every bit of information he could and basically having to be held back from jumping into action in practices. Carlin Fils-aime was having a strong spring prior to getting hurt and shut down until July. He has averaged about one touchdown for every ten carries so he could continue to be a very effective option whether or not he sees his touches increase. Banks is the power back, not necessarily displaying elite speed but showing off power and a fearless running style. Chandler and Jordan remain entrenched as the top options at running back. Chandler has plenty of speed while Jordan is a compact, powerful runner. Depth could become an issue with only five backs, which is what prompted Chip Omer to get five carries in the spring game.
Wide Receiver - One spot where depth isn't necessarily a concern, the wide receivers have experience, size, and plenty of bodies. What they might be lacking right now is enough speed. Marquez Callaway, Jauan Jennings, and Josh Palmer have all shown the ability to make plays on deep balls, but especially with Callaway and Jennings, sometimes those plays take a bit too long to develop. Palmer has the best size/speed combination, and Jordan Murphy and Tyler Byrd both certainly have the speed to get downfield and make plays when they're dialed in. The same can be true of Jacquez Jones, but he's had fewer opportunities to display that ability. Heaven help most defensive backs in jump ball situations though as Tennessee only has two scholarship receivers checking in at under 6-feet tall. If they can muster the speed to make deep balls take less time to develop, the passing game can be pretty explosive. That was on display in the spring game as the wide receivers combined for 19 receptions for 298 yards and 3 touchdowns and an average of 15.7 yards per reception.
Tight End - What if I told you Tennessee might be productive at tight end again? Sounds too good to be true, right? I mean, Tennessee hasn't had a tight end break 301 receiving yards or 3 touchdowns in a season since 2012, but that last explosive tight end season came under Jim Chaney's watch with Mychal Rivera at tight end. Now, Tennessee once again has a JUCO at tight end and Jim Chaney running the offense, and in the spring game, the tight ends combined for 10 receptions, 105 yards, and 2 touchdowns. Tennessee needs the tight ends to step up and produce to give Guarantano an outlet when things break down as well as attacking the middle of the defense. Tennessee also has a couple of big bodies capable of serving as quality blockers as well. Dominick Wood-Anderson and Jackson Lowe look likely to be the top two tight ends out of the spring, but it's also worth keeping an eye on James Brown for a nice receiving option after he had a very nice reception for a touchdown late in the spring game. Austin Pope also had a pretty strong spring and is very much in that mix as well. As bigger bodies go, really only Lowe and Wood-Anderson fit that bill as far as guys on campus for spring practices.
Offensive Line - Um...mixed bag, I guess. When the OL was clicking in the spring game, they let the offense do some pretty quality work out there. When they were off their game, the two offensive line units gave up a combined 8 sacks and 9 tackles for loss. Now, to put some of those sacks into perspective, some were on the quarterbacks and some probably wouldn't be sacks with the quarterbacks live as it just took brushing their jersey to get a blown whistle. Still, to touch the passer, you have to be letting a defender into the backfield. That's a problem. Additional perspective: there were 11 healthy scholarship offensive linemen available this spring as Brandon Kennedy was limited and Trey Smith is dealing with his well-documented health issues. The staff was pretty clear in stating that had there been a real game to be played, Kennedy would have been available. Also, Trey Smith, though limited, did more than anyone would have guessed when he was able to go through drills. Add in three more offensive linemen joining the roster in May, including a 5-star tackle and 4-star guard/center, and the depth chart could quickly get a lot more talented and should. The only real question mark on future availability right now is Smith, and the door is pretty wide open for him to return if he's cleared medically. Wanya Morris was interesting to keep an eye on in the spring game as he had moments of brilliance but also had some pretty serious lapses. Not a huge shock with a true freshman going through spring football. A converted defensive lineman and two walk-ons were among the reserves available, so that shouldn't be the case in August.
Defensive Line - Let's go mixed bag again. The group only managed one sack in the spring game, but they freed up the linebackers to make a lot of plays and held up fairly well. At least the first team group did. The second team made fewer plays, but they also helped the linebackers make plays by keeping blockers off them for the most part. The defensive line was a bit thin this spring to begin with, but they were without Kurott Garland for a good chunk of spring practice, which did nothing to help that situation. The particularly good news is help is on the way and LaTrell Bumphus caught on quicker than expected in making the move to defense from tight end. By the time you get past the top three options on the defensive line this spring, John Mincey and Greg Emerson were probably the top options, although Kurott Garland was probably working his way into that category as well. Kingston Harris is a solid option as a nose, but he needs to be able to explode more from that spot instead of simply holding his ground.
Linebacker - 27 tackles, 5 tackles for loss, and 4 sacks from the linebackers in the spring game bodes fairly well, especially with J.J. Peterson and Darrin Kirkland Jr. unavailable. The group was able to get around and make plays in ways that was rare to see last season. To make things even better, a pair of 4-stars are joining the group this summer to make things even more competitive. There's a chance that Kirkland won't play next season, and yet fans should feel pretty comfortable with this group. Quavaris Crouch made some excellent plays at times, and Peterson was reportedly making solid progress this spring before getting hurt. It's pretty clear that these guys are much more comfortable in the scheme than they were at any point last year. Shanon Reid may have been the greatest revelation of the spring, ending the spring game with 10 tackles.
Defensive Backs - Again, something of a mixed bag. The safeties were really good. They were making plays all over the place on both units in the spring game. The depth at safety is pretty strong, and since the Star (nickel) is an extension of the safeties in this defense, you have to feel pretty good with two guys from that group out (Tyus Fields and Baylen Buchanan). The corners kind of got their lunch money stolen. Alontae Taylor, in particular, struggled in covering Jauan Jennings. He's far from the first or last corner to run into that particular problem, but there weren't really any standout plays from the corners. That said, the corners played well last season and there's really no reason to think there's going to be some huge regression from the starters. There are some defensive backs still to enroll, as well. The group should be fine when it's all said and done, but the safeties were the standouts in the Orange & White Game.
Special Teams - I'm not really sure what to make of Freshman All-American Joe Doyle's seeming regression. Apparently, he's been booming punts on the practice field but faltering in Neyland, and his average of 37.5 yards per punt for the White team was evidence of some of that. However, he also kicked punts of 46 and 47 yards. Regardless, he was out-punted by Paxton Brooks by any measure. Punt returns were okay but not great. Ty Chandler and Bryce Thompson both had some solid kickoff returns with long returns of 35 and 28 respectively. Brooks appears to be the backup for field goal kicking duties and he has more than enough leg to do the job, although accuracy was an issue on a 46 yarder in the first quarter. Cimaglia didn't end up with any field goal attempts on the day. There appears to be a legitimate competition between Brooks and Cimaglia for the kickoff duties.
Overall - The offense showed signs of potentially being very explosive, but the playcalling also pretty clearly showed that Chaney wanted to get a good look at his quarterbacks as he called 69 pass plays to just 43 run plays. Given Chaney is usually close to a 50-50 play-caller or slightly skewed towards the run, the playcalling was obviously about looking at the signal-callers more than the running backs, who are a relatively well-established group. Being short-handed at running back likely influenced the playcalling as well. The defense showed flashes of being able to make explosive plays, and the playcalling on that side of the ball was aggressive at times. Neither the offenses or defenses looked like finished products. Time will tell how much more progress can be made by both groups, but there is additional help coming in on both offense and defense, and the Vols are at worst kicking the tires with transfers still. It was a productive spring. There's reason to expect a largely healthy roster come August and there is certainly talent to be found at almost every position group. How much further the team can go will depend on how quickly young players can catch on to the playbook and new level of play and how much further the guys already on campus can develop in the strength and conditioning program. This is a better team than it was at this time last spring, and it's really not even close. That much everyone should feel confident in.
Wednesday, February 27, 2019
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
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
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
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
Saturday, February 23, 2019
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.
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.
Wednesday, February 6, 2019
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.
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.
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