Author Archives: Brad Shepard

The Cold, Hard Truth About Tennessee Football

Our Tennessee Vols are not a good football team.

That doesn’t mean they won’t be or they can’t be. But they were awful in 2017, as we all know. And they didn’t look a whole lot better on Saturday.

They may say that you can’t tell a whole lot about a spring football game, and they’re right. But if you’ve been watching football as long as I have, you can tell when a team doesn’t have what it takes. This Vols team doesn’t. Yet.

Sure, quarterback Jarrett Guarantano looked much improved from a season ago, and there were times throughout the day when the first-team offense moved the ball well. That’s a good thing. It’s encouraging to see a player like senior Kyle Phillips look better after such a struggle-filled, injury-riddled career. He’s responded well to this new coaching staff, and it was evident Saturday. There’s good reason why Guarantano won the game’s MVP and Phillips was the spring’s top defensive performer.

But the Vols were very vanilla schematically with what it wanted to do. That makes the dreadful performance by the defense even more worrisome. Injuries was one main hindrance, and when some of the new guys get on campus this summer, they’ll help UT get a little better, too.

The SEC isn’t going anywhere, though, folks. First-year coach Jeremy Pruitt knows that. So, when he chided some of the players for quitting Saturday, it wasn’t without meaning or merit. As a matter of fact, the poor-mouthing was rampant in the postgame press conference, but what do you expect with what he was left with?

 

Ouch.

But what do you want him to say?

Do you want him to blow smoke and say we’re going to be good; to act like things are hunky-dorey? Do you want the Bob Shoop comments about a stud defense only to watch the tire fire that UT trotted out there the past couple of years? Do you want orange sunshine and unicorns trotting all over Rocky Top on a hillside strewn in lies?

I actually read several message-board posts today from fans who were perturbed with Pruitt calling out some of the fans for not filling Neyland Stadium on a beautiful spring afternoon. Still, a crowd of nearly 66,000 came to watch a bad team play in hopes that maybe what we had last year and what we thought we had this spring could magically improve before our eyes.

It hasn’t.

Say what you want about Pruitt chirping that some of the fans could have come and didn’t. After all, you can’t expect a proud group of fans fed up with failure to be fed McDonalds year after year and show up like they’re getting filet mignons. But even Pruitt’s comments for the fans weren’t all that bad. And they were weren’t false.

Pruitt wants the fans to come out and embrace something he can’t abide: A team that isn’t up to standards. I think the majority of us will once the season starts, but there’s really no reason to chide the fifth-largest attendance in school history for a practice game, especially when it was to watch a team you just spent the entire postgame press conference ripping.

They need to be ripped, though. And it’s a breath of fresh air that Pruitt is doing it. I don’t understand what some of you want. If you think he hasn’t “earned the right” to be so negative yet, to spend so much time talking about what Tennessee isn’t rather than trying to fix what it is, I think it’s obvious that’s what he’s ultimately trying to do. Is he a little surprised the roster is so bad? Sure, I think so. I mean, he watched the Vols get thrashed by his ‘Bama teams the past two years, but every coach has to believe they can come in and sprinkle some of their own secret sauce on the new team and have things improve.

The Vols may actually get better. Heck, I thought they were better on Saturday than they looked at any time during a historically horrible 2017 season. But they still aren’t anywhere near being where they need to be to be competitive in the SEC. Pruitt knows that, and he isn’t used to it. It’s going to take time for him to realize that it’s going to take a lot of time to get the Vols up to the standards he wants.

Pruitt has to recruit better than he’s currently recruiting. He needs to learn on the job the PR side of things — it took far too long for UT and the coaching staff to promote this spring game, and the mad dash to get the word out and try to “sell out” was too little, too late — but the football side of things will be fine. He isn’t going to tolerate quitting, and he isn’t going to tolerate failure when it comes to execution.

That’s why Saturday wasn’t acceptable to him. And while we all wanted a feel-good story to sweep us into the offseason, there simply isn’t one. There aren’t holes to fill as much as craters. There aren’t leadership gaps as much as gulfs. There isn’t a handful of players who’ve failed to live up to their recruiting rankings as much as the majority.

Thank Butch Jones for that. Seriously. I’ve said it once, and I’ll say it again: This is the worst shape of any roster left by any coach since Bill Battle. It’s worse than what Phil Fulmer left Lane Kiffin after a few bad years of recruiting at the end. It’s much worse than what Kiffin left Derek Dooley, and I think it’s even worse than what Dooley left Jones.

There might be three players on this team that would start for Alabama. Three. Perhaps that’s generous. Trey Smith and Jauan Jennings (neither of which played Saturday) could, and maybe Nigel Warrior would. That’s it. That’s all.

So, pardon Pruitt’s frustration if he sees what we all should and fails to sugarcoat it. The time for looking through orange-colored glasses is over. This is a bad football team, and we all have to hope Pruitt’s time with Nick Saban will help him fix that. Our new coach has a lot to learn, and he certainly has a lot to prove. But he’s proved before that he can identify talent, recruit it, and develop it.

There isn’t a whole lot of development that has gone on in Knoxville the past few years, and that’s the painful, obvious takeaway from Saturday. Pruitt may be able to squeeze the most out of these guys yet, but how high is that ceiling? If Saturday was it (and I’m not saying I think it was), but IF it was, we’re in for another long season.

What to Watch For: Tennessee’s 2018 Orange & White Game on Saturday

 

With temperatures expected to be beautiful under sunny skies and a lot of top-notch recruits heading to Knoxville to enjoy the festivities, the biggest focus needs to be on Shields-Watkins Field.

The top recruits aren’t going to head to Rocky Top without marked improvement on the field.

The Vols have released Saturday’s starters.

 

So, what are some things you need to see if you’re heading to the Orange & White Game on Saturday? Let’s take a look.

Jarrett Guarantano’s Improvement

Guarantano has been locked in a “battle” all spring with sophomore Will McBride, but his real competition arrives this fall when Stanford transfer Keller Chryst gets to town. With so little practice opened to the public or the media and so little coming from the mouths of coaches, we’re left searching for clues about Guarantano’s development.

This was once, after all, the nation’s top-ranked dual-threat quarterback, known for being able to run away from pressure and have the arm strength to throw receivers open downfield.

The receiving corps should be much improved this spring, even without Jauan Jennings healthy yet. Also, it’s going to be intriguing to see Guarantano in a passing offense that is determined to throw some downfield and actually use (gasp!) vertical passing patterns.

Has Guarantano’s internal clock improved, or will he still take too many sacks? Has he developed confidence enough in his arm to make the vital throws downfield? Will he get any help from his friends on the perimeter? What will he look like since he’s put on 15-20 pounds of muscle? Has it helped his already-strong arm talent? Will he be able to tuck-and-run under pressure?

There’s so much we need to see. I believe Tennessee’s ceiling is tied directly to Guarantano’s development in offensive coordinator Tyson Helton’s scheme. This is our first look at him operating it.

About those friends…

If Guarantano (or Chryst) is going to have success this season, Tennessee’s receiving corps needs to be much better than it ever was under the Butch Jones/Zach Azzanni/Kevin Beard days. Though Josh Malone had a nice junior season in 2016, the Vols rarely had any splash seasons out of its targets. (That’s hard to do when you’re constantly running toward the sideline.)

With Helton calling plays and renowned receivers coach David Johnson coaching up the pass-catchers, the Vols could show a dramatic improvement at the position. If Jennings keeps his head on straight, he will be an excellent No. 1 option in his junior year. That pushes Marquez Callaway and Brandon Johnson — a junior duo who have shown flashes — to a support role, where they could thrive. That isn’t a bad trio around which to start your offensive rebuild. Jennings won’t be on the field tomorrow, but it’ll be good to see if Callaway and Johnson can look the part of consistent SEC playmakers.

Beyond those guys, there’s more talent still. LaTrell Williams’ speed is an X-factor if he can stay healthy in the slot, and Tyler Byrd is back on that side of the ball after a failed experiment in the secondary. Jordan Murphy was once a 4-star recruit from Mississippi who came in and redshirted last year as an undersized prospect. He’s reportedly looked good at times this spring. Jacquez Jones drew some praise at the beginning of camp, and Joshua Palmer was a kid who got a lot of key reps as a true freshman a year ago.

There are playmakers in that bunch. The Vols just have to find them. And that’s taking into consideration the possibility that freshman Alontae Taylor will stay at cornerback, where he’s been a revelation so far. If he doesn’t, he’ll play some snaps on offense.

Taylor time

It’s hard to find potential stars on the roster Jones left coach Jeremy Pruitt, but the freshman who wound up staying home and choosing the Vols rather than go to Georgia or Alabama may be one. He wants to play offense, but Pruitt moved him to cornerback where UT needs a ton of help, and he may emerge as a starter on that side of the ball.

If he does, will the former Coffee County High School star embrace the role at cornerback? Or will he want to go back to catching passes, instead?

It’s possible he could get snaps on both sides of the ball in the spring game, and he looks like a budding star. You should watch him closely, because he’s going to help the ’18 Vols in some capacity. His final destination is yet to be determined, and he may wind up playing everywhere.

Alontae Taylor is that good.

Who can we rely on up front?

Simply put: The Vols need Trey Smith, K’rojhn Calbert and Chance Hall to be healthy come fall to have any chance of piecing together an offensive line capable of winning important games (or, heck, any games) in the SEC.

Smith is an All-American waiting to happen who isn’t playing this spring as he deals with an undisclosed medical issue. His career is in jeopardy, and though there’s some hope around him playing, it’s not a guarantee. That would be a crucial blow to UT and a young man who has such an incredible future in front of him. Calbert is a physical specimen who looks the part as a redshirt freshman but needs his knees to hold up to be a factor. He will be eventually, but will it be this year? And Hall’s knee issues have kept him off the field for two seasons after such a promising start to his career. That’s cautious optimism at best, but he’s in pads this spring. Will it stick?

So, with those guys out, why even bother with the line? Well, there are players we need to take giant leaps forward. Drew Richmond was once a 5-star National Signing Day flip who looked like a future anchor of the line. Entering his junior season, it’s important he turns it up a notch after an awful year in 2017. With Will Friend coaching him now, the long-time veteran coach should squeeze the most out of him.

Others I want to see are redshirt freshman center Riley Locklear and true freshman mid-term enrollee Jerome Carvin. Those are two kids who may wind up relied on this year, and they both have the ability to be excellent linemen. How far can they progress? Marcus Tatum has added weight on the outside, and Ryan Johnson will get an opportunity to show what he can do as well.

This offensive line isn’t in great shape at all, but if they can develop and UT can get the three injured players back along with JUCO transfer Jahmir Johnson, the Vols could piece together an OK front. That’s a big “if”, but we need to see who can be trusted tomorrow.

Ty-no-mite

For all the talk Pruitt has dished out about loving and wanting bigger backs, this spring has been about Ty Chandler proving he is still the top playmaker on that offense, regardless of size.

Chandler played at 5’11”, 195 pounds a season ago and had 253 yards and a pair of touchdowns in a reserve role to John Kelly as a true freshman. Though the Vols will have several bigger runners getting carries like Michigan State transfer Madre London and the sophomore duo of Trey Coleman and Tim Jordan, this is Chandler’s offense.

He is more than 200 pounds now and can carry the load between the tackles. He’s also got another gear when he can get to the second level. Just how good of a year he can have depends on the development of the offensive line, but Chandler has a ton of talent. He’s the former No. 5 running back in the 2016 class, so he can play.

He’ll get his opportunity this year, and it’ll be exciting to see if he can break some plays tomorrow.

Not Shy about this need

One of the most important positions on Pruitt’s defense is the cog in the middle. There have been reports this spring of it being difficult for UT runners to find lanes. Is that because the offensive line is awful, or because the defensive line is playing better than expected?

This is Shy Tuttle’s final year in Knoxville. At times, he was UT’s most effective defensive lineman, but injuries derailed a once-impressive career. Last year, he was just OK in a Bob Shoop unit that was dreadful against the run. He’s found a second wind this spring, and though he isn’t the bulkiest lineman, he’s going to be the cog in the center of that defensive line.

The Vols need for him to hold his own, clog up the middle and push running plays to the outside. You must have a quality defensive line to compete in the SEC, and the Vols never had that under Jones. If they’re going to surprise on that side of the ball in ’18, Tuttle needs to be the glue guy in the center of the offense.

He may just be the most important puzzle piece over there.

A glimmer of hope on the second level

All the question marks surrounding the Vols are worrisome, but there appears to be excitement at linebacker, where they have a wealth of potential playmakers. Even with Darrin Kirkland Jr. and Daniel Bituli — two big ‘backers tailor-made for the interior of a 3-4 scheme — out for much of this spring, they’ve found capable players at the position.

Quart’e Sapp has always been fast, and he’s noticeably added weight and is making a ton of plays this spring. He appears to be a factor on the interior along with sophomore Will Ignont, a Buckhorn High School product from New Market, Alabama, near the Tennessee state line, who looks to be ideal for that position as well. Between those four battlers, the Vols are going to be stout on the interior of the linebacking corps, and all will play. Can Sapp slide over and play on the outside? He’s big enough to.

The Vols have a very good problem at that spot, and I’m excited to watch Sapp and Ignont in the middle tomorrow. They’ve drawn a lot of praise. Bituli is back and playing tomorrow, which is exciting, because he’s a big-time playmaker who looks like a great fit for this defense.

On the outside, Austin Smith is leading the battle against JUCO transfer Jordan Allen and others right now, and former defensive end Darrell Taylor is the pass-rushing Jack linebacker who has a lock on a starting gig. Deandre Johnson has enjoyed a nice spring and is starting at the other outside spot over Smith and others. That’s a big development.

Coveted recruit J.J. Peterson isn’t even on campus yet, so he will challenge Smith and Johnson. There are a lot of excellent options on the second level for the Vols, at a position that looks to be one of strength. We’ll hopefully get a glimpse of that tomorrow.

Who’s with Warrior?

Finally, Nigel Warrior looks like the bell cow of this defense on the back level. But who’s going to roll with him in the secondary?

We’ve already talked about Taylor’s emergence as Pruitt looks to find capable corners. Marquill Osborne hasn’t taken full advantage of his opportunity this spring like many hoped, but others have. Osborne did, however, come on at the end of spring and is listed as a spring game starter. Shawn Shamburger looks like the probable Star right now — a vital position in Pruitt’s defense. The Vols should have had senior Rashaan Gaulden at that spot, but he left for the NFL when he should have stayed. So, that’s a spot up for grabs.

Baylen Buchanan has emerged, and the junior from Lawrenceville, Georgia, recognizes his time to shine. He’s the son of former NFL All-Pro cornerback Big Play Ray Buchanan, and though he struggled a year ago, he did see the field as a true freshman, so this isn’t out of the blue. He looks to be a starter at corner.

Theo Jackson and Cheyenne Labruzza are two other players who’ll be able to help, but where and in what capacity? Shamburger and Jackson look like the two most capable players this spring, but do they have big-play ability? Micah Abernathy has been great at times during his career at UT but is coming off an awful season in Jones’ final campaign. If he returns to form and the Vols get Todd Kelly Jr. back healthy this fall, they’ll have some potential players in the secondary.

But cornerback is a major concern, and so is depth and youth. The Vols need to find players back there quickly. Trevon Flowers, Kenny George Jr., and Brandon Davis arrive this summer to hopefully help.

Tennessee Football: Pruitt Offering No Clues About Quarterback Competition

 

It’s kind of hard to have a full-tilt quarterback competition when only half of your quarterback arsenal is on campus.

So, it isn’t [only] that Jeremy Pruitt has been stubborn with information so far this spring; it’s just that he isn’t able to see the entire picture yet, so there’s no reason to give us any information regarding a hotly anticipated quarterback competition that could ultimately be the difference in this Vols team sputtering along again or climbing toward postseason eligibility.

Throughout Pruitt’s first six press conferences this spring, he mentioned Jarrett Guarantano’s name only once, according to Knoxville News-Sentinel reporter Blake Toppmeyer. Though that number has gone up, you’d still be hard-pressed to find anywhere where the first-year head coach praised Guarantano or competitor Will McBride.

Though Guarantano — who started six of Tennessee’s final seven games a season ago — is expected to be a frontrunner for the job, you wouldn’t know it by spring buzz. Pruitt speaks of the redshirt sophomore and McBride (a true sophomore) together, refusing to signal anybody out. He mostly just sidesteps any discussion about individual performances, offers scant praise and talks about both needing to be more consistent.

Practice reports on the pay sites whisper here and there information from sources talking about Guarantano being much sharper more consistently than McBride. Though receivers have dropped their share of passes this spring, Guarantano’s deep ball reportedly has been praised. Just don’t expect to hear that from Pruitt, or his assistants considering Pruitt rarely lets them talk, either.

So, you’re starved for information? Join the club. This has been the least newsworthy spring in my lifetime. That’s probably the way Pruitt wants it, too, considering UT isn’t in any shape to be competing for anything of any substance right now and needs all the practice it can get to return to respectability. But it’s difficult squeezing any morsel of information out of practices that see 80 percent closure and a coaching staff that doesn’t try to control the message; they simply don’t give one at all.

While Guarantano and McBride are on campus and have begun the battle, a key piece of the puzzle awaits. Stanford graduate transfer Keller Chryst is a big-bodied, rugged signal-caller who has been in some important games for the Cardinal. He’s a pro-style passer, which fits more closely with offensive coordinator Tyson Helton’s philosophy. So, while it would be a mistake and short-sighted to call Chryst the favorite for the job, he at least will have a say-so in the competition. He’ll get to Knoxville this spring, and he’s expected to be Guarantano’s primary competition for the starting gig.

Then there’s incoming true freshman J.T. Shrout. The former California commitment isn’t really expected to factor into the QB battle this year, but given how open it is, it’s not out of the question. If Helton thinks this year is about building for the future and he finds Guarantano isn’t the answer, Shrout is a wild card if he catches on quickly. Still, as turnover-prone as he was in high school, that’s a long shot. He likely needs a year to learn the system, get bigger and get coached up.

Spring practice is offering some glimpses into some position battles and some players who are taking advantage of opportunities. With Darrin Kirkland Jr. and Daniel Bituli limited this spring, junior Quart’e Sapp and sophomore Will Ignont have shined at linebacker. Nigel Warrior looks like a star-in-the-making while other defensive backs such as Baylen Buchanan, Theo Jackson and Cheyenne Labruzza have taken positive steps forward. Shy Tuttle looks like the man in the middle of the line for the Vols, and there’s a lot of excitement around Darrell Taylor.

Offensively, Marquez Callaway and Ty Chandler are exciting players, and even though the offensive line is still searching for depth and cohesion, it’s a positive development that star Trey Smith has done work on the sideline while K’Rojhn Calbert, Chance Hall and Nathan Niehaus are at least back in pads trying to shake off rust from injuries.

It’s not like spring has been devoid of news; it’s just not the news we hoped.

With the spring game looming not too far from now, we’ll all have to wait and see who looks like they’ve grown from the quarterback position. Is Guarantano’s internal clock better, or is he still taking too many sacks? Does he realize when to tuck and run, and does he trust his arm to make all the throws in a vertical attack? Does McBride even fit this system in the least, or is he just valuable depth? Can he see over defenses, and is his pocket presence improved?

These are important questions that will go a long way in determining the quarterback battle. The answers won’t be found in Pruitt’s comments or in practice reports (because there are no visible important sessions on which to report). We’ll be watching at the spring game, hoping to catch a glimmer of what to expect, but even then, it’s going to be impossible to judge anything with the QBs in black jerseys going against a defense that was so bad a season ago.

Pruitt, Helton and Co. are getting an idea how this quarterback battle stands. It helps Guarantano and McBride that they’re on campus getting reps in front of the coaches. It helps Chryst and Shrout that they’re more the types of quarterback who look ready to run a pro-style system.

Which one wins out? We’ll have to wait to find out. We sure aren’t getting any clues this spring.

Tennessee Football: Will the Pruitt Way Be the Winning Way?

You’re a Tennessee fan, and you’re skeptical. The two things may as well be synonymous after what we’ve been through for the past decade-plus, especially after what our dysfunctional administration put us through this offseason.

New head football coach Jeremy Pruitt doesn’t deserve the benefit of the doubt yet, and, quite frankly, he probably doesn’t want it. Like everything else in his career, he realizes he has to earn it, too.

You shouldn’t give him the benefit of the doubt, either. You should be in wait-and-see mode.

After all, most of us talked ourselves into Derek Dooley and Butch Jones, even while the nation around us warned that they were reaches, at best. As the program burned all around us, we were like that meme, stuck in the middle of the room on fire, saying, “This is fine.”

This isn’t fine. 4-8 isn’t fine. Winless in the SEC isn’t fine. The roster being in such shambles that Pruitt and his coaching staff having to experiment with position changes galore just to find diamonds in a field of quartz isn’t fine.

But it’s what we have. It’s what Pruitt inherited, and nobody hears him complaining, even if you don’t hear him heaping praise, either. Instead — unlike the past two regimes — everybody in the nation is telling us to hold tight, because Pruitt and this great staff he assembled know what they’re doing, and they’ll get Tennessee back on the right track.

We’re not seeing a used-car salesman of the highest order in Knoxville anymore. Butch Barnum has left the circus tent.

There are covert practices taking place in Knoxville, mainly because Pruitt learned at the knee of Nick Saban, and we’re all starved because we know very little about what’s happening at practice, and our reporters are seeing very little to know what to report. Truth be told, there’s probably little to see. We all should know what Tennessee football is going to be in 2018, and it isn’t going to be a pretty picture. It’s going to take more than an offseason to wash the Butch Jones stink off the program.

But you can bet one thing: Pruitt is putting his fingerprints all over this program.

Is that a good thing? We certainly don’t know yet, but we know one thing for sure. It isn’t the same as Jones’ fingerprints. And we know that isn’t bad, don’t we?

The reports from spring practice are about what you’d expect. Gone is the blaring music at drills. It seems that the coaching staff is actually more interested in the players hearing what they have to say than listening to Lil’ Wayne (or whatever kids are listening to these days). There isn’t as much hype or hyperbole. Instead, it’s just straight talk, and not all of it is what we want to hear. But I think we all probably believe it’s the truth, because Pruitt isn’t the type of guy who’ll sugarcoat anything.

Players are talking little, and assistants are talking less. Pruitt is controlling the message and has mentioned to reporters he wants everything to be about getting better this spring and for players to be in full-on business mode. Maybe that gums up the conduit between the program and the public, but none of that matters if they wind up better than we think they’ll be, now does it?

Pruitt is not going to come out and say there are a lot of orange turds in the punch bowl, but you can tell by the way he’s shuffling and trying to find some more puzzle pieces that fit what he wants to do that this roster isn’t in the shape he wants it. This spring has the feel of, “Well, we’re going to do whatever it takes to get to six or seven wins.” Am I reading between the lines? Well, yeah. Aren’t we all?

I don’t think the “Pruitt way” is hoarding graduate transfers or hitting up JUCOs for players. I don’t think the “Pruitt way” is moving kids all over the field to try to find a place where they may play the best. And I don’t think the “Pruitt way” is stripping all the fun away from football.

I think the “Pruitt way” is winning. And I know he’s done it before at the highest level and believe he knows what it takes. I believe he sees the roster is in shambles, knows to recruit at the highest level he has to show marked progress on the field and is trying to piece together a team in ’18 that can compete, and I believe he’s trying to use some of what he has to get there and sprinkle in others he doesn’t have.

So if Alontae Taylor is better at cornerback (where he’s getting a look right now during practice and where Pruitt recruited him to play while at UA) or LaTrell Bumphus is better at defensive end than tight end — and both have a clearer path to help the Vols in 2018 at those positions — that’s where they’ll play. Both of them may go back to offense, but why not look?

It’s part of a pedigree of success, a pedigree of toughness and a pedigree of championships. Butch didn’t have it. Dooley didn’t have it. The biggest difference in those guys and Pruitt, is the new guy does.

“It was very exciting (when Tennessee hired Pruitt), just seeing all the national championships he’s won, and especially with the coaching staff he’s brought in,” senior defensive lineman Kyle Phillips told GoVols247’s Patrick Brown. “We have a great coaching staff here, and I’ll believe we’ll be successful for it.

“This coaching staff, they’re definitely being tough, especially after a bad season last year, they want us to get the most out of this upcoming season. They believe that we have the talent in the room to do it. And I think we can do it, if we buy in.”

What is the “most” out of the season? Six wins? Seven wins? Could Tennessee somehow get to eight? Few probably think the latter is in the question, but the coaches and players aren’t limiting themselves, and that’s what you want to hear. There’s a reason why it’s exciting that players like Quart’e Sapp, Will Ignont, Jarrett Guarantano and others are bigger and more athletic. There’s a reason to be excited about UT’s personnel fitting a 3-4 scheme better than a 4-3. There’s a reason to be excited about throwing the ball vertically more and having bigger running backs who can get tough yards between tackles.

We have to hope in the little things because the Jones era didn’t leave Pruitt anything big to inherit. We have to find solace in what left with the previous regime.

Gone is the unfolding rusty lawn chair offense of Jones that appeared allergic to vertical routes, tried to work East and West to run from defenders, and make 1st-and-goal from the 2 1st-and-goal from 8 by lining up in shotgun formations.

Maybe this team will play some real football on offense and some real football on defense. Maybe we’ve got a real football coach this time. As my good buddy Wes Rucker said, “Coach Pruitt is the kind of guy who’ll put a dip in and sit in the field house and just talk ball with a high school coach for a couple hours.”

All of us who played ball can appreciate that. Pruitt has worked for every job he’s ever gotten, and he’s been successful every step of the way. He fully expects to be successful at Tennessee, too. But anybody who is expecting an overnight sensation is fooling himself. Get ready to scoff and hear the snide remarks, to feel like “this is the same ol’ Tennessee” as the losses pile up in 2018. Just be ready.

But don’t be surprised if it changes soon. The culture is already changing. Players’ bodies are already changing. Recruiting is already changing.

With Phillip Fulmer in charge of the athletic department and Pruitt in charge of the football program, there feels like an old-school approach to things around UT. Will that include winning? We’re all eagerly awaiting that to happen. We all hope it will happen, and while we all yearn for it to happen quickly, common sense and a look up and down the roster tell us we’re going to have to be patient yet again. You can blame Pruitt — and you probably will at some point in 2018 — but that isn’t his fault. When you make awful hire after awful hire, you rebuild every four or five years. Otherwise, the hires wouldn’t be awful, would they?

I’d love to sit here and tell you, “Be patient because the wins will come.” But I can’t. All I can tell you is expect to win soon. Why?

Because it’s the “Pruitt way.” And everything else so far is being done the way he wants.

Tennessee Recruiting Efforts Show Commitment to More Beef

This past week might be more indicative of what we should expect from the Jeremy Pruitt regime, as the relationships he’s taken time to build manifested itself in a flurry of commitments.

One common theme throughout most of these new pledges is that they’re bigger than the players currently on campus. That’s no surprise. Pruitt mentioned several times over the course of his first few months that he wanted to see the Vols get bigger — both in the weight room and on the recruiting trail with the type of athlete they were recruiting.

Not only have we noticed in drills that a lot of the players are bigger (guys like quarterback Jarrett Guarantano and linebacker Quart’e Sapp) but also, the guys Pruitt is bringing in are elevating the average size of the roster.

The week started with an expected pledge from Cartersville, Georgia, tight end Jackson Lowe, who Tennessee loved and had high atop their list at the tight end position — a major need for the team in this recruiting cycle. At 6’5″, 242 pounds, Lowe is athletic for his size, can catch passes and looks to be a strong inline blocker. He’s used to catching passes and pass-blocking, as his quarterback a season ago was top-ranked signal-caller Trevor Lawrence, a player who grew up high on the Vols but ultimately chose Clemson because of failures by the previous regime.

Lowe was coveted by many of the top teams in the country, including Clemson, but fell in love with the Vols, Pruitt, tight ends coach Brian Niedermeyer and commitment Jackson Lampley.

Tennessee continued the trend with a defensive tackle pledge from LeDarrius Cox, a 6’4″, 305-pound defensive tackle from McGill Toolen High School in Mobile, Alabama. He had offers from Georgia, Ole Miss, Texas A&M and others, and he will be a high-rising recruit. Though he’s just a 3-star prospect, he’ll see his interest surge. It’ll be interesting to see what happens if Alabama or Auburn pulls the trigger because everybody knows how hard it is to pull players out of the Yellowhammer State, especially with the way both those instate teams are currently surging.

Earlier in the week, Tennessee pulled 2020 athlete Kristian Story from Alabama, a 6’2″, 207-pound athlete who is one of the nation’s top 200 players in that class. He’s expected to be one of the top overall players from the state in that group, which could be Pruitt’s best class with all the time to build relationships.

Tennessee followed up Cox’s recruitment with a commitment from an old name. JUCO defensive end Darel Middlelton, who chose UT while he was an underclassman at Powell High School. He transferred to Oak Ridge, had some off-the-field issues and wound up at East Mississippi Community College. He was once a 240-pound tight end prospect, but now he’s a 6’7″, 290-pound defensive end. It’s unclear whether he’d be part of the 2018 or ’19 class for the Vols, who are trying to get him in, but he’s an elite athlete if he can make the grades.

Sure, he’ll be rough around the edges, but a player of that size is somebody Tennessee can’t afford to turn away. Pruitt liked him when he was at Alabama, and teams like LSU and Georgia showed a lot of interest in him, too. If Tennessee can start getting big bruisers like him and 300-pound JUCO commitment Emmit Gooden in school, that’s a positive development for a program that looks like it finally wants to start competing to play SEC football.

It shouldn’t be a surprise that Tennessee is going after all these big-name prospects who are bigger in stature, too. Pruitt immediately noticed the size discrepancy when he got to Rocky Top. Simply put: There were times a year ago when UT didn’t look like an SEC team, and that goes for the team throughout the roster.

That’s why the Vols vowed to get bigger, and they did at places like running back where they recruited 6’2″, 220-pound Jeremy Banks and received a graduate transfer from Michigan State power runner Madre London, who is 6’1″, 220. Heck, even Keller Chryst, the graduate transfer quarterback, is 240 pounds.

It just so happens the nation’s top-ranked player is a running back/outside linebacker from North Carolina named Quavaris Crouch, who is a monstrous 6’2″, 224 pounds and who has already visited Tennessee for a multi-day visit. Of course, the Vols will have plenty of competition for him, but they’re going to be in the race for the long haul.

For those looking for a quick fix in Knoxville, you’re probably going to be disappointed. The roster deficiencies Butch Jones left are prevalent. The argument can be made that the roster — at least in places — is worse than the one he took over when Derek Dooley was fired, which is crazy considering the good recruiting Jones did at times. That speaks to his failures in player development, and it’s why UT fans hold out hope that the new staff can get the most out of players who were expected to play better than their careers have proved thus far.

But you simply can’t play SEC football with a finesse scheme on either side of the ball. That was evidenced by all the injuries the Vols suffered the past few years and also by the fact that Tennessee had few players on its team that made any game-breaking plays on either side of the ball. They were kind of just … there.

When you see Alabama and Georgia step onto the field, you see physical freaks flying around all over the field, making tackles or breaking tackles, making plays and forcing turnovers or scoring touchdowns. Tennessee isn’t there, and the ’18 version of the Vols probably won’t be, either.

But Pruitt has seen it up close and personal while with the Tide and Dawgs. Heck, he recruited a lot of those players making those plays. So, he knows what it takes.

The Tennessee transformation has begun.

Tennessee Spring Has Sprung: 5 Intriguing Vols Storylines to Watch

The Jeremy Pruitt era officially began Tuesday as the Tennessee Volunteers took to the practice field for the first of 15 spring practices. Coming off the program’s worst year in history and a winless slate in the SEC, hope is all we have.

Hope of improvement. Hope of development and actual coaching. And hope that some new blood injected in the program will produce enough wins to get back to bowl eligibility.

After back-to-back 9-4 seasons under Butch Jones, 2017 spiraled out of control. Now, the Vols appear in shambles from a roster standpoint, in worse shape, arguably, than they were when Jones took over for Derek Dooley.

This is the early 1980s all over again.

But, we have to start somewhere, don’t we? You aren’t going to beat Georgia and Alabama for recruits until you prove you can win football games. The Vols can’t do that this spring, but they can take steps toward being a better team. There are miles and miles to go before we play.

Let’s take a look at five things to watch as we embark on the spring.

 

Can Jarrett Guarantano get separation?

Throughout the miserable end of the 2017 football season, Tennessee’s talented redshirt freshman quarterback showed flashes of growth. What’s he going to do once a real quarterbacks coach gets a hold of him now that Tyson Helton is in town?

There’s a reason why Guarantano was the nation’s top-rated dual-threat quarterback according to the 247Sports composite rankings in the 2016 class. The only questions are will he ever get to prove it behind an adequate offensive line, and how will his skill set fit within the framework of this pro-style offense?

Experts said that during his high school days, Guarantano was a pass-first quarterback, and he never proved to be the type of freelancing runner Joshua Dobbs was, anyway. There’s nothing wrong with being able run a little when the pocket collapses, but quarterbacks have to be able to throw the deep ball and the intermediate routes consistently. Guarantano needs to prove he can, or he won’t be the guy.

Keller Chryst is standing over there, watching, and he didn’t transfer from Stanford for his final season to stand on the sideline. He’s coming in to start, and Guarantano will have a battle on his hands once Chryst gets on campus. JG likely won’t have an issue beating out Will McBride, who seems like a poor fit for this scheme, but Chryst is a different story.

Last year, Guarantano’s major issues dealt with timing and accuracy. He struggled being on the same page with his receivers, and the internal clocks quarterbacks need to keep them from getting drive-killing sacks didn’t exist. A lot of that is because of a lack of maturity, but he’ll get lapped if he doesn’t pick it up quickly.

Chryst is right there waiting, JT Shrout is a talented freshman who might be the future, and this staff is going to go after elite signal-callers every year. In other words, Guarantano had better embrace the competition this spring, assert himself as the definitive guy right now and get a head start on Chryst.

If he does that, it’ll be big for his future and, more importantly, for Tennessee’s present.

 

Position changes steal the spotlight

One of the things we always stayed frustrated about during the Jones era was maximizing the potential of the roster. Sometimes, it was elite prospects not getting any better. At others, it was players we thought fit better at other positions who were locked at places where they were either buried on the depth chart or couldn’t reach their potential.

The perfect example of this, of course, is Tyler Byrd. The South Florida product flipped from Miami on National Signing Day’s eve two years ago, and we all waited to see whether he’d be a safety or a cornerback on the next level. Basically everybody who was anybody recruited him to play defense.

Yet, he’s been wasting away on the second- or third-string at wide receiver during his first two years.

This spring, he’s getting a crack at cornerback, and that’s an exciting development. Also, his best friend and high school teammate, Carlin Fils-aime, is getting the opportunity to play corner as well. He showed flashes at running back a season ago, but he was going to be buried on the depth chart there, especially with Michigan State graduate transfer Madre London coming in. With Ty Chandler, Tim Jordan, Trey Coleman and Jeremy Banks on the roster, CFA wouldn’t going to be a factor. Why not put him somewhere where he can? I like it.

When Latrell Bumphus committed to Tennessee over a bunch of nice offers, it was unclear whether he’d play tight end or defensive end. Though some schools (like Jeremy Pruitt at Alabama) was recruiting him to play defensive end, the Vols let him start on offense. Now, Bumphus has grown to nearly 280 pounds, and he is getting a look as a 3-4 defensive end. With his speed and explosion, he’s at least worth a look at a position of need.

An exciting development that transpired today was the news that this coaching staff is high on Princeton Fant, a player who was an afterthought in last year’s class after an injury-riddled senior season. He came in as a wide receiver, moved to tight end, was thought to be able to play linebacker, and nobody was sure where he was going to play or if he was. Pruitt and Co. are giving him a seven-practice look at running back. That’s an intriguing thought considering Fant is a nice-looking athlete who is around 6’2″, 220 pounds. Those guys don’t grow on trees, and if he develops a knack for the position, he’s got four years left to grow.

Ja’Quain Blakely, who was a linebacker under Jones, is moving over to tight end to get a look there. Also — even though this was to be expected — some players who were defensive ends will drop back and play outside “Jack” linebacker in a 3-4. The perfect player for that position is Darrell Taylor, but Austin Smith is another guy who can get a look there.

 

Talent rejuvenation

So, who is going to flourish under Pruitt?

Aren’t you sick of the days of guys like Kahlil McKenzie, Todd Kelly Jr. and Jonathan Kongbo coming in as highly coveted recruits and never getting any better? Thanks, Butch. Hopefully, those days are over. UT’s coaching staff has been lauded by virtually everybody as being an experienced, excellent group of developers.

Some candidates to come out of the woodwork and reach their potential are Taylor and Kongbo. I think we could see both of those guys come through and be dependable players in 2018. Though Nigel Warrior arguably was Tennessee’s best player a season ago, he could blossom and be the defensive leader this year.

As for guys who’ve not really done much who could thrive? Receivers Jacquez Jones and LaTrell Williams are a duo of guys with speed and ability who could turn heads and develop under receivers coach David Johnson. Both of those guys are same type of player as Memphis stud Anthony Miller, who Johnson helped from a lightly-recruited no-star to a guy who’ll assuredly get drafted this year.

The Vols desperately need a couple of offensive linemen to step up, and with such a slim group out there this spring, it’s a great opportunity for freshmen Jerome Carvin and Ollie Lane as well as redshirt freshman Riley Locklear. I like their potential, and at least one (and probably two) of them will be rotational players in ’18.

Defensively, there are plenty of reasons to be excited about redshirt freshman Theo Jackson and junior Marquill Osborne. One of those guys never got the chance to blossom under Jackson, and Osborne — who was heavily recruited by Clemson, Ohio State and others — hasn’t reached his potential. Can he be a playmaker for the Vols? He’s got the talent to be.

 

Passing the test

Having a vertical passing attack is a nice theory. If the Vols can do that, it’ll open some things up on offense and give UT an element it never really had under Jones.

But you can’t pass the football if you don’t have anybody who can catch it.

It’s massive news for the Vols that Jauan Jennings is back (for now) and even though he is out for this spring battling injuries, he’s got the potential to be one of the top receivers in the SEC if he can stay healthy and keep his head on straight. But UT needs more than just him.

We’ve already mentioned Jones and Williams as a couple of possible breakout stars. But UT has other players who are capable of doing nice things with the ball in their hands. Rising junior Brandon Johnson led the team with 482 receiving yards a season ago, and everybody knows how good Marquez Callaway can be if he consistently gets open and can get the ball. He doesn’t always get separation, and he and Guarantano wasn’t on the same page a season ago, but if they can get there, this receiving corps has a lot of potential.

Just think of Jennings, Callaway and Johnson as a trio if they live up to their potential. That would give UT a backup corps of Jones, Williams, and we haven’t even mentioned Josh Palmer, who proved to be the Vols best receiver at getting open a season ago, even if he struggled to catch the ball consistently.

Jordan Murphy has some potential too, and the redshirt freshman will get a chance to prove it this spring. We also haven’t mentioned Alontae Taylor, who may well be Tennessee’s top offensive recruit from the ’18 class, and he’s on campus ready to try to crack the two-deep rotation. Cedric Tillman will get here this summer, so that’s another possibility in the rotation.

This is an exciting group to watch, and, yes, they were terrible a season ago. But they will get great coaching from Williams, and in this offense, a few of them could shine. That starts this spring.

Where do the defensive pieces fit?

Finally, we all want to know where everybody is going to fit as the Vols transition to a 3-4 base package.

As I’ve mentioned, Taylor and Smith will drop back and be outside linebackers who’ll get after the quarterback. JUCO transfer Jordan Allen, who certainly looks the part in pictures after coming in from San Francisco in the early signing period, will battle for a starting outside ‘backer position, as well.

The Vols already have a great middle linebacker in Darrin Kirkland Jr., but he’s yet to prove he can stay healthy. There’s a big opportunity for Alabama sophomore Will Ignont, who belongs in the section above regarding breakout players. He’s a big, fast linebacker who looks like he belongs on the Crimson Tide roster, and he’ll get the opportunity to win a spot at inside ‘backer as well. Don’t forget about Daniel Bituli, who was one of Tennessee’s biggest playmakers a season ago. He’ll have a shot to win a spot, too.

It’s going to be interesting to see who plays the all-important “Star” position in Pruitt’s defense, which was so dynamic during Pruitt’s days with the Tide. Theo Jackson and Osborne could get looks there, and Jackson seems like a perfect fit for that spot. Shawn Shamburger could wind up being a guy who gets a look there, too. He’s simply too good to keep off the field, and if he doesn’t play at that spot, he will at cornerback.

Opportunities abound, and it’s going to be interesting to see where guys like Kongbo and Kyle Phillips fit on the defensive front, too. How about Alexis Johnson? He and Shy Tuttle look like they’ll be nose guards in this scheme, but are they big enough? Can Eric Crosby be conditioned enough to make a difference inside? Is Matthew Butler going to break the rotation at defensive end?

A lot of these questions need to be answered, and we’ll start finding them out during spring.

Tennessee Gets Michigan State Transfer Running Back Madre London

 

Tennessee needs immediate-impact playmakers all over the field, and that’s why the Volunteers are such an attractive option for graduate transfers.

A week after getting Stanford quarterback Keller Chryst, UT added another player who figures to get important touches on Sunday night when Michigan State senior transfer Madre London announced via Twitter that he’ll finish his career at Tennessee.

Just this week, I wrote for Bleacher Report that London was looking to leave the Spartans, and I predicted he’d wind up with Notre Dame, only because there hadn’t been any buzz out there on where he’d go. In that same piece, I predicted (wildly guessed) the Vols would go after and get Clemson running back C.J. Fuller. I had it right that the Vols would go after a runner, but I got the wrong one.

Instead, London wanted to go somewhere and get started. That’s why the Vols were a perfect fit.

There’s no question London wanted to go somewhere where he could get vital carries, and there’s also no doubt the Vols need a power back who can churn out yards. Just like UT wants to go to a more downfield passing attack, they also want a power running game, and with John Kelly off to the NFL, there aren’t any proven options there. Incoming freshman Jeremy Banks will serve that role in the future, but will he be ready in 2018?

That’s why London was necessary.

It appears London was wanted by the Vols all along, at least according to ESPN.com’s Adam Rittenberg:

Sophomore Ty Chandler should be the starting running back, but London brings with him valuable reps in the Big Ten. He’s not going to be a guy who can break off 40- or 50-yard runs, but he played three years in East Lansing, finishing with 924 yards and eight touchdowns in three seasons.

He looked like he may be the Spartans’ primary back as a freshman when he had more than 500 yards, but he got injured, and LJ Scott took over; he’d never relinquish the job. In that span of time, Scott had 2,591 yards and 25 touchdowns, and with him returning for his senior year, London was going to be the backup again. So, he’ll go to Tennessee where he can carve a niche for himself.

He averaged four yards per carry in his career, and at 6’1″, 218 pounds, he’s a between-the-tackles player who can move the chains in short-yardage situation. That’s exactly what UT needs; the Vols don’t need an every-down back, but they need somebody who can get tough yards.

Getting London will allow the Vols to bring Banks along slowly and also to work in Chandler and Tim Jordan. With Carlin Fils-Aime moving to cornerback this spring to work on that side of the ball, depth was an important need for the Vols at the position, and London brings it.

“They (have) been letting me know the situation I can be a part of this fall,” London told GoVols247’s Ryan Callahan recently. “They feel like I can play a big role in the offense, and they were looking for a player that is used to playing in big games and that is used to playing in front of a big crowd.”

Tennessee Basketball Nets No. 3 Seed in South Region; Starts NCAA Tournament Against Wright State in Dallas

 

Beat Kentucky on Sunday, and Tennessee could have stared down a No. 2 seed, and the Vols were hoping they’d be getting it in their back yard in Nashville.

Instead, following a 77-72 loss to Kentucky in the SEC Tournament Final, UT had to settle for what could wind up a pretty sweet consolation prize. Rick Barnes’ Vols wound up getting a pretty sweet draw in Dallas. No, they won’t get to play in the friendly confines of the Music City, but a glimpse at Tennessee’s bracket shows favorable matchups all the way through to the Sweet 16 and perhaps even the Elite 8.

First thing’s first with the news: Tennessee got the No. 3 seed in the South Region, playing No. 14 seed Wright State in Dallas on Thursday. The Raiders went 25-9 and finished second in the Horizon League, trouncing Cleveland State 74-57 in the tournament final to earn the automatic bid.

So, what does Tennessee know about the Raiders?

Yep. That’s about as much as we all know, but let’s look a little deeper at them and the Horizon League.

Northern Kentucky won the regular-season title, but Wright State was the best team throughout the season. The Raiders beat the regular-season champions both times it played them, by narrow margins each time. They also beat Georgia Tech, 85-81 in Atlanta back in December. There were some bad losses throughout the year, too, but Wright State is a well put-together team that thrives defensively but is inconsistent scoring the basketball.

The Raiders are led by senior guards Grant Benzinger and Justin Mitchell, as well as 6’9″, 275-pound freshman sensation  Loudon Love, who averages 12.9 points and 9.8 boards per game. But they have just two players over 6’7″, and they don’t pose much of a match-up threat for UT. They are 27th nationally in scoring defense, allowing just 65.7 points per game, though they score just 72.1 (225th).

For what it’s worth, 5Dimes’ early line says the Vols are a 13.5-point favorite.

After going 12-3 over their last 15 games, the Vols finished with their highest seed since 2008. They unquestionably wanted to get that elusive SECT title with a third win over Kentucky on Sunday, but the the focus now shifts toward five days of rest and preparation for Wright State.

If the Vols get past the Raiders and the winner of the Miami-Loyola (Chicago) winner in the round of 32, they’ll be rewarded with a near-home trip to Atlanta for the regional finals where No. 2 seed Cincinnati could await in the Sweet 16 and a date with top-ranked Virginia could be the draw in the Elite 8.  While Loyola would be a tough out as an 11 seed, the Vols surprisingly match up well with all of those teams. Cincinnati is arguably the team the Vols could have unseated as a two-seed had they won Sunday, so, in my opinion, that’s the worst No. 2.

While Virginia is arguably the best team in the country, the Hoos aren’t going to embarrass anybody with their offense. So, that could be a rugged showdown if the Vols were to make it that far. Also, Virginia must get past Kentucky and Arizona in its half of the bracket, so that’s no guarantee, either. Is it possible the Vols could play Big Blue Nation for a FOURTH time?

Boy, wouldn’t that be fun?

Heck, this is the NCAA tournament. You have to know you’re going to have some very tough games against very good opponents, but the bottom line is this really worked out well for Tennessee. This isn’t where the Vols wanted to be (in Nashville), and while it’s a seed lower than they wanted to be, it’s where we all expected.

Now, it’s time to take this positive step forward, run with it and close the year on a high note.

As far as the other SEC teams, it goes like this. Tennessee earned the best seed because it was the best team from the jump, even if Kentucky is arguably hotter (and inarguably more talented) right now.

Kentucky is with Tennessee in the South, earning a No. 5 seed and a first-round tilt with Davidson, which beat Rhode Island and knocked Notre Dame out of the tournament. If the Wildcats win, they’ll perhaps have to face one of the nation’s hottest teams in the Arizona Wildcats for the opportunity to play Virginia if the seeds hold. Man, that’s a tough draw.

Auburn landed as the No. 4 seed in the Midwest after dropping its quarterfinal game to Alabama in the SEC tournament. The Tigers are an enigma with the short bench and all the injuries, but they play No. 13 seed Charleston in the first round. Win that one, and it could mean a date with Clemson before getting to No. 1 seed Kansas. It’s not out of the realm of possibility for Bruce Pearl to have his team in the Sweet 16 going up against the Jayhawks.

Over in the East, Florida rebounded from a tough start to play much better down the stretch, and the committee rewarded the Gators with the No. 6 seed, and they don’t have an awful draw, either. They’ll play the winner of the No. 11 play-in game between the St. Bonaventure Bonnies and UCLA. The Bruins would be a tough match-up for the Gators, but it’s winnable. Win that game, and it’s a possible Texas Tech and Purdue track to reach the Elite 8, so those aren’t unwinnable.

Arkansas is another possible noise-maker in the East as a No. 7 seed playing No. 10 Butler. If the Razorbacks get past that game, they can be a match-up mis-match for Purdue in the second round with their speed and senior guard play. Could it be possible the Hogs and Gators could match up late in that bracket? They’ve got long roads before then, but the paths aren’t too gnarly.

Still in the East, Alabama is a No. 8 seed playing a very intriguing match-up in the first round against Buzz Williams’ Virginia Tech Hokies, and the winner of that game will have a huge test in the round of 32, going against Villanova, which is arguably the top overall team.

Finally in the West, Texas A&M is the seventh seed with a tough, tough first-round draw with No. 10 Providence. If the Aggies get past that game, they’ll probably face North Carolina in the second round, so that’s not easy.

Missouri feels their pain. The Tigers are the No. 8 seed in that bracket, facing Florida State. If Cuonzo Martin’s Tigers win (and they will be a bit of a wild card with Michael Porter back and shaking off some of the rest) they’ll get a chance at top-seed Xavier in the second round. The Musketeers are the worst top-seed.

It was a strong year for the SEC getting eight teams in. Only the ACC had more with nine. But we’re all focused on the Vols, who look like they could have an exciting, deep March run. If they did, it may help us get some of the bitter taste of losing to Kentucky out of our mouths.

Tennessee Vols Basketball Makes Us All Feel Like Champions

 

For the past decade-plus, I’ve worn my Power T with pride, but there have been a lot of times where I’ve looked down forlornly at it, wondering if it was my scarlet letter. Living in Alabama, it’s been a burden to carry around with me. I’ll never shun my alma mater, but there have been countless times when a scoff or a joke from a stranger lurks right around the corner.

For years, I lashed back defensively. After a while, failures in virtually every sport humbled me to the point where I’d grin and endure it, apologetically making a self-depricating quip about what it’s like to be a Vol in the midst of what has been a Volpacolypic era.

Tonight — and all throughout this basketball season — it’s been great to be a Tennessee Vol yet again.

After everything we’ve endured this season, I feel like erecting a statue of Rick Barnes somewhere on campus. Heck, let’s at least name a crosswalk after him or something. What we’ve seen from him as a coach and this team as a whole has been nothing short of remarkable. It’s also been everything we needed.

We’ve stood on our own social media or Internet platforms for years, defending football coaches who wind up stabbing us in the backs or reddening us in the face. All of that culminated this past year with what seemed like a surreal football season where Butch Jones’ tenure as head coach spiraled out of control with the worst season in school history. A year after back-to-back 9-4 seasons, UT’s football team laid a 4-8 egg and went an unheard-of 0-8 in the SEC. We were embarrassed, frustrated, ridiculed, and we deserved it.

Following that horrific, forgettable season, our absolute joke of an athletic department led by incompetent power-booster Jim Haslam and his puppet — former athletic director John Currie — tried to force Greg Schiano down our throats after finally, mercifully giving in and firing Butch. It incited a revolt, a mini-riot and a national firestorm where the media played the part of the trailer park frenzy.

Currie was fired. Legendary football coach Phillip Fulmer was hired as athletic director. Jeremy Pruitt was hired as the new head coach after about 736 coaches turned down the Vols, and life returned to normal. But, then, after a successful early signing period, Tennessee’s new football staff largely struck out on national signing day, failing to sign any marquee prospects they were in on down the stretch.

Happiness, seemingly, decided to throw all the orange out of its closest years ago.

All the while, though, Tennessee’s basketball team lurked back in the shadows, winning games. Amid the darkest final days of the football season, UT’s hoops began with dominant defensive showings in wins over Presbyterian and High Point. Then, the Vols went to the Bahamas and beat Purdue and North Carolina State, along with playing Villanova to the brink in a close loss.

A team that was picked 13th out of 14 teams in the SEC believed all along it wasn’t going to be that kind of team. Most importantly, it began to show us. The months wore on, the football drama unfolded, and — even while we fretted and stewed and watched our frustrations unfold with our once-proud football program — we tuned in every Wednesday and Saturday to watch our hoops team.

What started as a nice little diversion grew into something more. This was for real, and we began to believe what the Vols believed: That they were potentially in store for big things.

A hiccup came around the New Year, when UT lost consecutive tough games to open the SEC slate on the road against Arkansas and at home against Auburn in a game that seemed like an awful loss at the time but would age well. When we feared they’d slip back to reality, they whipped Kentucky by 11 at Thompson-Boling Arena on their way to winning nine out of 10, a streak that ended with another hard-fought victory in Rupp Arena.

Yes, that’s right: the Vols swept Kentucky. They also swept Vanderbilt and beat Florida. The only real hiccup of the rest of the season came on the road at Tuscaloosa on Feb. 10 when a mediocre Alabama team demoralized the Vols. But it’s basketball; those things happen. Still, in the scope of things, there were no “bad” losses.

Saturday night, Coach Barnes’ team overcame a torrid shooting start by Georgia with some clutch play from Admiral Schofield and Lamonte Turner (as well as a massive defensive play by Kyle Alexander) down the stretch to even the score with the Bulldogs after losing to them on the road a couple weeks ago. The victory gave Tennessee a share of the SEC regular-season title with an Auburn team that is now depleted by injuries heading into the tournament. Remarkably, UT is 13-5 in the SEC and on another four-game winning streak.

There are so many heroes on this team, though. Throughout the year, nearly everybody in Barnes’ regular rotation have had spotlight moments. The Vols have shown they can get in 3-point shooting contests and offensive-shootout games and win. They’ve also shown they can grind it out and win close, rugged battles. They’ve beaten bigger teams, and they’ve beaten smaller teams. Rarely does UT’s defense take nights off. They may not be more talented than you, but they’re tougher.

As Mississippi State coach Ben Howland said after the Vols embarrassed the Bulldogs in Starkville last week, Barnes has two “bulls” in Schofield and Grant Williams who are difficult for anybody to match up with. They’ve got a cold-blooded killer in Lamonte Turner who needs to shoot more, a point guard in Jordan Bone who needs to attack more, a streaky scorer in Jordan Bowden and a former national leading scorer in James Daniel who can shoot or dish, depending on the moment.

Alexander has shown up at key times this season and is Tennessee’s truest NBA prospect, and then freshman Derrick Walker is turning into a valuable minutes-eater on the interior. Fellow freshman Yves Pons has enjoyed some nice moments, too. Every week we watch. Every week, there’s a new star.

Most importantly, they’ve made us feel good again. I love this team. You love this team. They love their coach. They love each other. They play hard. They play well. And they play for each other. Entering next week’s SEC tournament in St. Louis, the Vols will get the all-important two-night bye and play Friday night for the first time. Whether that’s a benefit for UT or not remains to be seen, but this team has rarely had outings where they’ve not been ready to play.

Barnes has put together perhaps the best coaching job of his career, and for a guy who gets ridiculed for not being able to recruit, he’s built a championship team in a year when the SEC is arguably the best conference in the nation. Without question, it’s the best the league has been top-to-bottom in a decade. Every night is a rugged showdown, and the Vols were built for this kind of play.

They’re rough. They’re gritty. And, after Saturday night’s regular season-capping victory over UGA, they’re champions.

Thank you, Coach Barnes and thank you Vols for making us all wear our Power Ts with pride again.

I said it’s great to be a Tennessee Vol!

Per VolQuest Report: Trey Smith Out for Spring

Good football news has been hard to come by in Knoxville the past few weeks, and Saturday brought another blow as VolQuest.com’s Austin Price and Brent Hubbs reported all-star sophomore offensive lineman Trey Smith will miss spring drills to deal with a “medical issue.”

Fortunately for the Vols, it doesn’t appear to be something that will keep Smith out for the 2018 season, but this is not good news for a UT team that needs Smith to take a pivotal step forward.

The 6’6″, 320-pound former top-ranked recruit emerged easily as UT’s best player on the offensive line a season ago, having the ability to play a lot of different positions. It was not uncommon for him to maul everybody he went against.

Though Smith needed to become more consistent, he was well on his way to being an All-SEC and All-American performer. Now, at the very least, Smith will have to knock off the rust when fall drills come around.

If there is a silver lining to this news, it’s that Tennessee will have the opportunity to get its newcomers as many reps as possible. Though JUCO offensive tackle Jahmir Johnson won’t be enrolled early — something that would have helped him and the Vols considerably — freshmen Jerome Carvin and Ollie Lane are. They will need to improve dramatically along with incumbent players Marcus Tatum and Drew Richmond.

When Smith returns, hopefully he will be at full-tilt. If so, the extra time and attention for the youngsters may wind up being a good thing. But in an all-important offseason, make no mistake: This is bad news for Smith and Tennessee as they try to perform for a new coaching staff and improve as a unit.

Riley Locklear, K’Rojhn Calbert, Devante Brooks, Ryan Johnson and others must become viable candidates to be SEC-caliber linemen, something they’ve yet to prove. With their leader on the sideline now for an undetermined amount of time, that becomes even more crucial.