Category Archives: Football

In the 90’s, Tennessee had five Freshman All-Americans: Aaron Hayden and Raymond Austin in 1991, Jamal Lewis in 1997, and Albert Haynesworth and Leonard Scott in 1999. All five made the first team. (Research via Tennessee’s 2019 media guide)

In the next decade, that number jumped to 18, including seven first-teamers: Michael Munoz in 2000, Kelley Washington in 2001, James Wilhoit in 2003, Roshaun Fellows in 2004, Josh McNeil in 2006, Eric Berry in 2007, and Aaron Douglas in 2009.

With one year to go, the Vols have placed 14 players on Freshman All-American teams in this decade, including nine first-teamers: James Stone in 2010, A.J. Johnson and Marcus Jackson in 2011, Jashon Robertson and Derek Barnett in 2014, Chance Hall in 2015, Trey Smith in 2017, and Bryce Thompson and Joe Doyle last season.

Freshmen are playing faster everywhere these days. But at Tennessee, on its fourth new coach since 2008, the new guys get more opportunities…especially in a coach’s second year.

Using the starting lineups from the media guide, here’s every true freshman starter I found in the post-Fulmer era:

2018	J. Carvin	A. Taylor	B. Thompson
2017	T. Smith	J. Palmer
2016
2015	J. Jennings	C. Hall	D. Kirkland
2014	J. Hurd	J. Malone	E. Wolf	J. Robertson	C. Thomas	D. Barnett
2013	M. North	J. Smith	C. Sutton
2012	L. McNeil
2011	M. Jackson	AJ Johnson	C. Maggitt	B. Randolph
2010	T. Bray	J. Stone
2009	A. Douglas	J. Jackson

Freshmen carry the heaviest weight not in year one, but year two: a coach’s first full recruiting class, a chance to get your guys in the mix. In 2011 all four of those starters earned Freshman All-American honors. In 2014 Butch Jones went all-in with six true freshmen starters, plus Todd Kelly Jr. who made the SEC All-Freshman team off the bench. In both cases, those guys would become significant pieces in what we hoped would be arrival seasons in 2012 and 2015-16; you’ll note the absence of true freshmen starters in 2012 (LaDarrell McNeil started after Brian Randolph tore his ACL against Florida) and in 2016 (Nigel Warrior made the SEC All-Freshman team off the bench).

We’ve been penciling in Wanya Morris and Darnell Wright as starters at offensive tackle this fall; Marcus Tatum might have something to say about some of that, but the Vols did start two freshmen on the line in 2014. Coleman Thomas was baptized by fire at Oklahoma, but the Vols still put together a potent offense as the year went along.

From there the sense for the 2019 Vols was that they didn’t have to have freshmen lead right away elsewhere, but if options emerged so be it. Early in fall camp, two of the most frequent names aren’t really that surprising: Eric Gray in the backfield, and Henry To’o To’o at linebacker. I’m not sure Gray will unseat Ty Chandler; the Vols are going to give plenty of opportunity to multiple backs anyway. But To’o To’o is Tennessee’s highest-rated signee behind the offensive tackles, and there is more opportunity to be a “starter” at linebacker than running back.

The mythical year two is usually thought of as one for big leaps. At Tennessee under Derek Dooley and Butch Jones, it was a chance to play a bunch of freshman and generate initial excitement. Dooley’s year two was derailed by injuries to Justin Hunter and Tyler Bray, but only after that excitement broke through against Cincinnati. Butch’s year two built on a close loss at Georgia before the Vols gave away the Florida game; sophomore Josh Dobbs won momentum back by season’s end.

For Jeremy Pruitt, no one is talking about this year two being a leap to championship contention. But if he can showcase his freshmen alongside the returning talent, that sense of excitement can show up on fall Saturdays. And considering the depths from which we’re climbing, there might be enough excitement for not just the future but the present.

Wherever you might’ve placed Emmit Gooden on your “least afford to lose” list, his presence there at all speaks to the problem of his out-for-the-season absence. Two things we’ve been saying all off-season:

• Defensive line is a bigger question mark than offensive line, because at least some of those guys on the OL played meaningful snaps and you’re bringing in five-star freshmen.
• Other than those offensive tackles, there’s nowhere any newcomers have to step in and lead right away.

Well, now the first part is even more true, and the second part is probably a lie.

Darnell Wright and Wanya Morris are Tennessee’s two highest-rated signees. You have to go further down the list to get to Savion Williams, Darel Middleton, and Elijah Simmons. If you’re looking for good news, that’s two JUCOs and an 18-year old that looks like this:

Yes srrrr ❗️❗️❗️❗️❗️❗️y’all ready ❓❓ pic.twitter.com/0JhxRW32Bk

— Elijah simmons (@901_hollywood_e) July 30, 2019

(Like me and my almost-two-year-old son, that dude’s head circumference is in the 100th percentile. “He’s so good he doesn’t need a neck!” – Idiot Optimist by next week, probably.)

So, potential remains on the defensive line for Tennessee. Now you just need it to show up immediately.

The only good thing about early fall camp injuries is the amount of time you have to get over them before facing live fire. More newcomers (hopefully including Aubrey Solomon) will get more reps, along with important returning pieces like Matthew Butler, and we’ll re-calibrate as best we’re able.

But it’s okay to say, 3+ weeks from kickoff, that this sucks. Especially because it keeps happening to one of those defensive guys on the least afford to lose list.

Butch Jones is long gone, so we can say this without it sounding like an unnecessary defense of him: this is the fourth time in five years the Vols have lost one of their best defensive players for the year before the calendar hits October:

• 2015: Curt Maggitt, Week 2
• 2016: Jalen Reeves-Maybin, Week 3
• 2017: Darrin Kirkland Jr., fall camp
• 2019: Emmit Gooden, fall camp

You can argue whatever percentage you like between bad luck and the revolving door to the strength and conditioning department, but still…man. These posts are getting old.

“You know unfortunately last night Emmit Gooden suffered a knee injury and won’t be with us this year.”

Jeremy Pruitt, 8/7/19

Heck of an opener there from Jeremy Pruitt yesterday. I didn’t see the video, so I can’t say for sure what his demeanor was, but from a cold reading of the text, that’s some remarkable restraint addressing some remarkably bad news.

What is Pruitt thinking? I mean, with the exception of quarterback Jarrett Guarantano, Emmit Gooden was probably the guy the team could least afford to lose to injury this season. As Patrick Brown said this morning, Gooden was the most proven player on the team’s most unproven unit. I’m relatively certain that every conversation I had or heard about the Vols this offseason included an unequivocal statement that the defensive line was the team’s biggest question mark. And now, the one thing we do know is that we can’t count on one of the guys we were counting on. Sigh.

If you’re counting the lost productivity, here’s how it all adds up. Defensive linemen Kyle Phillips, Shy Tuttle, and Alexis Johnson all started all 12 games last season, and they have all graduated. Today, you can add to that ledger that of the team’s most-productive back-up in Gooden, who started a game, played in all 12 and had 33 tackles, 7 TFLs, and a sack last season. You can probably also add any productivity from Kurott Garland to the mix, as he is making doe eyes at other schools through the transfer portal.

But here’s the thing. Pruitt does not sound distraught at all, pointing out that he still has “10 guys there right now.” Here’s what he’s talking about:

Apologies appear to be in order for Dawson Stephens and Gatkek Kueth, who apparently aren’t top-of-mind for Pruitt despite making the roster as DLs. But even without the walk-ons, that’s 12 guys. Take out Gooden and one other, and those are the 10 Pruitt’s counting on. Please, please, please let him be counting Garland as gone and Solomon as here.

At this point, I think it’s wise to trust Pruitt and to mirror his lack of panic concerning the loss of Gooden. Here’s why:

1. There is still reasonable optimism that Aubrey Solomon will be granted eligibility to play this fall for the Vols. Yeah, it’s the NCAA, and yeah, that institution is as predictable as an inebriated roulette wheel, but come on. They don’t have to tap dance on a straight line while singing show tunes backward and blowing into the breathalyzer. We just need them to stay on the stool. You can do it!
2. Correct me if I’m wrong about this, but I would think that the learning curve is not nearly as daunting along the defensive line as it is, say, for the offensive line. You do have to line up correctly, but the linebackers are there to assist with a well-timed smack on the butt if you happen to be wrong. After that, it’s just go get the ball until the whistle blows, right?
3. These are some big bodies. Five of these guys are over 300 pounds, and Elijah Simmons is a monstrous 340. I’m pretty sure he’s harboring an illegal immigrant in each of his thighs.

Losing Gooden is most certainly not good news. But all is not yet lost. We still have the prospect of Solomon, and we have brute bulk and strength at a position for which that’s 90% of the job.

So, I’m not panicking. I would not be surprised to find that these guys do just fine this fall. Go get ’em.

We’ve taken a look at the potential for the 2019 Tennessee team were its former bluechip recruits on the offensive and defensive side of the ball to play up to their rankings.  When you look at it from that angle, there is reason for some optimism if you put a any amount of faith in Coach Jeremy Pruitt and his staff to coach them up.  However, we’ve also stipulated that regardless of whether or not that elevation in play from former 5 and 4-stars happens, the team does not have enough quality depth across the board despite Pruitt’s relatively strong efforts in his stub 2018 class and first full class of 2019. 

Yesterday we took a look at the true Juniors and RS Sophomores from the class of 2017 as well as the handful of seniors and RS Jrs on the offensive side of the ball who, if they step up and play the best ball of their respective careers, can have a meaningful impact on the 2019 season.  Whether its providing quality depth and rest for the first-teamers or even better make big plays when the opportunity presents itself, shoring up the bottom portion of the roster (from a star ranking perspective) with play that exceeds what anyone is expecting from them would simply be huge for Tennessee. 

Below we look at the defensive side of the ball from that perspective:

DL

Matthew Butler (Jr)/Latrell Bumphus (Jr)/Jaquain Blakely (RS Jr)

There is expected to be greater overall depth on the DL this season after Tennessee leaned (too) heavily on three since-departed seniors.  However, there is a big difference between a player who can provide actual quality depth and “Just A Guy.”  Butler  is without a doubt the Vols are counting on to if not push for a starting role than be a first off the bench kind of player.  Bumphus and Blakely, both of whom have played TE in their time in Knoxville, are big guys with athletic ability – if that can translate this season into meaningful skill and ability on the DL such that they can give the starters some real rest without a huge dropoff that would be big

OLB

Deandre Johnson (Jr)/Kivon Bennett (RS So)

Johnson has shown flashes and has actually played a lot of football.  Bennett hasn’t played much on Saturdays but had a strong spring.  These two, along with former 4-star JUCO Jordan Allen, are going to be given every opportunity to take the OLB spot opposite Darrell Taylor.  Whoever does win that job will also probably get a lot of 1-on-1 chances as the hope is that Taylor is commanding double teams on every play.  If either, or preferably both, of them can step up and grab the opportunity and be legit pass-rush threats while also effectively setting the edge in the run game that would take the defense to another level and give DC Derrick Ansely much more freedom and flexibility with his back 7

ILB

Shanon Reid (Jr)

Solon Page (RS So)

Reid was a breakout star in the spring, having completely reshaped his body (read: got a lot bigger) while not losing any of the speed that was his calling card in high school.  At this point it seems like the Vols are counting on him to if not start at ILB – pending what a stud freshman like Henry To’oto’to can do – than at least give them a ton of high-quality snaps. 

Page on the other hand still hasn’t found his niche on defense and is likely a special teamer.  However, there’s a ton of value there too, and if he can make some big plays throughout the course of the season on coverage teams, etc, that would give the Vols a big boost

DB

Shawn Shamburger (Jr)/Theo Jackson (Jr) – sdafadsf

Cheyenne Labruzza (RS So)/Terrell Bailey (RS So) – asfads

Shamburger and Jackson have played a lot of football for Tennessee in their careers – unfortunately it’s been on two of the worst teams in the program’s history.  However, they both do have talent, and Jackson in particular could be in line to start at S.  That’s particularly the case depending on what happens with the Nickel position, where there’s a real chance that Nigel Warrior could slide down and take snaps there. 

Labruzza and Bailey have not played at all on defense in their respective careers to date, and it remains to be seen if they will.  That said, Labruzza has generated some buzz in the offseason and does have a pretty solid pedigree as a prospect and is also finally healthy.  He’ll be in the mix at Nickel and will also play teams for sure.  Anything the Vols can get from these two would be counted as a bonus and would boost the overall play of the team

It’s the first day of practice, a preseason NFL game was on last night, and Madden releases today. Welcome to August.

The power rankings for individual off-season days used to be topped by the release of that year’s NCAA Football game. By the time actual practice started you could throw for 3,500 yards and go undefeated with any Vol quarterback from Heath Shuler to Justin Worley. I think I only bought Madden in 2000 when the Playstation 2 came out, and in 2005 on the Xbox 360, when you had to wait a whole year for a next-gen release in the college game. But since 2013, we’ve been stuck with Madden; child-like imaginations might find their way to an orange-tinted team (maybe the Browns this year!), but it ain’t the same.

Without the video game atop the off-season rankings, maybe your favorite day is the first time you get your hands on Phil Steele’s magazine (or Gameday on Rocky Top’s!). SEC Media Days always let you know things are getting closer. The announcement of kickoff times for the first three weeks lets you make tangible plans.

We don’t get an inside look at the first day of Tennessee’s practice, though Fan Day is available on Sunday. We’ll wait for names to pop in sound bites and behind paywalls, and hope some of those names are on the defensive line.

But, at least for me, one of my favorite days this time of year is driving through the neighborhood and seeing your local high school team practicing. I haven’t lived in Knoxville for 14 years now, and still miss the way orange slowly increases in the community over the course of August. But that idea of a group of people coming together around a team is still alive and well on every high school field this time of year.

This is the month when reason gives way to hope. Reality sets in for everyone in September. But no matter how long it’s been – and it’s been a while for us – hope is undefeated in the month of August.

We’ll start finding out what kind of hope this August will bring today.

Go Vols.

We’ve taken a look at the potential for the 2019 Tennessee team were its former bluechip recruits on the offensive and defensive side of the ball to play up to their rankings.  When you look at it from that angle, there is reason for some optimism if you put a any amount of faith in Coach Jeremy Pruitt and his staff to coach them up.  However, we’ve also stipulated that regardless of whether or not that elevation in play from former 5 and 4-stars happens, the team does not have enough quality depth across the board despite Pruitt’s relatively strong efforts in his stub 2018 class and first full class of 2019. 

That said, despite the coaching change there has been relatively little attrition, which not only lends credibility to the belief that the players in the program have bought into what Pruitt is trying to build but also leaves a base of older players  – even if  they weren’t bluechip recruits – who could just be looking for the kind of development that was sorely lacking during Butch Jones’s tenure.  Specifically, the much maligned class of 2017 – Jones’s final class – is now made up of true Juniors and RS Sophomores, and as can be seen below there are still quite a few of them – eighteen to be exact.  A handful of seniors and RS Jrs also dot the list below.

Along with getting the most out of its most talented players, squeezing as much juice from the former 3-star proverbial Big Oranges, who have contributed to varying degrees during their time on campus, would go a loooong way towards helping the 2019 team get over the current hump and win 7, 8, even 9 games this season.

RB/HB

Tim Jordan (Jr) – battling for the #2 spot with Jeremy Banks and Eric Gray behind Ty Chandler, Jordan brings a specific set of strengths and limitations to the Vol RB corps.  If he’s improved his vision and straight line speed while keeping and even building on his natural strength and tackle-breaking ability, that would go a long way towards solidifying the position

Princeton Fant (RS So)/Austin Pope (RS Jr) – two guys who’ve bounced around position-wise, each of Fant and Pope have the size and skill to be a Swiss Army Knife HB weapon for Coach Chaney.  Fant in particular just looks like former Vol Chris Brown, and if he can approximate that level of production it would open up a ton for the Vol offense

WR

Josh Palmer (Jr)/Jordan Murphy (Jr)/Brandon Johnson (Sr) – likely the #3/4/5 WRs in the rotation pending Jajuan Jennings’s health, these guys are being counted on heavily.  Palmer in particular oozes NFL potential with his size/speed combo and ability to high point the ball.  If he takes another step this season he could absolutely jump to the WR1 spot

Jacquez Jones (RS So)/Maleik Gray (RS So) – two guys who haven’t done anything yet in their two years on the Hill, were one of them to jump up into the rotation and give Chaney and Jarrett Guarantano another option or two at the position that would be huge.  More likely for these two is special teams duty where – especially given the small talent differentials between Tennessee and quite a few teams on the schedule – a big play or two could swing the season

OL

K’rohjn Calbert (RS So)

Marcus Tatum (RS Jr)

Nathan Niehaus (RS Jr)

Riley Locklear (Jr)

Calbert is far and away the most physically gifted of the four OL listed, yet has played the least amount of football.  He will be in the mix for a starting RG spot when fall camp kicks off.  And while the other three have all started and played quite a bit, the best case scenario for the Vols is that the younger and more talented players earn starting roles and these guys provide the kind of high quality experienced depth that Tennessee hasn’t had on the OL for most of the last decade

Given the volume of players at each position, it’s easy to see both the necessity for the Vols that some of these players step up as well as how big it would be.  Even if none of them become starters but just provide quality depth and rest for the first-teamers or even better make big plays when the opportunity presents itself, shoring up the bottom portion of the roster (from a star ranking perspective) with play that exceeds what anyone is expecting from them would simply be huge for Tennessee.