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Tennessee’s Roster Needs Reinforcements, and Help is On the Way

In looking at the two weakest positions on the 2018 team coming out of spring practice – the OL and Cornerback – I’ve made it clear that I think that while the team is not in any position to compete for titles it’s reasonable for a fan to expect improvement in the win column to the tune of a handful of games.

Part of that “optimism,” if one can call it that, is the expected across-the-board improvement in coaching.  It’s hard to argue against the idea that Pruitt and his staff aren’t better than their predecessors at every position except for RB (Coach G is a stud, in my opinion, while Chris Weinke is unproven), and the off-field staff isn’t just meaningfully larger than before but also contains tons of experience. At the same time, it is a fact that as bad as last season’s team was it was also within a handful of plays from winning against Florida, South Carolina, and Kentucky, and also lost to a bad Vanderbilt team in the season finale with a lame duck interim coach and no motivation other than trying to avoid the ignominious distinction of being the first Tennessee team in school history to lose eight games.

None of the above guarantees anything, of course, and it’s also fair to note that Tennessee won all four of its non-conference games – including a thrilling come from behind win against Georgia Tech – while it will be at least a touchdown underdog in its opener against West Virginia.  There’s also no doubting that from top to bottom the talent on the roster is deficient when compared to the cream of the SEC, most importantly three of its 2018 opponents in Alabama, Georgia, and Auburn.  And after watching the players on the field for the Orange & White Game there isn’t a ton other than hope that former 4 and 5-stars can be coached to their potential while the 2 and 3-stars on the roster can be coached up.

However (and here’s where I put my at least slightly orange tinted glasses on), what we saw at the Orange & White Game isn’t the team that will take the field in Charlotte against West Virginia on September 1.  Reinforcements, in the form of players returning from injury, 2018 signees, and graduate transfers, are coming and will inject talent and experience to the roster.  Many of them are simply better than their teammates at their respective positions and should take their place, upgrading not just the front-line players Tennessee has on the field but also the backups at those positions.

On the Offensive side, Offensive Linemen Trey Smith and Chance Hall project as starters at Offensive Tackle should they return from their respective injuries.  Both are high level players, and Smith in particular is a future high NFL draft pick barring any further physical issues (and seems much more likely to play this year than Hall, for what it’s worth).  4-star JUCO Jahmir Johnson will join the fold and add another talented player at either Guard or Tackle. Also on the OL, it is widely expected that the Vols will bring in at least one more player at the position, either in the form of a graduate transfer or a late-signing JUCO the staff thinks can step in and contribute.  Per Austin Price of Volquest.com there is a lot of buzz around former Alabama C/G Brandon Kennedy, a former Under-Armor All-American who was the Tide’s backup C and who would go a long way towards solidifying the interior of Tennessee’s OL.  He would also provide more overall depth and give OL Coach Will Friend more options and flexibility at the other four OL positions.  Finally at OL, freshmen K’Rohjn Calbert and Jerome Carvin, both of whom got their most extended snaps in the Orange & White Game and have the kind of sheer size and athleticism that upper echelon SEC OL possess, should see a jump in their play after a summer in the weight room and a fall practice to get further acclimation .  Former Michigan State Running Back Madre London and 2018 signee Jeremy Banks are the kind of big, physical RB that Pruitt covets and bolster a RB corps that already has talent.  JUCO All-American Tight End Dominick Wood-Anderson is simply more talented than any other TE on the roster and brings NFL potential to an offense that needs as many playmakers as it can get.  And finally, former Stanford starting Quarterback Keller Chryst will at worst push Jarrett Guarantano to up his game and provide an experienced backup QB where Tennessee currently has none and at best (for him) win the job outright, by definition improving the QB spot for the Vols.

Defensively, every level of the stop-troop unit will see an influx of talent from what took Shields-Watkins Field in April.  On the Defensive Line, JUCO DL Emmitt Gooden in particular has the size and physical maturity to help immediately on the interior should he show up in decent shape and ready to work; freshman John Mincey will add another big body to the DE group, and he appears to have the size and talent to potentially contribute early.  The LB spot is the one that will get the biggest boost, as not only will the position see the return of proven playmakers Darren Kirkland and Daniel Bituli but also the addition of All-American freshman JJ Peterson – these three are arguably among a handful of top-shelf/elite players on the entire team, and their presence will certainly improve the Defense as a whole from what fans saw a month or so ago.  Finally, at CB (potentially the #1 weak spot on the team pending what happens on the OL), the Vols will first and foremost benefit from Alontae Taylor’s status as a fulltime Corner.  And although he did play there in the Orange & White Game, based on what we know about his natural athleticism, work ethic, and competitiveness, the bet here is that what we see from him when fall camp rolls around won’t even resemble what he looked like in his first real action in the spring game.  Two other major additions to the position are late-signing JUCO Kenneth George  – who the staff appears high on and is more physically and mentally advanced due to his being further removed from high school – and incoming freshman Treveon Flowers – who the staff absolutely loves and for whom Tennessee flat out beat Clemson.  Both should add athleticism and playmaking ability to a position in dire need of both, and at worst will give the staff more options (i.e., bodies) to work with.

None of above is meant to imply that this writer thinks the 2018 Vols are going to contend for championships or even be one of the better teams in the East.  However, it should make Vol fans feel good that there is help on the way in terms of more and better and in some cases more experienced talent, all of which should make an immediate impact.  Between that improved talent, better coaching, and (hopefully) better luck – these Vols will need every bounce they can get – there is optimism in these corners that the season will be much better than last and perhaps even much better than we expected coming out of last month’s Orange & White Game.

 

The 5 ‘Musts’ For Tennessee Football To Succeed in 2018

 

Most of us are realists who realize that six wins in 2018 is going to be a chore. That doesn’t mean we’re going to be satisfied with it or even give coach Jeremy Pruitt a pass if he coaches the Vols to it, because no matter how much the failures of the past decade-plus want to change us, we still expect the best.

It’s part of the diabolical frustration that comes with being a Vols fan.

We know that it’s going to be hard to get bowl-eligible, but asking for three conference wins [or just two and an upset of West Virginia] shouldn’t be too much. Pruitt is looking for quick-fixes with hopeful plug-and-play transfers like Keller Chryst, Madre London, Kenny George Jr., Jahmir Johnson, Dominick Wood-Anderson and Jordan Allen.

So, if those guys pan out, it’s because Pruitt thinks they can help the Vols get closer to where they want to be.

The question everybody wants to know in the post-Butch Jones, near-apocolyptic roster situation is this: What’s it going to take for Tennessee to be good again in 2018?

First, it depends on your definition of “good.” It would be stunning for the Vols to get to eight regular-season wins, but “good” for this year after ’17’s 4-8 debacle would be a 7-5 regular season. That won’t be “good” deeper into Pruitt’s tenure, but given what he has to work with, it’d be fine in 2018. Probably not good enough for him, and definitely not good enough for us to be pumped, but it would be fine.

Here are five things UT must have happen if it’s going to reach seven [or, heck, even six] wins in 2018.

1. Quarterback play must be much-improved

Jarrett Guarantano got much better this spring. He had a long way to go, but he took some steps forward. The redshirt sophomore from New Jersey is going to have to continue to get better and even thrive in Tyson Helton’s offense if he’s going to be the man in ’18.

Stanford transfer Keller Chryst is coming this summer, and he’ll elevate the play at the position just by being the type of quarterback tailor-made to run a pro-style offense. Is Chryst a star? No. He has accuracy issues and hasn’t proven he can lead a top-shelf team, but neither has Guarantano.

Last year, Tennessee simply didn’t have a player at the position who could take over a game. Now, the Vols must find somebody who can advance the ball downfield, take care of possessions and make all the throws. This has to be a more vertical team if it’s going to keep defenses honest and balance things. Also, with the expected offensive line issues, running the ball against good defenses, at times, will be tough. So, Tennessee has to get the ball in the hands of potential playmakers like Jauan Jennings, Marquez Callaway and Brandon Johnson.

That will fall on the shoulders of Guarantano or Chryst. One of them must take a massive step forward if the Vols’ offense is going to be stout. There’s no way around it. This team doesn’t have enough talent on the roster to win with mediocre quarterback play.

That’s a harrowing reality for this team that has yet to prove it has anybody dependable throwing the ball.

2. The rush defense has to see a dramatic turnaround

Tennessee’s rush defense in ’17 — and in Bob Shoop’s entire two-year tenure — was atrocious. It was one of the worst marriages of any team and coach in recent memory. The Vols were dead-last in the SEC a year ago, allowing 251.25 yards per game. They were 126th nationally, which means just four FBS teams were worse.

That’s pathetic.

Quite frankly, the Vols didn’t look much better in the Orange & White Game, either. Shy Tuttle played one of the worst games I’ve ever seen him play in the scrimmage game, and while I hate to call out kids, he’s an upperclassman and cannot be showing up like that. It was really bad. With possible starting inside linebackers Darrin Kirkland Jr. and Daniel Bituli out, that unit was bad, too. Quart’e Sapp was ineffective, and Will Ignont — who everybody hoped would take a major step forward this spring — looked like he was playing patty-cake out there. Maybe they’ll get a wake-up call when they review the film. It was bad.

How bad was the rush defense? The first-team defense allowed 140 rushing yards, even against an offensive line that was missing many of its top players.

I don’t know how you improve that rush defense that much, but you can’t do what Tennessee has been doing in the SEC in recent years and have success. Getting Kirkland and Bituli back will help. Getting Darrell Taylor acclimated to a new position will help. Having Tuttle play like he can will help. Kyle Phillips and Jonathan Kongbo need to be much better. Newcomers like JJ Peterson and Kurott Garland could help. Something has to, or it’s going to be another long, awful year.

3. A patchwork offensive line must overachieve

Tennessee got some players back this spring as guys like K’Rojhn Calbert, Chance Hall and Nathan Niehaus did some things in pads. That’s huge for an offensive line that desperately need them all and for them all to surge.

Hall’s knee issues have derailed a once-promising career that began with him having some dominant SEC games as a true freshman. Can he return to that form? If so, it’ll be a MASSIVE help to the exterior of the offensive line. Who knows what Niehaus will give the Vols, but though we don’t know too much about Calbert, he’s big and athletic. He played a lot this spring, and once the redshirt freshman matures, he could be a force. He actually looks like an SEC tackle.

True freshman mid-term enrollee Jerome Carvin definitely looked like he could help the team out right away this spring, and there are other important “musts” like Drew Richmond playing like he was expected to when he came in as a blue-chip prospect, Marcus Tatum being able to put on and add weight and play at a consistent level, and JUCO prospect Johnson to come in and thrive.

But the biggest thing the Vols need — without question — is for superstar sophomore Trey Smith to return.

He’s battling an undisclosed medical issue that kept him out all spring, and though Smith worked on the sideline, his future is very much up-in-the-air. Folks around the program and my sources are optimistic that he’ll be able to play again, but that isn’t a guarantee. If he does, he automatically becomes an anchor that is not only a potential All-SEC player but a possible All-American.

He’s that good, and he can help the Vols right away immensely. First, he’s got to get out there. If he doesn’t, it’s hard to envision this line being SEC-worthy.

4. The Vols simply can’t have injuries

There really aren’t any words to describe the bad luck Tennessee had in the injury department the past couple of years. On one hand, you had to believe players struggled to learn the difference between “hurt” and “injured” during that tenure. It may sound harsh, but it’s true. Some players were accused on being “soft” during that regime, and it manifested itself on the injury report.

But, even in that, I blame Butch.

After all, there were four strength and conditioning coaches in this program in five years. That’s pathetic. It’s a disservice to the kids and the assistant coaches who lost their careers because of coaching malpractice. Different strength coordinators — like coaches — have different philosophies. But when that happens and you’re changing them year after year, you’re screwing around with players’ bodies. That’s what’s been happening in Knoxville.

One year, the Vols may want to get bigger; the next faster. One year, the Vols may want to work agility-heavy, and the next, there would be an emphasis on power-lifting. There’s no consistency, no continuity, and bodies broke down.

That shouldn’t happen under Pruitt, who has been part of the program with the best strength & conditioning program in the nation. UT is paying Craig Fitzgerald a ton of money to make sure that doesn’t happen. This team needs to get healthy after a few offseason surgeries and some clean-up from the Jones tenure.

Once they get there, they need to stay there.

5. They’ve got to find a pair of quality cornerbacks

Let’s close back on the field. That’s where the Vols desperately need to find some cornerbacks who can stick with some of the top receivers in the SEC.

The league is a bit down at pass-catcher in ’18 which helps the Vols, but they’re still going to have to contend with players like Ryan Davis, Deebo Samuel, Bryan Edwards and the stable of Mizzou receivers.

This spring, junior Baylen Buchanan blossomed into a guy Pruitt believes he can trust. Is he a true No. 1 cornerback? Eh, I wouldn’t go that far. But he took some big steps forward, and he has the NFL pedigree and the potential to be a very solid player. Also, Marquill Osborne’s time to shine is now or never for the Vols.

But while Buchanan could emerge, there are vacancies. And it isn’t like he has a spot locked down. Pruitt is a defensive back guru, and he wants to find some guys back there on which he can depend.

Alontae Taylor is intriguing. Though he wants to play receiver, the top UT prospect and true freshman moved over to the defensive side to get a look and showed instant promise. That’s where Pruitt wanted him when he was with the Crimson Tide, and it’s where UGA wanted him, too. That’ two pretty good defenses that saw massive potential from Taylor at corner, and he showed why quickly. Will he stay there? Could he play on both sides of the ball some? Don’t rule anything out.

Two other names to watch are incoming JUCO transfer Kenneth George Jr., who was a late addition to the class and boasts 6’0″, 200-pound size. There’s also Treon Flowers, from the Atlanta area, who UT beat out Clemson for in one of a few late-signing period victories.

Both of those guys have the potential to step in and be forces in the race to be starting cornerbacks. The opportunity is now here.

Post-Spring, 2018 Heavily Dependent on “Ifs” at Two Key Positions, Part II

Coming out of the spring, the 2018 Tennessee football team looks like it certainly has some talent on the roster, but depth at most positions and overall attitude (expecting to win, being willing to compete on every snap, etc.) are the biggest issues.  So in late April when evaluating the team and its prospects for 2018, let me start by stipulating a few things:

  • I do not expect this team to compete for the SEC East Championship in 2018
  • I think a reasonable expectation for Year 1 under Coach Jeremy Pruitt is 6 wins and a bowl game, and given the schedule I think 7 and even 8 wins are not beyond the realm of possibility with some breaks
  • Due to the huge upgrade in coaching; the recruiting pedigree of many of the players on the team; and the simple fact that Pruitt has had a bigtime defense everywhere he’s been, Vol fans should have some confidence that the defense will be much improved over the past two seasons
  • At the same time, and for many of the same reasons, there should be reason for optimism at the skill positions of QB, RB, and WR/TE
  • Related to #2/#3, there are incoming players that should be able to contribute immediately at a variety of positions, including but not limited to graduate transfer RB Madre London (Michigan State); JUCO All-American TE Dominick Wood-Anderson; JUCO DL Emmitt Gooden; LB JJ Peterson; and CB Treveon Flowers

All that said, easily the two biggest areas of concerns heading into the summer are the Offensive Line and Cornerback.  And everyone knows the old adage that “the SEC is a line of scrimmage league,” while at the same time many of the offenses in this league – not to mention that of opening game opponent West Virginia – are well suited to exploit a weak secondary.  So, where does that leave Vol fans looking for some optimism about the upcoming season?  It’s a game of “Ifs” at these two crucial positions, and after looking at the OL over the weekend, below we’ll take a look at the Cornerback position

Secondary Will Depend on Coaching Upgrade, Talent Development

Much like the 2017 Offensive Line, last season’s secondary was simply bad.  And like the OL, Coach Pruitt has not just upgraded the coaching talent with new CB Coach Terry Fair, new Safeties Coach Charles Kelly, and himself, but also experimented with a number of position changes to the secondary.  He appears to think there is talent there – although there isn’t the number of former four and five-stars that are at other positions – and has also been adamant that he is going to coach the guys to play the press-man to man style he wants to play.

The good news is that from an overall secondary perspective there is some help that the Cornerbacks can get from the Safety position, and Nigel Warrior looks like he is in ready to combine the coaching upgrade he’s getting and two season’s worth of experience to become the kind of future NFL player everyone who watches him for 5 minutes knows he can be. Battling it out for the spot next to Nigel will be two experienced veterans in Todd Kelly Jr. and Micah Abernathy and Theo Jackson.  The key for the first two will be returning from injury and bringing his playmaking ability for TKJr and simply stepping up his overall play for Micah Abernathy. Jackson has meaningfully less experience than the two seniors but no doubt possesses better athletic ability, and as his opportunistic interception in the Orange & White game showed he’s got some playmaking ability of his own.

Here are 8 “Ifs” that the Vols will need to see come through for the Cornerback position to be strong enough for the Vols to reach their ceiling in 2018:

  • IF Baylon Buchanan can build on his strong spring that saw him stake a claim to a starting CB spot
  • IF the Vols can sign Texas A&M Grad transfer Nick Harvey, who would bring talent, production, and SEC experience to a CB room sorely lacking in all three
  • IF Alontae Taylor sticks at CB, spends the summer learning the actual craft, and applies his elite athleticism and “dog” mentality to the position
  • IF Shawn Shamburger, who Jeremy Pruitt recruited while at Alabama and showed out when he got an opportunity last season, can take a step
  • IF Marquill Osborne can use his strong spring game performance as a jumping off point to reach his 4-star pedigree
  • IF Carlin Fils-aime and Maleik Gray can continue to make the transition to CB and showcase their athleticism and physicality
  • IF the Vols can get any contributions from newcomers Kenneth George, Treveon Flowers and Brandon Davis – guys Pruitt has brought in himself
  • IF Louisianans Cheyenne Labruzza and Terrell Bailey, who both had nice recruiting pedigrees but had a quiet spring, can find their way

Like the OL, Tennessee doesn’t need 100% of the above things to happen.  That said, landing Nick Harvey would go a long way, as he would upgrade the CB room a ton. From there it needs talent development from specifically the most physically talented among the group, which includes Taylor, Shamburger, Buchanan, Osborne and Gray.  Those 5+Harvey could make a better than average CB corps with the right development and coaching.  Getting anything from its three newcomers would be a bonus. IF that were to happen I think there is enough talent throughout the rest of the roster that, along with what should be a very strong coaching staff, Tennessee can have a successful season in Pruitt’s first year and serve as a springboard to quickly getting back to competing for championships.

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 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.

National Signing Day 2018: Hard Dose of Reality for Vols Coach Jeremy Pruitt

Hey, listen: Let’s just call National Signing Day 2018 what it was, independent of passing judgment on any of the kids who signed to be Tennessee Volunteers and without heaping criticism on new UT coach Jeremy Pruitt.

Today was an awful ending to a good recruiting class.

Yes, the Vols had some eventful moments, signing key-need players like plucking 3-star safety Trevon Flowers away from Clemson and others, 3-star defensive tackle John Mincey from South Carolina and 3-star JUCO defensive tackle Emmit Gooden from West Virginia.

They also received commitments/signed Georgia defensive tackle Kurott Garland, Las Vegas receiver Cedric Tillman and Chattanooga safety Joseph Norwood — none of which had any offers from major programs.

The biggest coup of the day was 4-star JJ Peterson — the nation’s top outside linebacker — who followed through with his commitment and chose the Vols over late overtures from Alabama, giving Pruitt an instant-impact weapon for his rebuilding, revamped defense. None of that can — or should — be overlooked.

But today was about the players the Vols didn’t get.

Yes, I know that’s exactly what Pruitt told us not to do, dwell on the players Tennessee missed on but be excited about the ones it signed. Heck, I told you not a week ago that we couldn’t dwell on the misses.

After Wednesday’s fallout, though, that’s like the old saying about asking Mrs. Lincoln about the play.

Pruitt entered his first [mini] recruiting cycle swinging for the fences, aiming at marquee players who were unsigned, hell-bent on bringing at least a couple of them to Knoxville. None of those materialized in commitments.

Zero. Zilch. Nada.

Sure, guys like Flowers, Mincey and Peterson were key cogs to this class regardless of how the end shook out. They were always going to have a spot. But Pruitt also brought in top-notch players at major-need positions on official visits, only to watch all those guys decide to sign elsewhere.

Not only that, but 4-star running back Anthony Grant and 4-star receiver Jordan Young flipped their commitments from Tennessee and signed with Florida State, adding insult to injury.

The rocky finish began on Saturday when offensive tackle Dylan Wonnum elected to join his brother at South Carolina. Then, beginning with the early-morning news of Grant’s flip on Wednesday, the tone was set.

There was a brief respite with good news from Mincey and Flowers mid-morning, but that was the last real ray of the day’s light.

One by one, Vols fans watched television or refreshed internet screens in horror.

Not only did rival Georgia beat out the Vols for stud linebacker Quay Walker’s signature, Walker showed up UT by putting on a Vols hat and then flipping it across the room before picking the Dawgs in a classless gesture. It’s hard to say what was worse — that charade or the fact that Young would have been an unknown receiver at West Virginia State had the Vols not found him, and he repaid Pruitt by signing with FSU.

While Pruitt tried to build a relationship with Taiyon Palmer, his long-standing rapport with the North Carolina State staff led to him signing with the Wolfpack.

Defensive tackle Otito Ogbonnia decided to play for Chip Kelly at UCLA.

Tight end Glen Beal — who was thought to be leaning to UT just mere days ago — chose Texas A&M.

Then, star cornerback Olaijah Griffin picked USC despite saying Tennessee had a big lead a month ago following his official visit.

While Tennessee got some good vibes from receiver Jacob Copeland throughout the morning, he ultimately signed with Florida over the Vols and Alabama.

Finally, Isaac Taylor-Stuart capped off the night by joining Griffin in the Trojans’ defensive backfield.

Walker was a tough blow, simply because he had a long-standing relationship with Pruitt and defensive coordinator Kevin Sherrer, and the Vols thought they were right in the thick of things until the end. It was also a disappointment that UT struck out with players at a major-need position of cornerback. Griffin and Taylor-Stuart stayed out West, long-shot Tyson Campbell joined UGA’s sterling class in Athens, and one-time strong UT lean Eddie Smith picked Alabama. Oh, and Palmer going to NC State hurt, too.

Tennessee wound up signing some potentially good players on Wednesday, but the Vols missed on every single big name.

I’m no expert on reading body language, but Pruitt did not seem to be very happy at his post-NSD press conference. After all, this is a man who has been at Alabama, Georgia and FSU and won some major recruiting battles. He, along with UGA coach Kirby Smart, are arguably the top two recruiting assistants of the past decade.

He isn’t used to days like this.

But, the sad truth of the matter, Vols fans, is this: He ain’t in Tuscaloosa anymore.

We all look at our proud football program as the national powerhouse of old, but it isn’t that, anymore. Not right now. It can be again, but the sobering reality is that we’re coming off a 4-8 season that marked the first time in program history with eight losses and also the first time ever where the Vols failed to win a conference game.

Even in the best of years in the Butch Jones regime, UT went 9-4. Following his debacle of a final year that was rife with negativity, Tennessee went through a very public, very embarrassing coaching search where Greg Schiano was forced into our face, a rebellion ensued, an athletic director was fired, and they could have sold “Honk if you turned down Tennessee” bumper stickers in the coaching community.

Yes, we look like we came out better for it all with Phillip Fulmer as the athletic director, and a real football guy in Pruitt as the head coach. He built a quality staff of assistant coaches with rich pedigrees in recruiting, Southeast ties and player development.

For whatever reason, though, that didn’t translate with signatures Wednesday. There was some impressive immediate success as the Vols loaded up with one of the most noteworthy early signing periods, adding a slew of quality players back in December.

But the backstretch wasn’t kind to Pruitt.

He went back to Alabama to coach the Crimson Tide to the national championship, and though he didn’t lose any real recruiting time, there was a bit of a scramble mode in the way things were handled down the stretch. Perhaps it’s a lesson learned, especially with the way Pruitt managed some early recruiting official visits and some of his own in-home visits. Some think he mismanaged those — such as getting Griffin and Walker in on their OVs early, allowing the Tennessee shine to wear off and others to swoop in.

Also, it can be argued that perhaps Pruitt swung too vigorously at the top-shelf prospects. After all, these are the nation’s elite, and programs have been building relationships with them for years. Pruitt tried to come in and build a rapport in a matter of weeks. But, again, what do you do? Put all your efforts toward lesser players? As you already know, I like the aggressive style, but it just didn’t pay off this time around.

Everything is magnified when you have a day like the Vols did Wednesday, one that will go down as one of the all-time clunkers in the modern era of UT recruiting. The recruiting class wound up fine, but the Vols far from stuck the landing, to say the least.

Make no mistake, again: This is a good class. Pruitt DID do a good job. He inherited a class ranked in the 60s, and the Vols are currently 20th on the 247Sports Composite rankings and 20th in Rivals. That’s only good enough for eighth in the rugged SEC, and it pales in comparison to the monstrous class Georgia put together that rivals any single haul ever assembled. But with all the turmoil, maybe a top-20 class is all we should have expected.

That’s not what the grumbles are for. The majority of rational Vols recruiting followers are glad to have the players who signed, they’re OK with a top-20 class and can find positives in the lessons we learned from Pruitt’s brief-but-aggressive first few months trying to sway players and be excited about how that will translate when this staff has a full recruiting cycle to build relationships.

Instead, we’re all mad because of what might have been. Pruitt hamstrung himself by expanding the board, getting all our hopes up with visits from the nation’s top players and then failing to land any of them on Wednesday.

What we’ve got to remember, though, in evaluating this product is that we need to look at the whole class and not just the ending of it. Is it really “failing” to land a lot of guys you never had a chance at all until the new coach brought them in, or was it wishful thinking to get any of them in the first place?

So, before you go off spouting about “Pruitt can’t close,” remember that there were a lot of factors out of his control this year that contributed to Wednesday’s debacle. Could he have done some things differently? Sure. But there are also a lot of good players in this 2018 class who wouldn’t be in it if not for Pruitt and Co.

So, it’s possible to celebrate the class while calling Wednesday what it was: a Rocky Thud.

With a staff with this recruiting resume, though, better days are ahead, on the field and in the living rooms.

The Jeremy Pruitt Project: Lessons Learned Heading into National Signing Day

As we wind down below a week until National Signing Day, this is the most clueless I’ve ever been on how Tennessee is going to finish its 2018 recruiting class.

There are so many names on the board, and while the recent rumor mill hasn’t been very kind to the Vols and head coach Jeremy Pruitt regarding top targets such as Olaijah Griffin, Eddie Smith, Isaac Taylor-Stuart, Coynis Miller, Jacob Copeland and others, UT still remains players for a couple of guys on that list. Several other possibilities remain as well, as it looks like Tennessee winds up with a class of 22-23, depending on how things shake out.

While we may not know how things are going to finish, we’ve found out a handful of things about Pruitt and his coaching staff in the brief time they’ve been able to hit the road and convince kids to visit Knoxville.

Let’s take a look at what we know.

These guys swing for the fences

When Pruitt stood in front of Tennessee media, boosters, fans and everyone else in his introductory press conference, he advised Vols fans to worry about the prospects they get and not the ones they don’t.

That wasn’t setting his staff up for failure or preparing the fan base to absorb the loss of former 5-star offensive line commit Cade Mays. Instead, this was more about the MAJOR names that he had to feel confident he could get to listen and — based on the small amount of time they’ve had to build relationships — the relatively low hit rate on big fish.

Pruitt has been at Alabama, Georgia and Florida State. That’s three of the most elite recruiting schools in the country, and while Tennessee may be a tier below that, the Vols are coming off their worst season in school history, a debacle that saw them go 0-8 in the conference. On top of that, there was a very hairy coaching search that carried with it some bad publicity.

All of that is in the rear-view mirror, however. And while a lot of the top kids in the country may not want to play for Tennessee in this cycle, Pruitt is going to give them an opportunity to. That bodes well for the future.

Case in point: Elite 5-star cornerback Tyson Campbell hadn’t sniffed UT in his heated recruitment. But once Pruitt and Co. visited him in his Fort Lauderdale, Florida home a week ago, it resulted in an official visit last weekend. The same goes for 4-star defensive tackle and Campbell’s teammate Nesta Silvera. Will either of those guys commit to the Vols? That’s doubtful considering their short-term relationship with the staff, but UT gave itself a puncher’s chance by getting them on campus.

Pruitt has been able to land elite linebacker JJ Peterson because of his prior relationship, and the Vols are right in the thick of it for 4-star linebacker Quay Walker, Griffin, Taylor-Stuart, Copeland and plenty more top-level prospects who weren’t even on the radar under the Butch Jones regime.

Let’s say UT winds up with two more 4-star prospects. If you add those to guys like Peterson, tight end Dominick Wood-Anderson, offensive guard Jerome Carvin and running back Jeremy Banks, this has been a very successful late-cycle haul for Pruitt. His swing-for-the-fences mentality will produce plenty of future “hits,” but we can’t get caught up in the ones who don’t come. To be on their radar is an accomplishment (though that won’t win you any games.)

They’re excellent talent evaluators

The Jordan Young story may wind up being one that is told for years around Tennessee. How in the world did a 6’2″, 185-pound athletic wide receiver who had 17 touchdowns as a senior and won a state championship in track not have any major scholarships? Especially when this kid lives in an Atlanta suburb?

Mind-boggling.

Regardless, Pruitt and Co. found him, brought him in, offered him, and now he’ll commit to Tennessee barring any last-second change of heart. Florida State is still trying to get him to visit to flip him, but Young seems firm with the Vols. That isn’t the only diamond-in-the-dirt the Vols have pursued, either.

In the end, they may pay a penalty for finding some of these guys as they choose to go elsewhere.

It’s hard to claim Tennessee “found” Eddie Smith, but he didn’t have a ton of SEC offers and committed early to TCU before decommitting. He had a relationship with Pruitt, and the Vols were long thought to be the favorite, but now he looks bound for Alabama after the Crimson Tide offered.

Taiyon Palmer is a defensive back from Lawrenceville, Georgia, who was committed to Duke for a while, but the Vols offered, brought him in for a visit and now may land him. He’s received offers from Alabama, Nebraska, Clemson and others recently, and a lot of those came after UT expressed interest.

Safety Trevon Flowers was committed to Kentucky to play baseball, and he’s been trying to wriggle free of that situation to visit Tennessee to play football the past two weekends. Clemson offered him this week, and now the Tigers may be a threat.

The list goes on and on. This staff has evaluated some very good players who are winding up with healthy offer sheets. While that doesn’t matter if the Vols finish as the bridesmaid in the quest to get their signatures, it has resulted in Young committing. Also, it makes you feel better about unheralded defensive tackle signee Kingston Harris and cornerback Brandon Davis, who committed this week after favoring South Alabama.

They’ll make you tell them no

The Vols may be coming off a winless SEC slate, but they’re going through the Victoria’s Secret magazine and asking out every gal in the book. If they tell you no, hey, at least you tried, right?

Miller reaffirmed his pledge to Auburn while standing in the airport after just leaving his official visit in Knoxville. Oh well. Next.

Campbell, Taylor-Stuart and Griffin all have (or will) visit. They’ve been hotly pursued as if they’ve been considering Tennessee for months. Walker is a long-time Alabama commit who was once considered a lock to flip to Georgia, but UT is right in the thick of his signature.

Safety Jordan Moore is a long shot who looks destined for Texas or Texas A&M, but Tennessee visited him several times and made him tell them no. He did.

But Wood-Anderson didn’t. Peterson didn’t. JT Shrout — who was committed to Cal for months — didn’t, and UT now has its quarterback. The list goes on and on.

Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

They aren’t afraid to go anywhere and everywhere

One thing that was frustrating about Jones’ recruiting efforts — though he was pretty successful on the trail during his tenure at Tennessee — was his failure to sell UT as a national brand.

When Phillip Fulmer was having all his success, UT would go into California, Texas, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, New Jersey — wherever — and pull a kid or two every year. The Vols went where the stars were.

In the past couple of seasons, Jones and Co. had rather fill up on marginal 3-star prospects from Florida and Georgia than rub elbows with other players elsewhere. There’s nothing wrong with that if you develop them, but he didn’t.

The Vols have been adamant about having a major presence in California, and that doesn’t look like it’s going to be a one-year thing. They’re one of the top two for Griffin, getting a visit from Taylor-Stuart and pulled Shrout from that state. They’ve already offered a ton of 2019 kids from the Golden State, too. Wood-Anderson came from Arizona. The Vols look like they’re right at the top of the list for Texas defensive tackle Otito Ogbonnia. They’ve got a commitment from JUCO offensive tackle Jahmir Johnson from Philly.

They’ve kicked the tires on Florida prospects like Copeland and Campbell, and they’re trying to have a presence in Alabama with guys like Malik Langham as well as in Georgia, where they plucked Peterson and are chasing Walker and a bunch of DBs. All the while, UT grabbed a couple of major victories in an area they don’t traditionally own, getting Carvin and Banks out of Memphis.

Getting wide receivers coach David Johnson from Mike Norvell’s Tigers will probably help UT in the Bluff City in the future as well.

***

So, what does all this mean about the ’18 finish?

It’s hard to say. Maybe Tennessee winds up with a monstrous finish, getting two or three of the big-name prospects they’re in the thick of things with and adding a couple more 3-star players who would be big wins such as Ogbonnia or maybe John Mincey or Palmer.

That type of finish would be good enough to put Tennessee in the 15-18 range in final rankings, which would be nothing short of remarkable considering the Vols were in the 60s when Jones was fired.

Pruitt and Co. have focused the majority of their attention on program-changing players. Yes, UT needs bodies, and the Vols may wind up taking a few reaches to fill spots, but don’t look for them to just flesh out the class with warm bodies. They’ll save those spots for graduate transfers or a bigger class next season. In the future, Pruitt and his staff will be able to build relationships with kids who will wind up being fallback plans that will help hedge the bets if the big boys don’t head to Rocky Top.

We don’t have that benefit this season. So, just sit back and enjoy the finish. Don’t get too caught up over the huge names we’re in it for who wind up heading elsewhere. Instead, marvel at what Pruitt has been able to do in such a short time especially in the wake of the rocky postseason, and hope that translates positively for the future.

If this staff wins games, they’ll be able to recruit with anybody in the nation because this staff is elite in its ability to convince and build relationships with players. Hopefully for UT, it’ll pay off in some big commits this Wednesday.