Tee Martin’s Instant Recruiting Impact

The return of Tee Martin to Tennessee to the Tennessee staff is a big deal both in terms of perception – he’s a former National Championship winning QB with a street named after him on campus and most recently was the Offensive Coordinator at Southern Cal – as well as recruiting.  Martin is known as an elite recruiter, having been named the 247Sports Recruiter of the Year in 2016 and consistently ranked among the Top 20 recruiters in the country.  Between his two-year stint at Kentucky and his most recent seven years at USC he landed, among others, 11(!) 5-star and 22 4-star recruits for the Wildcats and Trojans, including 9 non-Cali signees. 

Where Martin might immediately help is for 5-star WR George Pickens from Alabama’s Hoover High School as he likely has at least some ties there.  However, his impact will be much more immediately felt beginning with the 2020 class, which Tennessee has already started out extremely strong with the additions of 5-star QB Harrison Bailey and former Alabama signee and current JUCO DE Jordan Davis. He has incredibly strong ties all over the Southeast and specifically in the talent-rich Atlanta area.  He’ll also likely be a major asset as well as in his native Alabama and of course throughout Tennessee, where Pruitt and his staff have made it clear they are very keen on the 2020 instate class.

Tee got his coaching career started in the Atlanta area high school ranks, and has deep connections across the Metro area.  Tennessee’s existing staff already has strong ties in Georgia generally – see the 9 of 19 2019 signees being from the Peach State – and Atlanta specifically, and Vols already have their jewel of the 2020 class in Bailey who is from Marietta HS in suburban Atlanta.  However, Tee will take that to another level as the Vols look to go head to head with the hometown Bulldogs as well as the likes of Alabama and Clemson for elite talent

RB Tank Bigsby

RB Jo’Quavous Marks

RB Mecose Todd

WR Javon Baker (Bama commit)

WR Ze’vian Capers

WR Kobe Stewart

TE Arik Gilbert

OL Quatavious Leslie

OLB BJ Ojulari

DL Andy Boykin

DL Nazir Stackhouse (UGA commit)

OLB Zakevious Walker

OLB Phillip Webb

LB Kevin Swint

S Rashad Torrence (UF commit)

CB Jalen Huff (OU commit)

CB Javier Morton (Bama commit)

Current 2020 Tennessee targets in Alabama

Tennessee’s current staff has also made the state of Alabama a priority, which makes sense given Pruitt’s background as well as that of more than a few other staffers.  Martin, being from Mobile, has both name recognition and ties in the state and will only bolster those efforts.  Tennessee has gotten a good number of 2020 Alabama prospects to campus already, and this effort could also be a factor in what Tennessee decides to do with its final DL spot in the 2019 class, as current commit Ledarrius Cox is from Mobile.

Acknowledging that Alabama and to a certain extent Auburn are always going to be extremely difficult to beat out for homestate kids that they want, the fact that the Tide has experienced so much turnover on its coaching staff this offseason could give the Vols yet another edge in this coming cycle as so many AL kids have seen their Tide recruiters depart.  For example, former Alabama OL coach Brent Key, the new Georgia Tech OC, is a Hewitt-TrussvilleHS who recruited his alma mater and was directly responsible for two 2019 Alabama signees and more importantly two 2020 commits (Dazalin Worsham and Malachi Moore) from the school. 

ATH Jordan Ingram

ATH Kristian Story (former UT commit)

WR Dazalin Worsham (Bama commit)

WR Eddie Williams

WR JJ Evans

DL Eric Taylor

DL Jah-Marien Latham (Bama commit)

CB Malachi Moore (Bama commit)

Obviously 2020 is a long way out, as the Vols are still looking to close out their 2019 class with a bang.  However, it is going to be a pivotal class for Pruitt as he looks to build on a solid 2018 class and what looks like a very strong 2019 class and take it to another level in 2020.  The addition of Martin to a recruiting staff that already features studs like TE Coach Brian Niedermeyer, DC Kevin Sherrer, Safeties Coach Charles Kelly, OL Coach Will Friend, DL Coaches Tracy Rocker and Chris Rumph, as well as the largest support staff in the history of Tennessee football, is a tremendous boost.  It shows yet again that Pruitt and AD Phillip Fulmer know what it takes to get the kind of players to Tennessee that the Vols need to get back on top.  Further, and maybe more importantly, it shows that they are both willing to do and spend whatever it takes to make that happen. 

Tennessee vs Arkansas Preview

Here’s what I wrote Monday afternoon:

Tennessee’s quest for #1 takes a backseat this week: #1 Duke and #4 Virginia play Saturday in Durham (6:00 PM ET ESPN), and the winner will almost certainly be ranked ahead of the Vols next Monday. That’s a 1 vs 2 showdown in KenPom; it’s exciting just for a game of that magnitude to be relevant to the Vols. Before we get there, Duke played Syracuse on Monday, and there’s a showdown in the Commonwealth tonight between the Cavaliers and #9 Virginia Tech in Charlottesville. Meanwhile #2 Michigan is off midweek, then travels to Wisconsin (14th KenPom) on Saturday. It’ll be interesting to see how the polls and the bracket matrix shake out after this week.

…and then Duke lost to Syracuse, and lost point guard Tre Jones to a shoulder injury.

So now, if Duke bounces back against Virginia and Michigan falls at Wisconsin? The Vols could get to number one on Monday. Tennessee already had more first-place votes than any other team but Duke. Turns out this isn’t a backseat week after all.

The Vols get the reward of a week in Knoxville after trips to Missouri and Florida last week, and will spend it with more of the bubble. Alabama comes calling Saturday, currently the first team out in the matrix. But first, Arkansas.

Last Year: The Agony & The Ecstasy

Most of Tennessee’s losses last year qualified as frustrating; that’s what happens when you win the SEC. North Carolina in the final minutes, Auburn with their bajillion offensive rebounds, the streak-busting blowout at Alabama, plus narrow defeats at Missouri and Georgia. And then there were painful losses in March: to Kentucky in the SEC Tournament finals, and of course to Sister Jean.

But the one that made me want to punch a wall was Arkansas.

Up nine with 3:53 left, a flurry of foul-outs and turnovers allowed Arkansas to get the game to overtime, where more of the same led to a 95-93 Razorback victory. The loss dropped Tennessee to 9-3, 0-1 to open league play.

The rematch, however, was Tennessee’s best game of the season.

In the SEC Tournament semifinals, the Vols shot 57% from the floor, 11-of-17 (64.7%) from the arc, and 85% from the line. Tennessee buried the Hogs 84-66, an exclamation point on a 16-3 run after starting league play 0-2.

Be careful with this team

Arkansas doesn’t look like a great team on paper at 10-5 (1-2), 55th in KenPom. Their best win is over Indiana, which has lost a little luster with the Hoosiers dropping two straight.

But the five losses? Texas by two in overtime, Western Kentucky by one, Georgia Tech by four, Florida by six, LSU by six in overtime. The Hogs are really close to looking a whole lot better.

What probably makes Arkansas fans want to punch a wall: their free throw shooting. In four of those losses:

  • Texas: 13-of-24 (54.2%)
  • Western Kentucky: 9-of-16 (56.3%)
  • Florida: 15-of-26 (57.7%)
  • LSU: 17-of-28 (60.7%)

The Hogs are literally a few free throws away from being 14-1.

Their guards really hurt us in the first meeting last year, but this team plays through Daniel Gafford. The 6’11” sophomore had 27 in the win over Indiana and just put 32 on LSU. The weakness here, as you can guess: foul him. Gafford shot 52.8% at the line last year, 58% so far this season. He’s had plenty of experience, ranking 22nd nationally in fouls drawn per 40 minutes (via KenPom). The alternative: Gafford is 102-of-155 from the field this year, 83rd nationally.

The rest of the lineup is new after those guards – Barford, Beard, and Macon – all graduated. Mason Jones continues the three-point shooting threat, New Mexico transfer Jalen Harris runs the point, and freshmen Isaiah Joe and Reggie Chaney log plenty of minutes.

It’s the Arkansas DNA you know and love – 41st nationally in tempo – with an emphasis on getting to the free throw line beyond just Gafford, despite their poor shooting there. Because the Hogs want to get up and go, they’re susceptible on the offensive glass. But they’ve also been really good at forcing turnovers, as Florida was, and teams are shooting just 29.9% from the arc against them. The free throw numbers are significant, but they don’t really beat themselves otherwise.

Tennessee, as we’ve seen, is playing at an elite level. So we can make this whole argument about the Hogs being a bubble team a few free throws away from the Top 25…and the Vols can still be favored by 15 in KenPom.

7:00 PM, ESPN2. To stay in the number one conversation even when the nation’s eyeballs are elsewhere this week? Keep winning, keep playing well.

Go Vols.

Worth reading 1.14.19: 2018 football’s encouraging leap in S&P+

If you read only one thing about the Vols today . . .

. . . make it this, from Will:

Other Vols stuff worth reading today

  1. Rucker: Special Vols fight back, outlast feisty Florida, via 247Sports
  2. Williams one step ahead of Florida for late-game kill shot, via 247Sports
  3. What Rick Barnes said after No. 3 Vols beat Florida, via 247Sports
  4. Jordan Bowden stays hot with 12 straight points at Florida, via 247Sports
  5. No. 3 Tennessee Grabs 78-67 Road Win over Florida – University of Tennessee Athletics, via UTSports
  6. Why Jeremy Pruitt hired Jim Chaney, via VolQuest
  7. Vols waiting on NFL Draft decision from Jauan Jennings, via 247Sports
  8. FL Vols: How former Tennessee stars fared in Divisional Round, via 247Sports
  9. No. 13 Lady Vols Drop Close One At UGA, 66-62 – University of Tennessee Athletics, via UTSports

Behind the paywalls

  • MUST READ: Rocky Top Fat Camp: Inside the program that has helped shape…, via The Athletic
  • Projecting the Tennessee Vols’ 2019 offensive depth chart, via The Athletic
  • Tennessee visit ‘felt confirming’ to elite LB To’oto’o, via 247Sports
  • Tennessee’s 10 most wanted, via 247Sports

From the Archives

Where 2018 Ranks in the Last 50 Years of Tennessee Football

We use S&P+ during football season (and KenPom for basketball) a lot on our site. Part of it comes from the 10+ years we spent at SB Nation, where Bill Connelly continues to do great work with advanced statistics. And specific to Tennessee, the longer the Vols struggle, the more I believe it’s important to find good ways to distinguish what’s happening year to year.

S&P+ isn’t the best way to rank teams; I still work for the head-to-head police, still believe Penn State should’ve been in over Ohio State two years ago, etc. But S&P+ is one of the best ways to rate teams. It doesn’t judge wins and losses, but places a value on every play, adjusted for each opponent. You can read all about what goes into it here, but in general it includes five factors:

  • Success Rate (staying on schedule with five yards on first down, 70% of what’s left on second down, and converting third/fourth downs).
  • Points Per Play
  • + Scoring Opportunities (what you did inside the 40), Field Position, and Turnover Margin

Not only does S&P+ assign value to every snap, it gives a percentile performance for each game and, ultimately, the season. It’s a good way to distinguish between seasons that finish with similar records, and track a coach and program over time.

Football Outsiders has S&P+ data going back to 2005, including offensive and defensive unit rankings. But a couple off-seasons ago, Bill Connelly published an estimated S&P+ rating for teams as far back as 1970 (all of those links can be found here from Football Study Hall).

We pointed out at the time how S&P+ didn’t rate 1998 as Tennessee’s best team of the 90’s, but instead leaned toward Heath Shuler’s 1993 squad. The ’98 Vols won five one-possession games, plus a fourth quarter comeback in the SEC Championship Game. The ’93 Vols lost to Florida by seven and tied Alabama before ultimately stumbling in the Citrus Bowl against Penn State. But they also decimated everyone else, including a 32-point win over #22 Georgia and 35 points over #13 Louisville. Shuler finished second in the Heisman balloting and the team set a school record for points per game that still stands.

Again, it’s not the best way to rank seasons – ’93 in particular struggles in that department because it lacks a signature win – but it is a good way to ask yourself, “Who would we least like to face?” And the 50 years (okay, 49) of estimated percentile performance give us a ton of context for where Tennessee was, is, and could go.

So, using the data from Football Study Hall, here’s every Tennessee team since 1970 in S&P+, from best to worst:

TeamS&P+ PercentileRecord
197097.9411-1
199397.209-2-1
199796.4811-2
200196.4811-2
199996.009-3
199895.8713-0
197295.8210-2
198595.469-1-2
199594.7111-1
200793.3010-4
200692.809-4
199092.159-2-2
198991.8111-1
200991.207-6
199290.809-3
199689.8910-2
197489.477-3-2
199487.968-4
199187.909-3
197187.2810-2
198487.267-4-1
200483.5610-3
200382.7410-3
201582.509-4
197982.487-5
201481.407-6
200581.105-6
198780.4810-2-1
198380.079-3
201677.609-4
200075.718-4
198075.445-6
201273.605-7
201173.205-7
197572.887-5
200271.068-5
201369.805-7
200868.805-7
197362.758-4
198659.517-5
197659.286-5
197756.324-7
198255.466-5-1
197855.045-5-1
201055.006-7
198847.165-6
201839.005-7
198135.638-4
201717.404-8

The first data point is the highest: the 1970 Vols lost to #17 Auburn in week two, but didn’t fall again. They beat #13 Georgia Tech 17-6, then beat Alabama 24-0 and Florida 38-7 in consecutive weeks. LSU lost a pair of non-conference games in 1970 but went undefeated in the SEC; as the Vols and Tigers did not meet, #5 LSU won the SEC and got a shot at #3 Nebraska in the Orange Bowl, with an outside chance at the national championship. The #4 Vols went to the Sugar Bowl and beat #11 Air Force 34-13. The Cornhuskers beat LSU to claim the national championship when #1 Texas and #2 Ohio State both lost their bowl games; had the Vols played Nebraska instead they too would’ve been playing for the title.

Shuler’s ’93 Vols are second on the list, meaning the two highest-rated teams of the last 50 years both had first-year coaches in Bill Battle and Phillip Fulmer. From there, it’s the list you expect: the most memorable seasons from the decade of dominance, Condredge Holloway’s 1972 Vols, and the 1985 Sugar Vols.

Here’s what it looks like over time:

And here’s the Google Sheet where you can interact with the data.

So…what can we learn here?

The Last Two Years Really Have Been Rock Bottom

In S&P+, the 2017 season is the worst of the last 50 years by a significant margin. The Vols went 4-8, but it was more than that. The Vols were statistically dominated in the win over Georgia Tech. And UT was both non-competitive in five blowout losses, and failed to measure up play-for-play in close losses to Florida, South Carolina, and Kentucky. The S&P+ win expectancy in those three games: 19%, 23%, and 33%, plus just 23% against Georgia Tech.

Only 1981 kept 2018 from making it back-to-back years at the bottom of S&P+. The ’81 Vols are an interesting example of how S&P+ works: Tennessee went 8-4, but the four losses were by 44 to Georgia, 36 to USC, 19 to Alabama, and 11 to Kentucky. Meanwhile the Vols beat Auburn and Georgia Tech by identical 10-7 scores, beat Vanderbilt by four, and survived Wichita State 24-21. Play-for-play, the ’81 Vols were really bad…but they found a way to win every close game. And that team, and the ones to follow, help teach us a good lesson.

The Early 80’s as a Guide?

The records didn’t show straight-line improvement for Johnny Majors from 1981-84: 8-4, 6-5-1, 9-3, 7-4-1. But in S&P+, the Vols were getting stronger every year, laying the groundwork for the SEC title in 1985.

The 2018 Vols are third-worst in S&P+ in the last 50 years…but they were significantly better than their predecessors. It’s easy to make things pass/fail: if the Vols had beaten South Carolina, Missouri, or Vanderbilt to get bowl eligible at 6-6, it would’ve seemed a lot easier to praise Jeremy Pruitt for his year one work. But play-for-play, Tennessee made progress.

You always start with wins and losses, and in the end, you circle back there. But in between, it’s worth valuing every play. And while there’s a long way to go back to the top, Tennessee took a solid first step away from the bottom in 2018.

The Ups and Downs of Any Program

S&P+ puts 2006 and 2007 in a different light too. After an abundance of close wins in 2003 and 2004 (and close losses in 2005), the Vols were far closer to their 90’s neighbors in 2006: one-point loss to the eventual champs, four-point loss to Top 10 LSU, and significant blowouts of Cal and Georgia. The Vols got blown out three times in 2007, but the weight of the ongoing Fulmer conversation probably made us undervalue Tennessee blowing out Georgia and Arkansas in return.

2008 was still the worst year of the Fulmer era; the last ten years may have changed your mind, but in the moment there were certainly reasonable arguments for moving on in wins and losses. But play-for-play, the Vols weren’t far away in the two years before Fulmer was out, and nearly returned to the same form with Fulmer’s players in Lane Kiffin’s one and only year.

Since then, things have trended downhill in a hurry. Even what some may think of as the good Butch Jones years – 2014-2016 – were, both play-for-play and in the end result, several steps behind Tennessee’s best days.

I’m not sure it’s realistic to make the 90’s the definition of success; in the last 50 years that’s the ceiling, but not always where we live. Since 1970 the Vols are better understood as a program capable of hitting those high notes – and its current athletic director hired a coach with that possibility in mind – but also one that has its ups and downs, and is currently in the middle of a historic down. Progress, for Fulmer and Pruitt, looks first like getting the Vols above the thresholds Dooley and Butch reached but could not surpass. At this point, in these ratings, it’s still a steeper climb than either of them faced. But looking for said progress is part of the fun. It’ll always be easier when the Vols are winning close games instead of losing them. But so far for Jeremy Pruitt, progress is there.

Any program is a roller coaster over the course of 50 years. We come back every fall because we love the ride itself, not just the wins. History suggests we’ve never been as low as in the last two years…but history also shows the heights this program can attain. And we’re in the middle of a basketball season showing us you can always go higher.

For the Vols, and for Pruitt, right now it’s simply about going forward.

Tennessee 78 Florida 67: Put Your Hands Together

Surprise blowouts are delightful, but perhaps we forgot how much fun one of these can be too.

Florida was 22nd in overall KenPom and fifth in defensive efficiency. The Vols were favored by only a deuce. And to the finish, the Gators lived up to all of that, even if differently than we thought.

The Gators take a lot of threes…but 22 of them in the first half compared to seven attempts from inside the arc? Not sure I’ve seen that ratio against the Vols before. But…it worked. Florida splashed enough of them for a 38-35 halftime advantage, due in large part to their ability to defend well without fouling. Tennessee had just three tries at the free throw line in the first half, and still finished -7 in attempts to the Gators for the game.

Florida was good defensively…but in the end, just not quite good enough.

Tennessee answered a KeVauhgn Allen three to open the second half with an 8-0 run to take the lead. The Vols pushed the lead to five a couple of times around the ten minute mark, but Florida didn’t fold. With eight minutes to play, a wild sequence saw eight consecutive possessions end with points: each time Florida took the lead first, then the Vols immediately tied it up. And by “the Vols”, I mean Jordan Bowden: 12 straight Tennessee points, capped off with a three, a steal, and a slam to give Tennessee the lead.

The Vols held the lead into the final minute, up two. Points came easiest on this night for Grant Williams, who followed up a 23-point performance against Florida last year with 20 tonight. He got the ball near the top of the key, took a step or two…and found Admiral Schofield in the corner. And if you’re looking for a big shot this year, look no further: a three with three on the shot clock put the Vols up five with 45 seconds to play. A couple free throws and a couple steal-and-scores from there, and we got this:

Again, Florida was good. But “good” simply isn’t enough to beat Tennessee right now.

I feel like we’ve been on the other side of this game plenty of times against a top-five Kentucky or Florida squad: played hard, played well, had our chances, couldn’t finish. If you like that comparison, consider this: the Vols go to +28.60 in KenPom, fourth nationally and, insanely, second nationally in offense. Only two of John Calipari’s Kentucky teams finished a year better than +28.60. One won the title with Anthony Davis, the other was undefeated until it lost in the Final Four. Only two of Billy Donovan’s Florida teams finished a year better than that (KenPom goes back to 2002). One won the title in 2007, the other made the Elite Eight in 2013.

There’s a ton of basketball left to play, and plenty of chances for the Vols to go up or down. But right now, the Vols are playing among or above elite company in both Tennessee and recent SEC history.

A week on the road leads to a week at home: Arkansas on Tuesday, Alabama on Saturday. Kermit Davis and Ole Miss inserting themselves into the SEC title race has done nothing to change the back-ended nature of Tennessee’s schedule: the Vols will finish the season with at LSU, at Ole Miss, vs Kentucky, vs Mississippi State, at Auburn. We get the Cats twice, of course, but otherwise those are the only meetings on the calendar with the rest of that list. Florida returns to Knoxville on February 9.

Long way to go. But so far, lots of fun along the way.

Go Vols.

Worth reading 1/11/19: The return of Lamonte Turner

If you read only one thing about the Vols today . . .

. . . make it this, from 247Sports’ Wes Rucker:

Other Vols stuff worth reading today

  1. Tennessee at Florida Preview, via Gameday on Rocky Top
  2. Everything Rick Barnes said before No. 3 Vols travel to Florida, via 247Sports
  3. Vols Announce Basketball Series with Wisconsin – University of Tennessee Athletics, via UTSports
  4. Schofield, Williams Named to Wooden Award Midseason Watch List – University of Tennessee Athletics, via UTSports
  5. Tennessee 39th in Directors’ Cup final fall standings, via 247Sports
  6. No. 13 Tennessee Falls To No. 16 Kentucky, 73-71 – University of Tennessee Athletics, via UTSports
  7. UT Hoops Coaches’ Shows Air Saturday – University of Tennessee Athletics, via UTSports

Behind the paywalls

Tennessee at Florida Preview

Everyone is on the books now in SEC action, and most of the league has played twice. The other teams we believed to be contenders for the SEC Championship – Auburn, Florida, Kentucky, and Mississippi State, all Top 25 in KenPom – have already lost once. Tennessee beat Georgia by 46, then won at Missouri by 24. The Vols are now projected to win the SEC at 14-4 in KenPom. But more than that, the second place team(s) are projected to finish 11-7.

Tennessee, meanwhile, is now fifth nationally in KenPom with a rating of +26.87 (points better than the average team on a neutral floor in 100 possessions). It’s easily the program’s best rating in the 18-year KenPom history. I’ll leave the Ernie & Bernie comparisons to those old enough to have seen both, but otherwise, right now you’ve got statistical backup for, “This is the best Tennessee team I’ve ever seen.”

With that comes an exciting curiosity: now it’s not just if the Vols will win, but can they ascend the blowout ladder? Rebuilding team with a first-year coach, check. Bubble team on the road, check.

What about the Gators? KenPom still only projects the Vols as a two-point favorite in Gainesville, so perhaps we shouldn’t get too greedy. But I’m also not sure this team is done teaching us what greedy actually looks like just yet.

Last Year: After a 9-1 stretch book-ended with victories over Kentucky, the Vols lost two of their next three to fall out of the number one seed conversation. Florida was the return to form: a gritty 62-57 win in Knoxville, which helped us simplify Tennessee’s best basketball to a degree.

This was the game that made us start conversations with, “Does this team have anyone who can guard Grant Williams?” The soon-to-be SEC Player of the Year had 23 points on 8-of-12 shooting and 7-of-8 at the line. A Florida team that found plenty of success leaning on guards Chris Chiozza and KeVaughn Allen had no answer for Williams.

I’m not sure how much that’s changed. The Gators still like putting four guys at 6’5″ and under on the floor with a single big, most often 6’9″ senior Kevarrius Hayes. He’s a good shot-blocker, but he and 6’8″ junior Keith Stone are really the only shot blockers on this team. The Vols remain first in the nation in fewest shots blocked.

Where Florida does make its living is turnovers. The Gators are fifth nationally in defensive efficiency, the Vols fourth in offensive efficiency, which should make this really fun to watch…if Florida has an answer for Williams. Forcing turnovers on 24.6% of opponent possessions (seventh nationally) is a good start. The Gators are 7-2 when forcing 15+ turnovers, 2-3 when they don’t hit that mark.

KeVauhgn Allen is still around, but a pair of freshmen guards – Noah Locke and Andrew Nembhard – are a big part of what they like to do as well. Nembhard is 28th nationally in assist rate, averaging 5.7 per game. Locke is a volume shooter, hitting 42.4% from the arc so far this year.

It’s thankfully the first of two with the Gators this year, who return to Knoxville on February 9 in an already sold out Thompson-Boling. This one will get some national eyeballs – 6:00 PM ET Saturday, ESPN – and represents another big chance for Tennessee to separate themselves from the SEC contenders. We’ll see how much additional separation the Vols can create in Gainesville.

Worth reading 1/10/19: If Jim Chaney can do that with Jonathan Crompton . . .

If you read only one thing about the Vols today . . .

. . . make it this, from VolQuest:

Other Vols stuff worth reading today

  1. Jeremy Pruitt explains why he hired Jim Chaney as Vols’ OC, via 247Sports
  2. Pruitt says there was ‘no need to rush’ Vols’ OC search, via 247Sports
  3. Tennessee’s ‘capabilities,’ direction helped land Chaney, via 247Sports
  4. Kiffin: Jim Chaney is “grand slam” hire for Tennessee, via 247Sports
  5. Paul Finebaum reacts to Tennessee’s hiring of Jim Chaney, via 247Sports
  6. Jim Chaney’s Memorandum of Understanding, via UTSports
  7. Tennessee 92 Vanderbilt 84: Yep, we can win this way too., via Gameday on Rocky Top
  8. Jordan Bowden finding different ways to score, lead Vols, via 247Sports
  9. What Tennessee is getting by swiping Jim Chaney from Georgia…, via The Athletic
  10. Who is this Kyle Alexander and where did he come from?, via 247Sports
  11. Rucker: Tennessee sending statement to SEC, via 247Sports
  12. Reaction: Former Vols hail Tennessee’s hire of Jim Chaney, via 247Sports
  13. Media reaction to Jim Chaney returning to Tennessee, via 247Sports
  14. Bryce Thompson Collects FWAA Freshman All-America Honors – University of Tennessee Athletics, via UTSports
  15. Odds released on Jalen Hurts’ transfer destination, via 247Sports
  16. The process of Alabama falling apart, via SB Nation

Behind the paywalls