Gameday on Rocky Top

It’s finally football time in Tennessee, and we’ll be squeezing every morsel of news out of every word that escapes new coach Jeremy Pruitt’s mouth over the next month leading up to the season opener in Charlotte against West Virginia.

But we are here to fully arm you with every bit of information we can leading up to the season’ start. In order to do that, we’ve got to get you up-to-date on all the new personnel you’ll be seeing on the football field in 2018.

More than 30 new players will suit up for the Big Orange who didn’t this spring. Many of those weren’t even in orange and white for the worst season in school history a year ago. That’s not a bad thing, either.

Pruitt came in and immediately determined the team that went 4-8 last year wasn’t equipped to win this year, either. So, he called on reinforcements. Over the next few days, we’ll brief you on the newbies at each position.

Let’s take a look at the offensive line.

OFFENSIVE LINE

This is a big ol’ group filled with big ol’ boys. Part of that is because Jeremy Pruitt was hell-bent on getting Tennessee bigger along the offensive front. When you throw in Freshman All-SEC performer Trey Smith, who is being limited this fall but has been given the green light after blood clots in his lungs kept him from participating in spring drills, it’s like UT got another massive “newcomer”, at least since April.

Smith will be in the starting lineup if he’s healthy, but will any of these other newbies? A couple certainly could be, with a couple more intriguing possibilities.

BRANDON KENNEDY, 6’3″, 301-pound RS Junior Center

There’s no question that one of the biggest pledges of the offseason was Kennedy, a player who received a lot of playing time at Alabama over the past couple of years. He wasn’t going to start for the defending national champions this year, though, so he sought greener pastures for clearer playing time.

He found that in Knoxville with former assistant Pruitt and noted developer of O-line talent Will Friend. Now, it’s just a matter of how and where Kennedy fits in the UT lineup. It’s not a guarantee that he will start, but it’s a near-certainty. He isn’t the biggest lineman, and he certainly doesn’t look 6’3″, but he is strong and has been in some key games. He will give the Vols a veteran presence up front, and he may even be the centerpiece at center.

Kennedy bolsters a group of interior linemen who could surprise after a miserable 2017 season. The best thing is that he has two seasons of eligibility remaining after graduating from UA early. The Wetumpka, Ala., native chose the Vols over Auburn — another team that needs big-time O-line help right away — and they are glad he did.

JEROME CARVIN, 6’5″, 303-pound Freshman Guard

It’s amazing that Butch Jones’ staff didn’t have as much heat on Carvin as some of the other offensive linemen in the state, but at least the Vols recruited him. They ultimately won that sweepstakes when Pruitt closed the deal, giving UT a major victory in the early signing period over plenty of other major SEC programs. Carvin and teammate running back Jeremy Banks look like major pieces of the offensive puzzle for years to come.

Carvin got plenty of starting reps in the spring as a mid-term enrollee, and that experience will make him a factor to start the opening game against West Virginia. Who will trot out there with the first team is a bit of an enigma right now as reporters don’t see a ton of reps in practice, but Carvin will get every shot. He’s a massive Cordova High School native from the Memphis area who is big and strong and already has several months in the weight room.

There’s almost no chance of him redshirting. He can help an offensive line unit that needs a lot of it right away. It looks like he’ll begin his career at guard, and he has more upside than anybody on the line not named Trey Smith.

CHANCE HALL, 6’5″, 328-pound RS Junior Tackle

You may not think Hall qualifies as a newcomer, but I don’t care. When a player is left-for-the-scrap-heap after essentially losing two years to injury, you’ve got to put him on here. Nathan Niehaus may be back in uniform soon, but Hall actually has been an SEC-level difference-maker.

Remember, as a true freshman, he came in against Georgia and Alabama, started and even dominated at times. Chronic knee problems kept him off the field, and now, it appears Hall is getting a second chance. Though there is obvious rust and some serious questions about whether he’ll ever be the kind of player he was pre-injury, there’s the hope that he’ll regain it. If he’s healthy, he’s a big, strong depth-provider who could give key reps.

The Vols don’t have guaranteed starters at tackle, though Drew Richmond looks like a near-sure bet. Players like Marcus Tatum and Jahmir Johnson could help out there, too. But Hall is an intriguing possibility. If he can return to form — and he’s got two years to do it — we may not have heard the last of him in orange and white.

JAHMIR JOHNSON, 6’5″, 285-pound RS Sophomore Tackle

It’s hard to figure out just where Johnson fits in the rotation — or if he’ll fit into the rotation — in 2018. Given the Vols’ lack of depth on the exterior of the offensive line, it’s hard to envision a scenario where he won’t play. But he could stand to add 25-30 pounds to his frame, and he needs to get stronger and learn the playbook.

It would have benefitted him to go through a spring, but that didn’t happen; that’s the bad news. The good news is he has three years to play three, so if he isn’t a world-beater this year, it doesn’t mean he’s a lost cause. Again, it’s hard to gauge where he is in the pecking order because the media doesn’t get to see all of practice. He may be getting a ton of reps for all we know.

The Philadelphia native began his collegiate career at Rhode Island before transferring to Arizona Western, where he helped anchor the line of a 9-1 team that averaged nearly 40 points per game.

OLLIE LANE, 6’4″, 308-pound Freshman Guard/Center

One of Tennessee’s little-known commitments from last year’s class who pledged to Butch Jones and was wanted by Pruitt was Lane, a nearby Corryton native who is big and strong and had offers from several SEC teams. There are probably a lot of folks who’ve written him off already because he doesn’t get the headlines like Carvin, but Lane is expected to take much more of a normal collegiate trajectory toward playing time.

In other words, nobody expects Lane — who can play guard or center — to step on the field in 2018, even though he went through spring drills. Maybe he will surprise, but he looks like an ideal candidate to take a year in the weight room and get bigger and stronger.

Lane will be a good player at UT before all is said and done; it just probably won’t be this year.

TANNER ANTONUTTI, 6’5″, 269-pound Freshman

Antonutti is an intriguing prospect, and it’s going to be interesting to see how he develops over the next couple of years. Just shy of 270, there’s almost no chance the former Midstate tight end will get in the game as an O-lineman in ’18. But he has a terrific frame that led to several big offers, including LSU.

Antonutti comes from a family of Vols fans, and though he made the mistake of joining Georgia O-lineman in a Tennessee-bashing video that went viral on UT message boards, there was no question where he wanted to spend his college days. There’s something in his projectable frame and strength that led to coaches liking something about him. I’m sure we’ll see what that is once he puts on 30 pounds, but Antonutti can’t do that this year.

His time is the future.

JARIOUS ABERCROMBIE, 6’4″, 322-pound Walk-on Freshman

You won’t see many — if anymore — walk-ons on this list. But I’m putting Abercrombie on here for his sheer size and strength. The Wenonah, Alabama, High School product is absolutely huge, and he stands out in videos.

Nobody expects him to provide depth this year, but Pruitt and Co. wanted him as a preferred walk-on late in the process, and he is turning heads so far in camp. The walk-on program at Alabama yielded guys like Rashad Johnson and Levi Wallace, so Pruitt has been a part of a team that identified talent, developed it and turned them into All-SEC players.

Abercrombie looks like a guy who could fit that mold down the road.

A few days ago, we posted a list ranking the Vols’ offensive players who need to stay healthy for the team to have success this fall. Nobody’s gotten hurt since we posted that on Friday, so today, we’ll do the same for the defense.

Key defensive injuries in 2017

You’ll recall that the whims of fate treated last year’s similar post as sort of a sinister to-do list, starting at the top and checking guys off as they retreated to the sideline for extended absences. Eat That Frog, Fate!

First on our list last year was middle linebacker Darrin Kirkland Jr., who never even suited up for a game due to a season-ending injury in fall camp. Linebacker Cortez McDowell was right behind him in the No. 2 spot, and he was out for the season after the third game with a wrist injury. Safety Todd Kelly Jr. was at No. 4, and he lasted only two games.

It wasn’t a good year for injuries on the defense, is what I’m saying. Or much else, for that matter.

Defensive players whose health is critical to success in 2018

Like Michael Scott, I’m not superstitious, just a little stitious, which is why I can write this post with only the normal preseason jitters. But if you’re medium stitious, think of it this way: We’ve intercepted the villain’s hit list, and our job, should we choose to accept it, is to keep these guys healthy and on the field. This message will never self-destruct because it’s on the internet.

Feel better? Okay, then. Here’s a list of defensive players for the Vols whose health is critical to the team’s success this fall. Knock here. Use both hands.

7. Outside linebackers Darrell Taylor and Jonathan Kongbo

Both Taylor and Kongbo have changed their official position titles from defensive end to outside linebacker, but they’ll both basically be doing the same thing as last year, which is chase the quarterback and/or frighten him into poor decisions. This is an extremely important aspect of Pruitt’s defensive scheme, but there seem to be enough bodies available behind Taylor and Kongbo to worry more about other guys at other positions.

6. Linebackers Daniel Bituli and Quart’e Sapp

If there’s any comfort on the defensive side of the ball, it’s probably at the linebacker position, and that’s largely due to how Bituli and Sapp handled things last year despite some trying circumstances. Each of them started only eight games, but Bituli led the team in tackles with 90, and Sapp added 78. There’s depth here, but having these talented guys on the field is important.

5. Inside linebacker Darrin Kirkland Jr.

We’ll never know just how much difference it might have made for the defense last year had Kirkland been available to play. But when really healthy, he’s been really good. As a true freshman in 2015, he started 10 games at middle linebacker and had 66 tackles on his way to Freshman All-SEC honors. He missed much of the 2016 season and all of last year due to injury, so he’ll need to knock off some rust. But he’s been heralded as a talented guy who knows what he’s doing at a critical position. That sounds important.

4. Defensive ends Kyle Phillips and Alexis Johnson

Phillips and Johnson (also an electronics/toothpaste firm) appear to be penciled in as starters at defensive end in Pruitt’s 3-4 scheme. There are some prospects and hopefuls on the depth chart behind them, but not very much experience at all, so having these two guys available to anchor down when things are threatening to drift is vital.

3. Safety Todd Kelly Jr.

Nigel Warrior (see below) pretty much has one of the safety spots locked down, but the other one appears to be a competition between Kelly and Micah Abernathy. Even if Kelly doesn’t win the job, the former Freshman All-SEC player’s continued availability will be extremely important from a depth perspective, especially with all of the questions at cornerback.

2. Nigel Warrior

Warrior was one of only five guys who started all 12 games last season. (Abernathy, Trey Smith, Kendal Vickers, and Ethan Wolf were the others), so he’s proven to be durable. He’s also extremely good at what he does, as he’s the highest-graded player returning from last year’s team, according to Pro Football Focus.

With him at one safety spot and Abernathy and Kelly competing for the other, the defense should be fine at safety. But with questions at cornerback, the safeties are going to be critical, helping the corners when needed without leaving their own responsibilities vulnerable.

1. Nose tackle Shy Tuttle

Tuttle is the presumed starter at the all-important position of nose tackle in the 3-4, and there really doesn’t appear to be anyone seriously challenging him for the spot. As we posted over the summer, our best guess is that Pruitt wants 3-6 nose tackles on the roster, and he wants them to be between 290-340 pounds. There were serious deficiencies in the spring, but Pruitt did a pretty good job of shoring them up in the offseason, getting current players to add weight and adding new players who fit the mold to the roster. Still, most all of the non-walk-on true nose tackles behind Tuttle are fresh off the tree: Greg Emerson (true freshman), Emmit Gooden (new JUCO), and Kingston Harris (true freshman). Alexis Johnson fits the nose tackle blueprint, but is apparently slotted for end for now).

That’s pretty light on numbers and on experience for nose tackles, and with Tuttle having, through no fault of his own, so many problems with injuries in the past, it’s a fragile situation. The good news is that Tuttle is reportedly as healthy as he’s ever been heading into fall camp. If he can stay that way, it will go a long way toward making the team more competitive.

We learned quite a bit about Derek Dooley and, even in one year, Lane Kiffin. But I’m not sure we learned a whole lot from them. Kiffin wasn’t here long enough for that, and even three years for a hire like Dooley tends to play out in a predictable pattern: this probably won’t work –> yep, this isn’t working –> okay, let’s move on. Even as some of us spent lots of time arguing injuries and inheritance meant we needed most of that third year to make an informed decision, the final verdict on Dooley was the same as the quick one.

But with Butch Jones, we had five years. You don’t stick around five years at a place without a tangible hope that it might work. And along the way, you get a chance to learn not only about the head coach, but from them.

It’s easy for many to simplify the final verdict about Butch Jones as some form of lol nope; there are plenty of intern jokes out there. I’m far more interested in what we learned from Butch Jones:  what did the last five years teach us as Tennessee fans?

And how will that impact what we’re getting ready to learn from and about Jeremy Pruitt?

#1: What Will We Learn About Jeremy Pruitt?

When you grow up with the late Majors and Fulmer teams, you learn that Tennessee wins except, for frustrating lengths of time, against Alabama or Florida. When “scoreboard!” is your friend, you value it. A lot.

The last ten years have forced us to look beyond something so simple; the Vols are 62-63 since 2008. With Jones specifically, the scoreboard was just favorable enough, just long enough to allow us to hold on to the idea of something more. The Vols were almost bowl eligible in 2013, almost beat Florida in 2014, almost did far more in 2015, and still almost made the Sugar Bowl in 2016. Almost.

Playing the almost game long enough makes you step back and look at the bigger picture. In this year’s Gameday on Rocky Top preseason magazine, we took a closer look at Butch Jones in close games: 24 of his 55 contests against FBS foes were decided by one possession, and 15 of those were decided on the final play. Those are extraordinary numbers, and even when you win your fair share of them – Jones was 8-11 in one-possession games and 5-6 on the final play before things went south last season, finishing at 10-14 by one-possession and 6-9 on the last snap – too many close games will drive your fan base crazy.

I feel like this is what I learned, more than anything else, from Butch Jones: every play matters. Not so you can make more of them in the fourth quarter to earn an unsustainable winning percentage in close games. But so you can avoid, as much as realistically possible, playing close games altogether.

Don’t Waste Opportunities

In Butch’s first year, with Justin Worley and an all-star offensive line, the Vols were 37th nationally in tackles for loss allowed per game (stats from Sports Source Analytics). The next four years, including two with championship-caliber teams, the Vols were 125th, 108th, 53rd, and 121st. The offense went backwards an awful lot. Wasted plays behind the line of scrimmage became far too normal. Along with infamously freezing in crucial situations – 2014 Florida, 2015 Oklahoma, 2017 Florida – play-for-play, the offense failed to take advantage as much as it should have.

Butch Jones could have won a couple more close games and still been the coach here, or lost a couple more and been fired in 2015. But in the final analysis, it was an inability to take appropriate advantage on every play that cost Jones and his teams.

The temptation will be to measure Jeremy Pruitt by simply the wins and losses: six wins is a job well done, five not so much. But one thing I learned from watching Butch Jones the last five years is how much every play is worth. It’s why I find myself gravitating to things like S&P+ (and KenPom) more and more.

Don’t Waste Memories

This sport is about the outcomes, and the moments they create. Memories remain college football’s most valuable asset, for fans and for a coach seeking to earn another year. We wrote in the aftermath of the Georgia loss last year that Jones’ inability to create memories that lasted hurt him more than anything. His best wins are dragged down by the eventual disappointment of the seasons they came in.

Jeremy Pruitt will have the opportunity to make memories this fall. If one of those six wins is the Gators, we’re going to have a good time. Those memories feel like they get made in dramatic fourth quarter finishes. But the best way to truly make them is to focus on the ol’ process: being as efficient as possible on every snap.

What Will Progress Look Like?

We’ll measure Pruitt by the wins and the memories, but coming off last season there is plenty of progress to be made play-for-play. And especially now, how close the Vols are coming can be a great indicator.

Consider this: in Tennessee’s golden age from 1989-2001, the Vols lost five games by 17 points (three possessions) or more: Alabama in 1989, Florida in 1991, 1994, and 1995, and Nebraska in 1997. All five of those teams were in the Top 10, three in the Top 5.

Then the Vols jarringly lost four times by 17+ points in 2002, but at least all four of those teams were in the Top 20. In the next four years Tennessee lost one game each season by that margin, three to Top 10 teams and to #11 Arkansas in 2006.

In 2007, the Vols lost to #5 Florida and unranked Alabama by 17+. In 2008 it was #4 Florida, #2 Alabama, and unranked South Carolina, and Fulmer was out.

Kiffin had two such losses (unranked Ole Miss and #12 Virginia Tech). Dooley had nine in three years, though six of them came to teams in the Top 10. And Butch Jones had a dozen in five years. The first nine were against Top 10 teams – the schedule wasn’t kind, no doubt – but at the end of last season, the Vols were trounced by Missouri, #20 LSU, and Vanderbilt.

So after only five three-possession losses in 13 years, an aberration in 2002, then one-per-year through 2006, the Vols have lost by 17+ points 28 times in the last 11 years. Seven of those came to unranked teams.

Just being competitive won’t make a whole lot of memories. But in 2018, it would absolutely be progress.

Every play matters. And I think this coaching staff, with its pedigree from the top down, will do a better job understanding that, and calling the game accordingly.

There will be a bunch of little things we learn about Pruitt this fall, and an even longer list he’ll learn himself. It’ll take more time than this season to figure out what Jeremy Pruitt’s teams will teach us as fans. But we learned from Butch Jones’ teams that almost is especially painful and being satisfied with close games and the mysterious “we have a chance to win” is a treadmill in disguise. Every season is relative, telling its own story. But every play matters. I look forward to seeing how much Jeremy Pruitt can make them matter, this fall and beyond.

10 Questions for 2018

10. Which backups on the defensive line will be starters in 2019?

09. Can special teams make the difference in a coach’s first year?

08. What do we know about Tyson Helton’s offense from his time at USC?

07. Who’s the third/fourth wide receiver in an offense that will actually throw them the ball?

06. What about team chemistry with a first-time coach and a hodgepodge of players?

05. How much ground can the Vols gain in year one on the non-UGA SEC East?

04. Could the offensive line actually be a strength now?

03. Who wins the QB battle, and how will Pruitt manage it throughout the year?

02. Could two freshmen start at corner?

It’s finally football time in Tennessee, and we’ll be squeezing every morsel of news out of every word that escapes new coach Jeremy Pruitt’s mouth over the next month leading up to the season opener in Charlotte against West Virginia.

But we are here to fully arm you with every bit of information we can leading up to the season’ start. In order to do that, we’ve got to get you up-to-date on all the new personnel you’ll be seeing on the football field in 2018.

More than 30 new players will suit up for the Big Orange who didn’t this spring. Many of those weren’t even in orange and white for the worst season in school history a year ago. That’s not a bad thing, either.

Pruitt came in and immediately determined the team that went 4-8 last year wasn’t equipped to win this year, either. So, he called on reinforcements. Over the next few days, we’ll brief you on the newbies at each position.

Let’s take a look at wide receivers and tight ends.

WIDE RECEIVERS / TIGHT ENDS

The Vols are going to get a major boost when a new old face returns this fall. Though he’s shaking a lot of rust off and reportedly hasn’t looked that much like his old self yet, redshirt junior receiver Jauan Jennings is back from injury, back from suspension, back from expulsion.

He’s back, and he’s expected to start once he gets all the way back and begins to play the way he’s capable. So, you can add him to this list, really. He wants this to be his final season in Knoxville, but in order to do that, he has to perform, produce and show NFL front offices that he can behave while doing it.

This is a huge year for him, and if Jennings has a huge year, the Vols will be a whole lot better because of it. Now, it’s onto the real new faces.

DOMINICK WOOD-ANDERSON, 6’4″, 257-pound Junior TE

Speaking of one-and-done hopefuls, the Vols won a massive recruiting battle in December when the nation’s top-ranked JUCO tight end decided he wanted to close his college days in Knoxville rather than Tuscaloosa.

He may wind up having the biggest impact of any JUCO transfer for UT since Cordarrelle Patterson. Yes, he’s that talented. Wood-Anderson is big and has exceptional hands. It’s almost a guarantee at this point that he is the starting tight end when the Vols open the season against West Virginia. Though he isn’t the most elusive player and won’t outrun a bunch of secondary members, he’s going to be a terror for linebackers.

Wood-Anderson runs great routes, and with the aforementioned hands, he’ll be a major threat for Jarrett Guarantano (or whoever wins the QB battle). There are several guys who could help Wood-Anderson out like Austin Pope, Eli Wolf and LaTrell Bumphus, but this is a guy who looks like he could be the next great Vols tight end.

It’s not out of the question that he could bolt for the NFL if he has a big year, and with the Vols not having any quarterbacks who can guarantee advancing the ball downfield, Wood-Anderson should be a major weapon who is targeted often.

CEDRIC TILLMAN, 6’3″, 212-pound Freshman WR

It looked like the 2018 recruiting cycle could have been a lot cause when you looked at the wide receiver position, especially considering prize recruit Alontae Taylor flipped to defense where he’s showing out as a cornerback early in fall camp. After all, on paper, all we saw was a really late, little-recruited receiver from Bishop Gorman High School who was thinking about walking on at other places.

On 247Sports, Tillman was a very low-ranked 3-star. On Rivals, he was a 2-star prospect. The Vols plucked him from Hawaii, UNLV and Weber State.

All Tillman has done this summer is show out in 7-on-7s, and it’s carried over into fall camp. He’s made some big-time plays, and though he’s raw and isn’t always consistent, it’s obvious the big-bodied first-year player is going to help. If not now, then soon.

He is big and can high-point the ball with the best of them, and Tillman also is getting open and is plenty fast. It’s baffling that a player of his ilk didn’t have a better offer sheet. It looks like he could be a true big find. Of course, he’s got to do it when it really counts, and nobody is anointing him a ’18 breakout star or anything, but there’s a solid foundation with which to work. David Johnson is known for getting the most out of his players, so Tillman could be the latest project.

It wouldn’t be a stretch to see him in the rotation soon. He was quite a late-cycle find that made up for some of the swings-and-misses.

JACQUEZ JONES, 5’10”, 169-pound RS Freshman WR

How well will Jones fit in with this new staff? That’s going to be interesting to see. The Florida product was a little-known player when Butch Jones and his staff took him a season ago. Jones should just be relieved that he was one of the few freshmen who survived the Jones era with all of his eligibility intact. Jordan Murphy (who you can’t remember making a play in 2017) wasn’t as lucky.

Jones is very small, but he is fast. He and Latrell Williams are dynamos who could excel in the open field with the ball in their hand. But how do you get the ball in their hands? He’s still slight, and he looks fully recovered from the knee injury that kept him out a season ago. But he’s behind Brandon Johnson and Jordan Murphy in the slot receiver position.

Can he help this year? We’ll see.

JACOB WARREN, 6’6″, 224-pound Freshman TE

Here is another player who needs to add some weight, especially if he’s going to go through the SEC battles at the tight end position. But when you talk about matchup nightmares, Warren could fit the bill.

His 6’6″ frame is exciting to watch develop, and if he can add 25-30 pounds, he’s going to be a force because he’s got great speed for his size and good hands, too. He reportedly made some plays during the Vols’ open practice Sunday and showed some flashes of things to come. Nobody is expecting him to go out and grab 20 balls in his first year, especially with at least three and maybe more tight ends in front of him.

But this is still a big year for Warren developmentally. With Jackson Lowe and possibly Sean Brown (if he doesn’t grow into a defensive end) coming in next year, Warren could get recruited over if he doesn’t prove he belongs. He’s off to a good start in showing coaches that he can do some things. Now, he’s just got to get bigger and stronger.

With his size and speed, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that he can be a red-zone weapon this year, but he has a ways to go to do that, too.

JAMES BROWN, 6’3″, 229-pound RS Freshman TE

Taking Brown in last year’s cycle was an even bigger enigma than taking Jones. You haven’t heard much about him at all in his two years, and though former offensive coordinator Larry Scott recruited and liked him, it’s hard to see where he’ll fit in the rotation.

Brown didn’t play last year, and rarely do you hear of him this year, either. How will he fit in a traditional tight end role? You don’t want to ever call a kid a transfer possibility, but Brown has a lot to prove. The good thing for him is he’s got a fresh start and clean slate to prove it to a new staff.

He was never going to be an instant-impact player, but entering Year 2 of his career, he needs to take a big step forward and prove that he belongs in the SEC. We’ve got to hear a little about him to be able to write anything more than that.