Worth reading 8.1.18: Trey Smith details and the mental state of meat

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

. . . make it this, from ESPN’s Chris Low:

It’s of course great news that the Vols’ best player will indeed be back to playing football this fall, but it’s also really great to hear how the staff and program handled everything, putting the guy first, ahead of his football career and ahead of the program. Here’s to continued good health for Smith.

Other (mostly) Vols stuff worth reading today

  1. JIM HARBAUGH’S MATRIX OF MEATS BY TEMPERAMENT, via Every Day Should Be Saturday. Spencer’s hilarious response to news that Harbaugh believes chickens are too nervous to eat.
  2. 10 Questions for 2018: First-Time Coach with a QB Competition, via GRT’s Will Shelton
  3. Vols Continue Recruiting Roll With Pledge From JUCO DT Savion Williams, via GRT’s Brad Shepard
  4. Is he a jerk? Maybe. Maybe not. Either way, Pruitt’s fire is exactly what the Vols need, via Saturday Down South
  5. Impact Analysis: Savion Williams, via VolQuest
  6. Tennessee Vols Preseason Camp Primer: Inside linebacker, via 247Sports
  7. Tennessee Preseason Camp 4-1-1: Quarterback, via 247Sports
  8. Tennessee Preseason Camp 4-1-1: Running back, via 247Sports
  9. Tennessee Preseason Camp 4-1-1: Wide receiver, via 247Sports
  10. Tennessee Preseason Camp 4-1-1: Tight end, via 247Sports
  11. Practice field expansion puts Tennessee in SEC’s top half, via the Times Free Press

Behind the paywalls

  • 2018 Positional Preview: STs, via VolQuest
  • Tennessee Vols football recruiting: Vols ‘a no-brainer’ among top five for OL Melvin McBride, via 247Sports

What we were talking about this time last year . . .

This edition of GRT’s Worth Reading brought to you by . . . SHORTS!

 

Vols Continue Recruiting Roll With Pledge From JUCO DT Savion Williams

On the heels of landing two blue-chip defensive backs, Tennessee coach Jeremy Pruitt filled another major need with a major pickup on Tuesday. Top-ranked JUCO defensive tackle Savion Williams committed to the Vols two days after leaving Knoxville after the weekend recruiting cookout.

Williams chose UT over Georgia, Maryland and others. It ultimately came down to back-to-back visits the 6’4″, 315-pound defensive lineman took last week, following up a two-day to Athens with a visit to Knoxville. It didn’t take him long to figure out that he wanted to be a part of what Pruitt is building on Rocky Top.

Williams’ commitment was a bit of a shock to UT fans who thought they were in for a big battle with a red-hot Bulldogs team that has been landing whoever they wanted on the recruiting trail for the past couple of years. But this is a victory Pruitt won over old fellow assistant Kirby Smart.

Williams is a Lackawanna Junior College product, and he prepped at Dr. Henry Wise High School in Upper Marlboro, Maryland, and he had a strong relationship with graduate assistant Joe Osovet, who was an innovative JUCO coach at ASA JUCO, where he recruited Williams out of high school, according to GoVols247’s Ryan Callahan.

Williams joins JUCO prospects Darel Middleton, a 6’7″, defensive end who is formerly of Oak Ridge, and the nation’s top-ranked JUCO linebacker Lakia Henry as potential instant-impact players in the 2019 class. As Pruitt attempts to rebuild a program that was torn down by the Butch Jones era, he is going after more JUCOs and graduate transfers, and UT hopes it pays off in a big way.

“I definitely know they have a decent amount of D-tackles leaving, and they’re kind of in rebuilding mode,” Williams told Callahan. “I know people kept telling me that. But that really doesn’t matter to me. As long as I get my opportunities and I’m going to play, then I really don’t care.

“But they have a lot of D-tackles leaving, and I feel like me and Darel Middleton are going to be a force to be reckoned with the next couple years.”

The upside for Williams is obvious. Not only is he a massive specimen who will likely stay at defensive end in a 3-4 defense but could bulk up to play on the interior if necessary, he also has three years to play three in Knoxville. So, even if he isn’t quite ready to come right in and give meaningful snaps, there’s time for him to develop.

He adds to the beef on the Vols’ defensive line class.

  • Williams 6’4″, 315 pounds
  • Elijah Simmons 6’0″, 353 pounds
  • LaDarrius Cox 6’5″, 305 pounds
  • Darel Middleton, 6’7″, 290 pounds

Williams is one of UT’s top overall targets, so it was huge news to get him in the fold, especially considering it came on the heels of the official word that Trey Smith has been cleared to play for the Vols in 2018.

Pruitt believes in his evaluations above all else, and that fact has left some UT fans puzzled when the Vols “take” commitments from guys like Jalil Clemons, Elijah Simmons and Roman Harrison. But that doesn’t matter. These are jumbo prospects who can fly all over the field the way few on UT’s roster can or space-eating monsters who can plug run gaps.

Though some of the guys Pruitt took in the 2018 class weren’t the most heavily recruited, some of the early reports on guys like defensive linemen Kurott Garland and Kingston Harris, receiver Cedric Tillman, and cornerback Brandon Davis are positive. So, it speaks to Pruitt’s evaluations.

Nobody has to talk himself into Williams. He’s a guy virtually everybody who saw wanted. He’s also Jayson Swain-approved.

The commitment from Williams surges the Vols to ninth in the Rivals.com rankings and 14th in 247Sports. The Vols still have a ton of high-profile targets on their board with perhaps room for five more players. It’s always fluid, though, and a couple of the commitments currently in the class could choose to look elsewhere. LeDarrius Cox visited Auburn with his mother this past weekend, and he won’t be the last player who flirts with other teams.

But the Vols are thrilled to have a player of Williams’ caliber in the fold, and it continues the trend of getting quality prospects who are bigger athletes that can help the way the Vols look when they get off the bus and during the game.

Worth watching 7.31.18: Rashaan Gaulden knows not how to go easy

VFL Rashaan Gaulden got himself into a bit of trouble (but probably also gained some respect) with the veterans for this:


More hype to hold you over:

Worth reading 7.31.18: Connelly’s Vols preview, and Rucker’s PSA

If you read only one two things about the Vols today . . .

. . . make it this, from SB Nation’s Bill Connelly:

Not great news for Vols fans, but still a ton of great information with advanced stats. 

. . . and this, from Wes Rucker:

Public service announcement for Vols fans.

Other Vols stuff worth reading today

  1. SEC Coaches Talk Anonymously About Conference Foes for 2018, via Athlon Sports
  2. Tennessee Vols Preseason Camp Primer: Outside linebacker, via 247Sports
  3. Vols hoops come in at No. 3 in ESPN’s latest BPI, via ESPN
  4. Despite some teachable moments, Rashaan Gaulden impressing Panthers, via 247Sports
  5. Tennessee’s Best Teams Have Great Offensive Lines, via Gameday on Rocky Top. This is a reheat from one year ago today by Will. O-lines matter, y’all.

Behind the paywalls

  • Analyst: ‘Aggressive’ Jeremy Pruitt will recruit at high level, via 247Sports
  • Lawrence loves ‘chill’ environment in latest Tennessee trip, via VolQuest
  • 2018 Positional Preview: DBs, via VolQuest
  • Tennessee Vols football recruiting: Vols ‘solidified’ among favorites for juco DT Savion Williams, via 247Sports
  • Tennessee Vols football recruiting: Four-star, in-state DB sees ‘different side’ of Vols on visit, via 247Sports
  • Tennessee Vols football recruiting: Four-star LSU CB commit gets Vols offer, wants to ‘have options’, via 247Sports

10 Questions for 2018: First-Time Coach with a QB Competition

It was Tennessee’s turn in Bill Connelly’s 130-team previews yesterday, and it included this terrifying statistic:

You still need a quarterback who a) does his part and b) stays upright. Sophomore Jarrett Guarantano took an incredible 26 sacks on just 165 pass attempts…

We thought the line would be question number one with this team, but thanks to good health and a couple of nice pickups by Pruitt and company, it might even be an asset this season. That brings us back to the QB.

#3: First-Time Coach with a QB Competition

Guarantano’s season totals weren’t terrible: 61.9% completion rate, 7.2 yards per attempt. If we’re leaning into optimism – August is just around the corner, after all – there’s some hope that the play-calling will be an obvious benefit, because in several instances last fall they didn’t let Guarantano do much of anything downfield:

  • Georgia: 6-of-7, 16 yards
  • South Carolina: 11-of-18, 133 yards, most of which came on the final drive
  • Alabama: 9-of-16, 44 yards

There’s a bit of chicken-egg here, because one reason they didn’t do more downfield was the sack rate. If he’s taking a sack on 16% of his dropbacks, you have to limit the dropbacks. You can give Guarantano the benefit of the doubt, because Butch Jones was overly conservative by default and the offensive line was a mess by the time Guarantano took over. But he’s still got to get rid of the ball sooner. Again, statistically there were some bright spots. He was 18-of-23 for 242 yards at Kentucky.

Likewise, Keller Chryst had some bright spots at Stanford. In 2016 he was 19-of-26 for 258 yards and three touchdowns in a 52-27 win at Oregon. But his completion percentage and yards per attempt suffered last season, finishing worse than Guarantano on both counts at 54.2% and 6.7 yards per attempt.

Whatever will separate one from the other isn’t in the past, but the present: a critical fall camp begins this weekend. But for a first-time coach, the burden isn’t just in picking the starter for week one. It’s handling the decision over the course of a potentially-rocky season.

What can Pruitt learn from the last three Vol coaches in their first season, all of whom dealt with some version of a quarterback controversy?

Lane Kiffin: Sticking with your guy

Most of us assumed it would not be Jonathan Crompton. How could it be, after a 2008 season including a 51.5% completion rate, negative TD/INT ratio, only 5.3 yards per attempt and stat lines like 8-of-23 at Auburn and 11-of-27 against Wyoming? That all of it happened in the season that got Fulmer fired made it even worse.

But then it was Crompton, who dominated then-FCS Western Kentucky in Kiffin’s opener before going 13-of-26 for 93 yards (3.6 ypa) and three picks in a 19-15 loss to UCLA. He added two more interceptions in Gainesville, then was 20-of-43 in a loss to Auburn that dropped the Vols to 2-3.

And then, as if from nowhere, brilliance.

From our 2009 Georgia postgame at Rocky Top Talk:

At halftime, I told my friend next to me in Z11 that I didn’t want to see Crompton’s numbers.  There was a Raiders of the Lost Ark feel about it – “Shut your eyes!  Don’t look at it!” – because what #8 did in the first half was so totally unnatural, I feared that seeing 12 of 15 for 205 yards and 3 TDs and then having my brain try to comprehend it might, in fact, make my face melt off.

Two weeks later he was 21-of-36 for 265 against the vaunted Crimson Tide. Against Memphis that year he went 21-of-27 for 331 and five touchdowns.

Kiffin stuck with his guns and his guy, and ended up being right on the money. Crompton’s transformation was remarkable, and that game against Georgia is still one of the most surprising things I’ve ever see at Neyland Stadium. There was no stud freshman option at the time; Kiffin stayed with Crompton over Nick Stephens. It’s easier to stay the course, at least into mid-October, when that’s the case. The stud freshman case study would come the following year:

Derek Dooley: Knowing when to make the change

Tyler Bray got some spot duty early, but Matt Simms was Tennessee’s starter in the first eight games of the 2010 season. For the year he completed 57.9% of his passes at 7.5 yards per attempt, only eight touchdowns but only five interceptions. And he was also playing behind a ton of freshmen on the offensive line, which was one reason to keep the wiry Bray safe on the sidelines.

Tennessee was 2-5 at South Carolina in their eventual SEC East title year. And Simms was, statistically, having a good day: 10-of-13 for 153 yards and a touchdown. But a 10-10 game at halftime quickly turned when Simms was sacked and fumbled on the second play of the third quarter, giving South Carolina a short field and a 17-10 lead.

And Dooley chose this moment to make the change.

I was in the stands that day, and furious at the time. Simms was playing well, the Vols had a chance to win…and Bray promptly threw a pick six two plays later. An easy November stretch of Memphis, Ole Miss, Kentucky, and Vanderbilt was on deck; the Vols could’ve made the change the following Saturday.

But Bray became the story before the game was over. Two teardrops to Denarius Moore and a touchdown to Gerald Jones tied the game with 13 minutes to play. Though the Vols would ultimately fall, that initial change – 9-of-15 for 159 yards – set the tone for a record-setting November. Bray averaged 308.5 yards per game, 9.3 yards per attempt, and threw a dozen touchdowns as the Vols won four straight to get bowl eligible. The hype was real.

We don’t credit Dooley for much, and the 2010 coaching staff still wears the scars of the LSU finish. But this season was his best coaching job, and riding Simms through the teeth of the schedule was the right move. I think the move to Bray came at the right time, and there was no turning back.

Butch Jones: Don’t change for the sake of change

Plenty of words have been spilled, and too many by me, over the Justin Worley/Josh Dobbs conversation. But in 2013, with Dobbs and Riley Ferguson rightfully headed for redshirts, Jones had a decision to make between Worley and Nathan Peterman.

Worley was the choice in the first three games, two wins and a blowout loss at Oregon. Worley completed 61.4% of his passes for 6.5 yards per attempt; not great, but nothing was going to beat Oregon anyway. At Florida the following week, Jones put the ball in the hands of Nathan Peterman.

It did not go well, as you might remember: 4-of-11 for five yards and two interceptions. I’m not sure if Worley was going to beat Florida anyway (the Gators won 31-17), but this was the wrong kind of change.

For Jeremy Pruitt, there is no stud freshman on the roster right now. Keller Chryst can only represent the present, and if Guarantano can’t win the job over the next month there will be plenty of questions about his ability to win the job next season. With a quarterback battle, there are always more questions than who’s getting their name in the starting lineup. How Pruitt handles the entire situation will be one of the biggest tests of his first year.

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?

 

Worth watching 7.30.18: The Sports Source

As always, the first thing to watch Monday morning, if you missed it Sunday morning, is John Pennington’s Sports Source:

But there are also a couple of bite-sized hype videos this morning:

Worth reading 7.30.18: Vols land 2 blue-chip cornerbacks

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

. . . make it this, from GRT’s Brad Shepard:

Other Vols stuff worth reading today

  1. Warren Burrell Finally Gives Pruitt His Elite Cornerback Commitment, via Gameday on Rocky Top
  2. The Next Step List: Jarrett Guarantano and Kyle Phillips, via Gameday on Rocky Top
  3. 2018 Vols Opponent Preview: West Virginia – Orange & White Report, via Twitter. Great stuff from Celina Summers here.
  4. Tennessee Vols Preseason Camp Primer: Offensive line, via 247Sports
  5. A.J. Johnson and Michael Williams found not guilty, via KnoxNews
  6. UT Vols need Daniel Bituli to anchor defense, via KnoxNews
  7. Vols need better pass rush from linebackers this season, via the Times Free Press
  8. Why Jarrett Guarantano should get every chance to win UT Vols QB job, via KnoxNews
  9. Despite being underdogs, Tennessee can beat both West Virginia, Florida, via KnoxNews
  10. Tracy Rocker’s ‘fire and energy’ helping Vols’ defensive linemen, via the Times Free Press
  11. Jeremy Pruitt making all the right moves early with Volunteers, via Gridiron Now
  12. Tennessee Vols Football Recruiting: Four-star CB Tyus Fields finds ‘something really special’ with Vols, via 247Sports
  13. Tyus Fields commitment pushes Tennessee closer to top-10 status, via 247Sports
  14. Tennessee Vols Preseason Camp Primer: Defensive line, via 247Sports
  15. Fulmer happy for ‘honest’ relationship with Jeremy Pruitt, via 247Sports
  16. Phillips Named to Wuerffel Trophy Watch List – University of Tennessee, via UTSports
  17. VOLS WILL HONOR 1998 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS DURING FLORIDA GAME – University of Tennessee, via UTSports
  18. Tweets from Vol Targets and Commits from Saturday’s Cookout, via Rocky Top Insider

Behind the paywalls

  • Angry and splintered months ago, Tennessee fans unite around…, via The Athletic
  • 2018 Positional preview: LBs, via VolQuest
  • Analyst praises versatile, ‘aggressive’ Vols commit Tyus Fields, via 247Sports

Another Day, Another Big-Time Pickup for Tennessee’s Secondary

 

 

All of a sudden, Tennessee is the happening place to be for cornerbacks.

After failing to close last year’s or start this year’s class with a quality defensive back, Tennessee followed up Friday’s Warren Burrell commitment with a pledge from North Carolina DB Tyus Fields, who chose the Vols over Clemson and North Carolina State.

The 4-star cornerback’s brother plays for the Tigers, but Fields has been locked into what coach Jeremy Pruitt has been dishing out for several months now. Though he doesn’t fit the big cornerback that Pruitt normally covets, Fields packs a punch like one.

The 5’10”, 182-pound William Amos Hough High School standout is a big-time hitter, and that physicality is an important reason why the Vols want him to be a part of the future. He committed to UT at the cookout this weekend, and it’s going to be interesting to see how the numbers shake out.

With Jaydon Hill expected to have Tennessee at the top of his list and announcing soon, the big, physical defender from Bob Jones High School in Madison, Alabama, is definitely a take. But what about after him?

The picture cleared up a little for the Vols on Thursday when Elijah Blades chose Oregon over UT, but there are still some very good targets who could want in the boat. Louisiana cornerback Devin Bush is one, as is Georgia prospects Jaylen McCullough and Jordan Huff. Having a group of interested prospects like that is a big reason why the Vols weren’t disappointed to let instate athletes like Woodi Washington, Lance Wilhoite Jr. and Adonis Otey walk. Of course, those guys could play on offense, but it looks like at least a couple of them won’t on the next level.

The Vols wanted Memphis area standout Maurice Hampton to come to Knoxville, but the long-time LSU pledge appears locked into the Bayou Bengals to play football and baseball, unless Pruitt can work some defensive magic there recruiting.

All will be fine either way. Getting Burrell and Fields on back-to-back days is huge for the Vols, who are now surging up the rankings and are 11th nationally and fifth in the SEC behind Alabama, Texas A&M, Georgia and LSU. With some big-time playmakers left on the board, it’ll be interesting to see how far the Vols can rise.

Offensive lineman Darnell Wright, running back/linebacker Quavaris Crouch, a couple of defensive tackles, another defensive back and a pass-rusher look like the way UT wants to close out the class. Throw in a wide receiver there, and of course there’s the possible attrition of a couple of players who are currently committed.

But Saturday was about Fields.

“Really, it was Coach Pruitt, and how he brought everybody together,” Fields told GoVols247’s Wes Rucker. “He’s forming something really special up here at Tennessee.”

The Vols have commitments from two of 247Sports’ top six prospects in the state of North Carolina, and this is the way the Vols recruiting back in the heyday of the program under Johnny Majors and Phillip Fulmer. That state was a priority. Of course, most of the hay has been made in Georgia this year, and UT is a bigger factor in Alabama than it has been since the Fulmer era too with Pruitt’s roots and connections there.

But UT put Brian Niedermeyer in the Tar Heel State, and it’s paying huge dividends. The Vols want to be a presence there in the 2020 class and beyond, too, and if they can land Crouch, it would be the kind of commitment from NC that will send shockwaves across the country.

John Garcia Jr., who is a 247Sports analyst, told Rucker in another story that the Vols are making major noise in that state.

“It’s no secret that when Tennessee is rolling, that I-40 connection really resonates with kids. Tennessee’s a lot closer to those areas than a lot of those North Carolina schools would like to acknowledge.

“When Tennessee is going good, they’re able to pluck the best from North Carolina and compete with Clemson, Virginia Tech and others in that area.”

This is some pretty big success Pruitt is experiencing and UT hasn’t even starting winning yet. If the Vols can make some moves on the football field (where it counts) recruiting is going to heat up in a hurry. This year’s class has the size upgrade, is meeting the needs in the trenches and in the secondary and has even landed a promising prospect at quarterback in a year that isn’t very strong at the position.

Warren Burrell Finally Gives Pruitt His Elite Cornerback Commitment

 

To say new Tennessee coach Jeremy Pruitt has struggled when luring elite cornerback prospects to Knoxville since taking over for Butch Jones last year wouldn’t exactly be accurate. But it certainly hasn’t been easy for a man known for developing defensive backs.

This isn’t as simple as recruiting to Alabama, after all, where the Crimson Tide are winning national championships in bucketloads.

Last year, star prospects like Isaac Taylor-Stuart, Olaijah Griffin, Tyson Campbell and others flirted with the Vols, but they all went elsewhere. Trevon Flowers wound up choosing UT over Clemson, and there’s nothing wrong with the commitment of super-athlete Brandon Davis, but the Vols struck out on elite corner prospects.

So, Pruitt went out and turned a couple of his stud athlete commitments into defensive backs. The Vols have Alontae Taylor and Bryce Thompson slated to play the position, and both of those kids have very high ceilings at the position. They both also could play receiver if needed, so it’s going to be fun to watch and see how good they are at cornerback — and if they stick. If they are destined to play there, Pruitt and Terry Fair will have a couple of nice, moldable prospects.

But the Vols went out and finally got a high school cornerback who was very high on their list Friday. A day after JUCO cornerback Elijah Blades spurned UT to commit to Oregon, the Vols landed North Gwinnett High School DB Burrell. He’s a 4-star prospect on Rivals, and though he’s just a 3-star on 247Sports, it sounds like he’s due for a big bump after listening to Rusty Mansell say he “checks all the boxes,” as a prospect.

Burrell had more than 25 offers but wound up choosing UT over Florida and North Carolina State. He is the first CB domino to fall for the Vols, who also are high on the lists of Jaydon Hill, Tyus Fields, Jordan Huff, Devin Bush and others. Tennessee needs at least three true cornerbacks in this class and maybe more. Burrell is a huge start.

He’s arguably the top player at the position on Tennessee’s list besides Blades, who was a true plug-and-play JUCO cornerback and a big loss. Burrell is a 6’0″ prospect who has long arms and great feet. He can be a shutdown-type prospect. Mansell told GoVols247’s Ryan Callahan that Burrell was a “very confident player.”

That alpha mentality is vital at a position where you’ve got to have a short-term memory. It’s going to be fun to see who else UT lands at the position, and while the Vols won’t stop recruiting Blades, look for them to target other JUCO DBs, and they’ll also continue to recruit some of the top players on their board. Again, Pruitt’s pedigree developing defensive backs has UT high on several of those guys’ lists. With numbers tight, it’s unsure who UT will take, who the Vols prioritize and where they’ll fit.

But Burrell always had a spot. He informed Pruitt last Saturday that he was on board, and he is a major piece to the puzzle. Pruitt values lanky corners, and though Burrell isn’t the tallest cornerback, he has a wide wingspan and also possesses good technique. He’s a winner, too. His team won a state championship a year ago, and they’ll look to repeat this season.

This wasn’t an easy recruiting win for the Vols, according to Rivals’ Chad Simmons, who spoke at length with Burrell. The prospect said at times over the course of the past few weeks, the Vols, Gators and Wolfpack all held a lead.

UT thought it was in the best shape for a long time, and he kept in contact with Vols coaches even as he was visiting other places. Tennessee ultimately landed him because of his relationship with Pruitt and Fair.

“Coach Pruitt being a defensive guy and knowing a lot about defensive backs definitely played a big role in my decision. He has had a lot of success at Alabama, he has been a part of multiple national championships and having the chance to learn under him I feel will make me a much better defensive back. That is a huge plus.

The Vols have been in on so many corners, it seems, since Pruitt took over. For whatever reason — the biggest of which has to be last year’s 4-8 record — they haven’t been able to close the deal. Now, UT goes back into Georgia for yet another pledge, and it’s a very important player who could help them open the floodgates at the position.

It’s possible Fields, Hill, Bush and others could make decisions before the end of the summer, and the Vols feel good about all three of those prospects. It’s still important the Vols play well on the field this year to keep some positive momentum going, but the commitment of Burrell puts the Vols in the top 15 of the recruiting rankings on 247Sports at 14th.

Still, in the rugged SEC, the Vols are behind Alabama (1), Texas A&M (2), Georgia (5), LSU (7), Mississippi State (12) and Auburn (13). The Vols are also 14th on Rivals with the Burrell pledge.

This could be a big weekend for the Vols to move up as they’ve got some important targets at their cookout. Check back on GRT for more details.

10 Questions for 2018: The Offensive Line

I don’t know what you think the lowest moment of the last ten years is; maybe it’s the loss to Kentucky in 2011, maybe getting blown out by Georgia last year, or maybe it’s just everything from the South Carolina game in 2016 onward. But I’m a firm believer that the scariest moment was the hours between John Currie’s dismissal and Phillip Fulmer’s hire on December 1.

The book on Fulmer as athletic director will be written over the next few years; there are no guarantees. But in that moment, the Vols seemed more vulnerable than they’d been in my entire lifetime. The short-term was already sacrificed with the Schiano fiasco, but the long-term was on the table with no athletic director, no guarantees the powers that be would bring in the right one, and no promising candidates who would want to walk into that kind of situation as Tennessee’s next head coach.

And at some point in those hours on December 1, I remember thinking, “…and we can’t block anyone next year anyway.”

10 Questions for 2018 #4: The Offensive Line

Consider how much better things have gotten since then, not only with Fulmer and (hopefully) Pruitt, but the line. That this isn’t question number one is a very good sign.

Jeremy Pruitt inherited a line including Drew Richmond, Trey Smith, Marcus Tatum, Ryan Johnson, Riley Locklear, and redshirt freshman K’Rojhn Calbert. Devante Brooks had just been converted from tight end. That’s seven scholarship players. Jack Jones was out, Venzell Boulware transferred, and Chance Hall and Nathan Niehaus seemed unlikely to return. Even before we assumed we wouldn’t get Cade Mays, this was big trouble. When we did a first draft 2018 depth chart in the midst of the coaching search, we had to leave center blank.

But Jeremy Pruitt did three critical things to shore up the line: signed four-star Jerome Carvin, picked up junior college transfer Jahmir Johnson, and landed Alabama transfer Brandon Kennedy.

The Vols still didn’t get Mays, then had several months of waiting to hear Trey Smith could go again. I’m still not sure when or at what percentage we’ll see Chance Hall. But there’s at least some optimism available now when it was impossible to find back in December.

The Vols could start a five-star and three four-stars in this group. Again, leaning heavily on recruiting rankings and hoping this staff flips the switch on a player like Drew Richmond is what we’re all guilty of with a first-year coach. But there’s now hope the Vols could not only fill out the line, but it could be an asset.

Last season Tennessee was 114th nationally in sacks allowed, 121st in TFLs allowed, and 115th in yards per carry. The sacks number (2.92 per game) was only the worst since 2014 (3.31) when Justin Worley was ultimately lost for the year. The Vols also allowed 3.15 per game in the 2010 “we can’t play Tyler Bray because he might die back there” season with freshmen everywhere on the line. Sacks allowed have varied wildly in this decade between styles of play and freshmen being forced to step in. That shouldn’t have to be the case this season; guys like Ollie Lane and Taylor Antonutti will be available, but can rightfully wait before they’re asked to be a first-team option if the Vols stay relatively healthy.

The tackles for loss were a concern throughout Butch Jones’ tenure; Southern Cal struggled a bit in that department last season as well, but were 11th nationally in that stat in 2016. Hopefully the system and the play-calling will help there. As for running the football, 3.41 yards per carry last season was the program’s worst number since 2011 (2.76). But those two totals, along with Ole Miss’s 3.36 ypc in 2011, are the worst three rushing performances in the SEC this decade. There’s bad, and then there’s a kind of historically bad you simply cannot afford to be in this league.

So yes, there’s lots of room to grow. But that growth now has names and faces and even backups, and the majority of the starters should at least carry the recruiting rankings Pruitt’s staff will want to become the norm. The Vols don’t have to start freshmen, and the previous staff did at least recruit the position as opposed to what they were left by Derek Dooley. Last season was as bad as it’s been on the line, and things looked especially perilous during the transition. But looking forward, there’s more reason for optimism, especially with offensive line coach Will Friend having an influence on not just this unit but the offense as a whole. That this line has a better prognosis than at least a couple we’ve inherited this decade is a good sign. If they stay healthy, they might even become a strength.

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?