Comparing Non-Conference Schedules in the SEC

Earlier this week we all went a few rounds on Tennessee’s non-conference scheduling habits; I argued if you don’t want to schedule the likes of Oklahoma but you don’t want to schedule the likes of Kansas, the Vols should look at short drives to non-Clemson ACC schools as well as teams like Washington, Michigan State, and Stanford we’ve never faced before. That conversation got me thinking about how Tennessee’s scheduling practices compare to the rest of the league.

Here’s a look at every SEC team’s biggest non-conference regular season opponent since expansion in 2012. Obviously Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, and South Carolina have annual rivalries that make up much of the list; kudos to the Dawgs for scheduling additional marquee games in four of the last six years.

Tennessee faced three ranked non-conference teams (on gameday) in the last six years, plus a Virginia Tech team in 2016 that finished the year that way. Florida, Kentucky, and South Carolina all faced more than three ranked teams specifically due to their rivalries. Again, Georgia deserves credit for scheduling up outside of their friends from Atlanta: the Dawgs went home-and-home with Clemson in 2013 and 2014, played North Carolina in the Georgia Dome in 2016, and traveled to South Bend last year.

Outside of teams with annual rivalries, only Georgia, Alabama, and Auburn played more ranked non-conference teams in the last six years than Tennessee, at four each. Three of Auburn’s four came from Clemson. Alabama, who has played neutral site season openers only the last six years, faced ranked teams four times.

Where Tennessee’s non-conference schedule really carries weight is in Top 10 teams. The Vols traveled to #2 Oregon and #4 Oklahoma in Butch Jones’ first two years (then hosted #19 Oklahoma in year three, a future playoff team). That ties Tennessee with Alabama, Auburn, and Florida in having faced two Top 10 non-conference foes in the last six years; South Carolina leads by virtue of playing four Top 10 Clemson squads at the end of the year.

Additional notes from this exercise: Missouri has not played a ranked non-conference team in the regular season since joining the SEC. And Mississippi State has played only one in the last six years, #13 Oklahoma State in 2013.

Here’s the slate for 2018:

  • Alabama: vs Louisville (Orlando)
  • Arkansas: at Colorado State
  • Auburn: vs Washington (Atlanta)
  • Florida: at Florida State
  • Georgia: Georgia Tech
  • Kentucky: at Louisville
  • LSU: vs Miami (Arlington)
  • Ole Miss: vs Texas Tech (Houston)
  • Mississippi State: at Kansas State
  • Missouri: at Purdue
  • South Carolina: at Clemson
  • Tennessee: vs West Virginia (Charlotte)
  • Texas A&M: Clemson
  • Vanderbilt: at Notre Dame

 

Tennessee Recruiting: Ramel Keyton is a Vol

On the surface, Wednesday’s decision by 4-star wide receiver Ramel Keyton to pick Tennessee over Auburn, Florida and others is big-time news. The nation’s No. 188-ranked overall player and the No. 31 receiver in the class, per the 247Sports composite rankings, is always going to be a nice addition to your haul.

Dig below the surface, however, and the 6’3″, 186-pound pass-catcher’s pledge is even more vital to the Vols’ success in the 2019 class and perhaps even further.

Not only does this signify that coach Jeremy Pruitt and his staff is going to have a resounding presence in the Peach State [Georgia can’t keep all those studs, after all] but it also paves end-roads into one of the richest talent beds for the next two classes.

It’s essentially just as big of a get from the relationships standpoint as 5-star offensive lineman Wanya Morris, who hails from Grayson High School, which produces a slew of playmakers each year. Though Owen Pappoe committed to Auburn on that same day, the Vols are still going to try to flip him to Rocky Top.

Keyton is a gateway to another talent-rich school: Marietta High.

His pledge marks the seventh known UT commit in this class, and now four of those hail from Georgia [tight ends Sean Brown and Jackson Lowe as well as Morris]. The Vols are going after several more studs in a state that led the nation in NFL draft natives this year with 29 players selected hailing from the fertile grounds of Georgia, according to Rivals.com’s Chad Simmons.

They aren’t just gearing up for this class, either. The Vols are already hot and heavy after 2020 quarterback Harrison Bailey, who really likes UT at this early juncture. He may be the top target on the board at the all-important position, and having Keyton can’t hurt. Stud tight end Arik Gilbert, safety Rashad Torrence and defensive end B.J. Ojulari are on that team too.

Tennessee wants all those kids, and Keyton can help recruit them — this year and when he’s on campus in the future.

As for Keyton, the prospect, he’s an excellent prospect in his own rights. He’s big and physical, and though nobody will mistake him for being the fastest kid on the field, he plays faster than he runs in camp settings. He’s big enough at 6’3″ to go up and get balls against smaller corners, and he runs good enough routes to get open over the middle and provide mismatches. Because he’s never going to be a burner, it wouldn’t hurt him to add 20 or more pounds to his frame.

Though he probably doesn’t have quite as high of a ceiling as A.J. Brown, he’s not dissimilar in stature or skill set. Everybody always wants to say, “He’s like Dez Bryant,” with big-bodied receivers, and obviously, that’s best-case scenario, but the bottom line is Keyton fills a big role in this offense. He’s exactly the kind of player UT needs on its roster. If you want a fair comparison at this point, Tennessee leading receiver Brandon Johnson wouldn’t be a bad comp.

Keyton can be a dynamic player for the Vols if he comes in, works hard, improves and continues to listen and develop his skill set. He also can be the kind of vocal presence around the Atlanta area that UT needs, a guy who can trumpet what Pruitt and Co. are selling perhaps better than Morris, who seems to be a quiet, lunch-pail kid.

Keyton told the media on Wednesday that Tennessee was “going to win a championship” while he’s in school. That seems like a long way away, but getting the caliber player with the skills and connections he has is a great start.

247Sports director of recruiting Barton Simmons told GoVols247’s Ryan Callahan he believes Keyton could be an “elite” player who could come in and make an instant impact. That’s high praise from a guy who’s proved he knows recruiting.

This is a big win on the recruiting trail.

Tennessee Football: Heaping Expectations on the Unexpected

 

Tennessee first-year football coach Jeremy Pruitt told the media before his Big Orange Caravan stop in Chattanooga this past week that he expects the 27-30 players the Vols will infuse into the roster who didn’t help this spring will totally change the complexion of the team.

According to GoVols247’s Patrick Brown, Pruitt said:

“I think if you looked at the guys who participated in the Orange & White Game and you count the signees and you count the guys that was injured, there could be anywhere between 27 and 30 guys who didn’t participate in the Orange & White Game that’ll be there in the fall, which will completely change our football team.”

UT hopes — and expects — that change will be for the better. If star offensive lineman Trey Smith, returning receiver Jauan Jennings, graduate transfers Keller Chryst and Madre London, linebackers Daniel Bituli and Darrin Kirkland Jr., safety Todd Kelly Jr. and others can live up to expectations, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that Tennessee can go from an eight-loss team to a bowl participant.

That’s not even counting JUCO players like Dominick Wood-Anderson, Kenneth George Jr., Jahmir Johnson and Emmit Gooden.

But what about some of the guys who are already on the roster and went through spring? Who needs to take a major step forward? Who are some under-the-radar Vols who are capable of catapulting from obscurity to dependability?

The Vols simply need to get production from unexpected areas to leap back to respectability. Let’s take a look at some candidates.

K’Rojhn Calbert

You’ve got to love a story like Calbert’s, the massive McMinnville, Tennessee, native who camped for Butch Jones’ staff, eagerly awaited an offer from the Vols despite having offers from schools like South Carolina and Florida. And, when he got one, he committed quickly thereafter.

Leg problems (mostly knee issues) plagued much of his high school career and his freshman year at UT, but he began to improve and ultimately shine this spring. The redshirt freshman was a pleasant surprise in the Orange & White Game, and he looks like he can help Tennessee right now. Calbert is one of the few big, physical linemen on the roster who is athletic enough to be a difference-maker. He looks the part, works hard, and — if he can stay healthy — could be a major asset to the offensive line.

This is an area that was atrocious under the Jones regime, but with long-time quality assistant Will Friend leading the way, the unit was decent this spring. There are some players there, and Calbert — who can play tackle but likely should be a guard — emerged. If he can continue to take strides in strength and conditioning, he could become a starter this year and thrive.

Chance Hall

Talk about raising from the dead …

What a major help for the Vols Chance Hall would be if he could come back from his chronic knee problems that threatened his career. The Virginia native started as a true freshman against Alabama, Georgia and others and looked like a budding star and long-time starter on Rocky Top. Then came the injuries that began back in his high school days (much like Calbert’s). Much of the past two years have been lost.

Now, Hall is back. But is he all the way back? That’s a major question mark. If he’s just working on the sideline at practice, then big whoop. If his rehabilitation is complete this summer and he rounds back into form, that’s basically a quality player that’s the equivalent of house money. At least from a fan’s perspective, nothing else was expected of Hall in his career. Now, we’re looking at the next couple of years of eligibility believing that if he can somehow recapture the stuff that made him a go-to guy as a first-year player against some of the SEC’s best teams, he could solidify the exterior of the line while Pruitt builds back the unit.

That’s a tantalizing thought.

Will Ignont

Don’t go back and watch the Orange & White Game looking for Ignont highlights. It was bad. Really, really bad.

He missed tackles, led with his head, struggled to make any plays and generally looked like he lacked any physicality. The Buckhorn (Ala.) High School product looks like the prototypical 3-4 inside linebacker, but he played an awful spring scrimmage. Plus, when Bituli and Kirkland gets back, Ignont’s going to have a difficult time finding starting reps. JJ Peterson will further crowd the center of the defense as well.

But it isn’t all bad for Ignont. He was in position to make A LOT of plays in that spring-ending scrimmage. He’s big, he’s fast, and if he ever gets motivated, he’ll be a player for UT — whether it’s this year or next. If the light comes on under the tutelage of defensive coordinator Kevin Sherrer, he can be a difference-maker as early as this year. I’m that high on his potential.

But Ignont has to dedicate himself to being the type of player who can make an impact on the field. That starts off the field — in the weight room, film room, and out of trouble. Then, he’s just got to let his instincts take over. When he does that, he’ll shine. Will it be in 2018?

Theo Jackson

Perhaps the least-surprising player on this list is Jackson, who may not even belong. After this spring, the Nashville native has firmly put himself in position for some quality reps this fall, if not a starting role. He can play Star (his most likely spot) or safety, but he’s too aggressive to keep on the sideline.

The thoughts of a defense that boasts him and Nigel Warrior flying around on the back end is intriguing, especially if Micah Abernathy can return to as good as he was as a sophomore two years ago.

But Tennessee doesn’t just need a “starter” or a “contributor” on the back end. It needs a star. It needs somebody who can obliterate guys with the ball, force turnovers, make plays. Warrior needs to be that guy, but there needs to be more than just him. Jackson is a difference-making candidate, and if he is, that can change UT’s defense.

Pruitt is a known defensive back developer, and Jackson looks like the perfect ball of clay. That transition from “just another potato” to use a Dooley-ism to a stud needs to start right away. The Vols need playmakers on the back end stat.

Tim Jordan

Another player that won’t sneak up on anybody anymore is sophomore running back Jordan, who showed up and showed out in a spring game that simply didn’t have many stars. He showed the ability to hit a hole, drag a defender and make plays.

Is Jordan going to be as dynamic as Ty Chandler? No. Is he the type of hard-nosed, between-the-tackles bruiser that Michigan State transfer Madre London is? Uh-uh. But Jordan is perhaps the best combination of the two. He can do a lot of things, and he deserves reps because of that. Nobody is expecting a 1,000-yard season from Jordan, but to get through the rugged SEC season, you need two or three quality rushers, at least. Jordan is pretty big and pretty fast and can do a lot of things with the ball.

What you saw isn’t an aberration; he’s a good-looking back who had a great film and looks like he can be a good SEC player. Can he do it against good defenses, though? We’ll all see that this fall because he should get some opportunities.

Marquill Osborne

What the heck happened to Osborne? You remember when he committed to UT in September of his junior year, giving the Vols and Jones one of his biggest early commits? Even when powerhouses like Clemson and Ohio State came calling, Osborne stuck with UT.

Where is that player?

So far at UT, the North Carolina cornerback hasn’t made a blip on the radar screen. Much like Abernathy was the player coveted by OSU and Georgia as a prep player, the Vols need those guys to live up to their potential. There are two cornerback spots wide open on UT’s roster. Nobody has staked a claim to them. Freshman Alontae Taylor looks like a natural and could be fine there if he stays on defense, and Baylen Buchanan did some nice things this spring.

But Osborne has that pedigree. Why can’t he flash? Is he just a bust, or will the light come on and he surprise some folks? The Vols need for the latter to happen. They need somebody who can neutralize opposing receivers. I’m not sure Osborne is that guy, but a lot of good programs once thought he may be.

Is all he needs coaching?

Austin Smith

Where art thou, Derek Barnett? The Vols certainly missed their all-time sack leader a year ago as he was off winning a Super Bowl with the Eagles as a rookie. The pass rush was stagnant at times and nonexistent at others for UT a season ago. When you look up and down the roster, there aren’t a lot of exciting players who look capable of getting after quarterbacks.

Maybe Darrell Taylor will flash from the second level. Perhaps Jonathan Kongbo and Kyle Phillips can have breakout senior seasons after ho-hum careers.

But Smith is a guy I’m excited to see. There were times throughout his career where the former staff tried him at defensive end, where he was too small. They moved him to linebacker, where he was perhaps too big for a 4-3. Now, in a 3-4 scheme, he may have found a home.

The Vols would love for a guy like JUCO Jordan Allen to emerge and be a pass-rushing threat, but Smith could be hard to keep off the field. The bad thing about UT is he’s not going to be a film-flasher. Maybe he’s steady, and maybe he’ll make some plays. But is he going to make big plays?

This is his junior year. If he’s ever going to do it, it needs to be now.

Latrell Williams

Other than maybe the linebacking corps, the position group that stands to see the most improvement in 2018 is wide receiver. After all, it’ll be hard not to improve on the less-than-stellar coaching chops of Kevin Beard. Before him, Zach Azzanni never really developed anybody but Josh Malone, either.

When you’re running horizontal routes in the boring Butch offense, it’s hard to establish any playmakers.

With David Johnson coming over to coach receivers from Memphis, though, the group could see a huge boost.

Everybody is excited about getting Jennings back on the team to go along with Marquez Callaway and Brandon Johnson. That’s a quality trio right there. But UT needs a guy with game-breaking, difference-making chops with the ball in his hands.

Tyler Byrd doesn’t look like he’s ever going to be that guy. Jordan Murphy is young. Josh Palmer needs to learn how to consistently catch the ball after running his strong routes.

Williams is this year’s “pick to click.” He has blazing speed, and though he’s battled injuries during his freshman season, he got a redshirt and has three years left to shine in Knoxville. He may be raw and won’t always run the best routes, but UT is going to have a lot of guys to do those things. If Williams and whoever is quarterback can find a way to just get the ball in Williams’ hands, the Florida speedster can do some things with it that most can’t.

It’s going to be interesting to see if this offense can get guys in space where Jones’ offense failed. If they can, Williams could really emerge.

What’s a Good Compromise on Non-Conference Scheduling?

So John Adams lit the familiar off-season flame of non-conference scheduling today, arguing the Vols shouldn’t be scheduling the likes of Oklahoma in the future. The Sooners are back for a home-and-home in Norman in 2020 and Knoxville in 2024.

Adams’ point is that Tennessee’s schedule is already hard enough without including a marquee non-conference foe. He leaves out the fact that the Vols will face BYU (a team we’ve never played) and Pittsburgh (the Johnny Majors Bowl) home-and-home between 2019-2023. The Cougars and Panthers aren’t exactly on Oklahoma’s level.

Things have obviously changed for Tennessee too. The Vols ain’t what they used to be when Phillip Fulmer was the head coach and not the athletic director. In his 17 seasons as the helm, Tennessee played one or both parts of a home-and-home with Louisville, UCLA (thrice), Syracuse, Notre Dame (twice), Miami, and California. Eight of those match-ups were against Top 20 foes when gameday rolled around. The Vols also scheduled series with Oregon and Oklahoma while Fulmer was still the coach, as well as home-and-homes that were eventually cancelled with North Carolina and Ohio State, plus a series with Nebraska that may or may not be happening in 2026 and 2027.

Fulmer’s teams played anyone, anywhere, anytime. But one of the reasons the Vols have struggled in his absence is the SEC has gotten better, and not just at Georgia. Beating South Carolina stopped being free when Steve Spurrier arrived some 13 years ago. The Vols haven’t beaten an SEC West team since 2010. And since 2011, Tennessee is just 8-6 against Vanderbilt and Kentucky.

(deep breaths)

So even if Jeremy Pruitt does a good job, the week-to-week challenge in conference play will be steeper than what Fulmer faced in the 90’s. That being the case, what’s an appropriate compromise for Tennessee in future non-conference scheduling? (And remember, the emphasis is on “future”: the Vols have their marquee foe under contract through 2024, plus maybe Nebraska in ’26 and ’27).

Each SEC team is required to schedule a power-five (or Notre Dame/BYU) foe every season. I don’t think any of us are pulling for the Vols to lock down Kansas and Rutgers. But I’m also not sure it’s wise to court Clemson at this very moment. Whenever you do dream non-conference match-ups, you always get the big three teams who have never played in Neyland Stadium – Michigan, Ohio State, Texas – but those traditional powers may not also be at the top of a wise athletic director’s list while Jeremy Pruitt is trying to turn this thing around (or if the guy after Pruitt is trying to do the same).

So if you don’t want to play the very best but you don’t want to cupcake it up, what’s a reasonable alternative for Tennessee?

Two schools of thought on this:

Short Drives to ACC Country:

  • Louisville: The Cards will always have Kentucky, but since making the jump to the ACC have played Auburn in Atlanta and will face Alabama in Orlando this year. It’s less than four hours from Knoxville to Louisville; the Vols and Cards last faced off in the first ever ESPN Thursday Night Football game at Louisville in 1991, then in Knoxville in 1993.
  • North Carolina: Taken off the board during the Mike Hamilton/Derek Dooley tenure just in time to prevent payback for the 2010 Music City Bowl. Five hours of I-40 separate Knoxville and Chapel Hill, with a split fan base in Western North Carolina.
  • Virginia Tech: The Battle at Bristol was great, but these two still deserve a home-and-home. It’s 3.5 hours from Knoxville to Blacksburg, and the Hokies are always game in the non-conference scheduling department, famously beating Ohio State in Columbus in 2014.

Teams The Vols Have Never Faced (now that West Virginia and BYU are off the list):

  • Michigan State: Fans might be more excited to see the Big House, but Michigan State actually has the better win percentage this decade. I actually think scheduling either team from the Mitten State would be an appropriate move for the Vols at this time; go for the Spartans and you can stay 1-0 forever against the Wolverines and just keep running that Jason Witten clip.
  • Stanford: Fulmer loved putting the Vols in California during his time; Tennessee has faced UCLA more than any other team it’s never shared a conference with. But the Vols and Cardinal have never met; could be a fun west coast option. An alternative thought here: Arizona State, also 0-0 against the Vols lifetime, in a celebratory return to Tempe.
  • Washington: I’m not sure any school should court a Chris Petersen team, but this one makes a ton of sense. There’s a built-in fight between the fan bases over who has the best waterfront, plus I can tell you from calling Washington a sub-lateral move from Tennessee for Justin Wilcox (which was totally true in 2012), you would enjoy getting into it with them. From Fulmer’s perspective I’m not sure you get any added recruiting bonus playing on the Huskies’ turf, but this is the one I’d like to see most among teams the Vols have never faced.

What do you think? Which one of these would you like to see most? Or give us a better idea in the comments below.

 

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.

 

Tennessee Recruiting: Tight Ends? Check. Vols Sew Up Position with Sean Brown Commitment

The Tennessee Vols got some anticipated excellent news on Friday night when Coosa, Georgia, tight end Sean Brown decided to end the recruiting process and commit.

The 6’5″, 245-pound 3-star prospect chose UT over other finalist Auburn. He boasted 16 offers total, including LSU, Kentucky, Virginia Tech, Vanderbilt, Purdue, N.C. State and others. Though the Tigers from the Plains seemed to hold an advantage for a while, Brown visited Knoxville earlier this spring, fell in love with the message Jeremy Pruitt was peddling and knew he wanted to be a Vol.

The rest was just details.

Brown wound up committing to Tennessee and joining Cartersville native Jackson Lowe as the Vols’ duo of tight ends in this year’s class. They’re the top two guys UT went after, and emerging ace recruiter Brian Niedermeyer is responsible for both of those guys. Brown’s offer sheet doesn’t match his pedestrian ranking, as he is currently the No. 957 player nationally according to the 247Sports Composite rankings and the No. 37 tight end.

He’ll join Lowe for a formidable duo that can do a lot of things at the tight end position, a spot that looked problematic from a talent perspective this spring. Though depth isn’t an issue, it’s a matter of finding players who can make an impact in the SEC. Right now, it’s uncertain if anybody can do that.

This spring, walk-on Eli Wolf and redshirt freshman Austin Pope got many of the reps. Freshman Jacob Warren needs to add a lot of weight and show more physicality to be a force in the rotation. The Vols got exceptional news this week when reports surfaced that the nation’s No. 1-ranked JUCO tight end, Dominick Wood-Anderson, qualified and is set to arrive in Knoxville soon. Wood-Anderson chose UT over Alabama and a host of other schools and should vie immediately for playing time, if not starting reps.

But versatility shouldn’t be an issue at the position in the future, especially if Wood-Anderson can give the Vols two solid years and UT can wind up signing Lowe and Brown. Both players are physical prospects who are good blockers, can play in-line and also catch the ball on the perimeter. Neither are burners, but they’re exactly the kind of tight ends that offensive coordinator Tyson Helton wants in his pro-style scheme.

That scheme, a lot of times, calls for two-tight end sets, and Brown and Lowe have a good rapport and should find themselves on the field together a lot in future scenarios.

The Vols swooped into North Georgia to fortify the position, and they zeroed in on those two guys as the primary targets at a major position of need. Brown told VolQuest.com’s Jesse Simonton that running track has kept him in great shape, and UT sees him as an all-around tight end. He went in-depth with Simonton in an interview posted tonight.

 

Brown knows Pruitt’s style from watching him at Alabama, a team he’s been rooting for. He told GoVols247’s Ryan Callahan that he wanted to be a part of rebuilding the Vols and knows that Pruitt and his staff are going to get it done.

Niedermeyer is flat-out getting it done on the trail. Though he may be UT’s least-known assistant, he’s proving adept at landing prospects. His name is prominently mentioned with the Vols’ two highest-profile targets as well — offensive lineman Darnell Wright and running back/outside linebacker Quavarius Crouch. If he can land one (or both) of those guys, his star will continue to rise.

Brown is his latest big coup. He’s UT’s sixth known commitment in the 2019 class, and his pledge marks the second straight time the Vols beat out Auburn for an important target. Offensive lineman Wanya Morris also had AU as a finalist, and, next week, 4-star receiver Ramel Keyton will choose between the Vols and Tigers. UT feels good about its positioning in that race, too.

The Tigers did beat out UT (and Georgia) for stud outside linebacker Owen Pappoe, but Pruitt and Co. are holding their own against the Plainsmen. Those are the types of battles you need to win to pull down big-time classes. The Vols aren’t there yet, as this class ranks 31st currently and 10th in the SEC, but it’s only beginning.

Brown isn’t going to do a ton to surge UT up the rankings, but that doesn’t matter. He’s a guy this staff believes should be one of the top two tight ends on their big board, and they went out and got both of those. That’s huge.

On film, Brown’s pass-catching abilities don’t flash, which actually isn’t a bad thing considering in all the commitment stories, his coach talks about that part of his game really coming on recently. His big hands should be an attribute on the next level. But what really looks good is his physicality and athleticism, and playing both ways (as most high school kids do) will help him, as will running track. This is really a kid that’s only now beginning to realize his potential, and once he gets into a college program, he can really take off.

Will he be able to come in and help immediately in 2019? That depends on how he develops over the course of the next year. But he has that ability because his body already is in the right shape, and he has the type of frame that can add 15-20 extra pounds with no trouble. He’s a very projectable prospect who can split out or play inside and block. Brown has a high ceiling and should only continue to rise in the rankings.

Pruitt in Year One: 2014 Georgia and 2018 Tennessee

In this year’s Gameday on Rocky Top preseason magazine, I wrote a narrative review of Jeremy Pruitt’s defenses at Florida State, Georgia, and Alabama. The numbers from Tallahassee and Tuscaloosa represent a ceiling you hope Pruitt can approach in Knoxville: Florida State had the best defense in college football in 2013, Alabama the last two years. It’s impressive Pruitt was able to accomplish that in his first season as defensive coordinator with those two teams, but some heavy lifting was done in recruiting before he arrived, and both of his predecessors left to become head coaches in the SEC.

So if you’re looking for a good comparison for Tennessee in year one, I wouldn’t use Florida State or Alabama. They’re the long-term goals; expecting the 2018 Vol defense to be the best in college football is an exercise in futility. But if we want a taste of what we might expect, Pruitt’s 2014 Georgia defense offers a much more fair comparison.

Todd Grantham’s final season as Georgia’s defensive coordinator in 2013 featured eight games when the Dawgs gave up 30+ points. They also forced just 15 turnovers in 13 games, 111th nationally. Georgia went 8-5, Grantham went to Louisville, and Pruitt headed to Athens. The Dawgs just missed a BCS Championship Game appearance the year before in 2012, winning their second straight division title. The program was in a healthier place in Pruitt’s first year than Tennessee’s is now. Georgia had also signed classes ranked between 8th-12th in the 247 Composite from 2012-14, a more consistent recruiting presence than Tennessee enjoyed at the end of Butch Jones’ tenure. But there are enough similarities, including significant room for improvement, for what Pruitt did in his first year with Georgia’s defense to inform the conversation on what he and his staff could do with Tennessee’s this fall.

The Year One Roller Coaster

The theme for Georgia’s defense in 2014 was inconsistency, a year one staple crop. When the Dawgs were good, they were very good. That started in week one with a 45-21 win over #16 Clemson. The Tigers gained just 291 yards and 3.83 yards per play, including only 88 yards on the ground. True freshman Deshaun Watson only saw back-up duty, but that wouldn’t last long.

The win vaulted Georgia to #6 in the polls headed to South Carolina, which was torched by Texas A&M (Kenny Football!) in week one. But not only was Pruitt’s defense unable to turn in another stellar performance, they played one of their worst games of the year. South Carolina went for 447 yards and 38 points, and a late goal-line stand led to a missed chip shot field goal for Georgia in a 38-35 Gamecock victory. Dylan Thompson was 21-of-30 for 271 yards (9.0 yards per attempt) and three touchdowns.

So it went for Georgia in 2014. They shut out Troy in a 66-0 win, then hosted Tennessee the following week. The Vols piled up 401 yards of offense, including a 23-of-35 for 264 yards and three touchdowns performance from Justin Worley, who was knocked out of the game briefly. Two second half fumbles in crucial moments doomed the Vols in a 35-32 loss, but Worley’s performance was good enough to keep Josh Dobbs on the bench for another month.

After Georgia beat Vanderbilt 44-17, Worley’s performance looked even better when the Dawgs went to #23 Missouri and shut the Tigers out 34-0. Maty Mauk went 9-of-21 for 97 yards (4.6 yards per pass) and was intercepted four times. And on the ground, the Tigers carried it 23 times for just 50 yards. It was the best performance of the year for Georgia’s defense (and, remember, the Dawgs are doing this with Hutson Mason at quarterback).

Back in the Top 10, the Dawgs had their sights set on Atlanta and more. Georgia led Arkansas 45-19 in the fourth quarter before allowing two late scores in a 45-32 win. Then they had a bye week before facing the hated Florida Gators. At this point, Georgia had won three straight in the series. But not this time: Florida ran for 418 yards while attempting only six passes in the game (remember Treon Harris?), and it was more than enough in a 38-20 win. Georgia had the league’s second-best rushing defense coming in, but allowed seven yards per carry to the Gators. More alarmingly, the defense’s two most costly performances (South Carolina and Florida) both came after bye weeks. This loss cost the Dawgs the SEC East: Georgia beat Missouri 34-0, but the Tigers didn’t lose again in league play.

But the roller coaster had twists and turns left still. After beating Kentucky 63-31, Georgia hosted #9 Auburn and bottled them up 34-7. Nick Marshall completed 11-of-23 passes for only 112 yards and the Dawgs forced three turnovers. After beating Charleston Southern, #9 Georgia faced #16 Georgia Tech in the regular season finale. A weird game featuring multiple blocked kicks and fumbles in goal-to-go situations, including a 99-yard scoop-and-score for the Georgia defense, ended on an overtime interception by the Yellow Jackets for a 30-24 GT win.

The loss knocked Georgia out of New Year’s Six contention and sent them instead to the Belk Bowl to face #21 Louisville. But the Dawgs made sure the season ended on a high note, blasting the Cardinals 37-14. Louisville ran 27 times for only 62 yards.

After finishing 54th in yards per play allowed in 2013, the Dawgs improved to 17th in Pruitt’s first year. While still allowing 30+ points six times, it was an improvement over Grantham’s eight the previous year. And they nearly doubled their turnover output, going from 15 in 2013 to 29 in 2014.

What Do We Learn From The Roller Coaster?

The comparison made by many with this Tennessee staff is the one Lane Kiffin brought in during the 2009 season. That group rode a similar roller coaster with similar relative success. The Clawfense was 110th in yards per play in 2008; Kiffin improved them to 53rd in 2009. That group struggled early, then turned the mother of all corners against Georgia with 7.38 yards per play and 45 points. They were good enough to have a shot to beat Alabama and took down South Carolina. But they also came crashing back to earth in a blowout loss at Ole Miss with only 275 yards of offense, and were largely ineffective in the Chick-fil-A Bowl against Virginia Tech (240 yards).

We obviously don’t get the Year Two data on Kiffin, but it’s comforting to know that Year Two at Georgia for Pruitt featured a defense that dominated everyone but superior competition, with one exception. In 2015 the Dawgs got torched by Alabama, then famously gave up a bunch of yards and points to Josh Dobbs and the Vols in a 38-31 Tennessee comeback. They also struggled again with Florida in a stunning loss, one that would ultimately close the book on Mark Richt’s time in Athens. But in every other game that season, Pruitt’s defense was lights out. South Carolina scored 20 points, but Georgia scored 52. Vanderbilt, Missouri, Kentucky, and Auburn all scored 14 points or less, as did Georgia Tech. Penn State got 17 in the bowl game.

I imagine Tennessee fans would take this same scenario: a roller coaster year one that makes overall improvement defensively, and a year two unit that may still struggle against the very best but starts imposing its will on everyone else.

 

Starter continuity in the SEC

Every year when I am deep in the throes of the final sprint for the Gameday on Rocky Top magazine, my subconscious bombards me with new questions that I’d love to know the answers to but don’t have the time or space to address in the magazine. One of those questions this year concerns the degree to which starter continuity impacts a team.

We’ve been using games played and started as sort of a rough proxy for experience for a couple of years now, but we’ve not really looked very closely at the issue from the standpoint of team continuity. As I started doing so, I quickly realized that these are deep waters, so with this post, we’re just wading in to see if the water’s warm.

I looked at every SEC team and pulled out every player who started every game for his team last season. The data is at the end of the post, but here are a few quickie questions and tentative answers.

How many guys should a team expect to start every game each season?

The answer to this question is depressingly low, but not altogether unexpected for a collision sport like football. Here’s the summary from the 2017 season:

  • 11 — Ole Miss
  • 10 — South Carolina
  • 9 — Florida, Alabama, Arkansas
  • 8 — Georgia, Missouri, Vanderbilt, LSU, Mississippi State
  • 7 — Kentucky, Auburn
  • 5 — Tennessee
  • 2 — Texas A&M

Based solely on last year’s data, a team can reasonably expect only 7-9 guys to start every game. Even under the best of circumstances, half of the guys who take the first snap of the season on offense or defense are going down, one way or another.

Ole Miss led the SEC last fall with 11 guys starting every game, but the majority of the teams were bunched right around eight players going wire-to-wire as starters. As you’d expect, Tennessee didn’t fare well with only five, but A&M was even less fortunate with only two.

Does starter continuity correlate to winning?

Somewhat surprisingly, early returns on this question look like, “Nope.” Ole Miss had the best starter continuity last fall but finished with a 6-6 (3-5) record. The Aggies had the fewest number of guys starting every game, and they finished better than the Rebels with a record of 7-6 (4-4). The two SEC teams that played for the national championship were right in the middle of the pack, no better than teams like Vanderbilt and Arkansas, who finished toward the bottom of the league.

If overall starter continuity matters at all, it matters much less than things like overall team talent, player development, and coaching. That’s not shocking, but finding that it might not matter at all is a bit of an eyebrow-raiser.

Are certain position groups more important to starter continuity?

Hmm. Maybe? Here’s the position group breakdown.

  • OL — 29
  • DBs — 21
  • DL — 20
  • LBs — 15
  • QBs — 7
  • RBs — 6
  • WRs — 5
  • TEs — 5

Just going by the rough numbers, it looks like there’s not much to see here. But when you start looking closer at the positions and the teams’ records and conference standings, you start to get the feeling that starter continuity at quarterback may matter, and it may matter a lot.

The SEC’s top teams all had the same starting quarterbacks for nearly the entire season. Jalen Hurts started every game for national champion Alabama, as did Jarrett Stidham for SEC West Division Champ Auburn. SEC Champ Georgia’s Jake Fromm didn’t start every game, but he only missed it by a portion of one quarter, as Jacob Eason started the first game but went down on the second offensive possession. Fromm took over at that point and went the distance as the starter. Georgia also played more games than any other team (15), so it’s essentially as close to starting every game as a guy can get without actually doing it. (As an aside, Florida played only 11 games to Georgia’s 15.)

The other SEC teams at the top of their division standings also had their starting quarterbacks the entire way: Jake Bentley for South Carolina, Stephen Johnson for Kentucky, Drew Lock for Missouri, and Danny Etling for LSU. We’ll keep an eye on that this fall.

Here’s the data, ordered by division standings:

SEC EAST

Georgia (8) (13-2, 7-1)

Aaron Davis DB
J.R. Reed DB
Dominick Sanders DB
Roquan Smith LB
Lamont Gaillard OL
Andrew Thomas OL
Isaiah Wynn OL
Nick Chubb RB

South Carolina (10) (9-4, 5-3)

Jamarcus King DB
Chris Lammons DB
Taylor Stallworth DL
D.J. Wonnum DL
T.J. Brunson LB
Skai Moore LB
Alan Knott OL
Jake Bentley QB
Hayden Hurst TE
Bryan Edwards WR

Kentucky (7) (7-6, 4-4)

Mike Edwards DB
Adrian Middleton DL
Courtney Love LB
Kyle Meadows OL
Logan Stenberg OL
Stephen Johnson QB
Benny Snell RB

Missouri (8) (7-6, 4-4)

Marcell Frazier DL
Jordan Harold DL
Cale Garrett LB
Terez Hall LB
Paul Adams OL
Trystan Castillo OL
Tre’Vour Simms OL
Drew Lock QB

Florida (9) (4-7, 3-5)

Duke Dawson DB
Chauncey Gardiner DB
Marco Wilson DB
Taven Bryan DL
Khairi Clark DL
David Reese LB
Martez Ivey OL
Jawaan Taylor OL
C’Yontai Lewis TE

Vanderbilt (8) (5-7, 1-7)

Ladarius Wiley DB
Joejuan Williams DB
Nifae Lealao DL
Bruno Reagan OL
Justin Skule OL
Kyle Shurmur QB
Ralph Webb RB
Charles Wright RB

Tennessee (5) (4-8, 0-8)

Micah Abernathy DB
Nigel Warrior DB
Kendal Vickers DL
Trey Smith OL
Ethan Wolf TE

SEC WEST

Auburn (7) (10-4, 7-1)

Stephen Roberts DB
Derrick Brown DL
Dontavius Russell DL
Jeff Holland LB
Austin Golson OL
Braden Smith OL
Jarrett Stidham QB

Alabama (9) (13-1, 7-1)

Anthony Averett DB
Ronnie Harrison DB
Da’Ron Payne DL
Bradley Bozeman OL
Jonah Williams OL
Matt Womack OL
Jalen Hurts QB
Damien Harris RB
Calvin Ridley WR

LSU (8) (9-4, 6-2)

Andraez Williams DB
Greg Gilmore DL
Christian LaCouture DL
Devin White LB
Garrett Brumfield OL
William Clapp OL
Danny Etling QB
Foster Moreau TE

Mississippi State (8) (9-4, 4-4)

Jeffery Simmons DL
Gerri Green LB
Montez Sweat LB
Deion Calhoun OL
Elgton Jenkins OL
Stewart Reese OL
Darryl Williams OL
Farrod Green TE

Texas A&M (2) (7-6, 4-4)

Kingsley Keke DL
Otaro Alaka LB

Ole Miss (11) (6-6, 3-5)

A.J. Moore DB
Josiah Coatney DL
Marquis Haynes DL
Demarquis Gates LB
Greg Little OL
Javon Patterson OL
Rod Taylor OL
Jordan Wilkins RB
A.J. Brown WR
Damarkus Lodge WR
D.K. Metcalf WR

Arkansas (9) (4-8, 1-7)

Josh Liddell DB
Santos Ramirez DB
Henre’ Toliver DB
Bijhon Jackson DL
T.J. Smith DL
Dre Greenlaw LB
De’Jon Harris LB
Hjalte Froholdt OL
Johnny Gibson Jr. OL

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

GET READY FOR THE SEASON WITH THE GAMEDAY ON ROCKY TOP 2018 MAGAZINE

Gameday on Rocky Top 2018 hits the newsstands all over the state of Tennessee (and select locations in neighboring states) later this month, but as a reader of this website, you can get it before then, and with free shipping to boot.

Pre-order Gameday on Rocky Top 2018 online, and we’ll ship it the day after we get it from the printer (which we expect to be on or before Wednesday, 5/16/18), Plus, you’ll get FREE SHIPPING (a savings of $4.95). So basically, you’ll have it delivered right to your door for the same price you’d pay at the grocery store, plus, if you order before Monday, 5/14/18, you’ll likely have it in your hands before it even shows up on the newsstands.

Free shipping will show up as an option automatically as long as you have the magazine in your cart.

Gameday on Rocky Top 2018 will only be available on newsstands in Tennessee and in limited areas in neighboring states, so if you live outside those areas, order online. And heck, even if you live in Tennessee, order online anyway this week and get it early.

As always, we had an awesome time writing the annual this year. The more we wrote and the more we thought about it, the more we concluded that the Jeremy Pruitt era holds promise because the man is intensely focused on one thing and one thing only: Football. He’s not wasting any time on false bravado, wardrobe decisions, or colorful metaphors on the virtues of patience.
Here’s the Table of Contents for this year’s edition:

Table of Contents

2018 TENNESSEE VOLS

5 Position Previews
By Joel Hollingsworth
Unsolved mysteries abound for the 2018 Vols

22 2018 Numerical Roster

23 Rocky Top Revolution
By Celina Summers
The day common fans became as influential as big boosters

27 Southern Stability
By Brad Shepard 
Pruitt’s first staff heavy on SEC experience

31 Class of ’18
By Brad Shepard
Pruitt welcomes a new group to Rocky Top

ANTICIPATING 2018

43 The 2018 Schedule
By Joel Hollingsworth
Several opportunities await the Vols this fall

53 Tennessee’s 2018 Schedule at a Glance

ORANGE-HUED HISTORY

55 Pruitt’s Priors
By Will Shelton
Jeremy Pruitt’s defensive resume is elite

59 Horseshoes, Hand Grenades
By Will Shelton
The best way to win close games is not to play them

AROUND THE SEC

65 SEC Team Profiles
By Joel Hollingsworth
The race to Atlanta

94 SEC Schedule at a Glance

95 The Coaching Carousel
By Brad Shepard
Six SEC schools made changes at the top this season

97 Gameday 2018 Preseason All-SEC Teams
By the Gameday on Rocky Top 2018 Staff
Our list of the best SEC players heading into 2018

98 Gameday Top 25
By the Gameday on Rocky Top 2018 Staff
Our preseason favorites for 2018

104 Team Talent Rankings
By Joel Hollingsworth
Ranking the contenders for 2018 by talent

107 Ranking the SEC Class of 2018

Tennessee Football: Pruitt’s Early Success Will Be Determined By Diamonds

Every first-year regime is going to experience a recruiting kick from prospects enamored with the “newness” around the program. Jeremy Pruitt nabbing 4-stars J.J. Peterson, Jerome Carvin and Jeremy Banks were prime examples of this.

Say what you want about Pruitt’s early recruiting victories — they mean very little. Every first-year head coach gets a few of those guys. Pruitt will get his fair share of elite recruits as the years roll on as long as the Vols show marked improvement on the field. The long-time assistant has long been known as a dynamic recruiter and relationship-cultivator, and that isn’t going to change.

It’s the lesser-known prospects — especially in these first couple of recruiting cycles — who will tell us a lot about Pruitt’s abilities to recruit, coach and develop.

It was the other way around for Butch Jones. He did fine recruiting and even molding many low-level recruits into serviceable SEC players. But “serviceable” doesn’t win big in an elite conference. Where Jones and his coaches struggled was taking big-time recruits and developing them into big-time SEC players. Those guys simply never got better during Jones’ tenure. The staff wasn’t good enough, the strength & conditioning program failed them, and Jones never truly had enough faith in his players to allow them to make plays with the game on the line; he was too conservative and played too much “by the book” rather than by feel.

Pruitt may wind up like that, but it would be a major change. He’s never done that as an assistant, and there are no signs (as there was on Jones’ resume) that he’ll do it in Knoxville.

So, it’s important that we look at some of the “reaches” that Pruitt takes and how they mature and develop. Are they really reaches, or are Pruitt and his assistants just exceptional evaluators? Are they getting key-fit kids who have the developmental bodies to slide into important roles within the framework of the defensive or offensive schemes? Or are they just warm bodies to fill gaps in the class?

We can’t know the answer to that yet, but we will soon enough. If it’s the former, that’s an exciting thing for Tennessee fans that Pruitt knows what he wants — stars-be-damned — and goes out and gets them. Also, even if he isn’t getting his first or second choices at a position, it’s important for any coach to get kids who fit that role and turn them into playmakers.

That will be the difference in how long it takes Tennessee to get back under Pruitt.

It’s going to be very interesting to see how lightly recruited defensive linemen Kingston Harris and Kurott Garland fit. These guys should give us an idea of how Pruitt and his staff evaluates and develops.

Harris is a 6’3″, 285-pound defensive tackle from famed IMG Academy. That means that basically everybody in the nation saw him play when they were evaluating other prospects, yet didn’t offer. 247Sports thought there were 1,210 players better than him in the cycle. Is Harris a recruiting oversight? Or do Pruitt and Co. see something in him they believe they can shape into an SEC stud? The same, really, goes for Garland, who had offers from Tulane, Coastal Carolina and Eastern Kentucky. The Vols saw him when they were also scouting teammate and Florida State (former UT) receiver commit Jordan Young, and they wound up taking him on National Signing Day.

Young was overlooked, and it’s possible Garland was, too. It’s also possible these kids are major reaches. That’s not a knock on those guys; but the SEC is the best of the best. Maybe these guys are future stars, multi-year starters and important pieces to the rebuild.

Maybe they aren’t.

They’re worth watching if we’re going to see just how good this staff Pruitt put together is. To a lesser degree, John Mincey is a mid-level SEC recruit from Homerville, Georgia, who was recruited by Arkansas and South Carolina. The Vols were thrilled to get him on National Signing Day, but he is far from an elite recruit. Can the coaches turn him into a guy we’ll look back on and call a steal?

This is three defensive linemen — Harris, Garland and Mincey — who could be high-upside players. They have big bodies, projectable frames and attributes this staff believe translate into a 3-4 defense. Some of the guys committed to the prior regime (such as ultimate FSU commit Jamarcus Chatman) were not considered fits. Even though they had a higher ranking, they weren’t the type of players this staff believed it needed. It’s OK to be skeptical, but it’s not like Jones ever had a good idea of what it took to build an SEC winner, so I have no issues with going in a different direction.

The same can be said on the offensive side of the ball, too. Could Tennessee ultimately hang onto former quarterback commitment Adrian Martinez had Pruitt and offensive coordinator Tyson Helton put on the full-court press when Nebraska and Scott Frost came calling? The Vols fought there to keep Martinez in the fold, but how hard? Nobody seemed overly disappointed when he went to the Cornhuskers, and after a strong spring game, it looks like he could be a true freshman starter in the Big Ten. The same goes for dual-threat quarterback and former UT commitment Michael Penix, who this new staff did not want. He signed with Indiana and has a legit chance to start as a true freshman for former UT offensive coordinator Mike DeBord and the Hoosiers in ’18.

Instead, Helton and Pruitt zeroed in on California commitment JT Shrout. It didn’t take long for the pocket passer to visit Knoxville and flip from his home-state Bears to the Vols. This is a kid who threw a ridiculous number of interceptions in high school and was a 3-star prospect. On paper, he doesn’t blow anybody away. But this is what Helton wanted — a piece he believes he can mold into a legitimate dropback SEC passer. The Vols are transitioning away from a dual-threat-oriented, spread offense into a more pro-style scheme, and Shrout definitely fits that.

How will Shrout develop? Will he make us forget Martinez and Penix?

Las Vegas receiver Cedric Tillman is another player like Harris. He played at a national powerhouse in Bishop Gorman, and he had teammates with high-FBS caliber offers, but he wasn’t one of those guys. UT saw his size (6’3″, 205 pounds) and his ball-catching ability and offered him.

So that’s Harris and Garland and Mincey and Shrout and Tillman. I’m not saying these five guys will make or break Pruitt’s tenure at Tennessee — that’s just silly. But they are proverbial “diamonds in the rough” that are, at least at first blush, developmental prospects. What do you do with developmental prospects? You DEVELOP them. They either turn into stars, or they take up a scholarship spot and are urged to transfer at a later date. Maybe Pruitt will recruit over them, and maybe they’ll become cornerstones for a foundation of success.

Watch them; maybe not in 2018, but throughout their careers. They may tell us a lot about Pruitt and his staff.