Gameday on Rocky Top

Injuries are a touchy subject around these parts. Nobody ever wants to use them as an excuse, and yet when the front falls off, you can’t really have an honest conversation without acknowledging them.

Nobody ever wants to see a guy get injured and have to miss time during the season. No player is expendable. And yet it’s a fact of life in football. Guys go down. Teammates step up. Guys rehab and return.

And stuff happens in the interim.

After last season, Vols fans know better than most the dramatic impact players missing time can have on a team’s ability to play well. Just how dramatic that impact is generally depends on how many guys get hurt, which guys get hurt, and how long it takes them to get back onto the field and into playing shape.

It’s doubtful that the Vols will have as many players injured this fall as they did last year. We’re all crossing our fingers that 2016 was an outlier, and to the extent that it wasn’t, we’re hoping that the lessons learned from last season and new strength and conditioning coach Rock Gullickson make a big difference.

But it’s still football, and injuries are still going to happen. And while you never want to see any player get hurt, the team is more vulnerable at certain positions than others.

So, with apologies to the superstitious, we’ve ranked the projected offensive starters in order of which ones the team can least afford to lose. Call it the Injury Uh-Oh Index. If you must find a piece of wood to knock on you’re reading, we’ll totally understand.

7. Brett Kendrick, Drew Richmond, Trey Smith, or Coleman Thomas

The offensive line is the deepest unit on the team, offense or defense, even considering that it requires the most bodies. Coleman Thomas may not even start, and behind Kendrick, Richmond, and Smith there are a ton of strong, versatile, talented, and experienced players like junior Jack Jones, sophomores Venzell Boulware and Marcus Tatum, and a handful of freshmen the team hopes they won’t need. The status of junior Chance Hall is a bit up in the air, as he was expected to be sidelined for some time but is reportedly back on campus after getting a second opinion about his knee. If he’s available, this unit is indeed in great shape and should be strong enough to withstand some normal injury attrition.

6. Josh Smith/Tyler Byrd

We have Smith and Byrd penciled in as starters in the receiving corps along with Jajuan Jennings. The unit does have some options behind these two in senior Jeff George, sophomores Marquez Callaway and Brandon Johnson, and five or six freshmen, so if one of Smith or Byrd is injured, the team has options. Those guys are largely unproven, mind you, but they are at least options.

5. Jashon Robertson

Although the offensive line is deep, they likely depend on senior leader Jashon Robertson. He’s started 35 games in three years, all 13 as a freshman, 10 of 10 as a sophomore, and 12 of 13 last year as a junior. If he misses any time, the team has bodies to plug in to his spot, but his leadership will be difficult to replace. With a new quarterback and mostly-new running backs and receivers, the entire offense would be scrambling for leaders if Robertson were to go down.

4. Quinten Dormady/Jarrett Guarantano

The Tennessee coaches have been saying all offseason that it’s nice to have two qualified guys pushing each other to replace Josh Dobbs at the quarterback position. They’re probably also thinking but not saying that it’s nice to have two just in case one of them gets injured. But while it’s somewhat comforting to know that there’s a qualified guy ready to go if the other guy gets hurt, it would also mean that there is no additional room for error. Behind Dormady and Guaranto is Will McBride and the mysterious Seth Washington, but let’s face it, if both Dormady and Guarantano are unavailable, there are going to be a lot of mopey folks on Rocky Top.

3. Jajuan Jennings

As I said earlier, there are a lot of bodies in the wide receiving corps, and Smith and Byrd are going to be fine complements to Jennings. But just as the offensive line looks to Robertson for leadership, there is little doubt that the entire receiving corps feeds off of Jennings. He’s not just a great receiver, he’s fearless and always primed for battle. Toughness like that is contagious, and the team will miss it if it’s not on the field with them.

2. Ethan Wolf

Wolf has been a fixture at the tight end position for three seasons at Tennessee, having started 35 games in his three years on campus. His primary contributions are probably under the radar in the blocking game, but he has also figured prominently into the passing game at several key moments in his career. The problem here is that the position isn’t especially deep. Senior Jakob Johnson could sub in for Wolf if needed, as could Ethan’s brother Eli, who is a sophomore. There are also four freshmen on the roster who could play in a pinch, but any way you look at it, losing Wolf to injury would likely mean a fairly significant drop off at the tight end position. And because we generally only notice tight ends when they’re catching passes and not when they’re blocking, we may not even realize what’s happening.

1. John Kelly

There are zero senior running backs on the roster this season. The team is in good hands with junior Kelly, though, who proved his mettle last season by outrushing all other running backs with 630 yards despite being third on the depth chart. But behind him, there’s nothing but question marks. Although there are two 4-star talents behind him in sophomore Carlin Fils-aime and freshman Ty Chandler, neither one of them is proven. The same can be said about sophomore Taeler Dowdy and freshmen Trey Coleman, Tim Jordan, and Chip Omer. Basically, the running back stable is John Kelly and then a bunch of young and inexperienced guys we know almost nothing about. Team 121 is going to lean heavily on John Kelly this fall. What they’re going to need the most from him is to stay healthy.

This time of year you can usually tell who Tennessee’s best and/or most popular players are going to be not by fall camp talking points, but jersey sales. I’d expect to see plenty of #15’s on display this fall, and maybe a #12 or #2 if a front-runner emerges in the quarterback battle.

To my knowledge I’ve never seen an offensive lineman’s jersey for sale, for the Vols or for anyone. It is the least sexy and least marketable position group on the field. But, at Tennessee and likely far beyond, you cannot do great things without a great offensive line.

For Team 121, if you were ranking the units? The offensive line would be at the top. It doesn’t generate much noise in August. But when the line leads the way, it can generate something far more memorable in September.

Here are the starting offensive lines (pulled from Tennessee’s media guide, listed from LT to RT) for each of Tennessee’s most memorable teams of the last 30 years. You’ll notice a trend.

1989 SEC Champions:  Charles McRae, Tom Myslinski, John Fisher, Eric Still, Antone Davis

1990 SEC Champions:  McRae, Myslinski, Fisher, Doug Baird, Davis

Consider the overall talent on these two teams: in the 1990-1992 NFL Drafts, Tennessee had 11 players selected in the first three rounds. Those names include future Pro Bowl selections Dale Carter and Carl Pickens, first round selections like Alvin Harper and Chris Mims, and absolute program legends like Reggie Cobb and Chuck Webb. But of those 11 in the first three rounds in this three year span, the two who were drafted highest were offensive tackles Charles McRae and Antone Davis, going 7th and 8th in the 1991 NFL Draft. Why were Andy Kelly and the Cobb-Webb attack so dominant? These boys up front didn’t hurt.

1995 #2 Coaches’ Poll:  Jason Layman, Trey Peterson, Jeff Smith, Bubba Miller, Robert Poole

Smith and Miller had started since they were freshmen, Layman since he was a sophomore. They joined Trey Peterson to make for four seniors up front along with junior Robert Poole (plus tight end Scott Pfeiffer). Layman, Miller, and Smith all earned first-team All-SEC honors in 1995, and Layman was a second round draft pick. If you compare the ’95 and ’96 offenses, the quarterback and skill positions are identical (Manning, Graham, Kent, Nash). But in conference play the ’95 squad averaged an absurd 38.9 points per game, compared to a merely really good 34.4 in ’96. The Vols rebuilt the offensive line with youth in 1996, then this happened:

1997 SEC Champions: Chad Clifton, Spencer Riley, Trey Teague, Mercedes Hamilton, Cosey Coleman

1998 BCS Champions: Clifton, Hamilton, Riley, Coleman, Jarvis Reado

1999 BCS at-large: Clifton, Fred Weary, Riley, Coleman, Josh Tucker

Only a select group started all three seasons in Tennessee’s most successful three-year run:  Jamal Lewis, Raynoch Thompson, Dwayne Goodrich, and three offensive linemen:  Chad Clifton, Spencer Riley, and Cosey Coleman. This group lost away from home to #2 Florida, #2 Nebraska, #4 Florida, Clint Stoerner’s karma, and #3 Nebraska. They beat everyone else, winning two SEC titles and the 1998 national championship. Trey Teague earned first-team All-SEC in 1997; Cosey Coleman did that twice in ’98 and ’99 with All-American honors to boot in ’99. He played seven years in the NFL and won a Super Bowl ring with Tampa Bay. But I’d put Chad Clifton’s career up against any offensive tackle:  in college and the NFL he protected the blind sides of Peyton Manning, Brett Favre, Aaron Rodgers, and Tee Martin en route to a national championship.

2001 SEC East Champions: Reggie Coleman, Fred Weary, Scott Wells, Jason Respert, Will Ofenheusle

Weary was still around two years later and, other than Cosey Coleman, is the highest-drafted offensive guard in program history. No season’s losses were more fluky or painful than 2001’s, but this line had little to do with them. They did have a hand in the season’s biggest win:  Travis Stephens and Jabari Davis get remembered, but this group took on one of Florida’s most talented teams and paved the way for them. I was a student at UT at the time, and Will Ofenheusle might still be the biggest person I’ve seen up close.

2004 SEC East Champions: Michael Munoz, Rob Smith, Jason Respert, Cody Douglas, Arron Sears

True freshmen quarterbacks need friends, and there’s no better friend than a strong offensive line. In the 2004 Florida game they helped produce one of my favorite drives of all time:  12 plays, 80 yards, four different ball carriers, all runs for Tennessee’s first touchdown. Sears would go on to be a second round draft pick, and though the NFL never worked out for Munoz and Respert, they were two of Phillip Fulmer’s biggest prizes in recruiting:  Munoz is the fifth-highest rated prospect the Vols signed since 2000, Respert 12th. Munoz was a first-team All-American in 2004; knee injuries cost him on draft day.

2007 SEC East Champions: Eric Young, Anthony Parker, Josh McNeil, Chris Scott, Ramon Foster

Ramon Foster has been so successful for the Steelers for so long, I’d forgotten he was an undrafted free agent. The up-and-down 2007 Vols had issues with youth on defense, surrendering 145 points in three regular season losses. But this line was spectacular with David Cutcliffe at the controls:  they surrendered a national-best four sacks all year on 538 passing attempts, helping Erik Ainge turn unheralded receivers Lucas Taylor and Austin Rogers into 1,000 yard threats.

What does this mean for 2017? There is, of course, no guarantee. A great offensive line can’t do it by themselves (see:  2013) and skill position injuries can cost the most talented groups (see:  2002). But recent history shows every time the Vols have a big year, it comes behind a talented, veteran offensive line.

There’s a lot we cannot say for sure about Team 121. But a talented, veteran offensive line – give or take a five-star freshman – could lead the way.  And when that happens at Tennessee, big things tend to follow.

Say what you want to about Butch Jones’ tenure thus far at Tennessee, but there’s no question the man is building a program through top-notch recruiting, redshirting and building depth.

There’s no place more evident of that than the offensive line, where Tennessee was in dire straits when Jones took over for Derek Dooley, who failed to sign a single offensive lineman in one recruiting class. Though Jones inherited a stable of quality linemen in his first year, the Vols had to rebuild that position from scratch after they all left for the NFL following the 2013 season.

Now, the Vols are deep and strong on the offensive front. That depth got even greater Sunday with the pledge of instate Ensworth High School offensive tackle Tanner Antonutti.

Though the Vols once tried to get Antonutti to grayshirt in this class, the 6’5″, 260-pound athlete who once played quarterback in his high school career before moving to tight end and growing into an offensive tackle, has seen his recruitment blow up recently.

Schools like Louisville, Mississippi State, Missouri and Georgia Tech coveted the Midstate prospect who grew up a Vols fan. But when LSU offered after a camp this summer, it became obvious that UT wasn’t just going to be able to convince a long-time fan to come to Knoxville without a full ride. That came recently, and after visiting this weekend, Antonutti decided he wanted to be part of what is going on at UT.

“It’s just absolutely a dream come true,” Antonutti told InsideTennessee’s Danny Parker. “After talking to (Tennessee) coach (Butch) Jones yesterday and then calling my mom and dad and talking things over with them, there was no other option beside UT is how I felt. I knew my heart was 100 percent committed to them and they were 100 percent committed to me. So I had to pull the trigger.”

The best part of this for the Vols is they can bring Antonutti along slowly, helping him add weight and build strength in time to redshirt and possibly play two or three years firmly in the rotation. That’s the way it’s supposed to be on the offensive front, and it’s exactly what the Vols can afford to do now.

If Antonutti can be 290 pounds or so by the time he arrives in Knoxville, that timeline could be escalated.

With Jerome Carvin still on Tennessee’s board and a definite take, the 3-star Antonutti gives the Vols another important cog in an already-strong offensive line class that includes 5-star Knoxville native Cade Mays and 3-star Knoxville native Ollie Lane. If the Vols can add 4-star Carvin, that’s an ideal follow-up to last year’s group. Carvin and Antonutti are almost certain tackles, while Mays could play guard or tackle and Lane projects to be a center.

The 2017 group included 5-star stud Trey Smith, who looks like a right-away starter for the Vols, along with tackle K’Rojhn Calbert and center Riley Locklear.

That just adds to crazy depth for the Vols along the front. Entering the 2018 season when Antonutti will be on campus, he, Mays, Lane and possibly Carvin will all be true freshmen. Perhaps Locklear and Calbert will be redshirt freshmen. Smith will be a sophomore, and redshirt sophomores will include Nathan Niehaus, Devante Brooks and Ryan Johnson. Juniors will include Marcus Tatum, Chance Hall (if he redshirts, as expected), Drew Richmond and Venzell Boulware. Then, the senior class will feature Jack Jones.

That’s crazy.

It’s also exactly the way you build a football program, with depth along the fronts. Antonutti is going to have the opportunity to be a good player for the Vols in time, and it’s a big get for UT simply because this is a kid who dreamed of playing for Tennessee, had big-time offers and decided to stay in state and work his way into an already-crowded rotation.

This is a big commitment for the Vols, who have an embarrassment of riches on the offensive front.

With the start of fall camp right around the corner, it’s time to look at some picks to prosper at each position.

Over the next few days leading up to the beginning of practice, we’ll examine each position and spotlight a player who the Vols desperately need to perform well as well as one who could elevate the team if he lives up to expectations.

Think of these as the old Chicago White Sox WGN announcers’ “picks to click.”

Oh, how the Vols need difference-makers on the back end of the defense. Even when Tennessee had some fundamentally sound safeties over the past few years like Brian Randolph and LaDarrell McNeil, they weren’t top-shelf athletes who could close a lot of ground on ball-carriers or passes downfield. Even the veteran manning the last line of defense right now — rising senior Todd Kelly Jr. — isn’t a ball-hawking defender at all. He may even be better-served playing linebacker. So, entering a crucial season and a pivotal need for turning the defense around, it’s time for some of the athletes the Vols recruited to step up. If they do, it could take the secondary to another level.

MUST

NIGEL WARRIOR, Sophomore

Nobody deserves the hype quite like Nigel Warrior, the son of Vol legend Dale Carter who chose the Vols over Alabama, Auburn, Georgia, LSU, Ohio State and virtually everybody else. Though he was far from ready to play as a true freshman, UT put him out there and let him learn on the job.

Boy, were there bumps in the road.

Warrior struggled to learn Bob Shoop’s defense, and he was rarely in the right place at the right time. Though his talent and ball-closing speed were huge assets, Warrior on the field a season ago was a liability. It was cringe-worthy at times.

But that wasn’t the case this spring. Warrior began to blossom and play with more fluidity as the concepts began to come to him. He was pretty much universally lauded by coaches who saw him take some major steps. Now, he’s expected to leapfrog Micah Abernathy into the starting role opposite TKJr. and give the Vols a different level of athlete in their secondary.

He’s the kind of player Tennessee hasn’t had at safety in a long, long time.

At SEC Media Days a few weeks back, UT senior cornerback Emmanuel Moseley told the media that Warrior was going to be “great” and “special,” according to GoVols247’s Wes Rucker. The Vols certainly need for him to be as many big plays as they allowed a season ago in a forgettable 2016.

Though Warrior made way too many mistakes a season ago, he also made plays, finishing the Missouri and Tennessee Tech games with seven tackles. He can close distance in a hurry, and he arrives with a vengeance when he gets there. The Vols desperately need him to improve dramatically on the back end because an athlete like him can be a game-changer who could help Shoop’s unit take a major leap forward in 2017.

If he doesn’t, the Vols are probably going to just deal with his miscues because they need his speed and athleticism on the field. That’s why he needs to be a big-time player and minimize the mistakes.

MIGHT

MICAH ABERNATHY, Junior

Kelly gets a lot of the praise, but Abernathy wound up with a solid season last year, turning into one of the few bright spots on UT’s putrid defense. He just doesn’t make enough drive-ending plays.

Though that last sentence is true, he does it better than anybody else on the Vols defense, and that’s why he needs to be on the field, as a guy who is like a third starter, if nothing else. Think of his role much the way Kelly’s was in his first two seasons when the Vols still had Randolph and McNeil: He may not be one of the first two safeties to trot onto the field, but he’ll get plenty of reps.

As a sophomore last year, Abernathy started 10 of the 12 games and tied for team lead with two interceptions and six passes defended, ranked second on team with 69 tackles and led team with three fumbles recovered. He makes things happen.

So, to say he “might” be a guy the Vols can depend on is a bit short-sighted. He WILL be depended on. What the Vols need for him to do, what he might do and what he’s certainly capable of doing is developing into a really, really good player. This is a kid from a remarkable family whose brother played college football. He was coveted by Alabama, Georgia, Ohio State and others out of Greater Atlanta Christian School, and though he’s been a nice player for UT, he hasn’t had the same incredible impact that he could have.

After a year of learning Shoop’s defense, he should be comfortable. He should be a guy the Vols feel good about putting on the field at any time, whether it be with Warrior or with Kelly. So, that’s not a guy you “might” be able to depend on; it’s a guy who “might” develop into a player the Vols simply can’t keep off the field.

If that’s the case, it will allow Shoop to be creative on the back end, and Abernathy will be a player defensive backs coach Charlton Warren loves to have as his do-it-all defender.

Big things need to emerge from Abernathy’s senior year.

• For a look at UT’s quarterbacks “must” list, click here.
• For a look at UT’s running backs “must” list, click here.
• For a look at UT’s wide receivers/tight ends “must” list, click here.
• For a look at UT’s offensive line “must” list, click here.
• For a look at UT’s defensive ends “must” list, click here.
• For a look at UT’s defensive tackles “must” list, click here.
• For a look at UT’s linebackers “must” list, click here.
• For a look at UT’s cornerbacks “must” list, click here.

With the start of fall camp right around the corner, it’s time to look at some picks to prosper at each position.

Over the next few days leading up to the beginning of practice, we’ll examine each position and spotlight a player who the Vols desperately need to perform well as well as one who could elevate the team if he lives up to expectations.

Think of these as the old Chicago White Sox WGN announcers’ “picks to click.”

There’s no denying the atrocity of Tennessee’s defensive backs the past two years under former assistant Willie Martinez. The lack of development had to be a major factor in head coach Butch Jones parting ways with his long-time friend after the ’16 season. Technique adjustments is a major reason why Jones went out and convinced North Carolina assistant Charlton Warren to head to Rocky Top. Now, maybe the defensive backs will turn their heads when the ball is coming. That on-ball defense is an area where UT needs major improvements, and if those basic fundamentals can get fixed, the talent certainly abounds back there. The biggest question is can Warren tap into it?

MUST

JUSTIN MARTIN, Senior

A perfect example of that limitless potential that has failed to find the football field with any real success in Knoxville is Justin Martin, the former Overton product who was a coveted defensive back recruit after a season in junior college. Many of the nation’s top teams wanted him, and he chose to come back to his home state rather than go to LSU, Alabama, Texas A&M or a number of other programs that wanted him.

After a decent sophomore season where Martin looked like he’d possibly be able to live up to massive expectations, he suffered through a horrible junior season where the Vols tried to avoid putting him on the field at all. That’s unfathomable for a 6’1″, 196-pound speedy specimen who’d started all 13 games and started six while showing flashes the year before. But everything unraveled for Martin last season. He also was suspended for the Georgia game for a violation of team rules.

If anybody needed a fresh start, it was the Nashville native. Enter Warren, and with only one year left to prove he is an NFL prospect, Martin found a renewed dedication this spring under the first-year assistant. He was one of the stories of camp.

“As we went through the spring Justin Martin was the most improved player in the spring,” defensive coordinator Bob Shoop told GoVols247’s Patrick Brown. “I mean, he had a really, really good spring. He’s grown and matured and developed, and he’s done an outstanding job. We have high expectations for him coming into camp.”

Maybe that’s standard Shoop lip service, but if it is, he, Jones and others preached it consistently the past few months. With senior transfer Shaq Wiggins entering the equation to give the Vols an almost certain starter with experience at Georgia and Louisville, and with Emmanuel Moseley entering his senior season with a fresh start, too, considering he may be the biggest culprit in the entire secondary when it came to playing the ball the past two years, it’s possible UT could have a veteran, talented trio. Those seniors must step up.

Martin is a next-level talent. If he plays with the swagger and confidence he displays off the field, the Vols really could have a turnaround season from a difference-making player. His transformation is crucial to this defense.

MIGHT

CHEYENNE LABRUZZA, Freshman

There’s no way the Vols can make it out of the season with just three serviceable cornerbacks. Rashaan Gaulden seems locked into the nickelback position, and Marquill Osborne is virtually a lock to get some playing time at corner and perhaps even nickel, too. Baylen Buchanan is a talented rising sophomore who could make some noise. But when it comes to true cornerbacks, the Vols may have to lean on some freshmen.

Though they weren’t highly rated, the trio UT brought in at the position — Cheyenne Labruzza, Shawn Shamburger and Terrell Bailey — have high ceilings. There has been plenty of buzz thus far about Labruzza, a 3-star prospect from Louisiana who was a very early pledge to UT. Though some of the nation’s top teams came calling for his commitment, and though homestate LSU tried to steal him away late when Ed Orgeron took over as the head coach, Labruzza stayed firm with his commitment.

Truth be told, the Tigers were in on him from the start, but Labruzza fell in love with the Vols, and he could wind up being one of the steals of the entire class.

A big reason for his decision to attend UT was former Vol JJ McCleskey, who trained Labruzza when he was in high school in Albany, Louisiana. Though McCleskey’s son, Jalen, is a rising star at Oklahoma State, the elder McCleskey still loves the Vols, where he was a walk-on-turned-star in the 1980s. He deserves a big assist for getting Labruzza to give Rocky Top a look, where he eventually fell in love. It looks like he may have a similar impact as an underrated prospect that his teacher did.

GoVols247’s Ryan Callahan told WBIR.com that Labruzza could reach the field early.

“It looks like he’s got as good a chance as anyone of coming in and playing right away in the secondary, despite having a knee injury during his senior season that’s forced him to rehab most of the offseason. But no doubt a guy who looks like one of the higher upside players that Tennessee is adding at the cornerback spot and because of the Vols lack of proven depth there, should have a chance to come in and challenge early, even as a summer arrival, for the Vols this year.”

He has looked the part so far after arriving on campus this summer, according to sources. At 6’0″, 188 pounds, Labruzza has great size, and he’s a technician much like former Vol Cameron Sutton was. It’s a cliche to say he’s a student of the game, but Labruzza does seem like one of those kids who continually works to perfect his craft.

With that kind of work ethic, it’s not hard to believe he will get on the field early. There’s no question Labruzza will help on special teams right away, and if the Vols can work him in early, he’ll help in the secondary as well.

• For a look at UT’s quarterbacks “must” list, click here.
• For a look at UT’s running backs “must” list, click here.
• For a look at UT’s wide receivers/tight ends “must” list, click here.
• For a look at UT’s offensive line “must” list, click here.
• For a look at UT’s defensive ends “must” list, click here.
• For a look at UT’s defensive tackles “must” list, click here.
• For a look at UT’s linebackers “must” list, click here.

Today Butch Jones will meet the press and tomorrow the Vols open fall camp. On Tuesday, August arrives. We’re in the last stages of the off-season, but the shadows of last year are stubborn.

This week John Adams polled a number of local media on how many games Jones needs to win this fall to be absolutely certain of another year in Knoxville. The consensus seemed to be that, if you’re looking for absolute certainty, Jones needed to go 9-3.

That might be true. But it shouldn’t be.

I’m sure you already know that 9-3 would be Tennessee’s best regular season since 2007. But I’m not sure we as fans know it well enough to not equate what would be the best season in Knoxville in ten years with the bar of safety for the head coach.

The “how many wins for safety” question is a valid one after last year’s disappointing end. But if our answer causes us to look at a 9-3 season as something less than progress in 2017, we should reconsider.

To be clear:  including the bowl game, any path to 10 wins for this team is, by definition, progress. If the Vols go 9-3 and win any bowl. If the Vols go 10-2 and lose any bowl. Or if the Vols go 10-2, lose in Atlanta, then lose any bowl. Any of those results should be celebrated more than tolerated.

If after the bowl the Vols finish at 9-4 again (remember, a 9-3 regular season would have been good enough for the Sugar Bowl last year), there will be some who will point to three straight years of the same result and wonder if it will ever get any better. And, as pointed out in Adams’ story, a year like that always makes one ask, “How did they get there?” Not all 9-4’s are created equal.

But not all Tennessee teams are created equal either. A 9-3 regular season would have been, by definition, progress for last year’s team too. But when you start the year in the Top 10, 9-3 isn’t your goal. But this year’s team won’t be starting in the Top 10 and won’t be on some Top 25 ballots. There is plenty of talent on the roster. But much of it will have to prove itself.

What will Vegas say about this year’s team? The 2015 Vols went 9-4, losing twice as a narrow favorite (Florida at -1, Arkansas at -5.5) and beating Georgia as a +2.5 underdog. The 2016 Vols went 9-4 but, as you know, lost as a touchdown favorite at Vanderbilt and a two touchdown favorite at South Carolina.

It’s early, but 2017 odds from Golden Nugget have the Vols as a touchdown-plus underdog against Florida, Alabama, and LSU and a one-point favorite against Georgia. It’s entirely possible the Vols could be underdogs in all four of those games.

All of this to say:  2017’s 8-4 could easily and quantifiably be more impressive than 2016’s and/or 2015’s (depending on margin of defeat). But if the Vols do go 8-4, there will be some who want Jones gone mostly because they’re still upset about last year’s 8-4.

And rightfully upset about last year’s 8-4. But if that’s how you’d feel about this year’s 8-4, you’re probably not going to feel a whole lot better about 9-3.

At Tennessee, 9-3 will never be enough in the long run. It wouldn’t have been enough for some of us last year, and maybe that’s fair with six NFL draft picks and a 5-0 start. But in this year, on the heels of so many consecutive years of less? 9-3 should qualify as enough:  to not just keep the coach safe, but – especially if it’s followed up with a bowl victory – to call it a step in the right direction and tip our caps.

College football is fun. It comes for 13 weeks, then a bowl, then it disappears for eight months. I continue to be of the belief that you don’t want to miss any opportunity to enjoy it.

In the month to come, most will pick this team to finish somewhere between 7-5 and 9-3. I’d bet the majority will land on the ol’ 8-4. There will be plenty of words to follow – in August – about if that result would be enough to save Butch.

My thought? If such a conversation is actually, realistically necessary at the end of this year, it will be painfully obvious. But this team and its coaches will have every opportunity to do something far better than just avoiding that pain.

It’s getting close to football time in Tennessee. Don’t forget to enjoy it.

With the start of fall camp right around the corner, it’s time to look at some picks to prosper at each position.

Over the next few days leading up to the beginning of practice, we’ll examine each position and spotlight a player who the Vols desperately need to perform well as well as one who could elevate the team if he lives up to expectations.

Think of these as the old Chicago White Sox WGN announcers’ “picks to click.”

A year ago, Tennessee had perhaps the weakest linebacking corps in the SEC East. With Jalen Reeves-Maybin missing the season and Darrin Kirkland Jr. either injured or playing at less than 70 percent for much of the season, the Vols struggled to put SEC-caliber athletes on the field at the second level of their defense.

Not many people believe that unit has improved much this season, with JRM’s departure to the NFL. But it’s up to defensive coordinator Bob Shoop and linebackers coach Tommy Thigpen to change that in 2017. If they don’t find some quality players in a full stable of ‘backers (especially considering UT only plays two on the field at once most of the time) one or both of them may be looking for a new job next year.

MUST

DARRIN KIRKLAND JR., Junior

An overlooked turning point of last year for the Vols came late in the Battle at Bristol win over Virginia Tech when Darrin Kirkland Jr. was lost for a portion of the season with a nasty high ankle sprain.

Kirkland — nor Tennessee’s defense — were ever the same after that. Kirkland missed five games and couldn’t regain full strength. But, in actuality, he was struggling early in the season with his run fits and calling the defense prior to his injury. As smart as the Indianapolis native is, Shoop’s defense didn’t come naturally. He wound up with just 45 tackles and five tackles for a loss in what essentially was a wasted season.

In 2017, the Vols need for Kirkland to return to his freshman form where, at times, he was the best linebacker on the field, even with JRM beside him. Yes, he was that good. At 6’1″, 238 pounds and blessed with sideline-to-sideline speed, Kirkland is one of the league’s sleepers this year. He never was truly fit a season ago, and now the Vols believe they’re getting a guy back who could wind up being one of the best second-level defenders on the field. That’s what Shoop is banking on. The junior seems tailor-made to play the aggressive defense, and a year into the system, he should be a transformed product.

As Gridiron Now’s Jason Hall wrote recently, Kirkland admittedly struggled with health last season and this spring, but he’s geared-up now.

“I really just want to develop myself every day and to really grow to be a leader and become an All-SEC player – that is my goal,” Kirkland said during spring practice. “My dream is to be one of the best linebackers in this conference, so I have to prepare for it every day.”

With Shoop charged to put all the speedy Vols in position to make plays, it’s essential that UT has a run-stopping second-level defender. That tackle-gobbler must be Kirkland, and he must be a starter who is consistent. Yes, Colton Jumper and Cortez McDowell can provide plenty of assistance, and sophomore Daniel Bituli has the potential to help a lot, too, but Kirkland is a proven commodity, even if he’d love to have his 2016 season back.

He’s big, fast, aggressive and has a photographic memory that should allow him to know the defense and help others get it quickly. But he has to get everybody lined up and keep his own fits, or the Vols will get gashed too often. That’s what happened in ’16, and that has to be a thing of the past.

He said in that Hall article that he feels like a veteran now, “the Last of the Mohicans,” he called it. The Vols need him to be a warrior and a defensive leader in the middle. If not, it’s going to be another long season for UT’s defense.

MIGHT

QUART’E SAPP, Redshirt Sophomore

Everybody has his favorite players, and, for me, Quart’e Sapp has fallen into that category ever since UT held a spot in a crowded recruiting class to sign him in the 2015 haul. They knew what kind of player he could be, and the blazing-fast, edge-rushing defender was a special-teams monster as a true freshman.

He looked like the next in line of the JRM/Cortez McDowell lineage of linebackers who cut their teeth chasing down kick and punt returners early on before those dues paid off on defense.

Then, just when he was readying himself for a more extended role on defense last year, a knee injury cost him the remaining 11 games of the year. That’s the second season in a row that his year was cut short with knee injuries. That begs the question: Is he still the speed demon he was when he came into Knoxville?

Let’s all hope so.

Though McDowell is the odds-on favorite to win the weak-side linebacker spot, the Vols need quality depth at all positions on the second level, and Sapp is good enough to push McDowell to start and at least be a situational linebacker who can get after the quarterback in pass-rushing situations. He could be an X-factor if he hasn’t lost that foot speed, and the Vols need that badly. It’s a cornerstone of Shoop’s defenses to have guys who can put pressure on the quarterback, and with Sapp and JRM out last year, the Vols didn’t have anybody who could from the second level.

On the exterior, Tennessee will have more options this year. The Vols love freshmen Solon Page III and Shanon Reid, though it’s unclear whether either of them will help in anything other than special teams this year. Jumper is a versatile defender who can play either spot, too. Then there’s Austin Smith who looks more like a strong-side ‘backer/speedy defensive end hybrid. But Sapp was brought in to be that gazelle who is all over the place all the time, much the way JRM was before the injuries and how guys like Kevin Burnett and Rico McCoy played back in the day.

Can he be that kind of player, or am I just having visions of those Chavis safety-turned-linebackers dancing in my head in a blitz-happy defense? I guess we’ll see. We all have thoughts about what Shoop’s aggressive defenses can look like when he’s coaching at his best and his cupboard is full. My vision of that defense includes Sapp surging from all over the field and getting after quarterbacks.

• For a look at UT’s quarterbacks “must” list, click here.
• For a look at UT’s running backs “must” list, click here.
• For a look at UT’s wide receivers/tight ends “must” list, click here.
• For a look at UT’s offensive line “must” list, click here.
• For a look at UT’s defensive ends “must” list, click here.
• For a look at UT’s defensive tackles “must” list, click here.