Last week, we looked at how much progress Jeremy Pruitt has seemingly made in re-shaping the Tennessee roster to fit his presumed ideal. Apart from being a few ideally-sized guys short at defensive end, the numbers all seem to be right on that side of the ball.
On the offensive side of the ball, though, there’s still some work to do at wide receiver and offensive line.
Quarterbacks
Goal
- 3-4
- Between 6’1” and 6’5”
- Between 200-230
Guys who meet the criteria (3)
Every guy on the current roster meets the height criteria, and all but one – Keller Chryst – meets the weight criteria. Chryst is listed at 239 pounds, nine pounds over the max ideal weight.
So, here’s the list of the guys who fit the blueprint at quarterback:
- Will McBride (6-1, 209)
- Jarrett Guarantano(6-4, 209)
- JT Shrout (6-3, 210)
- Bart Harris (6-5, 214)
- Zac Jancek (6-1, 229)
Guarantano, McBride, and Shrout all fit the criteria, and the coaching staff is presumably okay with Chryst (6-5, 239) being a bit heavy or they wouldn’t have enlisted him as a graduate transfer.
Status
Goal met. Not counting the practice guys (Harris and Jancek), the team has three QBs who meet the criteria and another that the staff is likely okay with being an outlier. But even if we leave Chryst off the list, that’s still 3.
Running backs
Goal
- 4-6
- Between 5’11” and 6’2”
- Between 200-230
Guys who meet the criteria (6)
- Ty Chandler (5-11, 201)
- Tim Jordan (5-11, 203)
- Trey Coleman (6-0, 210)
- Jeremy Banks (6-1, 211)
- Madre London (6-1, 213)
- Princeton Fant (6-2, 222)
Most of the guys identified as running backs on the roster who don’t fit the criteria are non-scholarship players. The main guys all fit the mold, although a couple of the guys who were on the team last year just barely made it after a summer of weight-gaining work. It’s also interesting to note that Ja’Quain Blakely, who’s 6-2 and 260 pounds is listed as “TE/RB,” which almost certainly means he’s less of a running back than a fullback when he’s wearing that hat.
Status
Goal met. Six guys who are all the right shape and size, but it’s largely thanks to a productive offseason.
Wide receivers
Goal
- 8-13
- Between 6’0” and 6’5”
- Between 190-230
Guys who meet the criteria
There are four guys listed as wide receivers who aren’t at least six feet tall: Malik Elion (5-6), Richard Mize Jr. (5-10), Jacquez Jones (5-10), Latrell Williams (5-11), and Tyler Byrd (5-11).
Of the rest of the guys, several of them aren’t heavy enough, including Jordan Murphy (177), Alontae Taylor (who’s likely to play corner anyway, at 186), and Brandon Johnson (189, hey, a pound is a pound).
That leaves only the following players who meet both the height and weight criteria:
- Grant Frerking (6-5, 192)
- Marquez Callaway (6-2, 200)
- Josh Palmer (6-2, 201)
- Cedric Tillman (6-3, 212)
- Jauan Jennings (6-3, 221)
I can say with almost absolute certainty that this is the first time I’ve ever seen the name “Frerking,” so let’s assume he’s a walk-on. No offense, Mr. Frerking.
That leaves only four wide receivers who are the ideal height and weight. If you put a biscuit on Brandon Johnson’s shoulder, he’d hit the goal, too, but sadly, biscuits are not approved on-field equipment.
Status
Goal not met. In fact, so woefully short of goal that it makes me wonder if Pruitt is using different criteria. If they need 8-13 of this size and shape, then they are a frightening 4-9 guys short. That’s not to say that guys like Johnson, Murphy, Byrd, Williams, and Jones can’t play, just that they’re apparently not ideally-sized. Again, assuming the criteria is correct. Some enterprising media member should ask.
Tight ends
Goal
- 3-6
- Between 6’3” and 6’6”
- Between 230-260
Guys who meet the criteria (4)
Blakely, mentioned above, is an inch short of the height requirement, but he’s listed as “TE/RB” and is probably a fullback. Of the guys between 6’3” and 6’6”, Jacob Warren and James Brown are just short of the weight criteria and LaTrell Bumphus is just over it, leaving the following guys who are ideally-sized:
- Eli Wolf (6-4, 236)
- Austin Pope (6-4, 240)
- Andrew Craig (6-4, 240)
- Dominick Wood-Anderson (6-4, 257)
That’s well within the range of 3-6, especially with another couple of guys who are just outside the criteria.
Status
Goal met. They want 3-6 and have 4.
Offensive linemen
Goal
- 14-18
- Between 6’3” and 6’6”
- Between 290-330
Guys who meet the criteria (11)
Of the 20 guys identified as offensive linemen on the roster, Eric Crosby (6’1″) is the only scholarship player under 6’3”.
The rest of them are all under 330 pounds, but Tanner Antonutti, Jahmir Johnson, Brian Garvey, and Nathan Niehaus all need to bulk up, as they are under 290 pounds. Most are close, but Antonutti is only listed as 269.
That leaves the following guys who fit the criteria:
- Joe Keeler (6-5, 290)
- Devante Brooks (6-5, 292)
- Riley Locklear (6-4, 293)
- Marcus Tatum (6-6, 293)
- Brandon Kennedy (6-3, 301)
- Ryan Johnson (6-6, 302)
- Jerome Carvin (6-5, 303)
- Ollie Lane (6-4, 308)
- Joey Cave (6-4, 312)
- Drew Richmond (6-5, 316)
- Trey Smith (6-6, 320)
- Jarious Abercrombie (6-4, 322)
- K’Rojhn Calbert (6-5, 327)
- Chance Hall (6-5, 328)
Three of those guys are probably walk-ons, which leaves a total of 11 ideally-sized scholarship offensive linemen.
Status
Goal not met. It appears they have only 11 guys of the right shape and size on the offensive line, 3-7 shy of the ideal.