Whether it’s Jon Gruden, Dan Mullen, a surprise or someone further down the list, somebody is going to coach this team next year. What will Tennessee’s next coach inherit?

This is our first, rough draft of Tennessee’s 2018 depth chart. The point isn’t to squabble over why one guy is over another on the first team; generally I went with who played most often this season and will leave conversations like, “Why doesn’t Tyler Byrd play more?” for the off-season and the next coach. It also does not assume newcomers will step in and contribute meaningfully right away, except where the depth chart has a hole that cannot be filled by anyone other than a true freshman. We obviously don’t know about transfers, and this depth chart assumes everyone who can return to school will do so.

As you’ll see, many of these names are already playing big roles for the Vols. Tennessee’s games down the stretch this fall matter most for how they get this team ready for next fall, especially guys like Guarantano and Shawn Shamburger.

Take a look:

Pos. First Team Year Second Team Year
QB Jarrett Guarantano RSo Quinten Dormady Sr
RB John Kelly Sr Ty Chandler So
WR Jauan Jennings RJr Josh Palmer So
WR Marquez Callaway Jr Jordan Murphy So
WR Brandon Johnson Jr Tyler Byrd Jr
TE Austin Pope RSo Eli Wolf RJr
OT Drew Richmond RJr K’Rojhn Calbert RFr
OG Ryan Johnson RSo Riley Locklear So
C
OG Trey Smith So Ollie Lane Fr
OT Marcus Tatum Jr Devante Brooks RSo
DE Kyle Phillips Sr Jonathan Kongbo RSr
DT Shy Tuttle Sr Quay Picou Sr
DT Kahlil McKenzie Sr Alexis Johnson RSr
DE Darrell Taylor RJr Matthew Butler So
LB Darrin Kirkland Jr. RJr Quart’e Sapp RJr
LB Daniel Bituli Jr Austin Smith RJr
CB Shawn Shamburger So Cheyenne Labruzza RFr
CB Marquill Osborne Jr Jaycee Horn Fr
NB Rashaan Gaulden RSr Baylen Buchanan Jr
S Nigel Warrior Jr Todd Kelly Jr. RSr
S Micah Abernathy Sr Theo Jackson So
K Brent Cimaglia So
P

A couple of observations:

Good News

  • If consistent quarterback play emerges, the Vols can be dangerous at the skill positions. John Kelly, Ty Chandler, Jauan Jennings, and Marquez Callaway are all proven threats. And other than John Kelly, all of those players would be eligible to return in 2019.
  • If healthy, the Vols can also be dangerous up the middle of their defense. Senior editions of Tuttle and McKenzie in the middle, the return of a healthy Darrin Kirkland Jr. with Bituli beside him at linebacker, and all three safeties again available (assuming a redshirt for Todd Kelly Jr.). That’s a ton of returning experience. If the new coaches can continue to develop Kyle Phillips and Darrell Taylor off the end, the front seven (or six) can be a positive force for the Vols in 2018.
  • Lane Kiffin, Derek Dooley, and Butch Jones all had to start freshmen right away. The next coach shouldn’t have to do the same, give or take an offensive lineman. There are holes here, but not many of them will show up immediately. Strong work on the recruiting trail for 2019 will be of vital importance, but right now this program is deeper and stronger than what at least Dooley and Butch Jones walked into.

Just News

  • Tennessee must replace both its starting corners, and will lose the services of the Shaq Wiggins experiment that never quite turned out. But play at this position hasn’t been particularly strong this year, and Shawn Shamburger has shown flashes. There are few proven options behind him – highly-rated but yet-to-arrive Marquill Osborne, plus a redshirt freshman in Labruzza and a true freshman in Horn, if he stays committed. But the bar for overall improvement at the position is low, and if Rashaan Gaulden returns the Vols will still have some good news at corner/nickel.
  • The Vols would love to have an answer to their quarterback question that still leaves the team with a capable backup, whether that’s Dormady, Will McBride, or incoming four-star Adrian Martinez.

Bad News

  • The Vols have a major issue on the offensive line. I’ve listed every scholarship lineman available for 2018, not including Chance Hall and Nathan Niehaus, neither of whom may return from health issues to play football again. I’ve also included three-star commit Ollie Lane at guard; the Vols also hold a commitment from three-star tackle Tanner Antonutti. That’s nine scholarship linemen for next fall at the moment. Who plays center? If Trey Smith slides out to tackle for good, how does that change things on the interior? Can anyone talk Venzell Boulware into coming back to the program? Even if you put Cade Mays back in the mix, this is a serious problem requiring immediate attention from the new coach in recruiting/junior college. As good as Tennessee’s skill players can be, if you can’t block in this league, you’re not going far.
  • Four years of Ethan Wolf will give way to a big question mark at tight end. Can his little brother help fill the void? How often will the new guy want to use the tight end?
  • Who punts?
  • The Vols could have a major issue on the defensive line in 2019. Developing young talent at defensive tackle, including incoming players like Greg Emerson and D’Andre Litaker, will be of critical importance for the future. If healthy Tennessee won’t need many of them next fall, but might need all of them in 2019.

What stands out to you for the Vols on the field next fall?

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HT
HT
7 years ago

OK, I think I am over here full-time now. I tried splitting time between here and RTT – mainly out of laziness/habit and familiarity with the interface – and I just can’t take the atmosphere there anymore. So hi again everybody! I was birdjam over there.

Joel Hollingsworth
Admin
Joel Hollingsworth
7 years ago
Reply to  HT

Birdjam! Master of the haiku! (And of the Fun Office Pool, apparently.)

Really good to see you.

HT
HT
7 years ago

Ha ha, forgot about the haikus. Good times.

Good to see familiar faces over here too.

HixsonVol
HixsonVol
7 years ago
Reply to  HT

I am with you on that, GRT has become the first site I hit in the morning. I get enough negativity in the rest of my life to subject myself to it in my reading on a full time basis. Now I do understand not everything is right with Vols right now but I do need to see a ray of light at the end of the tunnel that is not attached to a train coming at me.

Joel Hollingsworth
Admin
Joel Hollingsworth
7 years ago
Reply to  HixsonVol

Thanks, Harley and Mark. One of the goals that Will and I discussed over and over again while making this decision was that we wanted to be different in a good way. Glad to hear that’s coming through.

Harley
Harley
7 years ago
Reply to  HT

Agree 100% that RTT has changed to a complete “NegaVol” site that gets hard to stomach. Joel and his provide entertaining and insightful reads!! My No. 1 on the hit parade!!

Go Vols!

Gavin Driskill
Gavin Driskill
7 years ago

What in the world happened on OL? That was supposed to be a position of strength going into this year, but it has completely fallen apart on the field and the depth is dreadful. And I also didn’t realize that there was going to be just a complete and utter fall off the cliff on the DL after next year. That’s…terrifying. It seems like a logical extension of this article I wrote last year. https://www.rockytoptalk.com/2016/11/16/13618486/the-monday-mathematical-wednesday-edition-roster-construction Transfers were higher under Butch than at peer institutions. You combine that with injuries and recruiting classes that were a bit smoke and mirrors, and… Read more »

Sam Hensley
Sam Hensley
7 years ago
Reply to  Will Shelton

Surely Boulware’s decision to leave the team was about more than playing time, right? If he left because he lost his starting job to Jack Jones, then he’s got to be feeling a bit silly right about now, right?

Also, I hadn’t heard anything about Chance Hall or Niehaus potentially having to hang it up for good like Jack Jones. Is that a real possibility? If so, then yikes.