KNOXVILLE – He may be only a freshman, but Tennessee inside linebacker Henry To’o To’o is certain about this when it comes to Jeremy Pruitt: The second-year Volunteers coach has a vision for the program.
The difficulty for Pruitt, his staff and his players is that not many outside the program seem to know what that vision is – or how to measure its progress.
The Vols are 5-9 since Pruitt took over. They have lost four straight games, including routs by Southeastern Conference foes Missouri and Vanderbilt to end last season. They opened this season with back-to-back losses to teams outside the Power Five conferences, 38-30 to Georgia State despite being favored by more than three touchdowns and 29-26 in double overtime to BYU despite being in control much of the game.
What should be important to the Vols and their supporters is that those who matter most – the players, especially the young ones – understand that vision.
To’o To’o, who played for a national high school football power at California’s De La Salle and was a four-star recruit with offers from Alabama and Washington, trusted in it when he signed with the Vols in February.