University of Tennessee football coach Derek Dooley talks about the upcoming season during a media luncheon Monday at Neyland Stadium. The Vols’ first fall practice is Tuesday and the team opens the season Sept. 3 against Montana.
Photo by Paul Efird/News SentinelKNOXVILLE — The University of Tennessee football team begins preseason camp today. Here are five key questions facing the Volunteers in their second season under coach Derek Dooley.
1. What’s the limit on sophomore quarterback Tyler Bray’s potential?
Bray showed late last season that he has a big arm, the ability to make explosive plays and moxie in the pocket. Now that his secret is out, he’ll have to be more cerebral to handle the better defenses he’ll face, and he also will have to shoulder part of the leadership load on the Vols’ sophomore-heavy offense.
“You earn the respect to be a leader, to me, based on your level of commitment to the program,” Dooley said Monday. “People have a hard time respecting somebody if they don’t see them committed to doing everything they can do to help us win. I think he’s proving that to our team. It’s a work in progress.”
Ultimately, though, whether the Vols’ offense will be just good or become great largely rests on Bray’s brain, eyes and right arm.