EXPECTATIONS
Tennessee leads the nation in player departures via the NCAA transfer portal since last October, which is a realistic place to start, but then there are those outlier first-year coach eruptions like Gus Malzahn, who took over a 3-9 Auburn nearly a decade ago and played for the national championship a few months later. Josh Heupel’s quick-paced attack is designed to tire defenses but also hide potential deficiencies on the offense. The Volunteers have deficiencies throughout their roster due to the earlier than expected boltings of running backs Eric Gray and Ty Chandler, offensive linemen Wanya Morris and Jahmir Johnson and inside linebacker Henry To’o To’o, to name but a few. Tennessee added eight players through the portal, but the biggest reason for postseason optimism aren’t those newcomers or Heupel’s system but rather a schedule in which only Alabama, Georgia and perhaps Florida appear vastly superior.
CONCERNS
In an effort to flush the turbulent Jeremy Pruitt era down the drain, Heupel has repeatedly been upbeat as his new program looks to turn the page. Yet at the start of the month, even Heupel was quick to admit: “Certainly where we’re at roster-wise, we are thinner than you typically want to be. Keeping our kids healthy throughout training camp and the season will have a huge impact on our season.” Linebacker was Tennessee’s thinnest area this spring, but that was when Jeremy Banks and Roman Harrison were sidelined and before the Vols added transfers Juwan Mitchell (Texas) and William Mohan (Michigan). The offensive line took a blow in camp with the loss of K’Rojhn Calbert to a biceps injury, leaving Jerome Carvin, Cade Mays and Darnell Wright as the veterans and forcing the need of Cooper Mays, Javontez Spraggins and former walk-on Dayne Davis to step up even more.
WHAT’S NEW
Everything on the coaching staff, as Heupel replaced Pruitt and didn’t retain a single one of his assistants. The quarterback mix from a year ago is very different, with Jarrett Guarantano (Washington State) and JT Shrout (Colorado) having transferred and with Brian Maurer recently entering the transfer portal after being bumped from consideration. Through the two preseason scrimmages, Heupel was mum on the pecking order among sophomore Harrison Bailey, who started the final three games last season, Michigan graduate transfer Joe Milton and Virginia Tech grad transfer Hendon Hooker. Milton announced his commitment to the Vols two days after the Orange & White spring game, and the fact he didn’t take long this month to become the betting favorite reflects he may have regained or even surpassed last year’s early season form with the Wolverines.
OUTLOOK
For all the talk of the quarterback competition and Heupel’s ability to get his offenses to play incredibly fast, Tennessee’s attack won’t go far without an established running game, which makes sophomore Jabari Small and junior-college transfer Tiyon Evans as important as any players on the roster. The Vols possess the speed of Jalin Hyatt and the size of Cedric Tillman on the perimeter, and the defense must show improvement up front under line coach Rodney Garner as well as on the back end with secondary coach Willie Martinez – two proven SEC assistants. Tennessee’s talent wouldn’t rank in the SEC’s top 10, but the Vols should whip Bowling Green, Tennessee Tech, South Alabama and Vanderbilt. A visit from South Carolina is favorable as well, and then the next best chances would be at home against Pittsburgh or Ole Miss. Going 6-6 and attaining bowl eligibility would be a nice first step for Heupel.
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.