Analysis: Young Vols haven't lost sight of Jeremy Pruitt's vision

Staff photo by C.B. Schmelter / Tennessee linebacker Henry To'o To'o (11) and defensive back Shawn Shamburger, obscured, work to tackle BYU wide receiver Micah Simon during last Saturday's game at Neyland Stadium.
Staff photo by C.B. Schmelter / Tennessee linebacker Henry To'o To'o (11) and defensive back Shawn Shamburger, obscured, work to tackle BYU wide receiver Micah Simon during last Saturday's game at Neyland Stadium.

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.

"I saw Coach Pruitt's vision," he said. "I trusted Coach Pruitt, and I still do. I love what he has going on and the things that he tells us."

The program's growing pains probably shouldn't be surprising. The second-year head coach has a new coordinator on each side of the ball, with the defensive coordinator holding such a position for the first time, and there are times when half of the 11 Tennessee players on the field are underclassmen. That means there are game situations they haven't experienced that are hard to simulate in practices.

Even the team's most important - and perhaps most maligned - player, junior quarterback Jarrett Guarantano, has struggled at times this season, with his QB rating of 136.93 ranking ninth among SEC quarterbacks.

Pruitt believes, though. He believes in the players he has brought in since taking over in December 2017, and he believes they're going to improve and get better this season.

"We've got lots of young guys in our program that maybe weren't ready to play in the first game, they may not be ready to play the second game," Pruitt said this week. "We had some guys that weren't ready in the first game or second game, but we had to play them, if that makes sense. That's kind of where we're at as a program - there's lots of opportunity here. We'll continue to play some young guys, and we'll play more and more guys as the year goes.

"There's a little bit that comes with growing as a football player. All of these guys that we signed in this last year's class all have the potential to be really good football players, but every one of them were better football players in their senior year in high school than their freshman year in high school. That'll be the same way at Tennessee: They'll continue to grow, develop, improve as football players as we go."

Pruitt pointed out the obvious advantage for the freshmen who enrolled early and were available for spring practices, particularly those such as defensive back Warren Burrell, who was able to participate in all 15.

"It helps to get those extra 15 practices, and I think it showed with those guys," Pruitt said. "(Running back) Eric Gray was here. He didn't participate in the practices, but he got the mental reps, so he's a little bit further along. Some of the other guys that weren't here during the spring, you can see that it's about that time, because of those 15 extra practices, where we're at in the season, some of the other guys will start being able to contribute, which will provide us some depth."

Offensive lineman Wanya Morris - another early enrollee - Burrell and To'o To'o have all started games. Gray and offensive lineman Darnell Wright are among the true freshmen who have started to contribute, as have Quavaris Crouch and fellow outside linebacker Roman Harrison. Despite being at wide receiver, a position with a rotation that includes a lot of upperclassmen, Ramel Keyton has appeared in both games.

To'o To'o has made 15 total tackles, tied with juniors Will Ignont and Theo Jackson for the team lead. Gray is second on the team in both rushing yards (106) and catches (eight).

"I just expected myself to be able to contribute to the team," To'o To'o said. "I wanted to be a part of something special, and I wanted to be able to help these guys around here, my brothers, the best way that I can."

Pruitt's message to the 2019 signing class was there would early opportunities for playing time, and that has proven true.

Pruitt's vision was clear to them as well, even if it's not to outsiders.

"We came here to be able to play early and to be able to be a part of something that's going to be special," Gray said. "Everyone's saying that we're going to be better. You can feel it in the atmosphere, that we're on the verge of being something special."

Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @genehenley3 or at Facebook.com/VolsUpdate.

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