2 deep prediction

#26
#26
1) The DL should be very good. We have talented players across the board. Losing Barnett, Vereen, and Lewis certainly hurts but now is the time for Kongbo, Phillips, Taylor, etc., to assert themselves. I think it is worth keeping in mind that I think Butch and Co. have done their best recruiting work on the lines and it is now or never for that work to pay dividends.

2) The OL depth is so much different than it was a short time ago. I am hoping that the coaches can identify the best combination of all players and for those guys to stay more or less healthy. I am also hoping that the staff is able to redshirt some guys who may be the odd man out this year but have potential (like Tatum and maybe Jack Jones) because I don't want to lose a year for guys like that simply because Robertson, Hall, etc., may be a slightly better fit.

3) If Chandler is not the #2 RB when he sets foot on campus, we are in for a tough year.

4) While having two quality QBs is a luxury, I wouldn't want to be the coaches here. The two players are obviously fairly close in terms of the coaches' perspectives. Do you give the nod to Dormady due to experience and his apparent better accuracy or to Guarantano due to his athleticism and possibly higher potential? I'm guessing we see Dormady with discrete packages for Guarantano. That way UT does not lose a player to transfer. Put another way, if Guarantano wins, Dormady has to transfer because he's a big time player and needs to play and he has a redshirt year to burn. If Dormady wins, Guarantano is just a redshirt freshman but he needs some action to keep him around for his time to run the team alone.

5) The LBs may be the most interesting position group to me. If Kirkland stays healthy, he's our best LB in all likelihood. I thought Sapp played well until his injury and he should be a good OLB if healthy. McDowell should be a serviceable OLB. The wildcard is Bituli. Has he advanced enough to be a big time player? If so, the LBs could be quite good. If not, the position will likely struggle again.
 
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#27
#27
Jennings/Callaway
Johnson/ George
byrd/smith

at the end of the day I just dont think Callaway is better than Brandon..Brandon going to put up better numbers than Jennings..Brandon put on bout 11 pounds since last year...he going to be a monster..
 
#28
#28
greazy1722 said:
Brandon put on bout 11 pounds since last year...he going to be a monster..
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#29
#29
WhatInVolnation said:
1) The DL should be very good. We have talented players across the board. Losing Barnett, Vereen, and Lewis certainly hurts but now is the time for Kongbo, Phillips, Taylor, etc., to assert themselves. I think it is worth keeping in mind that I think Butch and Co. have done their best recruiting work on the lines and it is now or never for that work to pay dividends.

2) The OL depth is so much different than it was a short time ago. I am hoping that the coaches can identify the best combination of all players and for those guys to stay more or less healthy. I am also hoping that the staff is able to redshirt some guys who may be the odd man out this year but have potential (like Tatum and maybe Jack Jones) because I don't want to lose a year for guys like that simply because Robertson, Hall, etc., may be a slightly better fit.

3) If Chandler is not the #2 RB when he sets foot on campus, we are in for a tough year.

4) While having two quality QBs is a luxury, I wouldn't want to be the coaches here. The two players are obviously fairly close in terms of the coaches' perspectives. Do you give the nod to Dormady due to experience and his apparent better accuracy or to Guarantano due to his athleticism and possibly higher potential? I'm guessing we see Dormady with discrete packages for Guarantano. That way UT does not lose a player to transfer. Put another way, if Guarantano wins, Dormady has to transfer because he's a big time player and needs to play and he has a redshirt year to burn. If Dormady wins, Guarantano is just a redshirt freshman but he needs some action to keep him around for his time to run the team alone.

5) The LBs may be the most interesting position group to me. If Kirkland stays healthy, he's our best LB in all likelihood. I thought Sapp played well until his injury and he should be a good OLB if healthy. McDowell should be a serviceable OLB. The wildcard is Bituli. Has he advanced enough to be a big time player? If so, the LBs could be quite good. If not, the position will likely struggle again.
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Better chance Hall reshirts since his knee has been slow to recover
 
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#31
#31
greazy1722 said:
because he is my nephew been watching him play since he was 9 yrs old...nobody talks about him which is a good thing..he going to have a great year..just watch
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Any more questions walkenvol? :lolabove: One of the best responses I've seen on VN in a long time. Good luck to Brandon, I hope he has a break out year!!
 
#32
#32
Darth_Shiveman said:
The reasons people want to see it are these:

1. In a nickel look, the MLB and WLB basically have the same responsibilities, so it shouldn't be much of an adjustment for Kirkland.

2. Many believe Kirkland and Bituli to be our two LBs with the most upside and think it would be a waste for one or the other to lose snaps to a less talente LB at another spot.


IDK if it would actually be a good move or not, but I'd at least like to see a bit of it.
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i'll defer to you on #1...

on #2, that seems to be the prevailing thought, and i don't disagree that Bituli and Dk are probably the two best LB's...but isn't that decision still based on a position of "need" since there aren't better options on either side? not necessarily because either is actually best suited for the position?

if that's what we have to do, then ok, i get it. cause i do think they're the best two, regardless of position, so put them in, and have Mcdowell/Sapp on the other side.

that'd still be better than what we put on the field last year, both from a #'s standpoint and talent standpoint.

i'd feel a lot better if smith, ingot, ried, berry or anyone else stepped up to fill some gaps on the outside....Thig seems to think Bituli is going to be fine in space, and is high on smith....it may not be as dire as i think...maybe just the unknown getting to me at this point.
 
#34
#34
greazy1722 said:
At the end of the day I just dont think Callaway is better than Brandon..Brandon going to put up better numbers than Jennings..Brandon put on bout 11 pounds since last year...he going to be a monster..
Click to expand...

giphy.gif
 
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#35
#35
Ty Chandler will take carries from Kelly imo before the year is over .
 
#36
#36
jakez4ut said:
i'll defer to you on #1...

on #2, that seems to be the prevailing thought, and i don't disagree that Bituli and Dk are probably the two best LB's...but isn't that decision still based on a position of "need" since there aren't better options on either side? not necessarily because either is actually best suited for the position?

if that's what we have to do, then ok, i get it. cause i do think they're the best two, regardless of position, so put them in, and have Mcdowell/Sapp on the other side.

that'd still be better than what we put on the field last year, both from a #'s standpoint and talent standpoint.

i'd feel a lot better if smith, ingot, ried, berry or anyone else stepped up to fill some gaps on the outside....Thig seems to think Bituli is going to be fine in space, and is high on smith....it may not be as dire as i think...maybe just the unknown getting to me at this point.
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I don't disagree with any of what you're saying, really. I'd kind of like to see Bituli/Kirkland out there because I think that's probably our two best LBs, regardless of position (though I am high on Sapp if he can come back 100% and stay that way).


But at the same time it is true that our ideal situation is a true WLB stepping up and playing at a high enough level and making it a moot point. I'm just not sure McDowell is that guy and Sapp's health is still a big question mark IMO since he hasn't really been healthy that much since he got to campus.

I like Smith at SLB a lot, but haven't seen enough to know if he's got what it takes to step up and play in the middle or at WLB.
 
#37
#37
Backwards K said:
Any more questions walkenvol? :lolabove: One of the best responses I've seen on VN in a long time. Good luck to Brandon, I hope he has a break out year!!
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Heck yea - lot's more questions for a true insider like Greasy!

Please Greasy, tell us more about Brandon's take on playing at UT and what his expectations are for the upcoming season. Who's he predicting will be the QB?
 
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#38
#38
Darth_Shiveman said:
I don't disagree with any of what you're saying, really. I'd kind of like to see Bituli/Kirkland out there because I think that's probably our two best LBs, regardless of position (though I am high on Sapp if he can come back 100% and stay that way).


But at the same time it is true that our ideal situation is a true WLB stepping up and playing at a high enough level and making it a moot point. I'm just not sure McDowell is that guy and Sapp's health is still a big question mark IMO since he hasn't really been healthy that much since he got to campus.

I like Smith at SLB a lot, but haven't seen enough to know if he's got what it takes to step up and play in the middle or at WLB.
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yeah, i hear ya. the only thing i've learned so far, is apparently we're loaded at MLB......lol.

i think Sapp will be fine, and honestly, may be....may be...one of the pleasant surprises this season. he should be 100% for the fall....that was the point of limiting him in the spring, so hopefully that works out.

agree about smith. and if you believe what has been said, he's back at a physical condition that could pay dividends for him this fall, even if it is only as a rotational player.

still, i'd love it if elliot or dillon came up and finally paid some dividends...just not sure it's going to happen.

reed and ingot are two young guys that probably need some more development, but by all accounts, the future with those two looks fairly bright. just might not be able to see it this fall.
 
#39
#39
walkenvol said:
Heck yea - lot's more questions for a true insider like Greasy!

Please Greasy, tell us more about Brandon's take on playing at UT and what his expectations are for the upcoming season. Who's he predicting will be the QB?
Click to expand...

Brandon loves it there he had other options but he chose Tennessee..Brandon wants to be great and hope to have great season..he fully healthy and put on weight...he is going to be the sleeper on the team that nobody mentions
 
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#41
#41
sjt18 said:
Probably the weakness at the SLB. Who would you put there?
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Sapp. If you really think about it his preseason injury is basically what lead to us going 4-5 deep at linebacker in some cases. before he got hurt he was the 4th guy behind Kirkland, Jumper and JRM. Sapp is the no brainer Will on our depth chart. There are guy thats fit the other 2 spots better but he is that whole converted safety type all coaches want at Will.

I think a lot of people do not understand the difference between a SLB,WLB and MLB. In our base 4-2-5 the We basically play guys that fit in the skillset that would be MLB/SLB with the nickle guy taking up some of the responsibilities a WLB would have There is no hard and fast rule but basically the SLB lines up over tight end (strong side) WLB over weak side in most schemes the WLB is your fast guy often a converted safety (like sapp, warrior, mcdowell). this is one reason that Jumper often was the first LB off the bench even when we had Kirkland and JRM healthy. the reason this has not been evident in a more obvious manner is we have had (until last year guys that just worked in that system (AJ, Magitt,Kirkland, JRM)
 
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