With its first fall scrimmage in the books and kickoff less than three weeks away, here’s a rundown of 10 Things I Think I Think on Tennessee’s 2019 team this preseason.
1. If the season started tomorrow, three members of the 2019 signing class would be in the starting lineup against Georgia State — and a fourth is a real possibility.
Henry To’oto’o continues to impress folks with his athleticism and knowledge of the defense, and right now, the former De La Salle standout is a fixture in the starting 11. The freshman linebacker is still working through the nuances of playing man-coverage in a pattern-matching scheme, but his ability to stay on the field and shift from WILL to MAC in sub-packages has given the staff real options defensively. He’s a three-down linebacker who is going to play a lot for the Vols this fall.
Meanwhile, Wanya Morris has used the 15 spring practices to grab an early handle on the left tackle job. That battle remains ongoing, but the expectation is the 6-6, 320-pound freshman beats out Jahmir Johnson.
Similarly, Darel Middleton hasn’t locked down the strong-side defensive end spot yet, but he’s moving in that direction. The staff is enamored with his ability to swallow space and move so well laterally. While they continue to challenge his tenacity, violence and down-to-down effort, his upside gives him the edge over guys like Matthew Butler and John Mincey.
Finally, it’s not an accident Warren Burrell has received so much individual attention from head coach Jeremy Pruitt all camp. The North Gwinnett standout is seriously pushing Alontae Taylor for the starting spot opposite Bryce Thompson. Taylor has a few weeks to really cement his starting job but Burrell is coming.
2. This is mostly a healthy football team right now. Go ahead and toss some salt over your shoulder or knock on wood to avoid a potential jinx, but aside from Emmit Gooden’s injury, which certainly stung, the Vols are pretty much working with a full complement of players.
Will Ignont, Jeremy Banks and Trevon Flowers have all been dinged up a bit, but if the season started Saturday, they’d be out there. Jauan Jennings doesn’t quite look a 100 percent right now, but the senior wideout has a few weeks to continue to knock off the rust and get his knee ready. At this point, JJ Peterson, just cleared for contact, is a non-factor.
Aside from Trey Smith, more on him in a moment, the only serious lingering injury issue on the team surrounds senior defensive back Baylen Buchanan. Pruitt told me at the start of camp that Buchanan would miss the first three weeks. In speaking with others around the program, there’s legitimate uncertainty Buchanan plays at all this season as he continues to battle a neck/stinger injury and the contingency plans for that nickel/STAR spot began in earnest this summer.
3. Trey Smith’s status — either yay or nay — is the true domino effect for the entire offensive line. The unit can’t build real continuity until it knows whether or not Smith will be the team’s starter at left guard. Right now, sources suggest Tennessee has a plan in place to get Smith ready to play vs. Georgia State. If that truly is the case, then the Vols really have just one starting spot to fill — right guard, with K’Rojhn Calbert, Jerome Carvin and Riley Locklear all in the mix — despite Pruitt saying publicly the line is “no where close to finding out first five.”
But if Smith can’t go, then much of the unit truly is in flux. Would Morris be better served to start at left guard if Smith can’t go? Does Ryan Johnson suddenly enter the equation?
4. A final offensive line note surrounds Marcus Tatum, who has cemented his spot at right tackle with his early play in fall camp, per folks. The redshirt junior isn’t just holding his added weight but moving well with it. Freshman Darnell Wright figures to factor into the equation as the year progresses, but the former 5-star recruit is still learning how to pass block and simply needs more seasoning.
5. Brian Maurer may have a slight leg-up right now on the backup quarterback spot thanks to his mobility, but if something were to happen to Jarret Guarantano, I expect both Maurer and JT Shrout would play. With early games against Georgia State and Chattanooga, there’s opportunities for the staff to see them live in real games. Shrout made some big throws in the scrimmage Sunday, but as was the case in high school and during camp last fall, his propensity to throw the ball to the other team remains a problem. It’s clear during practice that Tennessee is working hard to get both guys ready, though. They’re force-feeding reps, especially during routes on air periods. All last week, Guarantano would make a throw or two before stepping to the side to let the two freshman attempt three or more passes in a row.
6. Defensively, Pruitt said Tennessee has 10 guys on the defensive line and “there’s not much difference in any of them,” but it’s noteworthy that the staff is pushing Greg Emerson hard to earn that starting nose tackle spot. The redshirt freshman is like the forgotten man in the group after his horrific injury at The Opening and then a lost season in Year 1, but now that his weight and mobility are back in order, Emerson is flashing the same skill-set that made him a Top 100 recruit two years ago. He had a sack and a couple other, “Oh, ok,” plays in the scrimmage Sunday, per sources. If he can get his conditioning in order, Emerson is the current favorite to take Gooden’s lost snaps on early downs.
7. Shawn Shamburger has been in Pruitt’s doghouse for more than a year, but the junior has taken advantage of a fresh start under Derrick Ansley. All last week Shamburger worked with the 1s at STAR and he stayed there during Sunday’s scrimmage. If the veteran defensive back has another strong week of practice before the second scrimmage then he is positioned to lock down one of the most important spots in Pruitt’s defense.
8. We’ll see what Pruitt says explicitly later this afternoon, but it shouldn’t be overlooked that Tennessee’s special teams performed well in the first scrimmage. The Vols are operating on very slim margins, so punting and kicking well could mean the difference in a win or two this fall. Paxton Brooks and Brent Cimaglia were clutch in Sunday’s scrimmage and Tennessee needs that continue when the lights truly go on at the end of the month.
9. The more I hear and talk to folks, the more I believe Tennessee’s four most productive playmakers this season will be Ty Chandler (as both a runner and receiver in the slot), Eric Gray (his vision is consistently lauded and has a much-needed wiggle), Marquez Callaway and Dominick Wood-Anderson.
10. Despite all the buzz around several newcomers, a couple vets have quietly had a nice start to fall camp, too. Nigel Warrior continues to practice hard and be the voice and leader of that secondary room, while Brandon Johnson has had a bit of a renaissance under Jim Chaney this preseason after being buried in the rotation in 2018.
