5 concerns from spring practice..

[VOLINVONORE]

Injury issue is overblown. As much as I like DKjr, he would have been passed over even if he was healthy. Now if he hadn't messed up that knee at all, he would have been the starter hands down....but we were beyond that to start this season.

Honestly, the longer time goes by and Trey is out there practicing, the more likely it is that he plays and starts. I'm thinking interior-wise, we are looking at Jamir Johnson, Kennedy and Trey Smith with KRoijhn Calbert, Niehaus, and Ryan Johnson/Locklear backing them up. At tackles we are looking at Tatum and Morris/Wright with Niehaus and Akporoghene backing them up. Stud Lampert should get a redshirt as he deserves.

Don't count this OL out yet, especially with Kennedy and Trey on snap counts and Wright not even on campus yet.

Injury issue is not overblown when you have limited talent and experience especially at the Oline and Dline positions. Both will be better this year and of SEC caliber in 2020.

 

[Behr]

The only difference in the schedule this year from last is we don’t get a top 15-20 team like WVa as our toughest out of conference game. However, instead of only having 1 OOC team like last year that could beat us (WVa), we actually have 2 this year imo (BYU and UAB) although neither are as good as WVa was.

Beyond that, just like last year, we got Florida, Georgia, SCar, Mizzou, Ky, Vandy and Alabama. And just like last year when we played Auburn, we’ll be underdogs to another SECw team when we play a good, tough MissSt team.

I’m not seeing where the schedule is “nowhere close to last year”. It’s virtually identical imo.

Ive laughed when others have said things like that.. "our schedule is cake compared to last year and others". I understand if someone thinks its a little lighter because of BYU instead of Oregon, Oklahoma, West Virginia etc. but where we are, it's not a "gimme " in any way. And we go to Tuscaloosa, Gainesville and Columbia ...Yay.

Yea, it's not "Nothing compared to last year"

 

[FlyFishnVol]

The only difference in the schedule this year from last is we don’t get a top 15-20 team like WVa as our toughest out of conference game. However, instead of only having 1 OOC team like last year that could beat us (WVa), we actually have 2 this year imo (BYU and UAB) although neither are as good as WVa was.

Beyond that, just like last year, we got Florida, Georgia, SCar, Mizzou, Ky, Vandy and Alabama. And just like last year when we played Auburn, we’ll be underdogs to another SECw team when we play a good, tough MissSt team.

I’m not seeing where the schedule is “nowhere close to last year”. It’s virtually identical imo.

How about "more manageable"?

Is UGA weaker because of them losing their OC?....................yes, can we beat them........I think so..............L
Is Vandy beatable with this team?...............yes
KY............well............yes
Mizzou beatable with this team..............yes
USC.........dang, they've had our number, but this team can beat that team.............yes
BYEU.............W
UAB..............W
Bama.............L
Florida...............50/50 game..............L
MSU............W
Georgia State...........W
Chattanooga............W

9 wins are there

 

[OffTackleVol]

The only difference in the schedule this year from last is we don’t get a top 15-20 team like WVa as our toughest out of conference game. However, instead of only having 1 OOC team like last year that could beat us (WVa), we actually have 2 this year imo (BYU and UAB) although neither are as good as WVa was.

Beyond that, just like last year, we got Florida, Georgia, SCar, Mizzou, Ky, Vandy and Alabama. And just like last year when we played Auburn, we’ll be underdogs to another SECw team when we play a good, tough MissSt team.

I’m not seeing where the schedule is “nowhere close to last year”. It’s virtually identical imo.

Disagree. BYU is nothing compared to what WV was last year. Also, with them coming to Knoxville in September, the heat and humidity will be brutal. Vandy, Missouri, and Kentucky should not be nearly as good as they were last year based on personnel they lose. Same could be said for SC, especially at the QB position. Miss. State lost a ton on defense and their QB. UAB had a break out season, but shouldn't be a real threat. IMO, schedule is much more manageable than last year's.

 

[OffTackleVol]

How about "more manageable"?

Is UGA weaker because of them losing their OC?....................yes, can we beat them........I think so..............L
Is Vandy beatable with this team?...............yes
KY............well............yes
Mizzou beatable with this team..............yes
USC.........dang, they've had our number, but this team can beat that team.............yes
BYEU.............W
UAB..............W
Bama.............L
Florida...............50/50 game..............L
MSU............W
Georgia State...........W
Chattanooga............W

9 wins are there

I agree 9 wins are possible. We're due an uptick. We've got, what looks like on paper, a really good staff and S&C program. Kids appear to being developed. If history repeats and things really do run in cycles.........we're due.

 

[FLVOL_79]

And yet we are #15 in the country according to espn

That's based on nothing tangible

 

[Behr]

How about "more manageable"?

Is UGA weaker because of them losing their OC?....................yes, can we beat them........I think so..............L
Is Vandy beatable with this team?...............yes
KY............well............yes
Mizzou beatable with this team..............yes
USC.........dang, they've had our number, but this team can beat that team.............yes
BYEU.............W
UAB..............W
Bama.............L
Florida...............50/50 game..............L
MSU............W
Georgia State...........W
Chattanooga............W

9 wins are there

I don't know if I can agree to all of it, but "More manageable" is way better than "way easier". IMO.

 

[Proud Army Wife]

That's based on nothing tangible

I'd like to know what it's based on. What we look like on paper? Sure can't be that sh*t-show we displayed the year before.

 

[XknoxvolsX]

Injury issue is overblown. As much as I like DKjr, he would have been passed over even if he was healthy. Now if he hadn't messed up that knee at all, he would have been the starter hands down....but we were beyond that to start this season.

I've been hearing all about injuries back to Fulmers time of coaching! Quite frankly, I am sick and tired of hearing about it as an excuse!

 

[Johnnyreb#VFL]

That's based on nothing tangible

12th rated recruiting class in the country. Most of those guys will be playing/starting. MINUS 3 spots bc of JG 15 sounds about right

 

[St. JohnVolCactus]

And, nobody mentioned "kernel." It's the off season. Let the debate begin.

 

[FLVOL_79]

I'd like to know what it's based on. What we look like on paper? Sure can't be that sh*t-show we displayed the year before.

They use what I call baseball stats. You know in baseball how they always have meaningless stats like "Soandso always bats .500+ in the last days of September during a waning moon"? They basically use stuff like that. Because there is no way in gods green earth that someone looks at a team that went 4-8 to 5-7 and blew multiple chances to go to a bowl game as some how being the 15th best in the country. Some teams drop spots for losing players and yet UT goes up with the mostly the same guys who have been terrible for 2 straight years?

 

[Backwards K]

How many years in a row have we had a bad OL? Seems like a running decade now.

Especially since there are more than enough guys who have been on campus for 2-3 years. Other teams take lesser rated players and make a good offensive line out of them. Vols' OL for past 5 years would be better off to just fall down and roll around and hope a few defenders occasionally trip over them.

 

[OffTackleVol]

Especially since there are more than enough guys who have been on campus for 2-3 years. Other teams take lesser rated players and make a good offensive line out of them. Vols' OL for past 5 years would be better off to just fall down and roll around and hope a few defenders occasionally trip over them.

I think the root cause of the issues with the offensive line goes back to the last two years of Jones's tenure when our S&C program was in the dumpster.

 

[Remy]

Especially since there are more than enough guys who have been on campus for 2-3 years. Other teams take lesser rated players and make a good offensive line out of them. Vols' OL for past 5 years would be better off to just fall down and roll around and hope a few defenders occasionally trip over them.

This is especially true at the TE position. Air provided more resistance to defenses than did any of our Vol TEs did IMO.

 

[Pacer92]

"Now, the defense had to replace its entire defensive line, the one true strength of the Vols last year. "

Is this a joke?

Instantly stopped reading after that line.

Our DL will be better than last years. I don’t care how much experience they had.

 

[BeardedVol]

I think the root cause of the issues with the offensive line goes back to the last two years of Jones's tenure when our S&C program was in the dumpster.

It doesn't take 2-3 years in a Division I S&C program before even minimal progress materializes. This staff has to take ownership of player development, or the lack thereof, at this point.

 

[Booker512]

It doesn't take 2-3 years in a Division I S&C program before even minimal progress materializes. This staff has to take ownership of player development, or the lack thereof, at this point.

I agree. And I think Will Friend needs to start owning that Oline as well. He makes too much money for excuses for too much longer. Tennessee is like the only team that can’t get even mediocre O line play...I mean, Even basically acceptable play. If Kennedy comes back healthy, Trey can play again and with the two new guys in the lineup and we still can’t get basic pass protection, I mean that’s pretty dang unacceptable imo. Even teams like Ole Miss and Miss state get that out of much much less talent.

 

[Booker512]

It doesn't take 2-3 years in a Division I S&C program before even minimal progress materializes. This staff has to take ownership of player development, or the lack thereof, at this point.

I agree. And I think Will Friend needs to start owning that Oline as well. He makes too much money for excuses for too much longer. Tennessee is like the only team that can’t get even mediocre O line play...I mean, Even basically acceptable play. If Kennedy comes back healthy, Trey can play again and with the two new guys in the lineup and we still can’t get basic pass protection, I mean that’s pretty dang unacceptable imo. Even teams like Ole Miss and Miss state get that out of much much less talent.

 

[Roustabout]

And yet we are #15 in the country according to espn

15th In the SEC. snicker

 

[sjt18]

It doesn't take 2-3 years in a Division I S&C program before even minimal progress materializes. This staff has to take ownership of player development, or the lack thereof, at this point.

Yes. Not as much as next year. Next year they pretty much own it completely. But there should be improvement this year if they're doing it right.

 

[Vol423]

I agree 9 wins are possible. We're due an uptick. We've got, what looks like on paper, a really good staff and S&C program. Kids appear to being developed. If history repeats and things really do run in cycles.........we're due.

Kids appear to be developed? Based on what exactly?

 

[Vol423]

I'd like to know what it's based on. What we look like on paper? Sure can't be that sh*t-show we displayed the year before.

We return a very high percentage of starters from last year. Of course, they ignore the fact that our starters played like crap last year. I wish more of them had left.

 

[HuntlandVolinColo]

Injury issue is not overblown when you have limited talent and experience especially at the Oline and Dline positions. Both will be better this year and of SEC caliber in 2020.

My point is that DK wouldn't have started this season anyways. And for that matter we have been bracing for Trey Smith to never play again, so things are looking up from that standpoint.

What the article didn't mention was CFA. He is the big blow to depth at RB as well as Gray getting some minor surgery this spring.

 

[Proud Army Wife]

We return a very high percentage of starters from last year. Of course, they ignore the fact that our starters played like crap last year. I wish more of them had left.

Exactly. We may have a lot of players returning, but how many of them are decent? Not many. Can't wait til all the remaining Butch players are gone and the new guys have a couple years under their belt.