Better, Worse or Push: Team 120 (long)

[TBtheGBwiththeTD]

I like to evaluate the roster compared to last season position by position. Obviously these are my orange colored projections based on the roster and what we saw last season.

Let's play: Better, Worse or Push

QB: Better - Dobbs second full season with same Coordinator and better depth behind him. I expect him to take a moderate step forward throwing the ball and to have better control of the offense.

RB: Push - I know we have better depth and Hurd and Kamara could arguably be better this season, but after seeing them stay healthy for 13 games and put up the second most rushing yards in UT history... I'm going conservative with a push here.

WR/TE: Better - Out with the old and often injured and in with the new and higher upside. Did we lose a lot of production? For sure. But i think this group is more athletic overall and will be more productive than last year.

OL: Better - Last year the line struggled in pass protection a little (Dobbs is a sack eraser so those numbers were slightly skewed) but were clearly better than 14'. I expect this group to take another step forward. Around the same on the ground but better against the pass rush.

Offense: Better - Playmakers, experiance and a Coordinator and coach who seemed to learn from early mistakes... clearly better.

DL: Better - Barnett started slow, I don't expect to see that this year. DT is a little bit of a question mark but Kongbo, with his size, should be able to rotate in on passing downs to help spell there. DE is completely loaded.

LB: Better - We won't see Colton Jumper much and Kirkland may just take off. Finding a 3rd and 4th option at LB will be key but there are options. Look for Sapp and Mcdowell to mix in a play pretty well.

CB: Better - Foreman was MUCH better down the stretch (Against bad offenses) and I think he will be pushed by freak athlete Marquill Osborne at Nickel. On the outside Cam is back and I wouldn't expect him to be as quiet this year. Opposite him Moseley and Martin will battle, hard to imagine Martin won't win that job and play well.

Safety: Push - The safeties will be both much more inexperienced and much more athletic. I think they will be able to do a lot of things Randolph and Mcneil couldn't but I would expect an adjustment period. Kelly and Gaulden will start, Warrior is too good to not get some work, Berry will get some looks and Stephen griffin provides depth. The coaches love Micah Abernathy. I expect him to play some at safety and some at Nickel and a ton on ST.

ST: Push - I expect Trevor Daniel to be good but maybe come back to earth a little after finishing 2nd in the SEC in punt average. Medley should be better and has always had the leg... not willing to call him a sure thing yet though. The return teams were the best in CFB last year and I don't see much of a drop off coming. Coverage teams should be very good again too.

Coaching: Better - This is me hoping and praying Butch and Co learned from OK and Fla last season. They say they have and Shoop looks like an upgrade at DC.

Overall: Better - I think I went full orange glasses here... and feel free to tell me so. I do honestly believe we are better almost everywhere and will be worse nowhere.

The Vols are the clear favorite in the east in my estimation.

 

[Bvols48]

"ST: Push - I expect Trevor Daniel to be good but maybe come back to earth a little after finishing 2nd in the SEC in punt average. Medley should be better and has always had the leg... not willing to call him a sure thing yet though. The return team were the best in CFB last year and I don't see much of a drop off coming. Coverage teams should be very good again too."

Very nice write up and I agree about special teams. I think that most of the field position will come from other teams trying to keep the ball from Berry and Sutton. I see a lot of out of bounds on kickoff and punts, also some shanked punts with the punters trying to place the ball. All in all ST will be better than last year. Come 9-1-16. GBO

 

[VFL-82-JP]

I think you nailed it, TBtheGB. Of course, I wear orange spectacles, too. But nice write-up!

 

[Volition 1.0]

Better. Much better.

 

[Crazy Ivan]

Good write up but did we really lose that much production at WR/TE? At WR we lost Pearson (38 rec./409 yds.) and at TE we lost Ellis (8 rec./117 yds.)

Granted Pearson was our leading receiver last season, but it really didn't take much to be our leading receiver last season.

I say much better at WR/TE for Team 120.

At OL we will be better IF we get solid play at the LOT position. If not...?

 

[TBtheGBwiththeTD]

Good write up but did we really lose that much production at WR/TE? At WR we lost Pearson (38 rec./409 yds.) and at TE we lost Ellis (8 rec./117 yds.)

Granted Pearson was our leading receiver last season, but it really didn't take much to be our leading receiver last season.

I say much better at WR/TE for Team 120.

Pearson North and Howard were big names but, as sad as it is to say, we may be better off without them this year.

 

[KBVol]

Excellent summation. Ton of talent, experience and strengths all over the field. Concerns for me are DT depth, who's the LT and, more than anything else, Medley outside of 39 yards.

 

[Crazy Ivan]

Pearson North and Howard were big names but, as sad as it is to say, we may be better off without them this year.

Yeah, I didn't include either North or Pig, because North played so sparingly and Pig was gone after the OU game, I believe, so it was like neither of them were really there last season (in Pig's case he literally wasn't there, LOL!).

 

[KBVol]

Good write up but did we really lose that much production at WR/TE? At WR we lost Pearson (38 rec./409 yds.) and at TE we lost Ellis (8 rec./117 yds.)

Granted Pearson was our leading receiver last season, but it really didn't take much to be our leading receiver last season.

I say much better at WR/TE for Team 120.

At OL we will be better IF we get solid play at the LOT position. If not...?

Had same thought. We're essentially swapping out Pearson for PWill,who has a infinitely higher ceiling, and Ellis for Croom.

That being said, I understand OPs general statement since we're technically losing our leading receiver from last year.

 

[TBtheGBwiththeTD]

Had same thought. We're essentially swapping out Pearson for PWill,who has a infinitely higher ceiling, and Ellis for Croom.

That being said, I understand OPs general statement since we're technically losing our leading receiver from last year.

Yeah, the general Idea was we lost our leading receiver, Pearson, and biggest name, North, from a receiver group that didn't produce much at all.

He's right though we didn't technically lose a ton of production... Mostly because we didn't get much production.

 

[Dobbs 4 Heisman]

Great post OP. I agree with you except for a few exceptions.

We'll be much better at safety. McNeil and Randolph were liabilities IMO. We upgraded big time with them being gone. Gaulden, TK, Warrior, Griffin, and Abernathy are all better options.

Receivers take a big step as well. Preston will make the leap to superstar. And Malone has a huge year as well.

We'll be much better across the board at EVERY position.

 

[jacobyvoln27]

North and Pig non factors last year, but Pearson was a good one. That's about all the negative I can find with this great post! I love Preston's upside, he will be special.:loco:

 

[walkenvol]

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FHpCo1bqwc[/youtube]

Hope you're right!

 

[TN Outlaw]

Great post OP. I agree with you except for a few exceptions.

We'll be much better at safety. McNeil and Randolph were liabilities IMO. We upgraded big time with them being gone. Gaulden, TK, Warrior, Griffin, and Abernathy are all better options.

Receivers take a big step as well. Preston will make the leap to superstar. And Malone has a huge year as well.

We'll be much better across the board at EVERY position.

So do you have any worries about lack of experience, particularly early in the year? Outside of TKjr, how much live game experience at safety do you have between the rest of our options?

I totally agree with you that LM and BR had some talent limitations that some of these guys won't (after BR's proday maybe not as much as most think) but Safety is a position that you better be in the right spot and also know how to line others up as well as be talented enough to make the play.

I'm thinking some of these guys will have to learn on the job. Just not sure how long it will take them to get up to SEC safety or "better than what we had" levels. So, honest question D4H?

 

[Dobbs 4 Heisman]

So do you have any worries about lack of experience, particularly early in the year? Outside of TKjr, how much live game experience at safety do you have between the rest of our options?

I totally agree with you that LM and BR had some talent limitations that some of these guys won't (after BR's proday maybe not as much as most think) but Safety is a position that you better be in the right spot and also know how to line others up as well as be talented enough to make the play.

I'm thinking some of these guys will have to learn on the job. Just not sure how long it will take them to get up to SEC safety or "better than what we had" levels. So, honest question D4H?

None. Gaulden has been here 3 years same as TK. He's been in the program. He's practiced. He's played. I don't think the moment or stage will get to him.

I also think his talent will supersede any mistakes he might make because of lack of experience.

Warrior and Griffin are the least experienced but they'll be backups most likely.

 

[TN Outlaw]

None. Gaulden has been here 3 years same as TK. He's been in the program. He's practiced. He's played. I don't think the moment or stage will get to him.

I also think his talent will supersede any mistakes he might make because of lack of experience.

Warrior and Griffin are the least experienced but they'll be backups most likely.

I feel good about TK for obvious reasons, I think Gaulden will be a stud. Just haven't seem him at safety and he hasn't played safety in a live game that I remember. Thought there may be a learning curve under fire.

Berry struggled a little vs BG last year. I know he had the pick 6 vs NW but it was batted into his arms. Abernathy got a lot of praise in the spring but haven't seen him at safety yet either.

Shoop is known for working wonders with secondary's but usually it tends to take new players a few games to get settled in.

I hope your right and they come out the gate like bauce's!