Power 5 Opponents 2 Deep Returnees 2015

#26
#26
knoxville's finest said:
The game of football is won in trenches. The teams with the best oline and dline will give us the most trouble.
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UT returns 6 OL's with starting experience.

But... is the game of football won in the trenches? Last year UT had one of the best OL's in the country and couldn't make a bowl game. This year they had one of the worst OL's in the country and made a bowl game. Last year they started 4 Sr's on the DL with 3 of them being former 4* recruits and were just not very good. This year with undersized guys who weren't very highly recruited plus a converted LB and a Fr... they were among the SEC's best in sacks.

I'm not busting your chops. I'm just saying that the "football is won in the trenches" cliche belongs to the leather helmet era of football. Line play is just a start. In the modern era, you have to have more.
 
#27
#27
sjt18 said:
I didn't. You apparently misunderstood. AJ is one of the 5 I counted that would be gone.
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If I did I apologize. Or it could be you misstated -

UT if you include AJ will still return 39 of its 44 players in the offensive and defensive two deeps.

The way that reads, you are saying if you include AJ among the 39 returning, not one of the 5 who were leaving. But I understand your point now.
 
#28
#28
Does the OP imply there are really people who don't believe our roster's age and inexperience were significant factors in us only finishing 6-6 ?

I don't even know what to say.
 
#29
#29
This should open the door for us to take control of the east.
 
#30
#30
roddo518 said:
We should be better. It's nice to get close to other teams depth. Our line is still an enigma. It would be unfair to project a returning starter if we knew they were playing the wrong position, which many were. I mean if you played OT, and we know you are not gonna play that position next year, then we will have a new OT starting.
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I personally doubt Kerbyson plays LT again. I'm not saying I know who will... only that I have more faith in Jones than to believe that he'll go that route. IMO, the OL will be:

RT- Kerbyson
RG- Robertson
C- Crowder
LG- Jackson
LT- ?

I personally believe those 4 positions are manned by SEC caliber players who now have a year of starting experience or more. They will have had 3 full off-seasons of development in Jones' S&C program. The questions is if the staff after 3 years and recruiting classes will have come up with a solution at LT.

The other question which most don't want to consider is if the staff is capable of getting the most out of OL talent. They didn't last year and it was excused in various ways... to include throwing the players under the bus as being "overrated". This year was excused by youth et al. This is very much an open question whether some want to face it or not. Is the OL recruiting, development, and coaching good enough to win in the SEC?
 
#31
#31
It could have been posted and I missed it but there is an even bigger thing in that return 39/44.

We could potentially return 33-34 of those 39 for the following year as well. Next year we will be a 8-9 win team.

2016 we will be loaded with 3+ great years of recruiting by Jones and most of our 2 deep returning including the most important piece - QB. We will compete for the playoff in 2016 and be top 10 most of the year.
 
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#32
#32
UK pretty much keeps everyone important on offense, losing one OL and the TE's (who didn't do much anyway overall). We do lose a lot of defensive guys. Lowery, Dupree, Z. Smith, etc. v

Crazy that UT keeps 39. And even more I don't see a single position other than that mlb spot where a player wouldn't be an improvement. UT is scary.
 
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#33
#33
Crazy Ivan said:
If I did I apologize. Or it could be you misstated -

UT if you include AJ will still return 39 of its 44 players in the offensive and defensive two deeps.

The way that reads, you are saying if you include AJ among the 39 returning, not one of the 5 who were leaving. But I understand your point now.
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You could read it that way and I probably should have phrased it better. I meant that if you include AJ among this year's starters then UT returns 39. The final bowl game depth chart will have 40 returnees in the 2 deep.
 
#34
#34
AstroDobbs said:
It could have been posted and I missed it but there is an even bigger thing in that return 39/44.

We could potentially return 33-34 of those 39 for the following year as well. Next year we will be a 8-9 win team.[

2016 we will be loaded with 3+ great years of recruiting by Jones and most of our 2 deep returning including the most important piece - QB. We will compete for the playoff in 2016 and be top 10 most of the year.
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If you look at the rest of the teams I posted... 33-34 is a pretty average number to return. The low was 30. MSU returns 27. Their drop off next fall is likely to be significant. I am very surprised Mullen isn't working harder to get out of town.
 
#35
#35
Crazy Ivan said:
Whoever replaces AJ will likely have more talent/ability, but may not be able to replicate experience next season, or maybe just as important, heart and passion. Or leadership, which is definitely important.

Also, unless I am missing something, not sure why you would include AJ in the 39 since we know he is not returning.
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I can't disagree more if you are suggesting AJ is not that talented. AJ Johnson was one of the best LB's in the SEC this year and will be really hard to replace. He was not just experienced, but very talented. He was one of the better players even as a freshman.
 
#36
#36
AJ played his best football this year after they reshaped his body. He had gained a lot of weight trying to play a 3-4 MLB position. He's a very talented guy but not irreplaceable from a pure talent pov. He was a high energy type of guy. They'll have to replace that. Jones has many times said that Jacob J was an "alpha male"... we'll soon see.
 
#37
#37
joevol33 said:
This should open the door for us to take control of the east.
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The door is open and someone will do it. If not UT then probably UF. Richt is going to be Richt and lose a game or two a year that he shouldn't lose.

Mizzou could start getting the players to actually compete in the East in its "normal" state of competition but haven't shown that ability yet. If UT and UF return to their historic norms... Mizzou becomes an "also ran".
 
#38
#38
Not getting involved in where the finger should be pointed on the OL.
I will say that I was disappointed during the Mizzou game.
The guys had almost a full season under their belt and a good D still rips them apart.
I am well aware of the importance of injuries but I'm talking about those that were healthy, still making the same mistakes.
 
#39
#39
ATLVols said:
I can't disagree more if you are suggesting AJ is not that talented. AJ Johnson was one of the best LB's in the SEC this year and will be really hard to replace. He was not just experienced, but very talented. He was one of the better players even as a freshman.
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Yes, he was talented, although I would argue this is the first season where I actually thought he did well in pass coverage, or always took proper angles, or stayed in his lanes. But I am saying that whoever fills his position, whether it be Maggitt, JRM, or hopefully Kirkland at some point, will be the more physically talented MLB. And to be honest, to say he was one of the better players on the team as a freshman is not saying much considering how little talent we had at that time, especially on defense. And I don't mean this as a knock on AJ. He was one of my favorite players.
 
#40
#40
AstroDobbs said:
It could have been posted and I missed it but there is an even bigger thing in that return 39/44.

We could potentially return 33-34 of those 39 for the following year as well. Next year we will be a 8-9 win team.

2016 we will be loaded with 3+ great years of recruiting by Jones and most of our 2 deep returning including the most important piece - QB. We will compete for the playoff in 2016 and be top 10 most of the year.
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Was with you until here. Let's not get too hopeful yet. If our team wins 9games next year then I'll consider it possible but that's asking a lot
 
#42
#42
jasonhutch said:
*TRANSFERING PLAYERS INCLUDED

For the first time since the Phillip Fulmer Era, Tennessee should have stability on both sides of the ball moving from one season to the next. If Mike Bajakian and John Jancek hold their posts - no reason to believe they won't at this point - the Vols will not only return the same head coach and coordinators for three consecutive years for the first time since 2003-05, Tennessee should return 19 of 22 starters (20 if you count Jakob Johnson replacing A.J. Johnson these last two weeks) including all 11 on the offensive side of the ball.
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You should give credit when copying someone else's work.

Tennessee Football 2015 Depth Chart - First Draft - Rocky Top Talk
 
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#43
#43
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#44
#44
sjt18 said:
The other question which most don't want to consider is if the staff is capable of getting the most out of OL talent. They didn't last year and it was excused in various ways... to include throwing the players under the bus as being "overrated". This year was excused by youth et al. This is very much an open question whether some want to face it or not. Is the OL recruiting, development, and coaching good enough to win in the SEC?
Click to expand...

What was wrong with the OL last year? Rushed for more yardage than we have in a decade with a brand new blocking scheme and below average RBs. The problem last year was QB play and our best WR being a true freshman. There wasn't anything wrong with the OL last year
 
#46
#46
vtvol98 said:
Even with all of these returning starters I don't see more than 7 wins maybe 8 tops.
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You want to justify that? A team that returns 40 starters and as much talent as UT does should be able to win games against that schedule... unless you're saying you do not believe this staff can compete against other SEC staffs on gameday.
 
#47
#47
sjt18 said:
UT if you include AJ will still return 39 of its 44 players in the offensive and defensive two deeps. AJ, Coleman, and J Williams were lost on D. All were contributors but only AJ looks to be replaced by someone with less talent/ability. Gilliam and Lane will be lost on O. They should be replaced by better players.

So how does that stack up against the opposition? The following does not include players like Fowler who may leave early or transfer. Only Sr's are subtracted from the current depth charts. Here are the numbers of returning players according to their latest published depth charts:

OU- 33 (they also lose 4 of 5 starting OL's)
UF- 32 (Fowler is likely to leave too)
Arkansas- 32 (corrected per omghulkhands)
UGA- 30
Bama- 29
UK- 30
USCe- 33
Mizzou- 33 (almost sure to lose Ray as well, includes 4 of the top 6 WR's)
Vandy- 38

If experience and starts are truly the factors that so many claimed to explain UT's struggles this year... then that situation reverses next year. UT returns more of their top players than any of their opponents.

What kind of impact do you this will/should have on '15?
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I can tell you one thing right now little game BOBs boys the Sooners Tennessee will be the ones on the D running over and thru there OL in next years game.:lolabove:
 
#48
#48
K-town Vol Fan said:
What was wrong with the OL last year? Rushed for more yardage than we have in a decade with a brand new blocking scheme and below average RBs. The problem last year was QB play and our best WR being a true freshman. There wasn't anything wrong with the OL last year
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Allowed more sacks than the year before. Ranked 9th in the SEC in rushing yards. Ranked 7th in yds per attempt. Sorry but avg or slightly below avg with 5 NFL caliber talents including 3 who would start as rookies... isn't all that impressive.

The argument could easily be made that what good the OL did was because of the coaching they had rec'd prior to last year. They DID in fact have some good OL coaches to include Pittman and Chaney. That would agree more with the performance we saw from the OL this year than what you propose as an excuse.
 
#50
#50
These stats are great but it comes down to improving in the Oline and i think offense overall. Need a vertical passing game with Dobbs and i seriously think they sub way too much. That's scheme though and that's another thing i don't care for all that much.

Look at it this way. If Tennessee had scheduled a lesser opponent in the Oklahoma game, not shat the bed against Florida. We'd be talking about a 8 win team with a possibility of a 9th win.

It all comes down to Oline, Dobbs developing a vertical passing game with his receivers and just adding depth. Which the depth part is coming, and it's better quality than we've had in some time. So good things should happen, at least in theory. Hoping. We need Butch to work out in the worst way.
 
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