There has been significant back and forth in this thread, and in large part I would attribute much of that to the Tennessee faithful chomping at the bit to see something that isn't the Butch Jones show in eight days. I can't lie, that I am in that group. However, aside from knowing that we have talent and potential on our team, I don't think I'm wrong to say that we really don't know what we have until they strap on the pads and hit the field. We don't know what the offense is going to look like, because none of the players have played in a power running scheme since they hit campus. Our defense has not run a 3-4, and we don't really know how that transition is going to look.
OFFENSE:
On offense, I think we have a good foundation to build upon in the OL. From left to right we can reasonably assume we will see some combination of Trey Smith (LT), Ryan Johnson, Jerome Carvin, Riley Locklear (LG), Brandon Kennedy (C), Johson, Carvin, Locklear (RG), and Drew Richmond, Chance Hall (RT). Now, I have heard reports of Calbert and Marcus Tatum, and I expect both to likely play in the opener.
Behind the line, RB should be a solid group, although the coaches seem to think that Chandler is a bit small - I still think he starts and gets a bulk of the carries. That said, Tim Jordan and Madre London will round out a RB by committee, and the carries may be spread more evenly or they might ride the guy with a hot hand if one emerges.
QB? Much like the RB's, I think that Guarantano starts but that we see Keller Chryst also. I hope that they find a QB and stick with him, but I do not expect that Jeremy Pruitt - of the Saban school - will be extremely forgiving if JG goes out there and lobs a couple interceptions, of which he has thrown several during practices and scrimmages.
And the WR's are a talented bunch that has shown flashes but lacks consistency. Jauan Jennings is a tough as nails player, but he hasn't played a game in almost a calendar year. I love him as a player, and I hope that he gives WVU's defensive backs hell, because we all know that he is a physical blocker that just flat out plays ball. Marquez Callaway can make flashy plays, but outside of the GT game last year, he disappeared in several games. Brandon Johnson is a solid possession guy with relatively sure hands, but he has yet to show that he can hit home runs. Then there is Josh Palmer, who has been lauded in two preseasons now, but his dropped balls last year still make me want to beat my head into the wall.
Then you have the coaching questions on Offense. How will Tyson Helton call a game? We really don't know. I am expecting a 60-40 run to pass ratio, but I have no clue. I think many are of the opinion that we ground and pound and they try to dink and dunk in the passing game. I'll be happy with that, because I think it matches what should be our strength against the weakness of a WVU defense that was no good last year against the run and which is built to stop a pass happy Big 12 conference.
DEFENSE:
Defense is a big question mark as well, though we know that we have some talent at two position groups. Defensive line has solid athletes in the starting rotation, Alexis Johnson, Shy Tuttle, and Kyle Phillips were all highly regarded players coming out of their recruitment. Tuttle was a stud prior to injury, but has been set back for two seasons now. Alexis Johnson was never in really solid shape last season, largely because he didn't get to practice in fall camp last year while he sat out for what was ultimately a dismissed domestic violence charge. And Kyle Phillips was fundamentally sound last year, but has never lived up to his five star billing. Emmitt Gooden should be a plug and play guy at DT, but from his Last Chance U tape, he makes some dumb decisions (I think I counted at least four late hit penalties in just what they showed from their games). Outside of those four, we don't really know what is there...Matthew Butler? Deondre Johnson? Eric Crosby? (I'm not even sure that two of those are still playing DL. WVU has a veteran O-line that is seemingly built to pass block, and I can see our guys having some success against them stopping the run and hopefully harrying Grier to help out our secondary.
Linebacking corps should be where we hang our hat on defense. All three of Bituli, Sapp, and Kirkland are solid starters, and potentially a couple of NFL guys in that mix. They can all run, and have experience. Hopefully we can keep Kirkland healthy throughout the season, but I fully expect him to play in this game. This unit should stuff WVU's run, and hopefully can cover the pass when asked. On the edges, Darrell Taylor is a solid football player who has speed and a nose for the QB. He should find some success rushing the passer, because we anticipate that WVU throws a LOT in this game. I'm still in a wait and see with Kongbo who has in no way lived up to his recruiting rating to this point. Yet again we've been told he looks like Adonis and is ready to make an impact. I'll personally believe it when I see it. Overall, however, the LB should be the strength of the defense.
This brings us to the secondary. Who knows? At Safety, Warrior is a starter on most SEC squads, but behind him Abernathy and Kelly can be liabilities at times. Trevon Flowers has been heralded as a player with potential but he's a freshman. Alontae Taylor is apparently penciled in as a starter at Corner, with Baylen Buchanen on the other side. That is a dearth of experience. I love Taylor's upside, and Buchanen can be solid, I believe, but he's on the shorter side. Then Shamburger playing Nickel is another position change. Now, Jeremy Pruitt is a secondary specialist, and I believe that this unit will be far better coached between him and Terry Fair, however this is the weakness of our defense against the strength of WVU's offense.
On defense, we really have no clue how the team's transition to a 3-4 will go, but I think we have a solid unit solely based upon the coaching upgrade. Will they be keyed in for game 1 against a team that is receiving ALL the hype as having a stellar offense? I don't know, and if we're being honest, none of us do.
I think our special teams units will be lackluster, and I honestly don't know enough outside of Cimaglia made some kicks and missed some kicks to make a prediction. Expect our punting to be drastically less good then last year.
Over all, I think that this is a winnable game for our squad, but I know that I am seeing the world through orange tinted glasses to some extent. The above is a realistic breakdown of our roster, in my opinion - because I wrote it - but I am open to be surprised. We could get smoked with their passing attack, it could be a close gritty game, or we could run roughshod over them. We'll just have to see it between the lines. I hope to be pleasantly surprised by a squad with far more talent then they showed last season when the team understandably quit on Butch Jones.
