My Vols Thread...

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National Signing Day 2017 wrap-up: Tennessee Volunteers

The 2016 Tennessee Volunteers were supposed to win the SEC East and challenge Alabama. Similarly, the Vols were expected to compete for a top-10 recruiting class in 2017. Well, neither happened, but there are reasons to be encouraged if you’re a Tennessee fan.

Overall, the Volunteers wrapped up the 2017 recruiting cycle with the nation’s No. 17 class, according to 247Sports’ Composite Team Rankings. Tennessee signed some solid players on both sides of the ball.

Key Players

5* OT Trey Smith

UT signed an elite left tackle prospect in Trey Smith. The 6’5”, 310-pounder from Jackson, Tennessee, is a physical specimen that plays with a mean streak. Smith displays excellent technique, somewhat a surprise for a player so physically dominant and possesses outstanding footwork and is a candidate to start next season. He is an early enrollee and is not only Tennessee’s most talented signee, but most important, too.


4* RB Ty Chandler

Tennessee lost two its top running backs from last fall in Jalen Hurd and Alvin Kamara. Quarterback Joshua Dobbs, the team’s leading rusher, is also gone, so the Vols needed an infusion of talent in the backfield. Chandler is that guy.

The four-star running back is a versatile runner that Tennessee can employ in a number of ways. He has the ability to run between the tackles and can also be a major factor in the passing game. Chandler has great vision and does a good job of breaking tackles and simply put: He can make an impact in 2017.

Takeaways

• The Vols struggled in-state: Tennessee is the premier college football program in the state. In 2017, eight of the state’s top 11 players chose not to come to Knoxville. Furthermore, the Vols managed to sign just five of the state’s top 20 players. Tennessee isn’t Texas. The Volunteers don’t have to compete with other in-state schools for the top players in the state. For head coach Butch Jones to get UT going in the right direction, he must keep the state’s top players home.

• Decommitments hurt this class: Decommitments happen to every school. That’s what happens when you’re dealing with teenage kids who have a number of people in their ears telling them what’s best for them. However, it just seems like no one has more than Tennessee. In the 2017 recruiting cycle, the Vols had 13! That’s a high number. They lost elite talent in quarterback Hunter Johnson and in-state wide receiver Tee Higgins, both five-star talents who each ended up signing with Clemson. While losing players like Brandon and Breyon Gaddy won’t hurt UT, the departures of Johnson and Higgins could be felt for a long time.

• Tennessee beefed up in the trenches: Of UT’s 27 signees, nine players are on the offensive and defensive lines. Smith, along with fellow offensive tackle Riley Locklear from Huntington, West Virginia could each find themselves competing for starting positions in 2017. TheVols’ defensive line is still ripe with talent, but they were able to add a trio of defensive tackles in Eric Crosby, Kivon Bennett and Matthew Butler. Defensive end Latrell Bumphus is an intriguing prospect too. At 6’4”, 241 pounds, Bumphus has an excellent frame and the Vols hope he turns into the next Derek Barnett.

• Expect more immediate contributors from this class: Last year, Tennessee received a lot of hype for its recruiting class. For the most part, that group didn’t deliver on the field. Tyler Byrd made the biggest impact last fall and he caught just 15 passes, although he proved to be a dynamic kick returner. Quarterback Jarrett Guarantano, last year’s prize signee, didn’t see the field because UT still had Dobbs but should see the field this time around. Smith, Locklear, Chandler, Maleik Gray and Will Ignont could all be competing for significant playing time this fall as well, as there will be plenty of opportunities for instant impact across the board.

 

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Hoke joining Vols' staff, already studying personnel

Brady Hoke, a longtime associate of Butch Jones and former head coach at multiple Football Bowls Subdivision schools including the University of Michigan, will join Jones’ University of Tennessee staff, as 247Sports and GoVols247 first reported several weeks ago.

Hoke spent the 2016 season as defensive coordinator at the University of Oregon, but Hoke was not retained when the Ducks fired head coach Mark Helfrich and staff.

247Sports and GoVols247 noted this past week and weekend that Hoke’s addition to the Vols’ staff was imminent.

In fact, multiple sources close to the situation said that Hoke already is studying film of Tennessee’s defense, specifically the Vols’ returning defensive linemen, as he prepares his move to Knoxville to join Bob Shoop’s retooled defensive staff.

Shoop, entering Year 2 as Tennessee’s defensive coordinator, recently added the highly regarded Charlton Warren from the University of North Carolina.

Hoke is widely viewed as an outstanding recruiter and developer of top-level defensive talent, particularly along the front. Several of Hoke’s former signees were the nucleus of the Jim Harbaugh-coached Michigan squad that spent the 2016 season ranked in the top 10 almost wire-to-wire.

Hoke takes over for Steve Stripling, whom multiple sources say will remain in the Tennessee program in an off-the-field “chief of staff” role. In fact, Hoke’s office already is being finalized inside UT’s pristine Anderson Training Center while Stripling is shuffling down the hallway --- actually much closer to Jones’ UT office.

 

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Hoke joining Vols' staff, already studying personnel

Brady Hoke, a longtime associate of Butch Jones and former head coach at multiple Football Bowls Subdivision schools including the University of Michigan, will join Jones’ University of Tennessee staff, as 247Sports and GoVols247 first reported several weeks ago.

Hoke spent the 2016 season as defensive coordinator at the University of Oregon, but Hoke was not retained when the Ducks fired head coach Mark Helfrich and staff.

247Sports and GoVols247 noted this past week and weekend that Hoke’s addition to the Vols’ staff was imminent.

In fact, multiple sources close to the situation said that Hoke already is studying film of Tennessee’s defense, specifically the Vols’ returning defensive linemen, as he prepares his move to Knoxville to join Bob Shoop’s retooled defensive staff.

Shoop, entering Year 2 as Tennessee’s defensive coordinator, recently added the highly regarded Charlton Warren from the University of North Carolina.

Hoke is widely viewed as an outstanding recruiter and developer of top-level defensive talent, particularly along the front. Several of Hoke’s former signees were the nucleus of the Jim Harbaugh-coached Michigan squad that spent the 2016 season ranked in the top 10 almost wire-to-wire.

Hoke takes over for Steve Stripling, whom multiple sources say will remain in the Tennessee program in an off-the-field “chief of staff” role. In fact, Hoke’s office already is being finalized inside UT’s pristine Anderson Training Center while Stripling is shuffling down the hallway --- actually much closer to Jones’ UT office.

 

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Source: John Currie of Kansas State has been hired as Tennessee's new athletic director. Currie worked at UT as assistant athletic director from 1997-2008 when he took the job as AD at Kansas State. He turns 47 on April 1." -- Hyams

 

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Tennessee's Jarrett Guarantano spending spring break with QB guru

Like many college students, Jarrett Guarantano will be spending part of his spring break at the beach.

Unlike many college students, the University of Tennessee redshirt freshman quarterback won’t be lounging in the sand. He’ll be training with well-known quarterback coach George Whitfield in San Diego.

Guarantano is among a group of college quarterbacks spending this week with Whitfield to improve their skills and efficiency.

UT opens spring practice next Tuesday, and Guarantano will be contending for the starting spot left open by the graduation of Joshua Dobbs.

“He doesn’t talk about having that spot. He just says he knows he has to go to work,” Whitfield said. “For a kid that has grown up with a lot of self-confidence, he has been very humble about what is coming around the corner. It’s good to hear he is taking that ground-level approach to this shuffle.”

Under Whitfield’s watchful eye, Guarantano will be training with Notre Dame’s Brandon Wimbush, TCU’s Kenny Hill, Indiana’s Richard Lagow and Wyoming’s Josh Allen.

On the field, they will work on fundamentals and footwork. In the classroom, they will study film of their individual throwing sessions.

The group will make trips to the beach to use the sand as an unstable surface and wade into water above the knees to build strength and balance on drop backs. A third of their throws during the week will be with a tennis ball to avoid arm fatigue.

Whitfield plans to have daily guest speakers, including retired NFL coordinators.

“Even if the change here is incremental, there has been some success,” Whitfield said. “If you can shave off theoretically a tenth of a second of drop so the ball arrives a tenth of a second downfield sooner, that is a win.”

Whitfield first met Guarantano during the Nike Elite 11 competition in 2015 and was instantly impressed with Guarantano’s abilities.

“They are all young and gangly, but he could drive the ball and he could command the ball,” said Whitfield, a contributor for ESPN's "College GameDay." “He is one of those guys who is blessed with tools, but also has enough savvy to time up when their weapons should launch. I remember seeing Jarrett and thinking ‘Oh my goodness.’”

After having a chance to interact with Guarantano one-on-one, Whitfield was taken by the New Jersey native’s moxie.

“He had an air about him that bordered right against cockiness, which if walked the right way and attacked the right way you respect it,” Whitfield said. “That’s no different than a lot of the big kids I have seen over the last couple of years. He just carried himself like he just hit a couple of home runs.”

Rather than growing insecure being around other quarterbacks used to being the “big man on campus,” Whitfield said Guarantano embraced the challenge.

“Jarrett couldn’t be more comfortable in the shark tank,” Whitfield said. “Some guys don’t feel comfortable in that environment and others relish it. They’ve been waiting to see everyone and measure themselves. Jarrett couldn’t wait to get there. He had already studied everybody else and knew their backgrounds.”

Whitfield received more feedback about Guarantano when visiting college coaches who were recruiting the Under Armour All-American.

“I really got a good gauge of the type of player he is by who else was clamoring to get him. I remember Tom Herman felt highly about him when he was still at Ohio State and how many other SEC coordinators loved him,” Whitfield said. “He started getting a lot of buzz all the way out West, which means there is a lot of credibility to it when different coaches in different regions think this guy could drive them through tough schedules.”

Along with training the college quarterbacks, Whitfield has been preparing quarterbacks for the upcoming NFL draft and preparing Heisman winner and former Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel for an attempted NFL comeback.

“I will be working with Johnny before or after the college guys and may invite him to stick around to watch or have them go watch him,” Whitfield said. “Some other guys may come back like Connor Cook or you could even see Jameis Winston here.”

Guarantano is the third Tennessee quarterback Whitfield has tutored. Dobbs and Justin Worley trained with him in San Diego in 2014.

Before Guarantano flew to Southern California, Whitfield spoke with UT head coach Butch Jones and new quarterbacks coach Mike Canales about this week’s process.

“There are staffs like Coach Jones and his coaches who believe in you enough that they suggest guys come here when they have down time. I think the SEC is the most aggressive with that,” Whitfield said. “Because of that relationship, I know what Coach Jones and Coach Canales are expecting out of their quarterbacks just in terms of footwork and set up and efficiency.”

Although spring break only provides a brief window to work together, Whitfield believes Guarantano can return to UT more prepared to compete for the starting role in spring practice and beyond.

“I know how much he wants to be here and be able to contribute out of the gate at Tennessee because he knows what kind of expectations that program has,” Whitfield said. “He knows what the goals are and his main focus is getting himself ready to do what he needs to get done to help achieve them.”

 

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Tennessee spring practice preview: Five key questions facing the Vols

KNOXVILLE — With a host of new coaches and a handful of household names leaving voids to fill on the depth chart, Tennessee's new-look football program takes the field for its fifth spring under head coach Butch Jones.

The Times Free Press previews Tennessee's spring practices, which kick off Tuesday, with a look at five key questions facing the Volunteers.

1 Who stands out in the quarterback competition?

All eyes will be on Quinten Dormady and Jarrett Guarantano as they battle to succeed Josh Dobbs. Don't expect Jones to name a starter any time this spring, however. Tennessee won't want either of its promising prospects looking around.

Guarantano spent Tennessee's spring break this past week in California training with other college players with noted quarterback guru George Whitfield and hanging out with former Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel. Dormady also spent the week training, albeit in a more behind-the-scenes way.

Dormady's edge in experience from two years as the backup is marginal, but it should help him steady his play and show in his command of the offense. Guarantano also isn't lacking in confidence, but his keys will be consistency and ball security. Though both have been looking forward to this battle for months, it's imperative they don't press.

Not only are both players trying to impress coaches, but they're also trying to earn the respect of their teammates. If the rest of the offense responds more noticeably to one quarterback than the other, that could sway the competition. That intangible could carry more weight than passing accuracy or arm talent or scrambling ability.

2 How do the Vols maximize the spring with such a limited defensive line?

New defensive line coach Brady Hoke believes he's inheriting a position group with some talent, but most of his players will be spectators this spring due to injuries from last season or offseason surgery.

Defensive tackles Shy Tuttle and Kahlil McKenzie aren't 100 percent from their season-ending injuries last fall and Kendal Vickers and Kyle Phillips will be limited, so Hoke's challenge will be managing practices with a shorthanded group, which could limit how much 11-on-11 work the Vols can do and certainly won't help the offensive line's development.

It's a crucial spring for Alexis Johnson. The junior college transfer defensive tackle was relegated to a nonfactor due to his offseason suspension and in-season injury. This spring will be his first chance to show he can be the kind of contributor Tennessee believed it was getting when it signed him.

Coaches and players have raved about Darrell Taylor's potential for more than a year, but with the likes of Derek Barnett, Corey Vereen and LaTroy Lewis in his way, he got limited action last season. Taylor will have every opportunity to back up the hype from everyone in the program. He's one of the key figures in Tennessee's quest to fill those gaping voids at end.

Jonathan Kongbo turned from the crown jewel of the 2016 signing class into a mercurial source of drama last season before buying into moving inside to defensive tackle at the urging of the coaching staff. His performance in the bowl game was encouraging for his future. Whether he's at end or tackle, Kongbo needs to be a difference-maker in year two.

Undersized defensive tackle Quay Picou has been a weight-room star this offseason with new strength coach Rock Gullickson, and there's also some buzz around freshman end Deandre Johnson, who will get as much work as he can handle.

3 What impact will Tennessee's new-look coaching staff have?

Tennessee has five new coaches not including Larry Scott's promotion to offensive coordinator, and while the changes appear to be upgrades on paper, they still have to mesh with each other and the players.

The Vols are starting spring practice a little later than usual. The coaching staff spent hours in meetings throughout February and March to prepare for spring practice, organize their recruiting efforts and jell with each other. Watching them work on the practice field should be fascinating.

Beyond fresh ideas, a new set of eyes and different styles of teaching and interacting with players, new coaches often bring clean slates to their positions, which can give some outcast players new leases on life and the chance to revive their careers.

4 How ready is Trey Smith to contribute on a crowded offensive line?

The five-star prospect who enrolled in January neither looks nor carries himself like a freshman. In terms of returning experience, though, Tennessee is the strongest on the offensive line. The Vols have seven linemen with starting experience in addition to four second-year players.

New offensive line coach Walt Wells said earlier this month Smith will start out working at left tackle this spring, but he also figures to get some work inside at guard as well. The greater opportunity will be at tackle, where Brett Kendrick (ankle) is out and Chance Hall (knee) may be limited. Drew Richmond, the returning left tackle, has had a good offseason.

Smith's career got off to a strong start in offseason workouts, but his first on-field action should shed light on the big-time recruit's ability to contribute right away.

5 Which players take advantage of the clean slate in the secondary?

The first step in Tennessee's defense bouncing back from last season's nightmarish close is staying healthy. The next step is better play in the secondary. It's why Charlton Warren perhaps has the biggest chore of the Vols' new coaches.

Once injuries sidelined Cameron Sutton and sapped Micah Abernathy of his September form, Tennessee's secondary played poorly and often didn't look like a well-coached unit. The Vols struggled in run support and couldn't win 50-50 battles in pass coverage. On-field performances and staff chemistry problems prompted a change.

Those struggles are in the past now with Warren in charge. His military background and no-nonsense demeanor quickly showed his players how he'll coach them. His position's success at North Carolina and Nebraska bode well for improvement.

Tennessee won't be at full strength in the secondary with Evan Berry not 100 percent after tearing his ACL and Abernathy, Rashaan Gaulden and Stephen Griffin limited, but it's an important spring for veterans such as Justin Martin and Emmanuel Moseley as well as younger players such as Nigel Warrior, Marquill Osborne and Baylen Buchanan.

Contact Patrick Brown at pbrown@timesfreepress.com.

 

[dbair1967]

Give us the Cliff Notes version Mid

 

[Mr.Po]

This team has the potential to surprise but it better hope Guarantano or Dormady play above expectations for this team to have a successful season. This team is going to need a lot of things to fall into place to overcome Butch Jones short comings as a coach. Some of the best talent this team has had in the past 4-5 years left via graduation or early entry in the draft without any proven commodities to fill that void. Couldn't get over the hump with that talent makes me think he definitely takes a step back from what was a disappointing season that was filled with such hope and promise.