Expectations for Tennessee are as high as they have been since 2016; However, a 10-game calendar, reserved for the SEC, will be a glove.
Flights ranked 21st will open the South Carolina season on Saturday (7:30 p. m. ET, SEC Network) in Colombia.
Here are 4 stories imaginable that, if developed, can make this season a success, and 4 stories imaginable that can go bankrupt.
1. La offensive line is up to expectations.
Tennessee’s offensive line is a team force for the first time in several seasons.
Left guard Trey Smith is one of the offensive linemen in school football. If Cade Mays receives a move waiver from the SEC to play this season, he would give Tennessee a goalkeeper smart enough to win the First All-SEC team honors.
Wanya Morris, Brandon Kennedy, Jerome Carvin and Darnell Wright sign up for Smith as headlines. Nine Vols linemen have at least 4 career debuts and the intensity will be more valuable than ever.
2. Jarrett Guarantano enjoys a season in the same system.
This is Jarrett Guarantano’s last chance to turn out to be bigger than a mediocre quarterback. He worked for the same offensive under the same offensive coordinator for consecutive seasons for the first time in his career.
The 25-game starter also has his best offensive line in front of him, and he finished last season in much better form than he started. That points to the fifth-year senior having his best season yet.
Henry To’o To’o is like in the lead role.
Henry To’o To’o Daniel Bituli’s best partner in the middle of last year’s defense. Now that Bituli is gone, To’o To’o will call the defense, and he will also have to increase his production.
Bituli’s return from injury is one of the key points that contributed to Tennessee’s recovery from the 0-2 start of last season.
“I feel like I sense everything that’s going on: the playbook and the diagrams,” To’o To’o said.
High school becomes a no-fly zone.
Defensive backing of 8 flights has experience, and Key Lawrence and Doneiko Slaughter are among the freshmans who are more willing to contribute.
Tennessee had one of the defenses opposed to SEC passes last season. Despite the loss of Nigel Warrior, he is well positioned to continue this success.
1. The so-called Guarantano Jekyll and Hyde continue.
Will it be a time of season in the same Guarantan offensive?Maybe.
Or it’s the kind of situation that turns out to be an exaggerated preseason discussion topic.
Guarantano’s career was characterized by inconsistency, perhaps who he is: a guy who is one of the SEC’s most productive quarterbacks in his most productive days, and a guy who is capable of wasting games in the Group of Five at its worst. Moments.
Harrison Bailey could be a year away from being in a position to take the reins, and it’s unclear whether J. T. Shrout or Brian Maurer are better than backup hardware. If Guarantano’s Jekyll-and-Hyde act repeats itself, Katy, close the door.
2. The offensive line is overrated.
Undoubtedly, it is Tennessee’s most offensive internal line for years, and it remains to be noted that it can dominate.
Morris and Wright had their ups and downs in the first year. Kennedy and Carvin are helpful, but Smith is the returner who played in a dominant spot last season.
3. To’o To’o is the smart supporter.
Even if To’o To’o is in a position to take Bituli’s place, who will take on the role of to’o To’o extreme?And can anyone update Darrell Taylor’s production as a pass smuggler?
Quavaris Crouch and Jeremy Banks have wonderful potential, but their resumes are scarce. Flights plan to use a “per committee” to pressure the quarterback. Often, “by committee” is a word for the coach: no one in this position is above average.
4. Tracy Rocker a brain that held the defensive line together
Tennessee’s defensive line advanced as much as any position last season. All the production on the defensive line is back.
However, coach Jeremy Pruitt criticized the line’s functionality in various aspects of the preseason.
Perhaps veteran defensive line coach Tracy Rocker was the glue that held this unit together. Rocker’s low-season departure to South Carolina staff can be just an obstacle.
If the Gamecocks’ defensive line succeeds on Saturday, Rocker’s departure will be digestible.
Blake Toppmeyer covers football from the University of Tennessee. Send an email to the blake. toppmeyer@knoxnews. com and stay with him on Twitter at btoppmeyer. If you enjoy Blake’s coverage, a virtual subscription will give you access to all of this. Current subscribers can click here to enroll in The Blake Subscribers Text Group that provides Football Flight updates and analytics.