Tennessee football will take another step toward relevancy in 2020
By Nick Fiore
Quarterback situation will dictate offensive success
Arguably the most important offseason move for the Vols was offensive coordinator Jim Chaney staying on. This might not seem like much, but this is the first time the program has brought back an offensive coordinator since Mike DeBord in 2016. Not having to learn a new offensive scheme is huge and we should see some year to year growth from this Tennessee offense.
Chaney built his offense at Georgia from the trenches with a strong running game.
The Volunteers’ offensive line looks like one of the best in the conference. Left guard Trey Smith is a likely first-round pick come next year’s draft and a preseason All-SEC first team member. At right guard is Georgia transfer and former five-star recruit Cade Mays. Center Brandon Kennedy is back for his senior season after starting all 13 games last year. On the outside, Wanya Morris and Darnell Wright were both five-star recruits and earned All-SEC Freshman honors last season.
That’s four former five-star recruits starting on this line. This big boys up front could be a game changer for this offense.
At quarterback, Jarrett Guarantano looks like he’ll be the starter to open the season. The senior has started 25 games and has the most experience of anybody in the room. He was inconsistent at times and nothing really pops when looking at his stats. He showed the coaches something when he came in at halftime against Kentucky and led a comeback win.
If Guarantano struggles early on like last year, the Vols have a pair of sophomores in Brian Maurer and J.T Shrout, who both got time last year when Guarantano lost the job. This year, four-star freshmen Harrison Bailey could compete for some action, too. There’s a lot of guys in the quarterback room and how successful a season the Vols have could come down to who steps up from that group.
The run game will be key for this offense. With the quarterback situation not looking great, being able to trust the ground game when the passing attack is struggling will be huge for Chaney’s offense. The running back room remains intact from last season, the top three leading rushers in Ty Chandler, Eric Gray and Tim Jordan are all back. The three combined for 1,602 yards on a 4.7 yards per carry average. Running behind this offensive line will make things a lot easier and we should see an increase in production on the ground.
The biggest offseason loss came from the receiving room with leading wide out Jauan Jennings and Marquez Callaway graduating. The two combined for 89 catches, 1,600 yards and 14 touchdowns. Senior Josh Palmer is the leading returning receiver and the only guy in the room with double-digit receptions in 2019.
The young guys and transfers will need to step in and produce if the Vols’ offense is going to have any success in the passing game. Velus Jones J.r grad transferred from USC, while Ramel Keyton sat out most of his freshman season, both could contribute immediately. Freshmen Jalin Hyatt is another guy to watch out for and could get some action.
Getting some consistency in the coaching department and being able to build on things from last season is huge for this offense. I don’t expect this unit to finish towards the top of the SEC, but look out for a big improvement in the ground game behind this stud offensive line.