Tennessee head coach Butch Jones sat down for an interview with SEC Nation’s Joe Tessitore Saturday morning to reflect on his team’s season opener against Utah State. Jones discussed several topics, including the Volunteer freshman he expects to make an impact in their college debut.

“There’s so many of them that will make an impact,” Jones said of his top-5 recruiting class. “Derek Barnett has done a great job this offseason and will start for us at defensive end. Everyone knows about Jalen Hurd and Josh Malone and what they bring to the table. Jashon Robertson is another guy that made great strides and will make the start at right guard. I’m excited about all of these individuals that have jumped the learning curve and I’m excited about Sunday night.”

Jones spoke highly of Utah State, particularly quarterback Chuckie Keeton. When asked about Keeton’s preseason hype, Jones praised the elusive quarterback and the Aggies talented roster.

“Keeton is a Heisman Trophy candidate,” Jones said. “He can flip the field in one snap. Utah State is a talented team and they know how to win. They expect to win and are very confident…We will have to play our best football.”

Starting quarterback Justin Worley was also a topic of discussion. Jones spoke of the progress made by the senior this offseason and believes he is ready to reclaim the reins of Tennessee’s offense.

“His body of work this offseason speaks for itself,” Jones said. “Justin [Worley] has started a lot of games and has elevated his game. It’s not just on the field, but also off. He’s handled everything exceptionally well and has proven to be a leader.”

Tennessee will host Utah State at Neyland Stadium Sunday at 7 pm on the SEC Network.