Projecting Tennessee's post-spring depth chart
Tennessee exits spring practice without as many firm conclusions about the two-deep as the trajectory may indicate. That’s in large part due to the volume of players who missed part or all of spring ball due to injuries.
Those expecting the Vols to immediately launch into the national championship picture may need a reality check this fall, but like an eye chart at the optometrist office, UT’s fuzzy future is tightening into focus.
This time next year, the two-deep roster will be intimidating. This year, it’s still full of more promise than dread, which is a change for the better. Other than Georgia, the early SEC East favorite, no other team in the division will enter the fall as a clear-cut favorite against the Vols.
Here’s a guess at how the depth chart will look when Tennessee enters fall practice.
OFFENSE
QB1: Joshua Dobbs
QB2: Quinten Dormady
Dobbs is a likable quarterback even to non-Tennessee fans. But his projected leap forward isn’t going to come easy. He needs to add to his natural athleticism, size and intellect by a) learning to read defenses better, b) making smarter decisions about when to make conservative slides and throw-aways and c) improve his mechanics and effectiveness under imperfect conditions due to weather or pressure.
Dormady currently holds a decent lead in the three-person race to back up Dobbs, hoping to set himself up as the next Vols quarterback.
RB1: Jalen Hurd
RB2: Alvin Kamara
What you can’t see here is RB3. It’s a good thing, because it more or less doesn’t exist. Hurd and Kamara are different enough to present defenses with some varied looks, much like a pitching rotation that features right- and left-handed starters in back-to-back games. Playing in the same backfield with Dobbs, capable of running as well, is an advantage in a power spread offense.
WR1: Marquez North
WR2: Jason Croom
WR1: Josh Smith
WR2: Josh Malone
Slot WR1: Pig Howard
Slot WR2: Johnathon Johnson
TE1: Ethan Wolf
TE2: Alex Ellis
The receivers looked much more potent with Von Pearson as a starter and Josh Smith as one of the backups. This group was one of the most injury-prone collection of pass-catchers in the country last season, but the Vols could counter that loss by staying much healthier in 2015. North could turn into an early-round draft pick next year, while it feels like Pig Howard has been in Knoxville even longer than four years.
LT1: Kyler Kerbyson
LT2: Dontavius Blair
LG1: Marcus Jackson
LG2: Chance Hall
C1: Mack Crowder
C2: Coleman Thomas
RG1: Jashon Robertson
RG2: Austin Sanders
RT1: Brett Kendrick
RT2: Jack Jones
Left tackle, with Blair, and center, with Thomas, are two positions to watch during fall practice. Both guards and right tackle are pretty solidified at this point. The line is better at run-blocking as of early May, but offensive coordinator Mike DeBord’s best coaching talent relates to footwork along the offensive line. Expect moderate improvement from this group in 2015.
DEFENSE
DE1: Derek Barnett
DE2: LaTroy Lewis
DT1: Danny O’Brien
DT2: Owen Williams
DT1: Kahlil McKenzie
DT2: Shy Tuttle
DE1: Curt Maggitt
DE2: Corey Vereen
Alabama, Missouri and Ole Miss may have better overall defensive lines. But no SEC team can match the Vols’ pair of starting defensive ends in Barnett and Maggitt, who may both finish Top 5 in the conference in tackles for loss. Even UT’s backups at the position are solid, and Kyle Phillips may contribute there as a true freshman as well.
One of the biggest defensive stories during fall camp, and throughout the season, will be how quickly McKenzie and Tuttle can develop.
OLB1: Jalen Reeves-Maybin
OLB2: Cortez McDowell
MLB1: Kenny Bynum
MLB2: Darrin Kirkland Jr.
The big question here is at middle linebacker. Bynum knows what he’s doing and is the most trustworthy at this point. Of the two upstarts, Kirkland Jr. and Dillon Bates, the latter got some time at the position this spring, though it’s not a flawless natural fit. Kirkland Jr. hasn’t practiced with the Vols yet.
On the outside, Maggitt becomes the other player when Tennessee utilizes a traditional 4-3 front. But expect the Vols to play with five defensive backs the majority of the time.
CB1: Cameron Sutton
CB2: Malik Foreman
CB1: Emmanuel Moseley
CB2: Justin Martin
S1: Brian Randolph
S2: Evan Berry
S1: LaDarrell McNeil
S2: Todd Kelly Jr.
NB1: Rashaan Gaulden
NB2: Micah Abernathy
The rest of the SEC isn’t thinking secondary as the immediate best element of Team 119, but that’s a mistake. Sutton could be an all-conference corner this fall. The senior safeties are better than solid and reliable. This is one position where depth is no issue at all. Berry will be a star for the Vols and will find his way onto the field by the end of the year. Better still, the team’s pass rush will be effective, which could mean plenty of interception opportunities.
K: Aaron Medley
P: Nathan Renfro
KR: Evan Berry
PR: Cameron Sutton
Medley possesses a booming leg, and if he can become consistently accurate, he could win some SEC accolades. The punter spot could feature a fall competition between Renfro, a Maryland transfer, and Tommy Townsend, an All-American who will arrive on campus in a few weeks.