Welcome to game week.
It’s finally time for Tennessee to get the 2024 season rolling, as the Volunteers are set for a game against Chattanooga this Saturday afternoon. Josh Heupel’s group will look to prove themselves as heavy favorites at home and have a chance to get things straight before a big test in Charlotte against NC State.
Here’s what I’ll be looking for on Saturday.
New look for the rotation of running backs
For the first time in the Heupel era, there was a major turnover in the running back room. Jabari Small and Jaylen Wright have been around seemingly forever, but have both moved on to the NFL. Now it’s Dylan Sampson’s turn – but we know there will be a rotation. What exactly will that look like?
Former four-star athlete Cam Seldon would be the obvious choice, but an injury slowed him down in the offseason. He was only cleared for contact last week, raising doubts about his actual availability at the start of the season. This is a wild card, but expect Seldon to be a major factor at some point.
And then there’s Peyton Lewis, who was rated four stars as a freshman and made a lot of noise in camp. Does the newcomer have the full trust of the staff right away? DeSean Bishop also made a lot of noise in his second year in the program.
Those are your four options. We know who will be at the top, but it will be interesting to see the rest of the pecking order.
How many receivers will actually play?
It’s been known since Heupel arrived in Knoxville – he’s going to use his best receivers and there won’t be much of a rotation. However, this is the best spot he’s ever had and it seems there will likely be a rotation this season.
Bru McCoy and Squirrel White are the surefire starters. Then there are the big players like Dont’e Thornton and Chris Brazzell. Even further down you have Kaleb Webb and Chaz Nimrod, both of whom got playing time last season after a number of injuries. And that’s without even mentioning Nathan Leacock or true freshmen Mike Matthews and Braylon Staley.
Tennessee could go with as many as four or even six players. Saturday may not be the best indicator, as the Volunteers are expected to pull off a big win, but I’ll be paying attention early to see if the personnel groups change from trip to trip.
Secondary questions
Tennessee will debut its revamped secondary this weekend after losing all of its starters in the offseason. Oregon State transfer Jermod McCoy and sophomore Rickey Gibson will start at cornerback, but that’s about all we know.
What’s happening at safety and nickel? True freshman Boo Carter has worked at that STAR position, but Christian Harrison has emerged as an option there.
What happens at safety? Will Tennessee start Will Brooks? Andre Turrentine is expected to have a spot in the starting lineup, but MTSU transfer Jakobe Thomas is also in the mix, along with John Slaughter.
The Volunteers will likely try a few different things here on Saturday as they try to establish themselves as a starting lineup.
Passes into the depth
Despite the buzz around Nico Iamaleava, we haven’t seen many deep passes from the former five-star prospect. That’s not a knock against him, he just didn’t have the chance. Iowa played the Citrus Bowl to keep it all in front of them, and Iamaleava burned them with his legs at the end.
Tennessee really didn’t have a forward attack last season with Joe Milton. Will they get back to where they looked in 2022 with Hendon Hooker? Squirrel White, Dont’e Thornton and Chris Brazzell certainly have the chops, but it will be up to Nico to get it across to them. This is one area where the Vols can quickly see a lot of improvement as the chemistry develops.
Dominance of the defensive line
There’s no doubt Tennessee’s best position is the defensive line. James Pearce, Omari Thomas and Co. may have a good chance of being the best in the SEC thanks to three years of development under Rodney Garner.
Look at how much attention Pearce gets when attempting to pass – who else can break through and win a one-on-one to bring the ball home?
With the visit of Chattanooga, this group should dominate up front and set the tone for the rest of the year. Look for Tennessee to control the line of scrimmage and make plenty of plays in the backfield on Saturday afternoon.
