Volunteers’ Jones is on hot seat during key year
Orlando Sentinel college insider Matt Murschel ranked all 130 Football Bowl Subdivision teams in the country entering the 2017 season. The Sentinel staff takes a closer look at a new team daily, counting backward from No. 130 to our projected No. 1 team.
Tennessee
Butch Jones (30-21, entering fifth season; 80-48 in 10 seasons overall)
9-4 overall, 4-4 Southeastern Conference; tied for second in East Division
Tennessee started with a promising 5-0 start, including the program’s first win against UF in 12 tries, but some tough losses late in the season triggered questions about Tennessee’s direction under coach Butch Jones. An overtime loss at Texas A&M was followed by a 39-point home loss to Alabama and a stunning 24-21 defeat at rebuilding South Carolina.
The Vols responded with three consecutive wins, but a 45-34 regular season-ending loss at Vanderbilt might have been the most bitter pill for fans to swallow. A Music City Bowl win against Nebraska did little to appease them, especially considering the Vols were losing their best players in QB Joshua Dobbs and DE Derek Barnett.
5 Darrin Kirkland, DE Jonathan Kongbo, S Todd Kelly Jr., TE Ethan Wolf, Returner Evan Berry
Gone are the play-making Dobbs, Vols’ all-time sacks leader Barnett and nine other starters. But Jones has recruited well and much talent remains.
WR Jauan Jennings, a junior, is as explosive as any SEC receiver, as evidenced by his Hail Mary touchdown against Georgia and momentum-shifting 67-yard score against the Gators. John Kelly showed he could be a feature back after disgruntled TB Jalen Hurd bolted. Kelly averaged 6.4 yards per carry during the 2016 season’s second half.
The Vols’ O-line has evolved from a weakness to a strength. Seven players have logged multiple starts, with senior OG Jashon Robertson the anchor.
But beyond DT Kendal Vickers, questions abound on the defensive front. LB Darrin Kirkland is a force when healthy but a highankle sprain ruined his 2016 season. S Todd Kelly Jr. and S Micah Abernathy return after registering 71 and 69 tackles, respectively.
Dobbs’ poise and production are impossible to replace. He accounted for 87 touchdowns for the Vols, including 39 last season. At SEC Media Days, Jones did not rule out using both redshirt freshman Jarrett Guarantano and junior Quinten Dormady.
Barnett leaves a legacy himself after recording 13 sacks to break Reggie White’s school record, with 33 total. DE Jonathan Kongbo was the nation’s top-rated junior college prospect in 2016 and could fill the void.
The perplexing losses have turned up the heat during Jones’ fifth season. The 49-year-old retooled his his staff, replacing four assistants and promoting two others. Even so, the Vols will have a tough time matching last year’s ninewin season thanks to a tough schedule.