Vols are rebuilding under Pruitt Tennessee coach inherits team with holes at every position except linebacker
Consecutive nine-win seasons and three straight bowls bids gave Tennessee fans hopes coach Butch Jones was the right man for the job in Knoxville.
By the time he was fired on Nov. 12, the Vols had returned to the place Jones found them five seasons earlier when he took over for Derek Dooley.
The loss of quarterback Josh Dobbs and defensive stalwarts Derek Barnett, Jalen Reeves-Maybin and Cam Sutton were too much for Jones to overcome in 2017. Tennessee yielded more than 30 points and scored fewer than 20 points in five of its losses during the first 0-8 finish in conference play in school history.
Enter Jeremy Pruitt, a first-year head coach with success as a defensive coordinator at Florida State, Georgia and Alabama. Pruitt has an impressive track record, but he faces major question marks all over the roster.
Orlando Sentinel college insider Matt Murschel sees a long road ahead for the 44-year-old and lists the Vols No. 88 in his preseason 2018 college football rankings.
Murschel ranked all 129 Football Bowl Subdivision teams in the country. The Sentinel staff takes a closer look at a new team daily, counting backward from No. 129 to our projected No. 1 team.
entering overall) Tennessee
Jeremy Pruitt (0-0, first season, 0-0
4-8 overall, 0-8 in Southeastern Conference; seventh in East Division
The 2017 Vols opened with a dramatic 42-41 double-overtime win against Georgia Tech, followed by a 42-7 rout of Indiana State. But a last-second 26-20 loss a week later on a Hail Mary at UF began Tennessee’s rapid descent and the end of the Butch Jones era.
A 41-0 loss to Georgia on Sept. 30 was the worst shutout loss in Neyland Stadium history. The Vols followed a 15-9 home loss to South Carolina with a 45-7 beatdown at Alabama. A 29-26 loss to Kentucky a week later put Jones on the ropes.
A 50-17 loss Nov. 11 at Missouri delivered the knockout punch and left Tennessee searching for a coach who could re-establish the Vols as SEC East contenders.
4 6
5 RB John Kelly, TE Ethan Wolf, DB Rashann Gaulden, OL Jashon Richardson, DL Kahlil McKenzie, P Trevor Daniel
WR Jauan Jennings, LB Daniel Bituli, S Nigel Warrior, LB Darrel Taylor, OL Marcus Tatum, WR Brandon Johnson
Following a winless season in SEC play, the Vols do not boast many game-changers.
Receiver Jauan Jennings is the only proven one on offense. Following a seventouchdown sophomore season highlighted by a Hail Mary grab to beat Georgia, Jennings suffered a broken wrist during the 2017 season opener and briefly was dismissed from the team in November. The 6-foot-3, 220-pound junior returns to give the Vols one of the SEC’s big-time threats down the field. Jennings and 6-foot-2, 199-pound Marquez Callaway (five TDs and 406 yards on 24 catches) potentially form a physical, playmaking duo.
Sophomore left tackle Trey Smith performed well in difficult circumstances but missed the spring due to an undisclosed injury. Veteran Drew Richmond, a former five-star recruit, and 6-foot-6 junior Marcus Tatum of Ormond Beach have potential but have been largely inconsistent to date.
Pruitt can begin to build his defense around some talented linebackers. Daniel Bituli’s 23-tackle night against Georgia Tech and 97-yard interception return against Alabama highlighted a nice sophomore season. Senior Darrin Kirkland Jr., who has hinted at transferring, has been plagued by knee injuries, but he is a force when healthy. Athletic safety Nigel Warrior, the son of Vols’ legend Dale Carter, had 83 stops in 2017 and anchors the secondary. Senior safety Micah Abernathy and 2016 tackles leader Todd Kelly Jr. also return on the back end.
Much was expected from quarterback Jarrett Guarantano, but he delivered just four touchdown passes and now could lose his job. Stanford graduate transfer Keller Chryst, who was 11-2 as a starter for the Cardinal, looks to thrive under offensive coordinator Ty Helton, who comes from USC.
The loss of do-everything tailback John Kelly leaves the Vols searching for answers in the backfield. Tennessee also needs to replace three starters up front.
The Vols ranked last in the SEC in run defense, allowing 5.43 yards a carry and 215.3 yards a game. Pruitt will look for seniors Shy Tuttle and Alexis Johnson to anchor the interior up front.
Pruitt, a longtime secondary coach, surely welcomes Tennessee’s experience at safety. Cornerback is a different story, where several players, led by sophomore Shawn Shamburger, will vie for playing time.
On the heels of a national championship at Alabama, Pruitt inherits a Tennessee program with holes at every position other than linebacker. The 2017 Vols were last in the SEC in scoring and allowed an average of 34.8 points during SEC games. Tennessee’s schedule will not help. A four-week stretch beginning Sept. 29 features visits to Georgia, Auburn and South Carolina, along with a home date with Alabama.