3 most important UT football offseason topics to monitor

KNOXVILLE – The Tennessee football season ended before the calendar hit December for the second straight year.

That offers the chance for an early start to discussing hot boards and debating recruiting rankings.

Is that as good as a bowl game? Probably not. But it helps pass the time until spring practice.

Here are three early offseason topics to monitor.

Coaching staff changes

Tennessee will have its fourth offensive coordinator in as many seasons after Tyson Helton departed for the head coaching job at Western Kentucky. Helton also coached UT’s quarterbacks.

There are a couple ways Jeremy Pruitt can go about filling the spot. Hiring someone like Alabama quarterbacks coach Dan Enos or Auburn offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey would allow the replacement to slide into the OC/QB role Helton had.

If Pruitt reels in South Carolina offensive coordinator Bryan McClendon, someone Pruitt reportedly eyed last offseason, then McClendon could coach running backs, and current running backs coach Chris Weinke could become quarterbacks coach. Weinke played quarterback in college and coached the position with the NFL’s Rams.

Or Pruitt could promote from within and put offensive line coach Will Friend, formerly the OC at Colorado State, in charge of the offense.

Of course, those are just a few of the names Pruitt could turn to for his next OC.

And it’s possible this might not be the only staff departure Pruitt encounters. Offseason coaching maneuvering is just beginning to heat up.

Early signing day

Getting players signed during the early period that begins Dec. 19 and enrolled for spring practice will help Tennessee generate more offseason competition.

Tennessee is ahead of the game in filling out its class. Twenty players are committed to the Vols. UT’s class ranks 15th nationally and sixth in the SEC in the 247Sports composite. Fivestar offensive tackle Wanya Morris headlines UT’s commitments.

Of course, a lot can change between now and the early signing period. Late commitment flips are all too common.

One aspect to monitor will be how Helton’s departure affects the class. He was the lead recruiter on three-star quarterback commitment Brian Maurer.

Speaking of quarterbacks, four-star 2020 quarterback Harrison Bailey will announce his commitment Thursday. He’s expected to choose between Tennessee and Michigan.

Also, will Tennessee flip any highprofile 2019 prospects in its favor? One to monitor is four-star running back Eric Gray from Lausanne in Memphis. He is committed to Michigan but is considered a candidate to flip, and Tennessee remains in the running.

Another top prize would be five-star offensive tackle Darnell Wright from Huntington, W.Va. UT is in the mix.

Which players will transfer?

Given that the entire coaching staff turned over last offseason, the Vols had surprisingly few transfers. Quarterback Quinten Dormady and defensive lineman Quay Picou were the only players to depart before the season. Running back Trey Coleman left during the season.

Expect a much larger exodus this offseason.

Players who didn’t play much under Pruitt or didn’t mesh with his coaching style could hit the road. Some might be encouraged to do so.

Unofficially, the Vols ended the season with 83 scholarship players. Teams are allowed 85 scholarships.

Eleven scholarship seniors depart. Pruitt surely wants to sign a full 25member class. Do the math on outgoing seniors and incoming freshmen, and it adds up to this: Expect player departures to reach the double digits this offseason.