UT football
potential, as long as they realize that he’ll likely go through growing pains.
If Peyton Manning – with his pedigree and elite recruit ranking – came to UT in the era of social media and countless YouTube channels dedicated to overhyping players, he’d be treated the same.
Fans would ask, “Why is Archie Manning’s son being treated like he’s Heath Shuler?”
Why has Gaston Moore stood out in back-to-back spring games?
Moore played the most, attempting more passes (18) than Iamaleava (nine) and freshman Jake Merklinger (seven) combined.
And the competition is skewed because starters are mixed with secondteam and third-team players when Moore is in the lineup.
But give Moore credit. He’s efficient running the offense because he’s spent more time in it than anyone on the team. Remember he transferred from UCF, where he played under Heupel, offensive coordinator Joey Halzle, offensive line coach Glen Elarbee and others.
Spring games are set up for reserve players to shine, and Moore has seized that opportunity.
I came to see Nico Iamaleava and starters. Why did they show us so little of them?
You should’ve read my spring game preview, where I warned fans that Iamaleava wouldn’t play much.
A spring game is a fan event that coaches merely hope to manage without any serious injuries that could affect the season. So the best players play limited snaps, or they’re held out if they have even the smallest injury.
And play-calling is bland because opponents can watch the televised scrimmage.
Should Tennessee add a running back in the transfer portal?
Yes, if the decision were made in a vacuum. But it’s not that simple because NIL costs and team chemistry must be considered.
Desperate teams often overpay for players in the spring portal window. And Dylan Sampson, a dynamic running back, shared carries with Jaylen Wright and Jabari Small last season while waiting patiently for his time to carry the load.
But if UT can avoid those pitfalls, a veteran running back could help.
Sophomore Cam Seldon and freshman Peyton Lewis already were inexperienced. But now they’re out with shoulder injuries, which could affect the Vols early in the season.
DeSean Bishop has not played in a college game, and Khalifa Keith barely has.
Plus, the entire unit must improve in pass protection, an area where a veteran transfer could fill the void.
Offensive line looked terrible. Should I be worried?
Not from what you saw in the spring game.
As many as three starters didn’t play. Center Cooper Mays and right guard Javontez Spraggins were out. Andrej Karic and Jackson Lampley, who are competing at left guard, also didn’t play. And right tackle John Campbell was limited.
But there could be a noticeable dropoff from the first team to the second team. That would be a concern during the season.
Are there concerns about Cooper Mays’ injury status?
No. The focus of spring practice was to find depth at center to avoid repeating the problems of last season.
So redshirt freshman Vysen Lang, freshman William Satterwhile and freshman Max Anderson monopolized the snaps at center while Mays stepped aside and nursed minor injuries.
What are your pros and cons of Nico’s performance?
The lack of pass protection in the spring game wasn’t Iamaleava’s fault. But he took too many sacks in the Citrus Bowl, so his pocket presence should be an area for improvement in the season.
When the offense finally made a first down, Iamaleava ran the up-tempo offense very well to create the best sequence of his day.
Iamaleava connected with tight end Miles Kitselman for a 14-yard pass over the middle.
Then he quickly got the offense to the the line and hit DeSean Bishop for a 28yard pass as the defense struggled to regain its footing.
And then Iamaleava made a nice throw for a 27-yard TD pass to Chas Nimrod. That was the best preview of what coaches think Iamaleava can do.
Is the spring game an accurate indicator for the season?
No, it’s really not. Granted, there are things to glean from individual performances. And the game-like atmosphere adds a level of evaluation. But don’t read too much into how the team performed overall.
There are 15 practices in spring. But only the spring game is open to the public and therefore designed to be vanilla. That means the spring game may be the worst indicator among any onfield workout at this time of the year.
I was impressed by Jake Merklinger. Were you?
It was a good day for Merklinger because he showed his skillset as an accurate passer and capable runner.
But keep in mind that the spring game rules allowed his longest runs to be extended. For example, his 26-yard TD run featured at least three instances when a defender would’ve tackled him if they were allowed to contact a quarterback.
Did spring convince you the Vols could be a playoff team?
I already thought UT should be in the mix for a spot in the College Football Playoff.
The field expands to 12 teams this season, which means an SEC team with a 10-2 record can make it.
It’s plausible that the Vols could go 9-3 or 10-2 if Iamaleava develops quickly and they avoid injuries at key positions.
That’s not to say that I would predict UT as a playoff team. But nothing in spring practice dissuades such a projection.
UT has a lot of depth on the defensive line, exciting pieces at wide receiver and a dynamic young quarterback. That’s a good start.
Adam Sparks is the Tennessee football beat reporter. Email adam.sparks@knoxnews.com . X, formerly known as Twitter @AdamSparks . Support strong local journalism by subscribing at knoxnews.com/subscribe.