There are positions that have lost more players, and there are positions with fewer question marks.
But there’s no group on Tennessee’s roster more in need of a fresh start and a clean slate than the defensive backs.
UT’s secondary was assigned much of the blame for the Vols’ woeful defense that ranked 107th nationally in 2012.
But the unit returns several veterans and promising youngster, and the secondary could be one of the most intriguing positions to watch when the Vols open spring practice Saturday morning.
First-year coach Butch Jones, new running backs coach Robert Gillespie, two coordinators and three players will meet with the media today to preview the upcoming practices.
The choice of players could provide a clue to the first question on our list — who will get the first shot at quarterback? Offensive lineman Ja’Wuan James, linebacker A.J. Johnson and junior quarterback Justin Worley will represent the team today.
The Vols will practice Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday on most weeks, taking a week off for spring break beginning on March 22. The spring season finishes with the annual Orange and White Game on April 20.
“We have so much to do in a relatively short
period of time,” Jones said this week in an interview posted on UT’s website. “We’re going to focus on effort, technique, discipline — basically we’re going to focus on playing winning football.”
1. Will Worley or redshirt freshman Nathan Peterman emerge from spring as the favorite to win UT’s quarterback job?
Worley has two years of sporadic, off-the-bench experience while Peterman has yet to take a college snap. That’s reason enough to give the veteran a slight edge as of today. But Peterman will get every chance to win the job, and his athleticism and familiarity with Jones and his offensive system make this race a tough one to call.
2. Can the secondary shake off a miserable season to reach its potential?
Looking at the roster alone, it’s difficult to see how the secondary could have been so bad a year ago. There are eight defensive backs with starting experience, including five who have started at least 10 games. Additionally, sophomores LaDarrell McNeil showed flashes of talent as true freshmen thrown into a difficult situation in 2012. Are there enough athletes to make Tennessee a top SEC defense? Perhaps not. But a repeat of last year seems difficult to fathom.
3. What personnel changes will UT make to accommodate the return to a 4-3 defense.
The brief, failed experiment with the 3-4 defense in 2012 left some players in limbo between linebacker and defensive end, and the spring could provide some clarity on where defensive coordinator John Jancek plans to play them.
Redshirt freshman LaTroy Lewis has already made the move from linebacker to end, and other oversized linebackers could do the same.
4. On the practice fields, how will Jones and his crew differ from Derek Dooley’s staff in coaching style and temperament?
The last few weeks of non-football workouts have convinced players that Jones has a “different side” than the smiling, slogan-quoting visage he shows the public. Jones said both coaches and players will have a different sort of intensity on the football field.
“We’re going to laugh, but when everyone steps on that football field, we flip a switch. It’s on,” Jones said.
5. Which of Tennessee’s young receiver can emerge as a much-needed playmaker?
The loss of Justin Hunter and Cordarrelle Patterson would hurt any team, but the lack of immediate replacements makes Tennessee’s receiver situation more dire.
The most experienced player, Vincent Dallas, has bounced around between receiver and defensive back. Alton “Pig” Howard has only a year of experience under his belt, but he showed big-play ability as a freshman. Beyond that, receivers coach Zach Azzanni will find receivers by trial and error.
The inexperience may be daunting for fans, but it’s great news for the receivers, who have never had a better time to land a starting job.
Evan Woodbery covers Tennessee football. Follow him at www.Twitter.com/TennesseeBeat.
Oregon sends Lady Vols home from…
Scripps Interactive Newspapers Group
Comments » 31
td writes:
All real Tennessee fans need to have patience until September 15 -- the Sunday after the Oregon game. September 14 is the first time we'll have a true metric to measure progress and project expectations. Until then, enjoy the ride. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it!
jack4444 writes:
CBJ knows it's the line of scrimmage.
8inarow writes:
You need to fix the headline, as you have one too many "e"'s in Jones....
volfaninusaf writes:
So we will have another year of playing players just because they have experience or seniority? I thought Jones was different than that and I hope he plays talent - true freshman or not. He did at Cincy.
CroKev writes:
This guy hasn't been offered yet. Can we be the first please?
http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/highsch...
Imagine how great it would be to know that we only have to get to our own 47 yard line to score.
Henley-Street-Bridge writes:
GO VOLS. I'm hoping for Peterman to step up big this spring.. he looks more the prototypical college QB, more like Peyton Manning in his height and weight.. Worley is a good athlete, I kinda wish back to the days of Charlie Fulton and Dewey Warren where either or both would be on the field at the same time. The more good athletes you put on the field at once, the better.
6972 writes:
I am looking for progress but not miracles. That doesn't mean I am content to lose. What sports fan is? But I think it is too much to think CBJ can pull rabbits out of a hat. Let's check out the teams effort, attitude, and progress. All Orange- All the Time.
chipmurphy461 writes:
I don't expect too much this upcoming season or necessarily next season, but I have faith in Butch Jones he's won everywhere he's been. Go Vols!
BlueHarley writes:
Good article refering to Jones and some his recruiting history:
http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootb...
TommyJack writes:
Hey Henley, I'm sure Dewey will be pleased you associated him with being a good athlete. 🏉
hikerdude writes:
The defensive backs were certainly a factor in last year's defensive woes. But the major factor was Sunseri, and he's gone thank goodness. We'll be much better defensively this year just due to his absence.
hikerdude writes:
Good article. Thanks.
OTPVol writes:
“We’re going to focus on effort, technique, discipline — basically we’re going to focus on playing winning football.”
How long has it been since we heard that phrase and halfway believed it? High hopes and best wishes for Coach Jones. GBO!!!!
VolinCalif writes:
Well if you have any faith in Jones at all then you are expecting some pretty big things. And I think that is rightfully so. Jones has coached very well at all stops so why would one expect him to change? I don/t expect anything but improvement to his record. He has more talent than any other time in his career, Fact is he has everything better than any other time in his career and he has played some of the teams he will face this year. I think he has as good a staff as anyone in CBF and all are excited to prove their worth. Lets remember our head coach is only the administrator and the assistants do the position coaching. We will win, Big wins, and the ones we should win 8-4 is very doable. I wouldn't back off to far from a 9-3. We should have been there last year and all know it. Yes our defence was bad on big pays last year but they we number 26 the year before and many are sill here. We are going to be good on the field it is going to be a tram for a change and our players are going to love it. They are going to shuck down some noted teams and players and leave them red faced in the center of the field. Just be there and watch the P-P fly.
Go big orange Fans you're the 12 man so make the team.
Go Vols
antonio14313 writes:
correct me if i'm wrong, but aren't these the same defensive backs from the 2012 season that we had in the 2011 season?? if so, the 2013 defense shouldn't be that hard to fix...
go vols.
t
wilk58 writes:
If your serious. Go Big Orange.
VolinCalif writes:
The 9-3 stuff is shaky of course. but I do expect a 7-5 or 8-4. I really think we are going to be a gold pole getter this year. Why not! we have the talent and we've knocked on the door for three years now. Dooley just couldn't keep it together for four Qtrs Butch has pulled out some tight games and he knows how to count to 11 without getting lose. He also knows how to read a play clock and not let it laps when there are at least two plays left in the basket, and he in in scoring range. No we will win this year.
SevenT writes:
Very likely a 8-9 loss season for the Vols
BIVOLAR_BEARE writes:
Whatever their record will be it will end with a win against tucky..
Navaloranges writes:
Thanks for the piece. Jones HAS won everywhere he's been and the pundits know it. They also know there is a reason for his success. I read another article touting his recruiting three weeks ago, now I can't find it. I'm still looking though. Jones just keeps looking better and better. Of course you'll always see the resident POSERS on here spouting off negatives about CBJ, but the FACT is at this point, there are far more positives than negatives.
Navaloranges writes:
Please look at me, somebody, ANYBODY please pay attention to me, PLEASE...
Little man, you need help as bad as the two juvenile floriduh kids on here. As you obviously have zero friends, you should at least try to quit Trolling long enough to acknowledge your family a little. Your life must suck as bad as your posts. If I ever have to Troll on the site of a team I don't like, I hope somebody goes ahead and puts me out of my own misery. YOU are pathetic.
johnlg00 writes:
As with just about every other program in the country, the players with the most experience will get the first look. How could it be otherwise? A staff has to show they value the guys they already have if they expect to get anything out of them. If they disappoint, then the next guy in line gets the shot. If somebody blows up from out of nowhere, that is only what you hope for. Let's not worry so much about who starts on the first day of spring practice and wait to see who starts in the first game before we judge the staff OR the players.
johnlg00 writes:
Thanks for the link. There is an art to projecting how well a player will develop as a college player and it would seem Jones has had a good deal of practice at it with some success. The fact is that nearly ALL HS players have to develop into serviceable college players, because some of those who excelled in HS developed sooner physically than the guys they were competing with and they had peaked at that level, so they had little room or incentive to improve. However, the mental and emotional demands of playing big-time college are so much greater than in playing HS ball, and the pressure to compete for playing time is too much for some of the "prodigies" to handle.
johnlg00 writes:
Good one! I was thinking more in terms of night and day to describe Warren and Fulton as athletes! Gotta say they had their moments spelling each other, requiring a total shift of gears on the part of the defense. Still, I have always been of the opinion that if you have two QBs, you really have NO QBs. I hope somebody just reaches out and grabs the position and the team by the throat!
johnlg00 writes:
I admire your optimism, but many of us have choked on premature predictions for several years now. I have NO patience for those who INSIST that the Vols won't be better or that Jones is just "Dooley 2.0". I say simply that he is our "next man up" and I wish all the best for him and from him. I'm certainly not going to proclaim him as either a disaster or a savior before he coaches a single game at UT.
BIVOLAR_BEARE writes:
Are you lucid??
senracjr writes:
Very likely you will fall again and hit your head, just like when your Mom dropped you on it when you were a baby.
senracjr writes:
Don't feed banther to the retarded kids Biv. lol
utvolfan1955 writes:
another storyline to keep our eyes on is if the resident troll with his current name of Johnny_Aint_No_Del_Shofner will ever post a message without mentioning Dooley. Good grief what an obsession
Big_House_of_Ice_Gulp writes:
I'll just be looking for fundamentals and sound play. There's too much ground to make up to expect exceptional results in the W-L record. Set a solid foundation with solid play and solid recruits will notice. GBO
johnlg00 writes:
Yep, that's the way I see it, too. It would be nice if they could steal a couple of wins nobody expects, but I will be VERY disappointed if they don't play with a bit more energy and intelligence than they have displayed the last few years.
Share your thoughts
Comments are the sole responsibility of the person posting them. You agree not to post comments that are off topic, defamatory, obscene, abusive, threatening or an invasion of privacy. Violators may be banned. Click here for our full user agreement.