(Photo Credit: Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)
Key Players Returning:
WR Jalin Hyatt, WR Velus Jones, OC Cooper Mays, OG Jerome Carvin, OT Darnell Wright, DT Matthew Butler, CB Kenneth George, CB Alontae Taylor, NB Theo Jackson, FS Trevon Flowers, SS Jaylen McCollough, KR Velus Jones, and PT Paxton Brooks.
Key Players Departing:
QB Jarrett Guarantano, RB Ty Chandler, RB/PR Eric Gray, WR Josh Palmer, OC Brandon Kennedy, OG Trey Smith, DE Deandre Johnson, LB Kivon Bennett, LB Quavaris Crouch, LB Henry To’o To’o, CB Bryce Thompson, and PK Brent Cimaglia.
Top 10 Recruits:
4 Star Recruits: CB Brandon Turnage (Alabama transfer), LB Aaron Willis (Colonial Heights, Virginia), ATH Kaemen Marley (Ramseur, North Carolina), QB Kaidon Salter (Cedar Hill, Texas), DL Caleb Tremblay (USC transfer), WR Walker Merrill (Brentwood, Tennessee), and RB Tiyon Evans (Hutchinson, Kansas).
3 Star Recruits: OT William Parker (Nashville, Tennessee), S De’Shawn Rucker (Tallahassee, Florida), and TE Miles Campbell (Douglasville, Georgia).
2020 Results:
G01 at South Carolina W 31-27
G02 MISSOURI W 35-12
G03 at #3 Georgia L 21-44
G04 KENTUCKY L 7-34
G05 #2 ALABAMA L 17-48
G06 at Arkansas L 13-24
G07 at #23 Auburn L 17-30
G08 #6 FLORIDA L 19-31
G09 at Vanderbilt W 42-17
G10 #5 TEXAS A&M L 13-34
Team Info:
2020 Overall: 3-7 (5th in SEC East)
Home: 1-4
Away: 2-3
Neutral: 0-0
SEC: 3-7
Non-SEC: 0-0
Head Coach: Josh Heupel
Tennessee: 0-0
Career: 28-8
Bowls: 1-2
Returning Statistical Leaders:
Passing: Harrison Bailey (48-68, 578 yards, 70.6%, 8.5 avg., 4 TD, 2 INT)
Rushing: Jabari Small (26 car., 117 yards, 6.4 avg., 5 TD)
Receiving: Velus Jones (22 rec., 280 yards, 12.7 avg., 3 TD)
TD’s Scored: Velus Jones (3)
Sacks: Ja’Quain Blakely/Matthew Butler/Roman Harrison (2)
Tackles: Trevon Flowers (62)
Interceptions: Theo Jackson/Alontae Taylor (1)
Pass Deflections: Kenneth George (6)
Tackles For Loss: Tyler Baron/Matthew Butler/Roman Harrison (3)
Forced Fumbles: 4 Tied (1)
Kick Returns: Velus Jones (18 ret., 398 yards, 22.1 avg., 0 TD)
Punt Returns: None
Kicking: Toby Wilson (0-0 fg/fga., 0%, 7-8 xp/xpa., 7 pts.)
Punting: Paxton Brooks (49 punts, 2138 yards, 43.6 avg., 17 in20)
Projected Offensive Starters:
QB: 7 Joe Milton (RS JR/TR)
RB: 8 Tiyon Evans (JR/TR)
WR: 1 Velus Jones (GR/TR)
WR: 4 Cedric Tillman (RS JR)
WR: 11 Jalin Hyatt (SO)
TE: 87 Jacob Warren (RS JR)
LT: 74 K’Rojhn Calbert (RS SR)
LG: 75 Jerome Carvin (SR)
OC: 63 Cooper Mays (SR/TR)
RG: 76 Javontrez Spraggins (SO)
RT: 68 Cade Mays (SR/TR)
KR: 1 Velus Jones (GR/TR)
PK: 40 Chase McGrath (GR/TR)
Projected Defensive Starters:
DE: 48 Ja’Quain Blakely (RS SR)
NT: 51 Elijah Simmons (RS SO)
DT: 94 Matthew Butler (SR)
DE: 9 Tyler Baron (SO)
LB: 10 Juwan Mitchell (SR/TR)
LB: 33 Jeremy Banks (RS JR)
NB: 26 Theo Jackson (SR)
CB: 2 Alontae Taylor (SR)
CB: 4 Warren Burrell (JR)
FS: 1 Trevon Flowers (SR)
SS: 22 Jaylen McCollough (JR)
PR: 26 Theo Jackson (SR)
PT: 37 Paxton Brooks (SR)
Team Grades:
Offense
Quarterbacks: C
Running Backs: C
Wide Receivers: C
Offensive Line: B
Defense
Defensive Line: C
Linebackers: B
Secondary: C
Special Teams
Kick Returners: B
Punt Returners: C
Kickers: C
Punters: B
Schedule:
09/02 BOWLING GREEN FALCONS | Tennessee won (59-30) the only prior meeting between schools in 2015.
09/11 PITTSBURGH PANTHERS | Tennessee trails the series 0-2. The Volunteers lost (3-13) the last meeting between schools in 1983.
09/18 TENNESSEE TECH GOLDEN EAGLES | Tennessee leads the series 6-0. The Volunteers won (55-0) the last meeting between schools in 2016.
09/25 at Florida Gators | Tennessee trails the series 20-30. The Volunteers are 1-9 since 2011, and their last series win (38-28) was in 2016.
10/02 at Missouri Tigers | Tennessee trails the series 4-5. The Volunteers won (35-12) last season’s meeting between schools, and their last series loss (17-50) was in 2018.
10/09 SOUTH CAROLINA GAMECOCKS | Tennessee leads the series 27-10-2. The Volunteers are 5-5 since 2011, and their last series loss (24-27) was in 2018.
10/16 OLE MISS REBELS | Tennessee leads the series 44-20-1. The Volunteers lost (3-34) the last meeting between schools in 2014.
10/23 at Alabama Crimson Tide | Tennessee trails the series 37-58-8. The Volunteers are 0-10 since 2011, and their last series win (16-13) was in 2006.
11/06 at Kentucky Wildcats | Tennessee leads the series 81-26-9. The Volunteers are 7-3 since 2011, and their last series win (17-13) was in 2019.
11/13 GEORGIA BULLDOGS | Tennessee trails the series 23-25-2. The Volunteers are 2-8 since 2011, and their last series win (34-31) was in 2016.
11/20 SOUTH ALABAMA JAGUARS | Tennessee won (31-24) the only prior meeting between schools in 2013.
11/27 VANDERLBILT COMMODORES | Tennessee leads the series 77-33-5. The Volunteers are 5-5 since 2011, and their last series loss (13-38) was in 2018.
Predictions:
Home: 5-3
Away: 0-4
Neutral: 0-0
SEC: 2-6
Non-SEC: 3-1
Overall: 5-7 (6th in SEC East)
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