After an offseason that shifted momentum on the recruiting path, after a hot finish to the 2019 season, things are getting better for Tennessee football under Jeremy Pruitt. The Vols, ranked in a pair of Summer Top 25 rankings, again receive a fortified offensive front with the addition of the Georgia transfer Cade Mays and recover several players in a defense that played the best possible in the final stretch.
What are the expectations for Tennessee as a contender in the SEC This fall? Several anonymous SEC coaches spoke to Lindy’s Sports for their pre-season college football breakthrough and evaluated where the Vols are heading in Pruitt’s third year on the show.
“People forget how bad Tennessee was when Jeremy (Pruitt) came through that door. It was the worst Tennessee team in my life: the first to lose eight games in a season and not win in the SEC,” said one coach. “Jeremy has really done a good job with the talent that was available and put them on the same page, and then recruited every year to improve the roster. Probably the most important thing he has done since he was head coach is hiring (offensive coordinator ) Jim Chaney (away from Georgia) “.
Chaney has a starting starter as a quarterback to lead his offense along with Eric Gray and a lot of talented returnees on the field, but finding a wide exit is the top priority after the departure of Marquez Callaway and Jauan Jennings. Josh Palmer It seems to be that boy.
“His quarterback (Jarrett Guarantano) is talented and a competitor. That’s what comes out when you see it, “said another anonymous coach.” It is very, very competitive and competes at a high level. But he has to be more consistent … I think his offensive line will be quite good. If they get a good game from the quarterback and the running backs, they will be good. “
Pruitt is backed by Tennessee AD Phillip Fulmer, who praised the work he did during the first part of his term. And she has received off-season love from various media as a dark horse contender in the east behind Georgia and Florida, including this month’s snippet from CBS Sports.
Lindy’s Sports’ robust college football preview magazine with tons of recruiting analysis and notes from various 247Sports contributors is on newsstands now or available here.
