2008 Tennessee Volunteers Preview

The swagger is back on Rocky Top. The Tennessee Volunteers carry momentum into the season after winning six of their last seven games, including a 21–17 Outback Bowl victory over Wisconsin. “We’ve got some attitude,” says UT coach Phillip Fulmer, who’s entering his 17th year at the helm and ranks as the dean of SEC coaches. “We never go into a season not expecting to be the SEC champions; at the same time, we’ve got our work cut out for us.”

Two Minute Drill

A Quick Look at the Vols

A staunch defense, solid special teams and exciting young playmakers on offense give Tennessee a chance to return to the SEC title game — even in a division with preseason top 5 teams Florida and Georgia. The Vols have an opportunity to prove their merit right away, opening at UCLA on Sept. 1 before playing host to UAB (Sept. 13) and Florida (Sept. 20) and then traveling to Auburn (Sept. 27). Dave Clawson’s offensive scheme is predicated on playing to his team’s strengths, using motions, shifts and a variety of formations to create favorable matchups. Phillip Fulmer insists on balance, so UT will continue to work to establish the run, having returned a fullback to its base formation after former Vols’ coordinator and current Duke head coach David Cutcliffe had removed the position. While the offense might not be ready to win games with a first-year starter at the helm in QB Jonathan Crompton, Fulmer will ensure it doesn’t lose any games, either, so ball security will be at a premium. The Vols’ defense has the ability not only to stop opponents, but also to create turnovers and instant points. Demetrice Morley and Eric Berry form one of the best safety duos in the nation. The Vols’ cover skills are such that coordinator John Chavis has worked on a number of pressure packages to find new ways to get to opponents’ quarterbacks.

The Vols return eight starters on offense, including the entire offensive line, and seven on defense. The offense’s experience has made for a smooth transition to new coordinator Dave Clawson. Formerly the head coach at Richmond, Clawson looks to build a balanced attack based on West Coast offense principles. Former Richmond assistant Latrell Scott made the move to Knoxville with Clawson to coach receivers, while former Florida running backs coach Stan Drayton has switched SEC schools, and New York Jets staff member Jason Michael (tight ends) has returned to UT where he started as a graduate assistant.

Quarterbacks

Junior Jonathan Crompton has waited three long years for his opportunity to fulfill his dream of being Tennessee’s starting quarterback. The 6'4", 220-pound Crompton has exhibited tremendous arm strength and accuracy, and shows good mobility and escapability. Crompton has proven a quick study in Clawson’s multi-faceted system and is expected to make a quick and healthy recovery from minor arthroscopic elbow surgery performed in the April. A Parade All-American in high school, Crompton’s game experience is limited but impressive. As a freshman, he threw two touchdown passes against LSU and threw for two touchdowns and 174 yards against Arkansas. Sophomore Nick Stephens and redshirt freshman B.J. Coleman are battling for backup duties.

Running backs

Arian Foster returns for his senior year with the Vols with visions of surpassing Travis Henry as the school’s all-time leading rusher. Foster, a 6'1", 215-pounder, runs with a blend of power and speed, using good vision to find the cutback lanes when the corners aren’t open. “Arian brings a level of maturity, physical toughness and confidence to our team,” Fulmer says. “He has been in the wars and battles, and he’s made the tough runs.” Clawson figures to use Foster in a variety of ways. Foster rushed for 1,193 yards last season and needs 685 more to break Henry’s career mark. He also caught 39 passes for 340 yards last season. Junior Montario Hardesty will be back from a stress fracture in his leg suffered in spring drills to compete for carries with Lennon Creer, an electrifying sophomore who averaged 5.9 yards on 36 carries last season. Freshman Tauren Poole is a very powerful freshman back with deceptive speed. The Vols are inserting a fullback into the offense, but senior David Holbert suffered a serious knee injury in the spring, leaving the door open for sophomore Kevin Cooper.

Receivers

A perceived weakness heading into last season can now be considered a team strength. Sophomore Gerald Jones arrived with a big impact at the end of last season to complement the sure-handed Lucas Taylor. Jones turned in one of the biggest TD receptions of the season against Kentucky, making a spectacular grab in the Vols’ 52–50 four-overtime thriller, and has displayed great open-field running ability operating as a hybrid shotgun quarterback. Taylor is a disciplined route-runner with sneaky speed that enabled him to lead the Vols with 1,000 yards on 73 receptions. Junior Austin Rogers (56 catches, 624 yards) proved fearless on crossing patterns, while Josh Briscoe (56-557) showed his ability with 15 catches for 180 yards and two touchdowns in UT’s final two games against LSU and Wisconsin. Junior tight end Jeff Cottam is a big target (6'8", 260) whom the Vols are counting on to return from a broken leg suffered this spring.

Offensive linemen

The strongest and most experienced unit on the offensive side of the ball lines up in the front, with the Vols returning all their starters from a group that allowed a nation-low four sacks. Veteran line coach Greg Adkins says UT has adjusted to Clawson’s system, which uses a “quick” and “strong” side concept that involves the tackles and guards switching sides of the ball depending on the formation. “It simplifies things from the aspect of the number of looks they will see,” Adkins says. Senior Ramon Foster and junior Chris Scott line up as proven tackles who rank among the strongest members of the team. Senior guard Anthony Parker used his athleticism to earn first-team All-SEC honors last season, while fellow guard Jacques McClendon might have the quickest feet up front. Junior center Josh McNeil has shown the toughness and intelligence necessary in the middle.

Defensive linemen

The Vols’ front four has grown from green into salty, led by All-SEC tackle candidate Demonte’ Bolden. The 6'6", 290-pound Bolden should make a name for himself as a disruptive player who can force offenses to adjust. Junior Dan Williams possesses great quickness for a 310-pounder and has proven adept at holding his gap and stuffing the run. Converted linebacker Walter Fisher (6'3", 275) brings athleticism into the middle. Ends Robert Ayers and Wes Brown are quick-strike players coming sharply off the edges. Ayers has overcome myriad injuries to become one of UT’s top playmaking linemen. Brown has a great motor and is seldom caught out of position. Sophomore Ben Martin is a promising talent who brings more speed from outside.

Linebackers

Small in stature, but big on hitting, UT’s linebacking corps is solid at the very least. Junior weak-side backer Rico McCoy (6'1", 215), a fierce hitter, returns from a 106-tackle season having improved in pass coverage. Senior Ellix Wilson (5'10", 225) can play all three of the linebacker spots, but his instinctual abilities lend themselves best to the middle. There’s competition at the strong-side spot, with converted safeties Adam Myers-White (6'2", 215) and Nevin McKenzie battling for the starting job. Myers-White has great knowledge and understanding of the position, but McKenzie is the more athletic of the two.

Defensive backs

The strongest unit on the team is anchored by talented safeties Eric Berry and Demetrice Morley. “I’m not sure we’ve had a pair of safeties like this since I’ve been here,” says defensive coordinator John Chavis, a former Vol player himself who has served as a UT assistant since 1989. “We’ve got a chance to be special.” Defensive backs coach Larry Slade explains why Berry and Morley promise to be such a lethal combination. “These guys are hungry,” Slade says. “I can’t get enough film for them to watch.” Berry emerged as a team leader last season and earned consensus freshman All-America honors. He led SEC freshmen with 86 tackles and picked off five passes that he returned for a school-record 222 yards. Morley, a gifted South Florida product, has re-joined the team after a one-year hiatus, having put his grades and attitude in order. Morley boasts the same sort of athleticism as Berry and has a nose for the ball. UT is deep at the corners, as last season’s injuries led to four different players getting starting experience. Junior Marsalous Johnson and sophomore Brent Vinson are the favorites to start this season, but seniors Antonio Gaines and DeAngelo Willingham are making a push.

Specialists

Kicker Daniel Lincoln returns after a freshman All-America season that saw him score 115 points, second-most ever by a full-time kicker. Lincoln connected on 21-of-27 field goal attempts within 49 yards. Sophomore Chad Cunningham is expected to handle the punting duties through at least the first five games, as senior Britton Colquitt serves a suspension for a violation of team rules. Sophomore Dennis Rogan emerged from unheralded prospect to one of the top return men in the SEC, averaging 9.7 yards on punt returns and 29.5 on kick returns.

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