This is my final installment of Tennessee. [Tennessee Offense]

Defensive Line

The defensive line lost some star power from last year in the form of Justin Harrell and Turk McBride. Xavier Mitchell and Robert Ayers should be solid starters at defensive end, but the concern is at the inside positions. Demonte Bolden has the frame but has not shown either the intensity or the technique, at least not a solid combination of the three. J.T. Mapu showed some flashes his freshman year, but has yet to get back into playing shape after missing a few years on a mission trip. Walter Fisher moved inside last year and is a good athlete but again does not have the technique to be an inside player. Victor Thomas and Dan Williams played some in rotation last year and could prove to be dependable this upcoming season. Nothing here that will stand out as being great but overall should be a middle-of-the-road group.

Linebacker

Besides the one-man band at quarterback, this should prove to be the best unit on the field for Tennessee. Ryan Karl, Jerod Mayo, and Rico McCoy combine to give a great combination of speed, strength, and intelligence, (although they don’t all have all three). Mayo is moving to the middle from the outside position with McCoy taking his place at the weakside. Karl is the incumbent strongside backer. Backups Ellix Wilson and Dorian Davis are both solid contributors, especially Davis who proved to have a nose for the football on special teams last year. In fact, all 5 linebackers got game experience last year. Incoming freshman Chris Donald could see some playing time, but most likely it will be in big win situations (if there are any). The current rotation is pretty solid and though Donald was a 5 star recruit he still has to learn the Chavis system and prove he is in shape to play in the SEC. Already being called the best LB group in the SEC, this unit has some big expectations to live up to and should perform well.

Defensive Back

Another mystery group like the wide receivers, although there is one contributor coming back from last year. Jonathon Hefney is an All-SEC performer and will anchor one safety spot. The other safety position and one corner are up for grabs between returnees Antonio Gaines, Jerrod Parrish, Marsalous Johnson and Antonio Wardlow, all of which got glimpses last season. The biggest threats are two newcomers. First, JUCO Nevin McKenzie, whom many say is a hard-hitter the likes of which Tennessee has not seen this century. The other is Rivals #4 overall recruit last year, Eric Berry. McKenzie will be battling for the open safety position while Berry will be expected to earn one of the corner spots. While both are great athletes this still brings up the question of experience. John Chavis’ blitzing defense tends to leave the secondary out to dry. Can two newcomers come in on day one and fend off the speed demons that SEC teams bring to the house day in and day out?

Special Teams

Oh boy. Don’t even get me started on how bad losing James Wilhoit to graduation is going to hurt. Britton Colquitt proved last year that he can continue the family legacy at punter (as long as he doesn’t try any sneaky pass plays). Daniel Lincoln and Chad Cunningham are the two new kickers, and early reports are not good. Lincoln has the power, but no consistency. Cunningham is really an unknown. It’s looking more and more like Colquitt will handle both responsibilities and kickoffs as well. With kickoffs moving back to the 30 the coverage unit needs to focus in more, but the bane of Tennessee special teams is returns. Nobody can decide if they want to block, and that keeps the coaches from putting their best playmakers back there for fear of injuries. With sub-par players comes the risk of fumbles, muffs, and 2 yard returns. I don’t know what the coaches are using for special teams inspiration, but they need to switch it to hookers or something.

Coaching

Phil Fulmer enters his 16^th year as Tennessee’s head coach. His overall record is good, but the 21^st century has not been that great for Phillip. He has endured his first losing season, multiple bowl losses, and has not won an SEC championship this century. Many are wondering how long it should be until new life is injected into the coaching staff. The return of David Cutcliffe was refreshing, but we have yet to see if that equates to a rise back to the top of the SEC East. Entering his second year back with some fresh offensive ideas can’t hurt. John Chavis returns again to run a usually stout defense, but does he have the horses this year? Linebackers have always been Chavis’ strength, now let’s hope that strength can carry the rest of the defense.

Summary

Bold prediction: 8-4. Ainge and Cutcliffe make a great combination, but can the supporting cast hold up? Games at Cal, at Florida, and at Alabama look downright scary. Arkansas comes to town with the best player in the nation in the backfield. Georgia has owned Neyland Stadium lately, and South Carolina won the last time they were here. Hell, even Southern Miss can be a threatening team. I just don’t see the star-studded power of the Tennessee teams of old. The rest of the SEC has caught up and now it’s Tennessee’s turn to try and claw its way back up to the top.