Tennessee Offensive Preview by one jaded ass

A new season of Tennessee Football is upon us, and if it’s anything like the last 7 or 8 years that isn’t necessarily a great thing. Mediocrity has abounded in Knoxville for a while now. The horrors of 2005 still live with many (and by many I mean all) of us, and while 2006 was a step in the right direction there is still a lot of work to be done before Tennessee can again be considered one of the “elite” teams in the SEC. With a top-10 ranked incoming freshman class and some returning veterans at key positions, there is some optimism for 2007, but nobody should be jumping up and down – there are many gaps to fill and we may not have the right guys to do it. Let’s take a look at what we can expect for the upcoming 2007 football season. [Tomorrow, a defensive preview]

Quarterback

            There should be nothing to worry about here unless Erik Ainge gets hurt. Erik proved in 2006 that he does have his head screwed on straight after all and can be the leader of this team, and many are calling him the best QB in the SEC this year. If he can fully recover from his knee surgery he could very well be on some Heisman charts through the year. Behind him is where the questions come in. Former Parade All-American Jonathon Crompton seems to have all the tools, but has looked average at best in his 2 starts against SEC competition. Texas gunslinger Nick Stephens is an unknown at this point, as is incoming freshman BJ Coleman. The talent is there, but can talent win without experience in the defensive-oriented SEC? Let’s hope Ainge doesn’t get anything more than a zit, cause otherwise Tennessee could be in real trouble.

Running back

            Who is going to take over here? After an abysmal collective season last year (The lowest rushing average at Tennessee in over 20 years), the running back position needs a desperate re-vitalization. Arian Foster, LaMarcus Coker, and Montario Hardesty have all at different points shown the spark, but none can either a) Stay healthy, b) Stay out of trouble with The Big Man, or c) Consistently be the every-down back. Most will blame the blocking of the O-line, and I wouldn’t be disinclined to agree, but the other factor is the complete display of futility at the fullback position. David Holbert will win the position, but that doesn’t mean he’ll see the field anytime soon. Coordinator David Cutcliffe has pretty much said that the fullbacks are worthless and he will utilize more singleback and multiple wide-out sets to compensate. So much for Tennessee Power Football.

Wide Receiver and Tight End

            This is the position that could make or break this season. The top 3 leading receivers are all gone, and the 6 that are left are very unproven (only 45 receptions between them in 2006). Tight ends Chris Brown and Brad Cottam proved solid last year for a Tennessee team that has been notorious for not using tight ends as receivers since the Jason Witten days and should continue to be solid contributers, since Cutcliffe has said he wants to use the tight end more in his offense. Tennessee has some highly-touted newcomers this year, including former Florida State speedster Kenny O’Neal and prep star Brent Vinson. The question is, how quickly can they get on the same page as the rest of the offense? With the running game in the state that it is in, the answer had better be “soon”.

Offensive Line

            This is without a doubt the primary reason for Tennessee’s downfall over the years. The offensive line talent has not been anywhere near where it was in the late 90s. Lack of athletes, lack of effort, and lack of attitude have doomed this unit. Again, having gone through the lowest rushing average in years last season, plus losing the best lineman from last year to the NFL, you have to wonder where the beef is. Josh McNeil is a shining spot at center, where he was named the starter midway through last season. He is young but has the attitude necessary to play at the college level. Eric Young and Chris Scott are projected to be the starters at tackle, and the two guard positions are up in the air between Jacques McClendon, Ramon Foster, and Anthony Parker. Young, Foster and Parker were starters at various points through the year, and while none really stood out none were truly horrible either. McClendon is the hot name right now and may see some playing time. Bottom line is: Somebody needs to light a fire under the o-line’s collective ass and get some guys to start playing nasty. This unit was good in pass blocking but never got a great push in the run game. That may carry the team against Southern Miss, but it won’t against Cal and it sure as hell won’t against Florida or Georgia.