2014 SEC Football Preview: Tennessee Volunteers
By Dave Bevan
The Tennessee Volunteers are coming into their second season under head coach Butch Jones. Jones has come into a program that is badly beaten through turmoil and betrayal. The Vols have not been a contender for quite sometime now in the conference. It has been since the 2010 season that Tennessee has been bowl eligible. Trust me, Ole Miss fans know all of these turmoil times. The 2010 and 2011 seasons were not the brightest times in Oxford. However, since then, Hugh Freeze had turned the Ole Miss program around.
Tennessee has been trying to do this since the departure of Philip Fulmer in 2008. They were betrayed by Lane Kiffin, who dropped Tennessee for the USC head coaching job. Then there was Derek Dooley, who failed to bring any major success to the program in a three year span. Volunteer fans will be the first to tell you that they deserve to get back to that elite level. In the late ’90s, Tennessee was what Alabama is today. There is no question. They had all of the talent in the world. They were the first program to win a BCS National Championship, in 1998.
Nov 30, 2013; Lexington, KY, USA; Tennessee Volunteers wide receiver Johnathon Johnson (81) celebrates with running back Rajion Neal (20) after he scored a touchdown against the Kentucky Wildcats at Commonwealth Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports
It does look as Butch Jones does have Tennessee heading in the track to get back on top. In 2014, Jones and the Volunteers signed a top-ten recruiting class, coming of a 5-7 record in the previous season. You can’t say that is not a complete turn around there.
We are now going to take you through a quick preview of Tennessee coming into the 2014 season. First, lets look at the Vols schedule.
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Who has left?
Ja’Waun James (OT): James has been a huge talent for the Vols’ offensive line. He went in the 1st round of the NFL Draft as the 19th overall pick to the Miami Dolphins.
Zach Fulton (OL): Like James, Zach Fulton played a huge role in the Vols’ offensive line. He went in the 6th round of the 2014 NFL Draft as the 193rd overall pick by the Kansas City Chiefs. It looks as the Jones will be needing to fill in a lot of depth for the offensive line.
Daniel McCullers (DL): McCullers was third Tennessee Volunteers player selected in the 2014 NFL Draft. McCullers went in the 6th round and was the 215th overall pick to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Riley Ferguson (QB): The Tennessee starting quarterback position has been up for grabs ever since spring practices. At a time, there were four quarterbacks in the mix. Ferguson did not want to keep going with that battle. He left the program back in June, regardless of a lot of hype surrounding him that he would be the selected starting quarterback. The truth is, no one knew.
Who is coming?
Josh Malone (WR): A very talented wide receiver coming out the Vols 2014 recruiting class. Malone is a 4-star prospect and rated the 6th over receiver coming out of high school. He has great route running and ball skills.
Jalen Hurd (RB): He is a borderline 5-star prospect and all round athlete coming out of the Vols 2014 recruiting class. Hurd is projected to be a running back for Tennessee. He has amazing speed and a great ability to break tackles..
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Todd Kelly Jr. (S): Todd Kelly Jr. was rated the 5th overall safety in the nation and 4-star prospect coming into 2014. He has great playmaking ability and amazing ball skills.
Who is returning?
Justin Worley (QB): Justin Worley played in 8 games last season as the Vols quarterback. He threw for 1,239 total passing yards, had 55.6% passing percentage, and threw ten touchdown passes on the year. He is projected to be the Vols starting quarterback in the 2014 season.
Marquez North (WR): North was one of the Vols leading receivers in the 2014 season. Last season, North recorded 38 receptions for 496 receiving yards and one touchdown in his freshman year.
Jordan Williams (DE): Jordan Williams returns as a veteran defensive end for the Vols. He played in nine games in the 2014 season. He recorded 18 total tackles, 1.5 tackles for a loss, and 1.5 sacks.
Tennessee’s 2013 Season Statistics and Standings
Overall Record: 5-7
SEC Record: 2-6
SEC Ranking: 6th in the SEC East
SEC Total Offense Ranking: 12th
SEC Passing Ranking: 13th
SEC Rushing Ranking: 10th
SEC Receiving Ranking: 13th
SEC Returning Ranking: 4th
SEC Total Defense Ranking: 14th