2011 Tennessee Football Predictions


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The  Tennessee Volunteers got off to a miserable 2-6 start last year, but were able to rebound and win their final four games of the regular season to become bowl eligible at 6-6. They ended up losing 27-30 in the Music City Bowl against North Carolina, but you have to like the way this team came back at the end of the year. While the strong finish will likely have Volunteer fans thinking they have a shot in the SEC East, Tennessee returns just 13 starters and has to play a brutal schedule.

To get a better feel for how good Tennessee will be this season, let’s take a closer look at who they will send to the field on both sides of the ball, plus I will give my prediction on where they will finish the year in the SEC East.

Offense:

The Volunteers started the 2010 season with Matt Simms as the starting quarterback, but after the 2-6 start they turned to freshman Tyler Bray  down the stretch. Bray played exceptionally well in the final five games, and is clearly the starter heading into the 2011 season. I look for Bray to be one of the top quarterbacks in the conference this season, and a big reason why Tennessee could be back on top in the near future.

Tennessee will also bring back senior running back Tauren Poole, who led the team with 1,034 yards and 11 touchdowns. I look for Poole to be an even bigger factor offensively in his final season. The Volunteers have a much stronger offensive line, and teams won’t be able to load up too much on the run with Bray at quarterback.

The challenge for the offense this year will be replacing their three leading receivers from 2010. They lose their top two wide outs in Denarius Moore and Gerald Jones and also lose one of the top tight ends in the country in Luke Stocker. While a lot of talent has been lost, there is some high expectations for this year with Bray at quarterback. Sophomore Justin Hunter had just 16 catches in 2010, but was fourth on the team with 415 yards and second with 7 touchdowns. Sophomore Da’Rick Rogers and true freshman DeAnthony Arnett will likely step in alongside Hunter at wide receiver, while junior Mychal Rivera is expected to take over at tight end.

The offensive line returns four starters from last year, and should be vastly improved this season. Junior Dallas Thomas and sophomore Ja’Wuan James return at the two tackle spots, while sophomore center James Stone and sophomore right guard Zach Fulton are also back. The only change comes at left guard, where yet another sophomore is expected to start in JerQuari Schofield. This unit should be one of the best in the SEC for the next couple years.

Defense:

Tennessee will count on senior defensive tackle Malik Jackson to really step up his game and be one of the top defensive lineman in the SEC this season. Jackson finished sixth on the team with 48 tackles last year and was second with five sacks. Sophomore junior college transfer Maurice Couch is expected to come in and start alongside Jackson on the inside, while sophomores Corey Miller and Jacques Smith take over at the two defensive end spots. While Jackson is the only starter back from last year, this unit should be just as good if not better than the unit from a year ago.

The Volunteers will have to add a couple new starters at linebacker, as the only starter back for this unit is junior weak-side linebacker Herman Lathers. Lathers was second on the team with 76 tackles last year and the hope is he can be even better this season. Seniors Daryl Vereen and Austin Johnson will likely take over the other two starting spots, but must produce to keep their jobs.

The Volunteers really struggled to stop the pass in 2010, allowing opposing quarterbacks to throw for an average of 230 yards a game. The good news is they return all four starters from last year. Junior Marsalis Teague and sophomore Eric Gordon are back at the two starting corner spots, and juniors Prentiss Waggner and Janzen Jackson return at the two safety positions.

SEC Prediction: 4th SEC East – I currently have the Volunteers ranked just behind Florida for the 3rd spot in the SEC East, but I could easily see this team surprising everyone and competing for the division title. The thing that will likely keep Tennessee from winning the East is the fact that they draw three of the best teams out of the SEC West in Alabama, LSU, and Arkansas. They do get my top two teams in the East (South Carolina, Florida) at home, but I believe they are still a season away from seriously competing with the best in this conference. Tennessee has just one senior expected to start on offense and only three on defense.

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