INSIDE SLANT
From sparring with his future Southeastern Conference opponents to hiring a much-ballyhooed coaching staff to scoring some big victories in recruiting, new Volunteers coach Lane Kiffin has stirred the pot since being hired in December.
Tennessee fans have bought into Phillip Fulmer's replacement, enjoying his verbal shots at the likes of Urban Meyer, Mark Richt, Nick Saban and Steve Spurrier. If nothing else, Kiffin has certainly created a fresh new buzz around a program that was more stale than a week-old bottle of soda.
But talk, a high-priced set of assistants that includes one of the NFL's great defensive coordinators of the last 20 years -- Lane's father, Monte -- and a top 10 recruiting class won't mean beans unless the Vols get better quarterback play in the fall.
And barring a meteoric rise up the depth chart in preseason by former minor league baseball player Mike Rozier, who committed to UT in mid-April, it's likely that the raw B.J. Coleman or the mediocre Jonathan Crompton will take the team's first snap on Sept. 5.
While even the most ardent Vols fan might have a hard time getting fired up about that prospect, offensive coordinator Jim Chaney prefers a "glass half-full" approach when discussing his quarterbacks.
"We're pleased with their development and how they're meeting our expectations and competing on the football field," he said. "They're hungry to be the starting quarterback."
Coleman took some serious strides in that regard in the spring game on April 18, hitting 13 of 22 passes for 160 yards and two scores. Crompton was a pedestrian 14 of 27 for 143 yards, although his accuracy was much improved for most of the spring.
With a good stable of running backs, three returning starters in the offensive line and a solid defense returning, quarterback play is the major obstacle between UT and a return to at least respectability.
NOTES, QUOTES
--TE Brandon Warren was stripped of his No. 1 spot by coach Lane Kiffin during the spring because he wasn't performing to expectations on or off the field. Perhaps motivated by that ploy, Warren was outstanding in the spring game on April 18 with four catches for 50 yards and two touchdowns.
--PK Daniel Lincoln, whose clutch kicks as a freshman helped win key SEC games against South Carolina and Vanderbilt, will have to perform well in preseason to keep his job. Lincoln was very inconsistent in the spring -- much like 2008 -- and missed a 30-yard field goal in the April 18 spring game.
SPRING MOVERS:
DT Montori Hughes -- All but unblockable most of the spring, Hughes may have won himself a starting job alongside Dan Williams in the fall. Hughes was a lightly regarded recruit coming out of high school but took advantage of an opportunity under a new coaching staff. If he can play as well when the games start, Tennessee should be a tough team on which to run.
WR Quintin Hancock -- Voted the team's most improved player on offense in the spring, Hancock may have benefited the most of any holdover from the coaching change. Hancock caught eight passes for 96 yards in the April 18 spring game and might even earn a starting spot for the Sept. 5 season opener.
DE Chris Walker -- Needing a replacement for graduated Robert Ayers, the Volunteers might have found him in Walker, who has the kind of edge speed to get to the quarterback. Walker was as unblockable as Hughes for much of spring drills and appears likely to start in September.
QB B.J. Coleman -- Coaches have raved about his work ethic since he arrived on campus in 2007 and now they're praising his play. After excellent work in the spring, capped by 160 yards and two touchdown passes in the spring game, Coleman now appears to be on even ground with incumbent Jonathan Crompton for the No. 1 spot entering August drills.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "Absolutely I do ... 100 percent. I feel like I have the respect of the offense and the defense." -- QB B.J. Coleman, when asked if he feels he can win the starting job for the Sept. 5 season opener against Western Kentucky.
STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL
2009 OUTLOOK: Barring some unexpected brilliance at the quarterback position, coach Lane Kiffin's first year at Tennessee will likely be one of modest improvements, with seven wins a realistic goal.
The Vols will play good defense and should be a better running team with expected improvements in the offensive line, but QB play will keep their fans awake at nights. If UT can return to a minor bowl game this season, then enjoy another banner recruiting year, it might become a realistic threat to win the East Division title by 2010 or 2011.
SCOUTING THE OFFENSE: It can't be any worse than last year, when bad QB play and poor work by the offensive line made this unit a joke. Simplified blocking schemes will help an experienced O-line rebound and a deep corps of running backs will enable the Vols to run the ball much more consistently. But unless someone significantly improves their standard of play at QB, UT will have a hard time scoring a lot of points against good SEC defenses.
SCOUTING THE DEFENSE: The foundation is SS Eric Berry, who might be pound-for-pound the best player in the SEC -- including Tim Tebow. Having Monte Kiffin as your defensive coordinator won't hurt, either. Up front, DT Dan Williams is a load for any center or guard to block and LB Rico McCoy can be one of the SEC's best. But opponents could exploit slow-footed MLB Nick Reveiz, no matter how good Kiffin's schemes are in hiding his weakness.
SCOUTING THE SPECIAL TEAMS: There are good return men up and down the roster, which might come in handy since it's unrealistic to expect much from the offense. Less certain is what this team will get out of PK Daniel Lincoln, who slumped badly as a sophomore, and P Chad Cunningham, who was inconsistent during last year's first five games. The Vols will have to be on point in this facet of the game against better foes to have a chance.
ROSTER REPORT:
--RB Lennon Creer waved goodbye to the program during spring practice after being stripped of his No. 3 for poor performance on and off the field. Creer was the team's fastest back last year but couldn't consistently get on the field.
--FS Demetrice Morley ran afoul of his second coaching staff at Tennessee and was dismissed in April. Morley sat out the 2007 season for poor academic performance and came back in 2008, but simply couldn't stay on the straight and narrow.
--SS Eric Berry sat out the spring game to rest his shoulder. But Vols fans shouldn't worry about Berry in the fall, as he's expected to be at full strength to anchor what should be one of the SEC's best defenses.
Previous Report: 03/26/2009
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