tOfficial '2015 Tennessee Volunteers' Football Thread

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VolQuest.com - Gatewood excited for opportunity

MEMPHIS -- After having the opportunity to play FCS football on scholarship taken away because of a coaching change after Murray State last fall, Memphis University School defensive back Maleik Gatewood decided to be an invited walk-on at the University of Tennessee.

Gatewood will be just one of a handful of first-year walk-ons that will be with the program this summer and go through summer workouts. The 5-foot-9, 180-pound corner decided to choose the Tennessee opportunity over several others and is looking forward to the chance on The Hill.

 

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This person claims to have "connected sources" and claims Pearson is no longer a suspect. I'll wait for a more reliable source before I believe anything.

 

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McKenzie-Tuttle Duo About to Be a Reality for Vols | Rocky Top Insider

After not signing a five-star true defensive tackle straight out of high school in the common era of recruiting services (since about 2002), the Vols landed Kahlil McKenzie, who was ranked as high as the No. 1 overall player in the nation by Scout.com and was a consensus top prospect across the board. It was almost two. Fellow signee Shy Tuttle was ranked as a five-star by some services, but was bumped down to a four shortly before signing day.

Regardless of those technicalities, the McKenzie-Tuttle duo is extremely close to becoming a reality for the Vols on the field. Tuttle got a head start this spring – a time he took full advantage of. McKenzie is now just a few weeks from officially enrolling and joining the team as well.

 

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Early preseason polls have Tennessee Vols in Top 25

ESPN reporter Mark Schlabach released his Way-Too-Early Top 25 this week, and Tennessee clocks in at No. 20.

"The Volunteers have been taking baby steps to relevancy under coach Butch Jones, going 12-13 in his first two seasons," Schlabach wrote. "Now, it's time for Tennessee's recruiting success and potential to start translating into victories."

In The Sporting News' preseason Top 25, Tennessee is ranked No. 22.

"There may not be more hype, more expectation, for another team in the SEC," The Sporting News wrote.

Phil Steele predicts Tennessee will be No. 24 in the first Associated Press Top 25.

"There's excitement brewing in Tennessee as the Volunteers are on the rise," Steele wrote. "They will be picked by some to win their division and for good reason, as after returning only 10 starters in 2014, coach Butch Jones' team has 18 back this season."

 

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SEC Football: Realistic Expectations for Every Team in 2015 | Bleacher Report

It's time to welcome Tennessee back to relevance.

The Vols finished last season 7-6 and made their first bowl game since 2010, and for the most part, all pieces of that puzzle are back.

The defense was downright salty on third down last year (34.21 percent) and returns an experienced secondary led by All-American candidate Cam Sutton and seven of the eight members of the two-deep along the defensive line. What's more, those players in the trenches were joined by stud tackle Shy Tuttle this January, and they will be joined by freshman Kahlil McKenzie this summer.

Offensively, four starters return on the offensive line, running backJalen Hurd was joined by junior college transfer running back AlvinKamara in January, the wide receiving corps is loaded and quarterback Joshua Dobbs has been getting first-team snaps in acamplike setting for the first time in his career this offseason.

The Vols are the most stable program in the division at this point, and anything less than a major push for Atlanta should be considered a major disappointment.

 

[UTVolCountry]

#Vols4TheNatty

 

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#Vols4TheNatty

I like your spirit.

 

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Father Ryan linebacker to walk on at UT

At a Friday ceremony at Father Ryan, Knoll announced he will walk on for the Vols this fall.

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  The 6-foot-3, 210-pound Knoll is a two-star prospect, according to 247Sports.com. He's ranked the 78th best player in the state for the class of 2015.
  
  "He wants to give it a shot so he can play at that level," Father Ryan coach Bruce Lussier said in a phone interview Friday.
  
  During his senior season at Father Ryan, Knoll, who has family in Knoxville, shifted from outside linebacker to inside linebacker.
  
  "I like his smarts," Lussier said. "I think he's a very, very intelligent young man. We could tell from early on in his career. You tell him one time, he's able to execute it. He's very dependable."
  
  Knoll will be the only Father Ryan graduate on Tennessee's team. He joins former Hillsboro defensive end Kyle Phillips and running back Vincent Perry, former Oakland offensive lineman Jack Jones and tight end Kyle Oliver, former Blackman quarterback Jauan Jennings and Beech long snapper Riley Lovingood as the Vols' 2015 recruits from the Midstate.

 

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Tennessee Volunteers among preseason favorites to win SEC - Stats & Info - ESPN

"According to ESPN Insider Phil Steele, Tennessee will return 18 starters (other sites have them with as many as 20), tied with Vanderbilt for the most in the SEC.

The Volunteers return a junior quarterback (Joshua Dobbs), a sophomore running back (Jalen Hurd) and four offensive line starters. Last season, Tennessee entered the year with question marks at all of those positions.

Eighteen returning starters and a top-five recruiting class in each of the past two years have the Volunteers in prime position for the 2015 season. ESPN's Football Power Index projects Tennessee with the third-best chance to win the SEC.

One reason for the lofty projections is that the Volunteers are in the SEC East, so they have an easier path to the SEC championship game than the contenders in the West.

The other reason for the projections is their numbers of returning starters.

Tennessee ranks 14th in preseason FPI (plus-18.8). If the Volunteers returned, say, 12 starters (six offense, six defense), their preseason FPI rank would fall out of the top 25, and if one of those 12 starters was not a quarterback, their FPI ranking would fall out of the top 35."

 

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"Best chance to win SEC, 2015
According to preseason FPI projections"

Georgia 23%
LSU 15%
Tennessee 14%
Alabama 14%

 

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Guess ESPN loves us now.

 

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http://www.foxsports.com/college-fo...ng-depth-this-spring-at-defensive-back-051115

 

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Have Derek Barnett and UT only scratched the surface what's to come up front? | FOX Sports

The conclusion of the 2014 season was a high note for Tennessee, as they dismantled Iowa 45-28 in a game that was never in doubt for the young Volunteers.

The game featured an intriguing matchup of Freshman All-American Derek Barnett at defensive end against consensus All-American, Outland Trophy winner, and eventual number five overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, Brandon Scherff at offensive tackle.

Judging from that game, you wouldn't be able to tell which player was about to conclude his career and jump to the NFL and which had only begun his college journey.

Barnett played so well, The Tennessean questions whether Washington viewed the tape before using their first round selection on Scherff.

From the sounds of it, Barnett has no intentions of taking the offseason lightly either. When asked what his offseason goals would be following the TaxSlayer Bowl victory Barnett said: "Get stronger and get faster."

Tennessee will be adding to the depth up front this season with highly touted prospects Kahlil McKenzie, Shy Tuttle, Andrew Butcher, Kyle Phillips and Darrell Taylor - all of whom were considered either four or five-star prospects coming out of high school.

If Barnett makes good on his offseason goals, one or more of the incoming freshman could be the next Freshman All-American to dominate as the season comes to a close.

 

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Coach Barnes, Jones and Izzo at the Grizzlies game tonight:

 

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Bring it back!

 

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5-star #1 WR in the country according to Scout. If one thing is for sure, it's that Dobbs isn't going to lack weapons.

Preston Williams Scout Spotlight