2013 football preview

Football Preview

Fall 2013

Brick-by-Brick The beginning of the Jones era David Cobb

Sports Editor

In front of a camera, Butch Jones is cool and consistent, rarely deviating from a broad but straightforward message; finding success is a “process.”

“We have to be a better football team and a better football program minute by minute, hour by hour, day to day, month by month,” Jones said while on his biggest stage yet at SEC Media Days in July.

The first-year UT coach has been on the job nearly nine months, time which has featured relentless recruiting efforts and a few dozen practices. But those months have now given way to the fall, and it brings a 2013 schedule that features five of the Associated Press top 10.

So even though he is patenting big picture slogans like “brick by brick” and “rise to the top” to the outside world, it only takes a few minutes of observing practice to realize how seriously Jones takes the present. If the Vols are to correct a 5-7 record from 2012, urgency is a necessity.

“On the bounce,” Jones yells hoarsely between every drill at practice as players sprint to new locations on the field.

“Tennessee football don’t walk,” he likes to say over a loudspeaker that reverberates to the streets surrounding the UT football practice complex.

At one particular morning workout in the heart of fall camp, Jones issued more than just a physical challenge to the 117th installment of Tennessee football.

“Too many losing habits around here,” he yelled before challenging the “psychological disposition” of the Vols as they struggled to correctly execute a punt protection scheme.

Even down to special teams intricacies, Jones is detail-oriented while still maintaining a big picture mentality that, among other things, has included an open door policy with former players, outreaches to past coaches and the introduction of a “Smokey Gray” uniform.

And somewhere in between he has won the affections of UT’s team leaders that have persevered through one of the most adverse times in Tennessee football history.

“He comes in the room and puts a smile on your face, I guarantee it,” senior defensive end Jacques Smith said at SEC Media Days. “Yet he’s genuine in everything he does.”

Jones coached Cincinnati the past three seasons, leading his teams to a 23-14 record and a pair of Big East championships over the span.

He was on the visitors sideline for UT’s 45-23 win over the Bearcats in 2011.

His resume does not feature any Super Bowl championships like that of Jon Gruden – the coach UT fans longed for after Derek Dooley was fired – but Smith clarified that it is not necessarily Jones’ accomplishments that have players and recruits buying into his sales pitches.

“It’s not because he’s Butch Jones,” Smith said. “We beat Cincinnati. It’s because he’s really trying to get into the lives of these players and let them know that Tennessee is (one of the most storied) programs in college football history. Not only that, but we’re going to rise to the top, rise to the occasion, and be a team that wins in November.”

In recruiting rankings for the class of 2014, UT has already risen to the top, assembling a group of 24 verbal commitments that is ranked No. 2 in the nation by Rivals.com.

Senior offensive lineman Ja’Wuan James has more than just a hunch regarding what has helped Jones experience success in recruiting.

“Just the way he attacks it, the way he approaches recruiting, everything he does is high energy, high everything and I think that’s attractive to these kids nowadays,” James said. “I think that’s attractive to us too...

“Coach Jones is the type of person that in seven months has us ready to run through a brick wall for him. He’s that type of guy.”

Junior left tackle Antonio “Tiny” Richardson – a brick wall in his own right on the football field – also offered a window into the relationship he has cultivated with Jones.

“He’s so personable,” Richardson said. “He’s always texting my phone, calling my phone. I’ve never had a coach that texted my phone.

When he texts my phone I’ll be like ‘hold on, am I in trouble?’ But he’s really genuinely texting me and calling me to see how I’m doing.

“And when you have a coach like that, you can’t help but want to run through a brick wall for him.”

Saturday’s season opener against Austin Peay will mark Jones’ first Vol Walk and first trip through the “T,” but it won’t mark the beginning of his understanding of UT tradition.

He has been peddling that brick by brick for the past nine months.

“You’re talking about one of the most storied programs in all of college football, and if I’m a young man to be able to say ‘I helped build Tennessee back to the elite in college football,’ that’s something that’ll live with you forever,” Jones said.

“That’s something that we’re selling. And obviously, I believe we’re a commodity that people want to be in.”

Curt Maggitt ‘brings the whole package’

Staff weighs in with season predictions

Social media’s growth inpacts college game

>>See page 2

>>See page 6

>>See page 7

2B • THE DAILY BEACON

Friday, August 30, 2013 Sports Editor David Cobb

FOOTBALL PREVIEW

Back to basics Vols defensive unit gaining comfort in renewed scheme Steven Cook

Copy Editor The stats don’t lie — Tennessee’s defense was horrendous a year ago.

The Vols finished 107th in the FBS in points against per game (35.7) and dead last in the Southeastern Conference.

They also gave up 50 more yards per game than any other SEC school.

That same unit is returning most of its starters from 2012.

So, why should 2013 be any different?

According to Vols coaches and players, it is the scheme.

After running the 3-4 up front last season under then-defensive coordinator Sal Sunseri, they are moving back to the more traditional, familiar 4-3 scheme.

New head coach Butch Jones immediately announced the switch upon his arrival in December 2012, and leaders like senior defensive end Jacques Smith have embraced the move back.

“We are all experienced in this system,” Smith said. “After all, we were 27th in the country the last time we played the 4-3 defense.”

Smith is referring to 2011, when a lackluster offense was more to blame for the Vols’ 5-7 finish than a defense that only allowed 22.6 points per contest. Those Vols gave up a combined 34 points to division rivals South Carolina and Georgia, as compared to 89 in those two contests last season.

After losing Tyler Bray, Justin Hunter, Cordarrelle Patterson and Mychal Rivera to the NFL this past offseason, a defensive effort similar to 2011 may be needed for the Vols to qualify for a bowl.

Perhaps the biggest cog in that defense will be defensive tackle Daniel McCullers. The 6-foot-8, 351-pound menace was the centerpiece of the Vols’ 3-4 last season, which excited fans but ultimately diminished his overall impact.

“With a 3-4 defense, I had to take on blockers for the linebackers and in the 4-3, we have a lot more opportunity to make plays,” McCullers said. “The 4-3 is more of a pass rush and making more plays and getting penetration.

“As a D-line, we have a lot of good players who can run the 4-3, so we’re going to continue

to work.”

McCullers finished with a productive 39 tackles and 5.5 for loss in 2012, but he struggled to be an every-down player. But he said so far, so good as far as his fitness goes in 2013.

“Training-wise, we’ve been grinding since the summer and I’ve been shedding the weight down,” McCullers said. “My body has changed, and I’ve gotten in better shape to where I can go a lot more plays without getting winded. We’re going to keep working.”

The linebacking crew boasts an unfamiliar feeling of experience this year. Juniors A.J. Johnson and Curt Maggitt have started since they were true freshman, and senior Dontavis Sapp has finally settled into a starting spot after tussling for playing time in recent seasons.

Sapp was not shy about bragging on his teammate Johnson, who led the SEC in tackles a season ago.

“A.J. is an All-American, AllSEC preseason, but he comes like he’s still fighting for a starting spot,” Sapp said.

With Maggitt still working his way back from a torn ACL he suffered against Missouri late last season, Brent Brewer has asserted himself in the third and final spot for the season opener against Austin Peay.

After switching from safety, a reasonable concern remains if Brewer has the physicality to move up to situations like covering the run and rushing the passer. But Sapp was quick to oust that belief.

“Brent’s as strong as an ox,” Sapp said. “He’s old, but he’s still strong. He’ll come down and hit you. If he doesn’t do anything else, he’s going to hit you.

“He’s adjusted well, probably better than most would think from moving from a safety. He’s actually come on pretty fast.”

The Vols’ defensive end spot will be thin early on as Smith and impact freshman Corey Vereen will miss time with training-camp injuries. But McCullers is not worried about the pass rushers to his side.

“We aren’t really too much focused on (the injuries) because we have guys who can step up,” McCullers said.

“They’re going to have to work harder and learn the system and we’ll take them under our wings.”

dcobb3@utk.edu

Assistant Sports Editor Troy Provost-Heron tprovost@utk.edu

Too Maggitt to quit Vols linebacker poised for leadership role after ACL injury David Cobb

Sports Editor Some guys think they’re leaders, they yell and scream with the intention of firing up the team, according UT linebackers coach Tommy Thigpen.

Then there is Curt Maggitt.

“I think that Curt has a sense of when to yell, when to scream, who to yell at,” Thigpen said. “His timing is really perfect with players.”

Maggitt is rehabbing a torn anterior cruciate ligament that he suffered in UT’s November loss against Missouri, and he might not be physically ready to play against Austin Peay; however, it hasn’t stopped the junior linebacker

from standing out to a coaching staff that is yet to meet his healthy version.

“You see him out at practice, and he’s probably the most positive guy out on the field,” Thigpen said. “And I’ll tell you, he’s a tremendous kid with a lot of character and a lot of great traits.”

As a true freshman, Maggitt manifested those traits on the field, recording 56 tackles in eight starts.

He earned SEC Freshman of the Week honors on Nov. 20, 2011 after notching 2.5 tackles for loss in UT’s 27-21 win over Vanderbilt.

But an expectation-filled 2012 season brought a nagging turf toe injury which slowed Maggitt before the ACL tear knocked him out of the season for good.

“I wouldn’t say it’s bad luck,” Maggitt

told reporters at UT’s media day on Aug. 15. “After my ACL I look back and I look at it as things happen for a reason.

I don’t feel like I have bad luck. I enjoy playing football…it comes with football.

You get injured some.”

Maggitt wore a green no-contact jersey during fall camp and kept a brace on his knee the majority of the time.

His participation in full speed drills was minimal, but his presence was still undeniable, according to coaches.

“When he’s not doing anything, he’s over there coaching young guys and not only linebackers, but the secondary and making sure guys are focused and staying into the game,” Thigpen said.

See MAGGITT on Page 4

Donald Page • Tennessee Athletics

Freshman wide receiver Marquez North catches a pass during training camp at Haslam Field on Aug. 12. North is listed as a starter on the team’s initial depth chart for its season opening matchup with Austin Peay on Saturday.

Freshmen contributors aplenty for new-look Vols Dargan Southard Copy Editor

Since Butch Jones’ hiring in December, twelve football players walked across the stage as graduating seniors; 10 of whom saw substantial action in 2012.

Another four declared early for the NFL draft, while five more significant contributors are no longer with the program.

Tack on a bevy of offseason injuries and it goes without saying that the Volunteers’ first-year head coach has quite a challenge ahead of him in his inaugural season at Tennessee.

While some of those holes have been filled internally, an abundance of true and redshirt freshmen have been asked to make a direct impact on the field, something Jones has been extremely adamant about since his arrival. “(The freshmen) have no

choice. They’re playing,” Jones said earlier this month.

Jones added “anywhere between 13 to 16 freshmen” would see the field in 2013, a number most coaching staffs would like to see considerably lower. However, the UT assistants feel this specific group of newcomers have progressed well through fall camp and are ready to immediately step into prominent roles. “(The freshmen) are going to be challenged -- we all know that -- right off the get-go,” defensive backs coach Willie Martinez said. “But if you’re a player, you’ll thrive in the moment, and the young guys that have been playing for us through camp have done a nice job.”

“The freshmen being able to get so many snaps and learn the offense quickly, that’s been positive,” wide receivers coach Zach Azzanni said. “All this experi-

ence is going to be huge.”

Of all the first year players, cornerback Cameron Sutton will have the best opportunity to remain a full-time contributor as the Jonesboro, Ga., native is slated to start the season opener Saturday against Austin Peay.

“We’re real pleased with the way (Sutton’s) progressed,” defensive coordinator John Jancek said. “As a freshman he still makes freshman mistakes, but he doesn’t get rattled. He’s really responded in the right way.” “(It’s impressive) how consistently he is at staying calm,” Martinez said of Sutton. “When things don’t go right, he keeps plugging away. (He’s) a lot more mature than a normal freshman.”

If Sutton struggles, however, an extensive group of rookies will be anxiously awaiting to take over, highlighted by freshmen corners Malik Foreman and Devaun Swafford.

“Malik and Devaun are getting the same amount of reps that Cam is getting,” Martinez said.

While new faces will be abundant in the UT defensive backfield throughout 2013, the most highly anticipated career debuts will undoubtedly occur on the other side of the ball, particularly at wide receiver. The Volunteers lost over 77 percent of their receiving yards and touchdowns from a year ago, so naturally, much will be asked of the six freshmen receivers on the current roster.

“What we talked about in our press conference at the beginning of training camp is that (wide receiver) is one of those positions that true freshmen are going to have to play,” Jones said. “Each of the freshman are developing at their own speed and their own pace, and we’ve tried to really accelerate that

process.

“When it’s all said and done, they’re all going to have to play.”

Four-star prospect Marquez North has seemingly pulled away from the rest of the pack, garnering a handful of first-team reps during the course of fall camp.

At 6-4, 215 pounds, North’s size gives him the potential to be a vital part of the Volunteer passing attack.

“I’ve challenged him. He’s a big receiver. He needs to play like a big receiver,” Azzanni said of North. “He’s a very coachable young man. He’s a very prideful young man, and that’s why he’s going to be a good player here.”

Local talent Josh Smith and Atlanta-area native Jason Croom appear to be just a shade behind North but have positioned themselves to see the field quite often.

“I want to build competition all year,” Azzanni said. “I want to build competition every week in practice and one-on-ones.”

Although wsome form of hierarchy has begun to develop, Azzanni said the pecking order could drastically change at any point during the season.

“We’re so young and inexperienced. (The evaluation process) will be day-to-day. It really will,” Azzanni said. “If you have a good practice on Tuesday -- you come out and you bust your tail -- you might jump somebody.

“There’s nobody that’s said ‘this is my spot’ yet, and that’s just what it is.”

In addition to wide receiver, the quarterback position could possibly see freshmen contributions as the season progresses.

Although Jones named junior Justin Worley his starter on Monday, redshirt freshman Nathan Peterman as well as firstyear hopefuls Riley Ferguson and Joshua Dobbs are waiting in the wings should Worley undergo early-season struggles.

Friday, August 30, 2013

FOOTBALL PREVIEW

THE DAILY BEACON • 3B Sports Editor David Cobb

dcobb3@utk.edu

Assistant Sports Editor Troy Provost-Heron tprovost@utk.edu

4B • THE DAILY BEACON

Friday, August 30, 2013 Sports Editor David Cobb

FOOTBALL PREVIEW MAGGITT continued from Page 2 The West Palm Beach, Fla., native also took on the role as UT’s runway model during the unveiling of the team’s new “Smokey Gray” uniform.

It was the decision of head coach Butch Jones to have Maggitt don the uniform, both in front of the media, and his teammates when they were first introduced to it.

“I guess Coach Jones just

likes me,” Maggitt said.

Jones indicated that on Tuesday when he praised the leadership of Maggitt, a trait he wishes more UT players displayed with consistency.

“We’re missing Curt Maggitt right now, and you can see it,” Jones said Tuesday. “He’s our true leader. He’s the one person that brings the full package: extremely competitive, leadership and a great skill set at linebacker. We’re missing him right now.”

Thigpen suffered a torn

ACL during his playing days and described returning from the injury as “like learning to walk again,” in addition to the mental blocks that are present with reengaging in full contact football.

Maggitt explained that recovering is a “process” while praising his relationship with UT’s director of sports medicine Jason McVeigh, a man he has become familiar with in his time as a Vol. Regardless of if he’s on the field against Austin Peay to yell

dcobb3@utk.edu

Assistant Sports Editor Troy Provost-Heron tprovost@utk.edu

and scream – like those select few who believe they’re leaders might do – Maggitt is imparting a message to his teammates every day through his rehab efforts.

“The thing that keeps me so interested in the game is that I love football and I’m passionate about it and I don’t take for granted being out there,” Maggitt said. “So I want the guys to understand never to take it for granted because you never know when will be your last down.”

Worley ‘honored’ to be named starting QB David Cobb

Sports Editor Butch Jones requires his quarterback to be an “alpha male” and a leader of the team when adversity arises.

“That’s part of the job description of being quarterback,” the first-year UT coach said Aug. 26 at the season’s first weekly press conference inside Neyland Stadium.

At least for the beginning of the 2013 season, UT’s alpha male will be Justin Worley.

The junior from Rock Hill, S.C., learned in a meeting with Jones and offensive coordinator Mike Bajakian on Sunday night that – for the time being – he beat out fellow quarterbacks Nathan Peterman, Riley Ferguson and Joshua Dobbs for the right to start against Austin Peay.

“I guess just knowing officially that I am the starter, there is a sense of relief,” Worley said Monday. “It’s an

honor and privilege to play quarterback here.”

Peterman, a redshirt freshman, is listed second on the depth chart, and Jones said his staff has yet to decide who would be UT’s third quarterback if the Vols needed one.

All four quarterbacks practiced with the starters at times during fall camp, but Worley – the only one with game experience – took most of the first-team reps.

Jones did not rule out the possibility of playing Peterman on Saturday, but he and Bajakian encouraged Worley to take the reigns with confidence heading into his first season as a full-time starter.

“Take control of this team,” Jones told Worley when they met on Sunday. “It’s your team and take the opportunity and run with it.”

Competition at all positions will remain open, but Jones is hopeful that it motivates Worley more than it stresses him.

“That’s on him,” Jones said. “Any great competitor, you don’t ever look back behind you. You keep looking forward and continue to progress and get better, and Justin is extremely competitive.

“We don’t ever want to create a scenario where they’re always looking behind them.

But that’s the world we live in. That’s football.”

When Tyler Bray injured his thumb in 2011, Worley started three games, throwing for 604 yards over a trio of contests that included a win against Middle Tennessee and losses to Arkansas and South Carolina.

The first action of his career came against No. 2 Alabama when he unexpectedly had his redshirt removed and was inserted into the game late in the fourth quarter with his team backed up in its own territory.

“I was a little shocked that they were going to put me in, especially in that situation,” Worley recalled. “When

I walked out there, I thought `I haven’t played football against anyone other than my own team in a year.’ It was a good feeling to be out there.”

Since that baptism by fire, nearly two years have passed and Worley sees two areas where he’s improved as a quarterback.

“My leadership is the main thing,” Worley said, “and also understanding of game situations and the offense as a whole” As the favorite to win the starting job during fall practice, he acknowledged playing with a cautious mentality – being careful not to force any difficult throws or jeopardize his standing with the coaches. That is a mindset that Jones and Bajakian hope Worley strays from as the season progresses.

“They told me ‘don’t worry about making that mistake,” Worley said. “‘Go out, play your hardest and perform as well as you can.’”

Donald Page • Tennessee Athletics

Quarterback Justin Worley looks for a receiver in the rain during Tennessee’s open practice at Neyland Stadium on Aug. 17. Worley was named UT’s starting quarterback on Aug. 26 for the team’s season opening game against Austin Peay.

• File Photo

Junior linebacker Curt Maggitt rushes the quarterback against Troy in UT’s win on Nov. 3, 2012. Maggit has been rehabbing a torn ACL during the offseason.

Unproven tight ends developing consistency Troy Provost-Heron

Assistant Sports Editor With so much emphasis on who will be catching passes for the Vols this season at the wide receiver position, it is easy to overlook the other position that will be catching balls from Justin Worley on Saturday against Austin Peay.

The tight end position is a busy position in the system of UT coach Butch Jones and his offensive coordinator Mike Bajakian. In their three years at the University of Cincinnati, the tight ends caught a combined 82 passes and scored 12 touchdowns.

In 2012, the Bearcats starting tight end Travis Kelce was the team’s leading receiver in all three major receiving categories. He reeled in 45 catches for 722 yards and eight scores. To put that in perspective, statistically, that’s a better season then former Vols, and current NFL tight ends, Luke Stocker and Mychal Rivera ever had in their careers.

The position is just as important to the run as it is the pass and it contributed to three 1000 yard rushers in Jones’ tenure at Cincinnati, a feat the Vols were only able to accomplish once in the same period of time.

“We have challenged them, and they have not blinked,” Jones said about the tight ends on Aug. 14. “They keep coming back, but again, to play winning football, we need that position to do well for us. Again, it’s a standard, it’s an expectation of the way we’re going to play football and we’re not going to compromise. We’re going to keep demanding.”

It’s safe to say that whoever lines up at tight end will have an integral part in the offense, but who exactly will Coach Jones trust to handle such an important role in the offense?

The depth chart released on Monday lists junior Brendan Downs as the starter, but tight ends coach Mark Elder wants to see more out of the 6’5” tight end.

“Brendan Downs has been having a good fall camp,” Elder said. “He still has a lot of things he needs to improve upon. He has a high expectation level of himself, as do I, and so as far as that’s concerned he’s doing well, but I’d still like to see some bigger steps going forward.”

As the only player on the roster with any collegiate expe-

rience at the position, Jones has put a lot of pressure on Downs to step up his game, a challenge that he has accepted.

“That’s what I want,” Downs said. “I want him to be on me, I want him to push me. It’s camp, so it’s difficult. That’s what I want. I want to get better every day, so it’s good for me.”

As important as the tight end position is, the biggest concern for Coach Elder is finding suitable backups to prevent Downs from wearing down early in games.

“The big thing is that we need to get our depth going,” Elder said. “We need the next couple of guys to step up and show that they are worthy of playing time so that we can be in a situation where we have two guys, three guys in and be rotating those guys. So that’s the important thing is building our depth so that we can get into those two tight end sets and we can sub guys out.”

Among those who could provide depth at the position is junior Woody Quinn, who will suit up in the Orange and White for the first time this season after transferring from Santa Ana College in California. UT is Quinn’s fourth college. He started out as a volleyball player at Pepperdine, meaning acclimation to SEC football has not been simple.

“We’ve been hard on Woody,” Elder said. “He’s a very prideful individual, it’s important to him there’s no question about that, so as far as that’s concerned he’s taking that hard, but not losing confidence. He understands that I’m coaching him, that coach Jones is coaching him to get better and that’s our ultimate goal...

“The thing that we always say is that you don’t worry when you’re being coached, you worry when you’re not because that would mean we’re not sure you can do this, but we’re on him because we believe he’s got ability and he’s going to be able to contribute.”

Quinn was listed third on the opening week depth chart behind Downs and former defensive end Joseph Ayres.

“I see us moving in the right direction,” Elder said.

“Consistency still has to be there, but the guys have been positive, they’ve been excited about coming out and improving, now it’s just all about the execution of every single play and getting it right every single time.”

Friday, August 30, 2013

THE DAILY BEACON • 5B

6B • THE DAILY BEACON

Friday, August 30, 2013 Sports Editor David Cobb

FOOTBALL PREVIEW

O-line carries heavy burden David Cobb

Sports Editor Antonio “Tiny” Richardson could never have imagined it until Butch Jones made the whole UT football team do it.

Running 52 sprints of 110 yards each is grueling for nimble receivers and backs.

And it was previously unthinkable for UT’s left tackle and his cohorts on the offensive line.

But with the implementation of an up-tempo offense

by Jones, the uncomfortable is required -- especially in the realm of cardiovascular fitness.

Instead of gloating on a 2012 season where it allowed just eight sacks -- third fewest in the nation -- the UT offensive line, which returns four starters, has replaced its physical hunger with an appetite to become well-rounded.

“A lot of guys say that we’re the best offensive line in the country,” Richardson said at SEC Media Days where he was chosen to the preseason second-team All-SEC team. “I felt like we were the best in the country as far as pass protection. But we can still improve in the run game.”

With the departure of a seasoned quarterback and several playmakers at receiver -- plus Jones’ adamancy that UT will be a run-first team -- the evolution of the offensive line is unavoidable.

The starting unit consisting of Richardson, Ja’Wuan James, Zach Fulton, James Stone and Alex Bullard boasts over 100 combined career starts but the group doesn’t mind tailoring its ways to aid a new offense.

“I want to get Marlin (Lane) a thousand yards, and Raijon (Neal) a thousand yards,” said James who has started 37 games in his career but has yet to play with a 1,000 yard rusher. “We want to run the ball. We’re out here working out every day to run it.”

In addition to a heightened focus on running the ball,

the group finds itself in an increased leadership role heading into the Aug. 31 opener against Austin Peay.

UT’s leading returning receiver is not actually a receiver. That title belongs to running back Marlin Lane, and he was suspended for spring practice. Plus, the Vols’ quarterback Justin Worley has only started three collegiate games under center.

The only senior who figures to garner significant playing time on offense outside of the line is running back Rajion Neal.

“I don’t feel like it’s a burden,” Richardson said. “We’ve been together three or four years now, so we just go out there and play. The team is going to go at the same pace we go, so we have to set the standard and everyone else will follow.”

James -- also a preseason second-team All-SEC honoree -- is relishing the leadership role as well.

“As an offensive linemen, as a senior, I want that weight on me if it was going to be on anybody,” he said. “I have confidence in the guys to my left and right, Tiny (Richardson), Zach Fulton, James Stone.

And the younger guys, the skill players, I feel like it’s our job to build confidence in them and just raise their confidence so when (the season) comes they’ll be fine.”

Additionally, Stone and Fulton were named to the preseason third-team All-SEC list, meaning UT’s offensive line is not exactly flying under the radar in the days leading up to the season.

“This is our last year of college football and I want to go out there and win games,” James said. “That’s what matters. It’s nice to get the recognition, but the objective is to win games.”

Added Richardson: “In football, especially in the SEC, your team is going to go as far as the offensive line goes.”

dcobb3@utk.edu

Assistant Sports Editor Troy Provost-Heron tprovost@utk.edu

Beacon Staff Projections they should be favored, but not by as much as history dictates.

For every other game, UT will either be the underdog or slight favorites at best.

That includes a critical three game stretch in November against Missouri, Auburn and Vanderbilt.

If Tennessee can win two of those three games, it should close the season with a win at Kentucky to become bowl eligible, a feat that would be cause for celebration amongst fans.

What if they lose all three? Or what if Western Kentucky pulls an upset on an Oregon-minded UT team?

If that happens, a 4-8 season is in the cards, and the future of the program will hinge on the loyalty of a heralded group of high school seniors that have bought into Jones’ message about “the process” before ever seeing what that actually means on a

Saturday at Neyland Stadium.

With a quarterback that will be looking over his shoulder at his backups, and a defense that bears the scars of a prolifically awful 2012 season, there is no reason to expect the Vols to surprise anyone.

Besides, when is the last time Tennessee caught a significant break on the football field? You had to think way too hard to answer that question.

Barring the unthinkable – an all too common phenomenon within the UT athletic department – 2013 will not seriously derail UT’s momentum; it will simply be the first step in “the process” that leads to a location which has yet to be determined.

Butch Jones has injected new life into the Tennessee football program, and the expectations of bringing this program back to elite status are looming.

Troy Provost-Heron But let’s hold those lofty hopes off for a Asst. Sports Editor year or two.

This Tennessee team is young, and that was proven when Jones said up to 16 freshman could play this year. That is a lot of inexperience to have in a conference like the SEC. With that said, you can never really tell how a young team will play once the season starts. We do not know what this offense will look like with Justin Worley under center, and we definitely do not

know how trustworthy this young group of receivers will be, especially against the rigid competition.

The offensive line should continue to be one of the best in the SEC, and I truly believe Butch will whip the defense into shape. The Vols should be much better on that side of the ball than they were last year, which is not a difficult task in the first place -- but then again you never know.

That is why, in my opinion, the Western Kentucky game at home on Sept. 7 is so huge. Are the Hilltoppers the best team in the country? Most definitely not, but they are still a Division 1 football team and it will prove to be the first real test for the Vols. That is the game where, at the very least, we will be able to see this team’s potential for the rest of the season.

Potential can only take you so far, however. The Vols will take on five of the

Associated Press’ top 10 opponents in the span of seven weeks, presenting a difficult challenge where I cannot see the Vols leaving any of those games with a victory.

The biggest questions becomes how this team will regroup after such a tumultuous stretch of the schedule. Games against Missouri, Auburn and Vanderbilt coming down the homestretch of the season are all toss-ups, and I believe that they will find a way to win both home games (Auburn and Vanderbilt). Throw in a victory against Kentucky to end the year along with wins against Austin Peay and South Alabama and you get a 6-6 season.

More importantly, you get a bowl berth for the first time since 2010.

If Vol fans have gleaned one point of perspective over the past three seasons, it could be to temper their historically lofty expectations.

That notion will conGage Arnold tinue to be true for the 2013 Vols.

Copy Chief An 8-4 record is essentially out of the realm of possibility. The Vols lost their top three offensive performers – Tyler Bray, Justin Hunter and Cordarrelle Patterson – to last April’s NFL Draft and return a handful of starters on a defense that found itself statistically situated in the cellar of the SEC last season. Not necessarily a recipe for next season success. Couple the roster turnover with a complete upheaval of the entire coaching staff, scheme and culture surrounding the team and the squad is left with a myriad of questions that yield few concrete answers.

Back-to-back early season road trips to Oregon and Florida may serve as a dose of reality to Vol fans who are expecting strides towards bowl eligibility in head coach Butch Jones’ first season at the helm of the Vols.

The lack of true playmakers on offense may lead to crowded running lanes for running backs Marlin Lane and Rajion Neal, forcing Justin Worley and a corp of inexperienced wide receivers to pick up the slack -- presenting a difficult task for an offense that lost 60 percent of its total offensive contributions from last season.

The Vols Oct. 19 matchup with South Carolina, where UT will be coming off of a bye week, remains the team’s best shot at an upset. A win here would reverberate deeply with a fan base that has not seen a major upset in Neyland Stadium since Lane Kiffin’s 2009 squad – clad in black jerseys – knocked off the No. 22 ranked Gamecocks.

Butch Jones reiterated in fall camp that his team would need to overachieve this season and they will flirt with that chal-

lenge.

Austin Peay, Western Kentucky and South Alabama are sure-fire wins, but Tennessee will struggle offensively out of the gates early in the season. However, the squad will close strong, beating Auburn, Vanderbilt and Kentucky to close out the season, earning the team a well-deserved bowl berth.

A trip to the Music City Bowl followed by a close loss to an ACC squad, like Georgia Tech, would still be considered a success for a team that has failed to reach postseason play the last two seasons.

“The process” takes time. It boils down to whether or not UT fans will be willing to support a team that very well may endure its fourth straight losing season. And that answer will not be revealed until Nov. 30.

Twitter followers and success in recruiting do not equate to wins. If they did, Butch Jones and Tennessee would be a top 10 team David Cobb in 2013.

Those things do Sports Editor indicate momentum though, and there is no denying that as a program, the Vols have plenty of that heading into Jones’ first season at UT. The only problem is that the 2013 season could hurt momentum a lot more than it helps.

In games against Austin Peay and South Alabama, the Vols will be heavy favorites.

Against Kentucky and Western Kentucky

Dargan Southard Copy Editor A revamped coaching staff full of motivational and energetic individuals. A top-5 unanimously-ranked recruiting class for 2014. A modernized addition to the game day attire, expand-

ing upon a previously forgotten school color.

This has been the list of accomplishments for first-year Tennessee head coach Butch Jones in less than nine months on the job. Fans are undoubtedly impressed with his progress so far, but all of Volunteer nation still has one more monumental demand.

How about some wins?

Those wins will eventually come and in the multitudes Tennessee fans are accustomed to.

Just not in 2013.

The scores will look better as I do not expect this year’s defense to give up over 30 points per game, a sight all too common a season ago. But a new starter under center and a plethora of unproven wide receivers, along with a schedule that pits UT against five Associated Press top 10 teams in a seven week stretch will result in countless struggles throughout the year.

The first two weeks should go without hiccups as victories over Austin Peay and Western

Prediction: 5-7 (2-6 SEC) Key game: Auburn, Nov. 9

Prediction: 6-6 (3-5 SEC) Key game: W. Kentucky, Sept. 7

Prediction: 6-6 (3-5 SEC) Key game: South Carolina, Oct. 26

Kentucky -- do not read too much into the Bobby Petrino upset hype -- will provide a nice 2-0 start to the Butch Jones era.

Then come the big boys.

Back-to-back road trips to Eugene, Ore. and Gainesville, Fla. will even up the Vols’ record as the explosive Oregon offense and stifling Gator defense will create all sorts of problems for UT. A brief intermission from top competition exists in Week 5 with South Alabama, but as the calendar flips to October, the Volunteers will again find themselves at the mercy of the SEC’s top competitors. Georgia, South Carolina and a visit to Tuscaloosa will undoubtedly put Tennessee on a three-game losing streak, with the trip to Bryant-Denny getting particularly ugly. Don’t be surprised if UT racks up its fourth consecutive 31-point loss to Alabama.

November, however, is where Jones will showcase his coaching abilities as four winnable contests give the Volunteers a chance salvage a bowl berth for the first time since 2010.

Nevertheless, I see a loss at Missouri for a UT team that has yet to beat an SEC team not named Kentucky or Vanderbilt away from Neyland Stadium since 2007.

Next comes Auburn and in my opinion, the most important matchup of the season. The Nov. 9 contest will be the Tigers’ third road game in four weeks, so Tennessee will have every chance to take advantage of a weary team. An additional wave of excitement could push UT over the hump -- insert “smokey gray” uniforms.

There is no repeat of the two previous seasons as in-state rival Vanderbilt and Kentucky are easily taken care of. Butch Jones squeaks into either the Music City or Liberty Bowl in year one.

Prediction: 6-6 (3-5 SEC) Key game: Auburn, Nov. 9

Friday, August 30, 2013

THE DAILY BEACON • 7B Sports Editor David Cobb

FOOTBALL PREVIEW

dcobb3@utk.edu

Assistant Sports Editor Troy Provost-Heron tprovost@utk.edu

#SociallyShackled Les Miles

@LSUCoachMiles 115K followers

Brian Kelly

@CoachBrianKelly 96K followers

Butch Jones

@UTCoachJones 87K followers

Mark Richt

@MarkRicht 74K followers

Bret Bielema @BretBielema 69K followers

Growth in social media possesses bevy of ramifications for college athletes, coaches David Cobb

Sports Editor Sixteen years ago, Peyton Manning was busy preparing for an SEC Championship run, a Heisman Trophy campaign and the 1998 NFL Draft.

He didn’t have a Twitter account then, and he still doesn’t. But Twitter was far from existence and the Internet, with its unlimited outlets for self-expression, was still raw and undeveloped.

Not that Manning ever would have, but if he wanted to express public displeasure with his situation as a revered college athlete, his only opportunity likely would have been in front of a herd of newspapermen and local television cameras.

It could not have been done with a few keystrokes on a weekend night when the pressure of a major collegiate fan base was weighing on his shoulders.

A direct, instantaneous connection between a player and the masses was not available in 1997.

Sixteen years later, Heisman Trophy winning Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel is able to drop whatever message he chooses to 475,000 Twitter followers in an instant. And if it is interesting, it will be shared by thousands more and picked up by national sports news outlets.

In both quarterbacking style and public perception, Manziel and Manning have few similarities. But an unquestioned equality in each is their “living legend” status among their collegiate fan bases.

And in a way Manning likely never would have or could have, Manziel abused his access to social media this off-season, sending ripples well beyond a football-crazed college town. “(Expletive) like tonight is why I can’t wait to leave college station… whenever it may be,” tweeted Manziel on June 15 – a Saturday night.

Manziel embraced a socialite persona after capturing the Heisman. Although

During Lane Kiffin’s tenure at UT in his risqué tweets have not been his you’re just writing to your buddy, you 2009, the oft-controversial coach fired lone news-making activity during the are not.”

The communications staff at off a tweet naming a player who had off-season, they were enough to garner admonishment from Texas A&M coach Tennessee takes a similar approach and just given the Vols a verbal commitKevin Sumlin at SEC Media Days in chooses to inform student-athletes on ment. The post was a secondary NCAA rules violation and UT self-reported proper social media usage.

July.

“You have to educate. You have to the incident to the NCAA. Coaches are “Different people get things at different times,” Sumlin said in regards teach them the practices,” said Jason not allowed to publicly mention prosto Manziel, who did not tweet for a Yellin, assistant athletics director for pects by name until they have signed month after his expletive show of frus- Media Relations at UT. “You have to a National Letter of Intent with the tration and a subsequent “discussion” teach them they’re representing them- school.

“There’s a fine line about what’s selves, the university, their personal with Sumlin. acceptable and what’s not acceptable,” “The whole social media aspect is dif- brand and all that goes in to it.”

Yellin said. “The biggest ferent,” the Aggies coach thing is ‘ask before you act’ continued. “That’s some(and) to make sure with thing that young people (that what) need to continue to undern one second, your life can compliance you’re sending is on the up stand, whether they’re in and up and complies with college, whether they’re at change. That’s the world we the NCAA.” the pro level, or whether Social media has only they’re in high school.” live in today with multimedia, grown since 2009, and so Sumlin is not the only Twitter, Facebook, everything.” has awareness of what’s SEC coach dealing with permissible within the the Twitter trend. The parameters of NCAA always entertaining Les rules. In addition to the Miles of LSU leads all coluse of direct messaging lege football coaches in -BUTCH JONES on Twitter, Jones and his number of Twitter followstaff have found a way to ers, and he had plenty of publicly celebrate the comopinion on the subject at UT’s new football staff has embraced mitment of a recruit through Twitter.

SEC Media Days.

Junior college defensive end DaVonte “The interesting piece is, I can’t tell social media. In nine months on the job, you the number of wonderful men that head coach Butch Jones has become Lambert tweeted, announcing his verI have on my team. I’m telling you, the third-most followed coach in college bal commitment to the Vols at 10:06 quality guys, good students,” Miles football. And he doesn’t just use it as a a.m. on Aug.13.

Though none of the UT staff made explained. “But when they get behind ploy to entertain fans.

“Part of recruiting and everything is Kiffin’s error and mentioned Lambert the social media cloak, they get to speak in a totally different way. It’s like, ‘where staying up with the times, and it’s here by name, several coaches tweeted did you get that? How did you think this to stay,” Jones told The Daily Beacon in slogan-riddled, celebratory statements February. “It’s part of our fabric now in shortly after -- as they have done followwas even appropriate?’”

Washington State coach Mike Leach society ... If you are not up on it, you’re ing the verbal commitments of numerous prospects in the class of 2014. banned Twitter from his team last year, going to get passed by.” “#BrickByBrick Tennessee getting While public tweets to recruits are as did Florida State’s Jimbo Fisher.

But Miles believes the solution – or impermissible per NCAA rules, pri- stronger and stronger every day!!,” at least remedy – for social media lies in vately sent direct messages on Twitter tweeted UT defensive coordinator John are not policed, and Yellin said that Jancek at 10:37, just 31 minutes later. It training his players who use it.

“What we really are trying to do direct messages are a tool that UT’s was his first tweet in nine days.

“Brick by brick. Foundation just got is educate and give them their brand coaches use to interact with potential stronger. Fired up. #GBO #FistUp,” said and the responsibility that they have to student-athletes.

However, in regards to its use in UT defensive line coach Steve Stripling understand that this is a media outlet,” Miles said, “that, in fact, when you put recruiting, Twitter has been a double two hours after Lambert’s commitment.

In total, four of UT’s five coaches a piece of information that you think edged sword for UT in the past.

“I

associated with the defense, including Jones, tweeted something similar within two hours of Lambert’s commitment.

But, at least for the time, it’s all fair game, so long as they don’t mention his name.

UT players do not have to worry as much about NCAA rules as they do common sense. Senior safety Byron Moore is active on Twitter – even using it to help recruit. UT’s communications staff taught him a different gauge to use before tweeting from @bmoore3vfl.

“They say ‘if you don’t want your mom or gramma to see it, then don’t send it out,” Moore told The Daily Beacon. “Because once it’s out there, it’s out there.”

Despite the continued education and social media training, UT athletes from all sports still send unflattering posts.

But Yellin and his staff remain on guard for them and take action when they identify one.

“We are constantly tracking throughout the day all the tweets and photos and stuff that the guys put out,” Yellin said. “If something happens, we’ll let them know … and then it’s gone usually pretty quickly.

“Hopefully it’s not something earthshattering like the Manziel tweet.”

Though UT’s roster does not feature any players near the notoriety of Manziel, or even a modern-day Manning, Jones preaches “the one second rule” to his players.

“In one second, your life can change,” he said at SEC Media Days. “That’s the world we live in today with multimedia, Twitter, Facebook, everything.

“It can be a positive if you allow it to be a positive, just like it can be a negative. But we monitor that and take great pride in that. That’s part of the thing of being a part of these players’ lives, is mentoring them outside the realm of football, but in life in general as well.”

-- David Cobb traveled to Hoover, Ala. for SEC Media Days. He can be followed on Twitter at @DavidWCobb

THE DAILY BEACON • 8B

Friday, August 30, 2013