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Some things we've learned about the 2011 Vols
Topic Started: Aug 16 2011, 09:45 AM (263 Views)
*OrangeRev
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Tree hug'n, bleed'n heart, lazy luv'n, global warm'n token liberal

Just reading over dozens of articles and watching a score of videos, here's what I think we have learned about the 2011 Vols as they have participated in Fall Camp ...

Offense
  • Rajion Neal is not going to be a between the tackles running back. He might be back there in special situations and for certain schemes, but is now working with the wide receivers ... Dooley has said that his best skills are evidenced in space. In watching video of him running routes, his turns and jukes are just beautiful.
  • Marlin Lane looks like the premier running back everyone had thought. He'll end up being #2 behind Tauren Poole (Neal will probably be there at the beginning of the season), but from all indications he will be a welcome starter in 2012 ... remember, many said he was a 5-star running back before his injury in High School
  • Alex Bullard (the transfer from Notre Dame) has gone from "unknown" to the starter at left guard. What is interesting about our offensive line is that there is significant depth throughout ... for example, true freshman Marcus Jackson very nearly got the starting position, but probably needs a year to learn more.
  • Junior Zach Rogers has emerged as the #3, slot receiver. What's more, we know that true freshmen Vincent Dallas and DeAnthony Arnett have the physical talent to be special in this role, but the slot position is difficult to learn and the experience of Rogers wins out for now (later in the year, however, either Dallas or Arnett might become the starters).
  • Sophomore QB Tyler Bray is still being heralded as an immensely talented player, but there is a lot of caution about his inconsistency. That should be expected from a sophomore. So, expect a lot of Jekyll and Hyde this season.
  • Mychal Rivera is the obvious starter at TE, but it is a significant drop off to Brendan Downs and Cameron Clear. Which tells us all that we don't really have an SEC caliber #2 at this point. That isn't to say that their raw talent is not there, but simply that they still have a long way to go to learn a TE position at the SEC level - Clear gets a lot of kudos for his athletic ability. At this point, Downs is ahead of Clear, and that is likely because Downs had all that experience in the Spring.
  • There are no true freshmen starting on offense, but several (Richardson, Jackson, Downs, Dallas, and Lane) will be on the 2-deep and see significant playing time.


Defense
  • The most talked about player on defense has got to be true freshman LB Curt Maggitt, who is being raved about like a 7-tool player that offenses will have to really focus upon. Everyone is stopping short of calling him the next Leonard Little ... but ... but ... they might start doing that if he keeps it up in real game situations.
  • Incoming JUCO DT Mo Couch wasn't in quite the physical shape that everyone wanted as he entered camp, but his work ethic is still impressive and he'll be in the 2-deep at DT. The more impressive story has to be the continued rise of one-time offensive lineman Daniel Hood's development at the DT position. It isn't official, but he is very likely the starter against Montana - he has both the size and the mean-streak to be successful.
  • Going back to the linebacker position, Dooley has also indicated that true-freshman A.J. Johnson will be a starter at linebacker - he hasn't gotten the hype of Maggitt, but he is still has put on a significant show this fall. He has the size and speed to be special, and he is performing well with the complex schemes that are being thrown at him. This means that him, Maggit, and Austin Johnson (the Mike) will be the starters against Montana.
  • Redshirt sophomore Marlin Walls is just flat out mean at DE. If you have seen any video of him, you would see an extremely focused player who brings it every time.
  • The corner back situation is still up in the air, but the one player everyone seems to be talking about is true-freshman Justin Coleman (an early-enrollee), who very well could be a starter in a couple of weeks - at a minimum, he's in the two deep.
  • Heralded JUCO's Izauea Lanier and Byron Moore are being praised by the staff for their talent, but neither has nailed down a starting role as was initially expected (especially for Moore). I don't think this has to do with their talent so much as it has to do with the work ethic and talent that is all around. Brewer and Jackson appear to be the starters at safety.
  • Overall on the Defense, the coaches are mostly pleased with depth and options - our defense is significantly ahead of where they were a year ago at this time, and that's a promising compliment. They have depth in 2011, which was lacking in 2010, and this means that they now have many more schemes that they can throw at an offense. It also means that when the 2's come in, we aren't going to have a major weakness that can be exploited by offenses.


Special Teams
  • I still don't think they have a real solution at punt returner. True freshman Devrin Young hasn't seen the field at all this fall due to injury. I know they are trying out a bunch of guys, but I just haven't seen much confidence.
  • According to Dooley, Michael Palardy's string of injuries were due to overwork. The staff has reduced the amount of stuff he does during practice to protect him from injury, and also they are looking for him to only do the field goals ... which probably explains why Kicker George Bullock was offered a scholarship for 2012. The good news, for now, is that Palardy is healthy.
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*JollyVolly
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A Very Manly Man

Comments to your comments:

I can live with up and down with a sophomore quarterback as long as we don't have a complete collapse ala Ainge

Downs didn't impress me that much in the spring game.....he or Clear had better step up fast

If Maggitt really has 7 tools....he's got my respect.

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*Zippy
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Burning Man, 2009 FOREVER

If we can just find a guy to CATCH the damn punts, we are golden. Last year just...well...I have very low expectations for out punt returner. Anything better than not muffing the catch or fumbling the ball are just bonus points. I never thought I'd ever say this, but...I actually miss Eric Parker.
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