Tennessee Football: 5 Takeaways from Vols 2017 Spring Game

The 2017 Tennessee football Orange and White game had plenty of entertainment. Here are five takeaways from the Volunteers’ biggest scrimmage.

It only lasted one half due to bad weather, but the Tennessee football spring game answered a lot of questions about the Vols heading into the summer.

As the offense dominated the defense throughout the game with a 44-29 White victory, Butch Jones’s unit showed us a lot. As always with a scrimmage, it’s unclear how much because both sides are on the same team.

So a great offense could mean a bad defense and vice versa. So we can’t tell how good this team is from the game, only who the best players and units might be.

Still, that’s all that matters right now as the Vols head into the summer. By next Fall, a new crop of recruits will be there. And the real practices start.

This just gives us a glimpse into what we’re going to see. But it’s still important. And based on that glimpse, here are five takeaways from Tennessee football’s shortened spring game.

1. Larry Scott is not afraid to open up the offense

With a new offensive coordinator, even if he’s keeping the same system in place, you wonder what he’ll want to focus on. In Larry Scott’s case, it was conceivable that a former offensive lineman who has coached tight ends, running backs, and his own position, would want to focus more on the running game.

That wasn’t the case. Scott aired it out no matter who was at quarterback, and while he did utilize the running game, the quarterbacks were the focus of the day. Now, this could be because of the quarterback competition. It could also be because the running back depth is not there yet, as John Kelly didn’t play. But it was still interesting to see Scott do that.

There was an interesting caveat to his passing game too, and that leads us to our next point.

2. Tight ends starred in the passing game.

Perhaps this is where Larry Scott’s bias showed in his new position as an offensive coordinator. After all, he spent the previous two years as the Tennessee football tight ends coach. Whatever the reason, though, the tight ends were the stars for the Vols in the passing game.

Sure, Jauan Jennings caught one of his usual touchdown passes. But even before the game, Butch Jones made it clear he was going to push Jakob Johnson out there. And he did. Then, in the game, Eli Wolf had multiple catches, including one for a touchdown.

But the star was Ethan Wolf, who will clearly be the starter this year with Jason Croom gone. He had two good catches, including a great one over his shoulder that made him look like a receiver. So although he didn’t have a touchdown, he showed himself to be an elite tight end. This could be a breakout year for him.

3. Offensive line was talented but dysfunctional.

If you look at the protection that the quarterbacks got and the push the running game had, this may be a weird thing to say. But as Butch Jones, Larry Scott, and Walt Wells shuffled around the offensive line, it showed it has a lot of developing to do.

Jashon Robertson had multiple bad snaps and missed blocks at center. Trey Smith was physical but had some mental lapses given his hype. Quarterbacks were forced out of the pocket a couple of times when they didn’t plan to be. When they were all in unison, things were fine. But these were mental lapses that the coaches need to address. And the push could be related to the next thing we bring up.

2. Defensive line injuries showing

You could blame defensive backs and linebackers for getting torched as well by the offense in this year’s spring game, but it really started with the Tennessee football defensive line. The Vols entered spring practice very thin at that position due to injuries. Then Jonathan Kongbo, their best lineman out there, got hurt in a scrimmage.

As a result, they were abused all night. It’s hard to know just how much this means given the injuries. Darrell Taylor still managed to be a star with two sacks, and he was the one guy who broke through. However, there were too many issues in the middle. The Vols need to get healthy there fast.

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1. There was a clear winner at quarterback.

Maybe it’s premature, but there’s no doubt that Quinten Dormady looked far and away better than everybody else in this game. Dormady did not miss a pass and had two touchdown tosses. His best passes were out routes, but he threw two beautiful fades and a great pass between two defenders on one play. Oh, and he also showed his mobility, rolling out to escape pressure and complete two passes.

Meanwhile, Jarrett Guarantano showed he has great pocket presence and zip on the ball. And he was more consistent in the skills challenge (although Dormady won that too). But he was not as accurate or quick-thinking as Dormady, and quite honestly, in an odd twist, he didn’t look as mobile either. Sheriron Jones struggled all day, but he was hurt.

Will McBride showed lots of potential in the skills challenges. Zac Jancek is clearly not going to see the field.

Overall, though, the star of the day was Dormady.

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