Tennessee Volunteers Football: Week One Projected Starters
By Zach Ragan
September 29, 2012; Athens, GA, USA; Tennessee Volunteers running back Rajion Neal (20) rushes for a touchdown in the first half against the Georgia Bulldogs at Sanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Shirey-USA TODAY Sports
Who says you have to name a starting quarterback with just ten days until the season begins?
While fans would definitely like to know who will be under center for the Vols on August 31, it’s not necessarily a terrible sign that the staff hasn’t named a starter.
Of course it’s not a great sign either.
As a fan you’d hope that someone would step up and take a strong-hold on the job.
On the other hand, it’s good to know that you’ve got some quality depth at the position.
With just a little over a week to go before the season begins, here’s our projected starters for the Vols’ game against Austin Peay.
Offense
- Quarterback – Nathan Peterman
- Running Back – Rajion Neal
- Wide Receiver – Marquez North
- Wide Receiver – Alton “Pig” Howard
- Wide Receiver – Jason Croom
- Tight End – Brendan Downs
- Left Tackle Antonio “Tiny” Richardson
- Left Guard – Alex Bullard
- Center – James Stone
- Right Guard – Zach Fulton
- Right Tackle – Jawuan James
Defense
- Defensive End – Corey Miller
- Defensive End – Jordan Williams
- Defensive Tackle- Daniel McCullers
- Defensive Tackle – Daniel Hood
- Weakside Linebacker – Dontavis Sapp
- Middle Linebacker – AJ Johnson
- Strongside Linebacker – Brent Brewer
- Cornerback – Justin Coleman
- Cornerback – Cameron Sutton
- Strong Safety – LaDarrell McNeil
- Free Safety – Brian Randolph
Special Teams
- Kicker/Punter – Michael Palardy
- Punt/Kick Returner – Devrin Young
The biggest question mark for the Vols, besides quarterback, is the wide receiver position.
I feel pretty confident that Marquez North and Pig Howard will be two of the starters at wide receiver.
Beyond that, it’s anyone’s guess.
Vincent Dallas would’ve been a candidate for the number three spot, before he moved back to cornerback.
Cody Blanc, Jason Croom, Paul Harris and Devrin young could all be possibilities to be the third starting receiver.
Who starts, however, will mean little, as receivers coach Zach Azzanni has said he wants to single out his top four or five receivers.
That means they staff will likely roll with who’s hot, instead of settling in on a set rotation.
Comment below and let us know what you think of our projected starters. Tell us where you agree and disagree and what your projected starting lineup looks like!