Vols Football: 5 Things to Watch in Spring Practices

3. The Youth Infusion

All this talent makes Butch a happy man. PHOTO: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports

If you haven’t heard, there are quite a few new, young faces on the Tennessee roster this upcoming season. 33 new faces are joining the ranks to be exact, and 14 of those 33 are already on campus and working out with the team.

Eight of the 14 early enrollees project to be on the offensive side of the ball, and they are highlighted by 5-stars Jalen Hurd (RB) and Josh Malon (WR) who expect to make an impact right away. Junior college offensive lineman Dontavius Blair and junior college WR Von Pearson highlight those who are expected to have the greatest immediate impact, and the freshmen tight ends Daniel Helm and Ethan Wolf figure to land immediate playing time as well. Athlete/WR Neiko Creamer and offensive linemen Ray Raulerson and Coleman Thomas shouldn’t be overlooked either.

The defensive side welcomes 6 new faces, highlighted by Dimarya Mixon and junior college transfer Owen Williams, both of whom will help bolster the defensive line. Linebacker Jakob Johnson is a very intriguing wildcard who has some of the best raw talent and potential on the defensive side, and the secondary gets a boost from Emmanuel Moseley and D’Andre Payne.

All these new faces not only means increased competition across the board, but it means the Vols are finally refilling their shallow talent pool with some younger, faster, and stronger bodies.