Tennessee Vols 2015 Football Season Preview by Position: Special Teams

Previewing the Tennessee Vols 2015 football team at every position, here is a look at the special teams.

If you know Tennessee Volunteers football history, then you know special teams matter. Just go to No. 6 on General Neyland’s Game Maxims.

“Press the kicking game for here’s where the breaks are made.”

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The 1998 national championship does not happen with an elite clutch kicker in Jeff Hall and a great punter in David Leaverton. We all know Hall’s story.

Add in greats like Dustin and Britton Colquitt, James Wilhoit, and Alex Walls, and you can point to many wins the Vols have had thanks to special teams.

Going into the 2015 season, the Vols are set at one side of the kicking game and completely open on the other side. To be fair, they appear to be set at place-kicker, which is more important than being set at punter, so that’s a good thing.

At punter there is a position battle set to take place, which will be fun to watch this preseason. And while the place kicker is the more important position, we in Vol Nation have seen plenty of instances where the punter can win you games. Simply go back to the 2003 season to see that.

As far as return specialists, they will likely change up a bit this year, but then again, Butch Jones likes to prioritize good special teams, so he won’t put any scrubs back there.

Here is how each position is going to stack up, starting with the kickers and punters.

Place Kicker

Aaron Medley, Sophomore (Lewisburg, Tenn.)

What’s the most important rule for a field goal kicker? That they are reliable when they are supposed to be reliable. Aaron Medley was 19 of 20 on kicks under 40 yards. Now he was only 1 for 6 on kicks 40 yards and beyond, but again, that’s icing on the cake for a kicker. If they can be automatic when offenses actually get into field goal range, then they are doing exactly what they need to do.

So Medley’s got the accuracy. He says he’s worked a lot this offseason on his leg strength and consistency. If he can start nailing kicks consistently from 40 yards and beyond, the Vols will have exactly what they need at place-kicker. A great kicker makes a huge difference, but even a reliable kicker still can. Medley is already reliable. Can he be great? We’ll see this year.

George Bullock, Junior (Knoxville, Tenn.)

A redshirt junior, George Bullock will be called on if he is ever needed or something happens to Medley. Bullock handled kickoff duties in two games last year and showed he has a powerful leg, so there is reason to believe he could be very successful as a kicker if called upon.

Punter

Nathan Renfro, Senior (Brentwood, Tenn.)

A three-year punter for the Maryland Terrapins, Nathan Renfro got better every year. As a result, his track record shows that he will be a very good punter for the Vols, and as a fifth-year senior, he’s earned that final year to play it out. He’s in competition with freshman phenom Tommy Townsend to get the job, but he should win out on it.

Last year, Renfro averaged 41.5 yards per punt, and he never got the recognition he deserved playing next to elite place-kicker Brad Craddock. Renfro’s punting won at least one game for the Terps last year. He averaged 44.3 yards per punt and had three inside the 20 in a 20-19 comeback win against Penn State on the road. If he can do that this year, the Vols will be in great shape.

Tommy Townsend, Freshman (Orlando, Fla.)

An elite, young punter, Tommy Townsend is going to turn into a star for the Tennessee Vols football program in the future. His upside is tremendous and he could potentially be another Dustin Colquitt. But as a freshman this year, he will sit behind the fifth-year senior who has proven himself in crucial moments. Townsend will be great once he’s called upon, though.

Punt Returner

Cameron Sutton, Junior (Jonesboro, Ga.)

An elite cornerback who deserves way more recognition than he is receiving, Cameron Sutton will also have his superstar talents used to once again return punts. The only reason they don’t use him here is if he is too valuable a player. But last year Sutton showed how great he is returning 14 punts for 158 yards and a touchdown. He is a guy you don’t want to punt to, and that will be a huge advantage.

Micah Abernathy, Freshman (Atlanta, Ga.)

A safety recruited out of Atlanta, Micah Abernathy is not likely to see the field a lot in the secondary this year simply due to how loaded it is. But there is a great chance he sees the field as a punt returner if he is needed. He is a speed guy who will be able make lots of plays, so there is reason to get him on the field early. Backup punt returner is where you can do that.

Kick Returner

Ralph David Abernathy IV, Senior (Atlanta, Ga.)

A transfer from Cincinnati and the brother of Micah Abernathy, Ralph Abernathy was loved by Butch Jones as a return specialist there, and he will likely be used in the same capacity at Tennessee. Abernathy has lots of speed and racked up more than 1,000 return yards his freshman year, including a kick return for a touchdown. He will likely be used as the primary returner here as well.

Evan Berry, Sophomore (Fairburn, Ga.)

A 2014 Freshman All-American kickoff returner, Evan Berry will see a little bit more action on the field this year on defense. But he will still be valued as an elite kick returner. Berry last year returned 14 kicks for 413 yards, averaging nearly 30 yards a kick return, so he should only get better this year. He will play next t Abernathy in the back, as both will have chances to return kicks throughout the year.

Final Take

Barring injuries, special teams for the Vols will be exactly what it needs to be, maybe even more. Tennessee’s place kicking game should at least be reliable if Aaron Medley does not get hurt, and it should be amazing if Medley did improve his leg strength and consistency.

Meanwhile, even if Nate Renfro loses the starting job at punter to Tommy Townsend, that part of the field should be elite as well. We know what Renfro can do, which is solid, and he can be great. And Townsend is going to be great. So there’s no problems at kicker or punter.

Add in elite returners in Cameron Sutton, Ralph Abernathy, and Evan Berry, and there should be no holes in the return game either. That should be a big advantage for Tennessee against other teams this year.

Overall, special teams does not have any real problems. And with a few breaks, it could actually be a big advantage for the Vols.

Next: Four-Star RB Commits to Vols for 2016

Previewing the Tennessee Vols 2015 football team at every position, here is a look at the special teams.

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