5. Special Teams
Tennessee had the best unit in arguably the country last year when it came to special teams, from the punting of Trevor Daniel to the return game of Evan Berry and to a lesser extent Alvin Kamara and Cameron Sutton. That is supposed to be a huge advantage for the Vols going into this year.
But it this point, there are a few things from this past spring practice season that make this a concern. Let’s start with the spring game itself.
Although there would clearly be nothing to take from the return game, there were some issues with the kicking game. Daniel did not look like the star he was last year, averaging only 43 yards a punt and only nailing one inside the 20. That has to get better.
Meanwhile, throughout the spring season, Berry did not see much action. However, Mark Elder’s departure to become the head coach at Eastern Kentucky leaves a huge hole to fill in this area.
He was likely a huge reason the Vols were so great in the area the past two years. There is nothing really to prove that Tennessee will suffer this year as a result, but the departure of their special teams coach combined with the lackluster punting of Daniel does leave a few concerns.
Next: #4: Tight End Play