All for Tennessee
Fansided

Tennessee Football: Five Most Pleasant Surprises for 2016 Vols at Midseason

By Caleb Calhoun

Oct 1, 2016; Athens, GA, USA; Tennessee Volunteers wide receiver Jauan Jennings (C) is carried off the field by team mates after catching the game winning touchdown pass against the Georgia Bulldogs on the last play on the game during the fourth quarter at Sanford Stadium. Tennessee defeated Georgia 34-31. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 1, 2016; Athens, GA, USA; Tennessee Volunteers wide receiver Jauan Jennings (C) is carried off the field by team mates after catching the game winning touchdown pass against the Georgia Bulldogs on the last play on the game during the fourth quarter at Sanford Stadium. Tennessee defeated Georgia 34-31. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 6
Next
Oct 8, 2016; College Station, TX, USA; Tennessee Volunteers running back Alvin Kamara (6) scores a touchdown against the Texas A&M Aggies at Kyle Field. The Aggies defeat the Volunteers 45-38 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 8, 2016; College Station, TX, USA; Tennessee Volunteers running back Alvin Kamara (6) scores a touchdown against the Texas A&M Aggies at Kyle Field. The Aggies defeat the Volunteers 45-38 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports /

5. Impressive depth

We knew that this was going to be the biggest difference between this Tennessee football team and Tennessee football teams in years past. Butch Jones had recruited so well that the Vols would finally be able to withstand injuries that hit every team at the beginning of the year.

However, Jones’s recruiting did a lot more than that.

The Vols are deeper than anybody even thought they could be. They got hit with a slew of injuries that normally don’t come as often as they did, yet this team is still 5-2 and maybe one play away from being 6-1. Despite injuries to all five starters on the offensive line this year, both running backs, two defensive linemen, three linebackers, and four defensive backs, the Vols just keep chugging along.

That is beyond impressive and really is a testament to the depth Jones has developed in Knoxville. At the beginning of last year, the Vols were not able to make up for the losses of Curt Maggitt and LaDarrell McNeil. As a result, they fell to 2-3 early.

However, this year they suffered key losses to top players, including Jalen Hurd, Cameron Sutton, Chance Halll, Darrin Kirkland Jr., and Jalen Reeves-Maybin. But all of those times, they have been able to account for those losses with a next man up mentality.

That next man up mentality has dramatically over-achieved beyond what we thought was possible. And it also created a few other surprises on this list. That brings us to our next player.

Home/Vols Football