Tennessee football: Jauan Jennings’s return a huge boost for next Vols coach
Tennessee football finally got a bit of good news on Wednesday with Jauan Jennings announcing his return to the Volunteers.
Things have been more bleak than ever in Knoxville for the past few months. But finally, on Wednesday, Tennessee football got a major bit of good news.
Jauan Jennings, who missed nearly the entire 2017 season, announced boldly that he would be returning to the Vols next year. This was a shock for a guy injured in the opener.
Expecting to be one of the top receivers this past year before getting hurt, Jennings could have probably turned pro. But it looks like he wants to boost his draft stock and deliver more wins for Tennessee football.
Jauan Jennings on his Instagram live video just now, says he's coming back next year and Tennessee is going undefeated.
— Louis Fernandez Jr (@LouFernandezJr) November 15, 2017
The big story surrounding this, though, is it gives the next head coach a huge advantage. If the right guy comes, we know that Jarrett Guarantano and Quinten Dormady both have raw talent, and Will McBride is showing some heart.
At the same time, two four-star quarterbacks are still on the commitment list. The running backs will be set even if John Kelly turns pro, which he likely won’t.
And now, at receiver, the new guy will have Jennings and Marquez Callaway to work with on the outside. That should have been the combo this year.
But going into next year, with the right coaching, it’s already exciting to think about. Imagine what an offensive mind could do with those guys.
Heck, let’s go ahead and say it. What if Jon Gruden can get his hands on such an offense? Remember what he did with the Oakland Raiders in the early 2000s? And to follow that up, he won his Super Bowl by tailoring the offense of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to Brad Johnson!
He’d work wonders with these weapons if the injury bug didn’t bite again. But even if Gruden wasn’t the guy, somebody else could work with this talent.
Simply put, the return of Jennings gives the next coach a great starting point to work with. He may not have to suffer through a typical first-season rebuilding year. And if he’s a smart offensive guy, he may actually be able to put on a show in Knoxville.