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Tennessee football: Athlon confirms what we already know about Jauan Jennings

By Billy Williford

KNOXVILLE, TN - SEPTEMBER 24: Jauan Jennings #15 of the Tennessee Volunteers runs into the end zone with a 67-yard touchdown reception against the Florida Gators in the fourth quarter at Neyland Stadium on September 24, 2016 in Knoxville, Tennessee. Tennessee defeated Florida 38-28. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
KNOXVILLE, TN - SEPTEMBER 24: Jauan Jennings #15 of the Tennessee Volunteers runs into the end zone with a 67-yard touchdown reception against the Florida Gators in the fourth quarter at Neyland Stadium on September 24, 2016 in Knoxville, Tennessee. Tennessee defeated Florida 38-28. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /
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According to Athlon Sports, Jauan Jennings is a wildcard for the Vols from the SEC. And, by now we all know this to be true.

There are a lot of questions as to what the 2018 Tennessee football team is going to look like under first-year head coach Jeremy Pruitt.

Will the team as a whole improve from a 0-8 record in the SEC? To answer that question, we can almost guarantee that the Vols will win more than zero SEC games. Kentucky is still on the schedule last time we checked.

There are also a lot of questions about how players are going to react to being in new systems. And, how can they handle the different culture that Pruitt and company are trying to establish?

One of those players is wide receiver, Jauan Jennings. According to Athlon Sports, they list Jennings as a “wildcard” for the Vols. Take a look what they had to say about the big-play receiver.

"Jennings was dismissed from the program by the previous coaching regime in November, but he’s back with a new opportunity to prove his worth under new head coach Jeremy Pruitt. An offseason surgery rendered him unavailable for spring practice, robbing the “wild card” from a chance to rebuild chemistry after injuring himself in the season-opening win against Georgia Tech last fall. Jennings caught 40 passes for 580 yards and seven touchdowns during the 2016 season. A return to that level of production would be a huge win for a Volunteers offense in desperate search for playmakers."

Turns out the way Jennings handled the benching situation last season wasn’t the right move. However, he is a kid, and everyone deserves a second chance, right? We will give him a pass mainly due to the fact he had Butch Jones as a head coach.

Now, Jennings has to display a better attitude to make it worthwhile for Pruitt to want him back on the team and in the locker room. Someone like Jennings can be absolute poison his character isn’t tamed.

It is hard to put a number on the amount of wins Jennings can account for if he is on the field and being productive. However, one thing is for sure; he can be the big-play receiver the Vols desperately need.

Throwing him on the opposite side of the field as Marquez Callaway could be scary good. Not to mention it would also help relax Jarrett Guarantano or Keller Chryst.

The same article also mentions defensive tackle Shy Tuttle as a “wildcard.” A four-star recruit in the in the class of 2015, Tuttle hasn’t really lived up to the potential that everyone knows he has.

If you tuned into the annual Orange and White Game, you probably have questions about the defensive line and how they will fare in the tough SEC. To put it nicely, they didn’t look good.

For the Vols to have a good season, they need to be better up front on both sides of the ball. Tuttle can be a difference maker on the defensive line.

Next: 10 memorable Vols wins with first-year head coach

There you have it. Two wildcards that everyone already knew where wildcards. However, if they can make some noise on the field, the Vols might surprise a few teams next season.

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