Tennessee football: A couple of Vols snubbed from preseason All-SEC honors
All-SEC preseason teams are out, and only one Tennessee football player made one of the three teams. Here are three Vols left off the teams.
We get it; the Tennessee football program isn’t what it use to be. And, yes we know the Vols are coming off their worst season in program history. But, that doesn’t mean there isn’t talent on this team.
The media only projected one Vol as a preseason All-SEC player. Of course, that player was offensive linemen Trey Smith, and deservingly so. Smith is a beast. But, there are some other players on the team that warrant at least a look on the third team.
The same media members projected the Tennessee basketball team to finish 13th in the SEC, which we know how that turned out. And, despite losing in the SEC Tournament Finals, the Vols had a strong case to call themselves the best team in the league.
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As we mentioned only one Vol received preseason honors, which is a complete joke. Here is how all three preseason teams shake out.
Alabama (12), Georiga (10), Auburn (9), Florida (7), South Carolina (4), Texas A&M (4), Mississippi State (4), LSU (4), Kentucky (4), Missouri (3), Ole Miss (3), Arkansas (3), Tennessee (1), and, Vanderbilt (0).
It’s laughable that Kentucky, Ole Miss, and Arkansas all have more players than Tennessee. For the sake of discussion here are some Vols that should have at least been preseason third-team.
Marquez Callaway
Let’s begin with wide receiver Marquez Callaway. Last season, Callaway did a lot with basically nothing. Quarterback, Jarrett Guarantano was a freshman and had some learning curves. The offensive line was shameful, at best. And, Butch Jones was the worst coach in the history of Tennessee football.
However, Callaway managed to have a decent season. He had 24 receptions for 406 yards with five touchdowns. And, he was primarily the number one receiver all season long. Compare that to Jerry Jeudy from Alabama, and the clear choice should have been Callaway.
Jeudy only had 14 receptions for 264 yards and two touchdowns. Not to mention with a much better team around him. I know we can’t judge preseason awards strictly based off stats from last season. However, things will be different around the Vols program this season.
Nigel Warrior
Here is another laughable selection. Defensive back, Marco Wilson from Florida was a third-team selection over Vols Nigel Warrior. You don’t even have to look or compare stats to know Warrior is the better player and is more valuable to his team’s success.
But, we will compare the stats just so the picture is clear. Wilson had a total of 34 tackles, with 21 being solo. Warrior, on the other hand, had a total of 83 tackles, with 42 being solo and one interception for a touchdown.
How is this even a question?
Daniel Bituli
Finally, Daniel Bituli deserved a preseason All-SEC selection, hands down. Bituli came out of nowhere last season to lead the Vols in total tackles with 90.
And, if that wasn’t enough, the interception returned for a touchdown against Alabama should be. That’s honestly one of the best plays in recent years, at least top ten.
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The Vols might not win the SEC next season. They might not even finish better than 6th in the SEC East. But, the program has talented players, and it will show when the season is over. I wouldn’t be surprised if there are five or six Vols make postseason All-SEC teams.