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Tennessee football vs. Florida: 5 Vols to watch for against Gators

By Caleb Calhoun

KNOXVILLE, TN - SEPTEMBER 08: Darrin Kirkland Jr. #34 of the Tennessee Volunteers returns an interception for a touchdown during a game against the East Tennessee State University Buccaneers at Neyland Stadium on September 8, 2018 in Knoxville, Tennessee. Tennesee won the game 59-3. (Photo by Donald Page/Getty Images)
KNOXVILLE, TN - SEPTEMBER 08: Darrin Kirkland Jr. #34 of the Tennessee Volunteers returns an interception for a touchdown during a game against the East Tennessee State University Buccaneers at Neyland Stadium on September 8, 2018 in Knoxville, Tennessee. Tennesee won the game 59-3. (Photo by Donald Page/Getty Images) /
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Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images /

Tennessee football is looking for its first SEC win Saturday hosting the Florida Gators. Here are five Volunteers to watch for in the game.

The Tennessee football rivalry with the Florida Gators enters a new era. First-year head coaches on both sides of the ball in Jeremy Pruitt and Dan Mullen makes for another chapter in this recent but memorable series.

And yet, although the coaches and systems are going to be completely different when the two teams take the field Saturday, there will be some familiar players. The past two games has seen stars on both sides of the ball who will be playing in this game. And they’ll be looking to reclaim their bragging rights.

For the Vols, one of those players is returning to health. And for the Gators, one of those players returns after making a historic play in last year’s game. Many of the other guys on both sides of the ball have had major impacts in the game.

When it comes to the key Tennessee football players in this game, however, we’re switching things up a bit. We now have a body of work through three games to look at which guys have been the most reliable.

Meanwhile, Florida also has enough of a body of work for us to put their weaknesses on display. And that brings out other key players for the Vols. The history of the series, given its intensity, also dictates some of those key players.

It was actually hard to find just five Vols who will be key in this game, though. After all, with this being their SEC opener and a crucial game for both teams, there are a ton of players who will need to step up. This is a game that truly takes a team effort.

However, it’s also a game in which heroes are made. After all, 20 years ago, Al Wilson became a superstar because of his play in this game. Travis Stephens did the same thing for the Vols three years later. Then there was Joshua Dobbs’s flawless play in 2016.

Could any of these Vols follow in one of those guys’ footsteps on Saturday? Will they help get the Pruitt era in SEC play off on the right track? Find out the best candidates to do so here. These are the five Tennessee football players to watch for against the Florida Gators.

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