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Tennessee football: 10 things Jim Chaney must do to improve Vols offense

By Caleb Calhoun

KNOXVILLE, TN - NOVEMBER 10: Ty Chandler #8 of the Tennessee Volunteers takes a hand off from Jarrett Guarantano #2 of the Tennessee Volunteers during the second half of the game between the Kentucky Wildcats and the Tennessee Volunteers at Neyland Stadium on November 10, 2018 in Knoxville, Tennessee. Tennessee won the game 24-7. (Photo by Donald Page/Getty Images)
KNOXVILLE, TN - NOVEMBER 10: Ty Chandler #8 of the Tennessee Volunteers takes a hand off from Jarrett Guarantano #2 of the Tennessee Volunteers during the second half of the game between the Kentucky Wildcats and the Tennessee Volunteers at Neyland Stadium on November 10, 2018 in Knoxville, Tennessee. Tennessee won the game 24-7. (Photo by Donald Page/Getty Images) /
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9. Establish a slot wide receiver.

Quite honestly, Tennessee football hasn’t had an established slot receiver since Pig Howard led the team in receiving way back in 2014. Butch Jones’s gross misuse of Josh Smith never allowed him to get into a rhythm in 2015 or 2016.

Meanwhile, Tyler Byrd and Jordan Murphy have shown flashes but never really developed into anything yet. This past year, Murphy had 155 receiving yards and a touchdown to go along with two carries for 58 yards, and Byrd had one 20-yard reception for a touchdown.

Jim Chaney needs to work with one of them on a consistent basis and incorporate them more into the offense this year. The Vols have three big wideouts that can win one-on-one match-ups with anybody in the SEC.

But they have to be able to stretch the field more with a speedy slot guy, and that’s where one of them comes in. Chaney is not unfamiliar to something like this either. The last time he was in Knoxville, in 2012, Zach Rodgers was the established slot guy. He had 32 catches for 491 yards and seven touchdowns.

Even this year, Mecole Hardman is proof of Chaney wanting to use speedy, smaller receivers where he can. So while all the focus on the Vols will be Jauan Jennings, Marquez Callaway and Josh Palmer, Chaney needs to make sure one of those other guys becomes a major factor. That will be the key to adding as much versatility as possible to the passing game, and it will help with our other point of the quarterbacks needing to get rid of the ball more quickly.

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