Tennessee football: 5 reasons for excitement surrounding Vols offseason

2. Freshman stars have already emerged. 

Part of what make Tennessee football’s list of returning starters so great is the group of freshman stars who already made an impact on the Vols. That by itself is a huge deal for Jeremy Pruitt and his staff going forward.

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Guys Pruitt specifically targeted became immediate stars. The most notable place you could see this was in the secondary. Alontae Taylor and Bryce Thompson both committed to Pruitt and were immediate stars for the Vols.

Taylor is the athlete in the secondary who can find ways to get his hands on the ball, but Thompson is the pure cornerback despite being recruited as an athlete. He is very physical and became a play making machine, logging three interceptions, a sack, and a forced fumble.

On top of Thompson and Taylor, Trevon Flowers also saw significant action in the secondary. He is probably already in position to be able to be another starter at safety provided he can return fully healed from his broken collarbone.

Beyond just the secondary, though, Pruitt had other stars emerge. Jeremy Banks showed what he could do as the power running back for the Vols, and with more reps and practice, he could become very valuable provided he limits his turnovers.

Then there’s Jerome Carvin, Banks’s teammate. Carvin started six games on the offensive line and emerged as another one of the elite players there. He should become a star up front in short order. Pruitt got a late start in 2017 but clearly found key freshman stars, and they bode well for the future of the Vols under him.