Tennessee football: Vols 2019 season preview primer
Tennessee football enters 2019 expecting to be much better at most positions. Here is our primer for a preview of the Volunteers by each unit.
Coming off a 5-7 season in 2018 his first year as head coach, Jeremy Pruitt is hoping that Tennessee football will take a major leap forward in 2019. There are lots of reasons working in the Vols’ favor to take a step forward.
A much easier schedule that includes eight games at home and no ranked non-conference teams provides a better path to a bowl game for the Vols this year. That’s the first thing working in their favor for 2019.
Meanwhile, Tennessee football is returning starters everywhere except at one unit. And they are much healthier entering this year with a few players returning to health. Combining that with a solid recruiting class and a few new transfers, and this team has the potential to be significantly better.
As the Vols get set to prepare for the season, we’re here to bring you all the coverage you need to prepare for it as well. That includes positional previews, schedule analysis, and any standout lists. This is your go-to spot to get ready for the 2019 Tennessee football season. Let’s start things off with the positional previews.
Preview by position
For the first time since 2016, Tennessee football heads into the season with the same starting quarterback it had in the opener the previous year. See what the Vols are looking like at the position with Jarrett Guarantano leading the way.
Tennessee had one of the worst rushing attacks in college football last year. But was that all the fault of the running backs? And where do they stand with all of them coming back? Find out here in our preview of the Vols at the running back position.
There’s no way around the fact that Rocky Top suffered through a historically bad year on the offensive line. And the offseason had incidents that didn’t help things. So where do the Vols stand here heading into 2019? This preview will analyze all that.
UT may have lost its Wide Receiver U title to the Clemson Tigers, but the Vols are loaded at this position for 2019. One of the top units on the roster with all the starters returning raises the expectations. Read our take on whether or not the unit can live up to it.
Given the number of bodies at the position and the highly touted recruits, tight end was an underachieving unit last year for Tennessee football. Can the Vols improve there this year? We provide our analysis of that here.
After being the strongest unit on the team last year, the Vols have to replace all three starters on the defensive line. Do they have the personnel to do it? Here’s a look at all the players in that unit in our preview of it here.
Jeremy Pruitt has lots of bodies at linebacker, including potentially the two best players on the team, but also lots of unproven potential. How will that impact this season? Find out here with our preview of the position.
With numerous returning starters, a great recruiting class and lots of bodies, the Vols could have a very productive secondary. Just how good could the unit be, especially with Pruitt and Derrick Ansley coaching them? We break that down in our preview of it here.
Tennessee football returns everybody on special teams, and its only preseason All-SEC player was Marquez Callaway as a punt returner. So the Vols hope to use this as a big advantage this year. Here’s our take on how and whether or not that can happen.