Tennessee football: Five biggest reasons for excitement over Vols 2020 offseason

2. Key players returning to health

One of the early issues that plagued Tennessee football last year was the fact that key players got injured as Jeremy Pruitt was still trying to build a program. That proved costly in the Vols’ two season-opening losses. Now, most are back.

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Emmit Gooden stood out as the biggest loss. He was UT’s only returning major contributor on the defensive line, and he suffered a season-ending injury before the year started. That was a big reason for the Vols struggling so much when it came to stopping the run in their opener against the Georgia State Panthers. Now, though, Gooden is back with a more experienced line.

Beyond Gooden, Baylen Buchanan also had an issue that forced him to miss the season. Now, his status is up in the air for this year, but there’s nothing to suggest that he won’t be able to go yet. He’s another veteran in the secondary, which also struggled early on, who is returning.

Then there is Trevon Flowers. Midway through the season, Flowers broke his leg and suffered a season-ending injury in the process while returning an interception against the Mississippi State Bulldogs. He is now back, and that helps UT’s secondary offset the loss of Nigel Warrior, which is a huge deal.

Flowers and Buchanan could be huge for the Vols. But Gooden is by far the biggest return of the three, and he is part of what leads to our biggest reason for excitement surrounding the Vols offseason heading into 2020.