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Tennessee football 2020 preview by position: Special teams

By Caleb Calhoun

KNOXVILLE, TN - OCTOBER 12: Brent Cimaglia #42 kicks the ball held by Joe Doyle #47 of the Tennessee Volunteers against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Neyland Stadium on October 12, 2019 in Knoxville, Tennessee. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)
KNOXVILLE, TN - OCTOBER 12: Brent Cimaglia #42 kicks the ball held by Joe Doyle #47 of the Tennessee Volunteers against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Neyland Stadium on October 12, 2019 in Knoxville, Tennessee. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images) /
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Biggest questions

1. What affects will the changes at long snapper have on the kicking game?

This is the most underrated part of Tennessee football’s special teams. Riley Lovingood was an extremely proven, experienced and reliable long snapper, and despite a couple of mistakes against the South Carolina Gamecocks and Missouri Tigers, he was elite.

Heck, the guy was SEC Special Teams Player of the Week one time back in 2016. Jeremy Pruitt has Matthew Salansky and Will Albright, a scholarship player, as options to replace him. But if Brent Cimaglia is going to continue his high-level production, he needs this aspect to still work out.

2. Who replaces Marquez Callaway as the feature punt returner?

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As we mentioned, Marquez Callaway had three punt returns for a touchdown over the past three seasons, one each year. Without him, the Vols lose a major advantage, and they have no proven punt returners in his place.

We mentioned Eric Gray and what he brings to the table, but he only returned two kickoffs. Outside of him, Jeremy Pruitt has nobody who has proven himself in this role, and that’s a major issue. Simply put, he’ll want to find a replacement quickly.

3. Will Paxton Brooks be consistent as the full-time punter?

Last year, Paxton Brooks didn’t rank too high among SEC punters with his 43 yards per punt average. However, he has proven his strong leg and was a highly-touted recruit, so we know he can deliver in this role.

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The best argument is that Brooks was a by-committee starter and just needs a full year to get into rhythm. This will be his chance to do that. UT is known as Punter U, and they need to be able to put that on display once again. It’s up to Brooks’ consistency for that in 2020.

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