Tennessee football 2020 preview by position: Special teams

Final take

There is potential for Tennessee football to have the best kicking game in the country this year. When you look at what they have in all aspects, their potential is through the roof, and that could be a huge advantage for Jeremy Pruitt’s third program.

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The Vols have the highest-ranking returning place kicker in the SEC in terms of awards in senior Brent Cimaglia. Place kicking is the most important part of special teams, and by all preseason measurements, UT has the best place kicker in the league. That by itself is a big deal and enough to say this unit should be elite.

However, there’s also a ton of potential Paxton Brooks is a proven returning punter who was a highly-touted recruit, and with a full year to himself, he has a chance to get more into rhythm and be elite. The addition of graduate transfer Velus Jones Jr. along with other elite runners in open space in Eric Gray and Ty Chandler should keep at least the kickoff return game elite.

That doesn’t mean there are no questions, though. Obviously, the loss of Marquez Callaway as a punt returner is a big deal. Riley Lovingood was an elite long snapper as well. Those two issues have to be addressed if UT is going to continue the success it had last year and even build on it in certain areas.

Still, there are enough positives with this unit to suggest that Tennessee football should be great in the kicking game. Butch Jones, for all his faults, always stressed this area, and it seems Pruitt is doing it to. With that positive, the Vols could have a major advantage in close games.