5. Was there any development with limited spring practice?
As we mentioned in our opening slide, Tennessee football was able to sneak in a few spring practices before the coronavirus pandemic shut everything down. At the time, excitement was surrounding a program that returned so much talent, particularly in the trenches, and was adding a few intriguing early enrollees to the process.
However, with spring ball shutting down so early, development was limited. Although experience is an advantage, it only stays an advantage of those experienced players continue to develop and get better. As a result, how well the players developed on their own during the summer is going to play a huge role in what Jeremy Pruitt is able to do throughout fall camp.
Beyond the experienced guys, though, development is necessary at a few key roles. Rocky Top has to replace its top two receivers, its top tight end, its top defensive back, its signal caller at linebacker and its top edge rusher. Oh, and the long snapper position is open as well, and don’t sleep on how important of a job that is on special teams.
Simply put, the Vols have plenty of things they need to work out, and playing only a couple of spring practice did not help with that. As a result, this five-week period will be crucial. Whatever the players did before they got to this point will play a major role in the effect their experience is able to have on this season going forward.