Special teams: 2
Only one other team returns all of its production in kicking and was better than Tennessee football on that front, the LSU Tigers. Despite losing a ton of talent overall, Ed Orgeron does have Zach Von Rosenberg and Cade York back. When you consider the fact that they return two players with special teams touchdowns, they are slightly ahead of the Vols.
More from Vols Football
- How to Win a GUARANTEED $200 Bonus Betting Just $5 on the Vols vs. Florida!
- Tennessee Football at Florida: Five Keys to a Vols Victory
- Week 3 SEC Power Rankings: Did Tennessee Football’s Win Help At All?
- Week 3 AP Polls: Why Did Tennessee Football Drop in the Polls?
- Tennessee Football: Top Five Performers in 30-13 Win vs. Austin Peay
However, by returning Brent Cimaglia, who now may be the SEC’s best kicker, and both punters in Paxton Brooks and Joe Doyle, the Vols are clear-cut better than everybody else. While the Ole Miss Rebels and Vanderbilt Commodores return both and have better production at punter, Cimaglia is significantly better than both of the place kickers those teams have back.
In the return game, losing Marquez Callaway is tough for the Vols, but adding Velus Jones Jr. may even boost them more than people realize. Only Ole Miss, LSU and the Alabama Crimson Tide return more total special teams touchdowns. Alabama has the most, but their kicking is so horrendous that it’ll always keep them behind UT.
Only Ole Miss, then, has a case, and as we already mentioned, Cimaglia is way better than Logan Luke. That’s the difference. Add in the fact that with the addition of Jones, Ole Miss’ special teams advantage is all but neutralized, and it becomes clear-cut. Only LSU is better here.
Simply put, with the Georgia Bulldogs losing Rodrigo Blankenship, it’s clear that the Vols have one of the best special teams units. That comes even with the departure of special teams coordinator Kevin Sherrer. Punter U is not the only part of this game where UT now has an advantage.