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Tennessee football’s top five performers through first half of season

By Dean Zulkofske

Tennessee wide receiver Josh Palmer (5) runs the ball after a successful catch during a game between Alabama and Tennessee at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn. on Saturday, Oct. 24, 2020.102420 Ut Bama Gameaction
Tennessee wide receiver Josh Palmer (5) runs the ball after a successful catch during a game between Alabama and Tennessee at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn. on Saturday, Oct. 24, 2020.102420 Ut Bama Gameaction /
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Oct 24, 2020; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee wide receiver Jalin Hyatt (11) celebrates after scoring a touchdown in the second half of a game between Alabama and Tennessee at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn. on Saturday, Oct. 24, 2020. Mandatory Credit: Caitie McMekin-USA TODAY NETWORK
Oct 24, 2020; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee wide receiver Jalin Hyatt (11) celebrates after scoring a touchdown in the second half of a game between Alabama and Tennessee at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn. on Saturday, Oct. 24, 2020. Mandatory Credit: Caitie McMekin-USA TODAY NETWORK /

Entering the bye, these are the top Tennessee football Volunteers through five games.

After jumping out of the gate and snagging two wins against South Carolina and Missouri, Tennessee football dropped their last three games. Now, they are limping into their bye week with a 2-3 record.

The first five games of the season included some dazzling moments of triumph and some all-too-familiar lapses of disappointment. Jeremy Pruitt and the Vols will have five more games to get back to .500 and continue to rebuild this once preeminent football powerhouse.

What the Vols’ record doesn’t show is the hefty contribution from freshmen, transfers, and more or less unlikely characters thus far this season. On top of that, plenty of already established Tennessee football players are either further solidifying their NFL draft stock or making a name for themselves in this shortened conference-only playing schedule.

The future for Rocky Top holds away games at the Arkansas Razorbacks, Auburn Tigers and Vanderbilt Commodores. It also includes a home game against the Texas A&M Aggies before finishing the season at Neyland Stadium against the Florida Gators.

Just as the Vols’ won six straight games to close out the 2019 season, the 2020 group will have their backs’ against the wall with a chance to finish their season on a high note. Can Pruitt pull it out again? His history of doing that and beating Auburn on the road does favor UT.

However, the Vols’ schedule is also harder, as they didn’t play any ranked teams during that winning streak in 2019 but have two top 10 foes left for 2020. This SEC-only slate could prove to be its downfall.

If there’s anything five weeks of SEC football has shown us in 2020, it’s that anything can happen. Who says Tennessee football can’t turn this ship around? Before the page is flipped on the first five games of 2020, let’s take a look at the Vols’ top performers entering the bye week.

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