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Tennessee football’s new offensive analyst Matt Merritt a rising star

By Caleb Calhoun

KNOXVILLE, TN - OCTOBER 11: Detailed view of the checkered endzone at Neyland Stadium during a game between the Tennessee Volunteers and the Chattanooga Mocs on October 11, 2014 in Knoxville, Tennessee. Tennessee won the game 45-10. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
KNOXVILLE, TN - OCTOBER 11: Detailed view of the checkered endzone at Neyland Stadium during a game between the Tennessee Volunteers and the Chattanooga Mocs on October 11, 2014 in Knoxville, Tennessee. Tennessee won the game 45-10. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) /
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He’s already rounded out his offensive staff, but Josh Heupel’s most impressive move may have been an off-field assistant he has reportedly lured to Tennessee football. In the process, he found a rising star in the coaching ranks.

According to John Brice of Football Scoop, the Vols have added Matt Merritt as an offensive analyst. Merritt had actually been hired by Heupel to the UCF Knights weeks before Heupel left to take the UT job.

The last time Merritt was at a Power Five program, he was with the Ohio State Buckeyes from 2013 to 2015, serving as an assistant running backs coach and offensive graduate assistant. That means he developed Ezekiel Elliott and won a national championship while working under head coach Urban Meyer.

Merritt’s most recent season coaching was in 2019 with the James Madison Dukes. Since JMU’s 2020 season didn’t start until this spring, he missed the fall. Still, coaching running backs in his one year there, he produced two All-CAA running backs and an FCS All-American in  Percy Agyei-Obese. In the process, JMU went from 2,708 yards in 2018 to over 4,100 yards in 2019.

That’s not the only place Merritt has overseen a quick, dramatic improvement at the position he coached either. He was with the Elon Phoenix for two years before that, and in 2018, they averaged 199.5 yards a game. A big reason for that was the development of freshman Jaylan Thomas that year, who earned CAA Football Offensive Rookie of the Year.

light. Related Story. Breaking down Vols' new offensive staff

Simply put, Merritt has a solid track record of coaching running backs, and his experience working under Meyer makes him a perfect fit to be an offensive analyst in Heupel’s system. If Heupel has early success with the Vols, he’ll probably emerge into an on-field coach soon enough.

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Given the healthy depth but lack of proven depth Tennessee football is suffering at the running back position right now, an analyst like Merrritt could help find the best players in a big way. There is a variety of backs to choose from, and the range in style of play is huge.

Ty Chandler and Eric Gray transferring and Cody Brown being released from his letter of intent makes running back experience among analysts an even more crucial job. Merritt is a perfect fit for that on Rocky Top.

Running backs have been a huge part of Heupel’s system in the past. If he’s got a good combination of a power back and an all-purpose back, things work much better for him than if he just has an all-purpose back.

Despite the limited experience, Tennessee football does have a combination of both types of players. Tee Hodge, Len’Neth Whitehead and Dee Beckwith are all power backs. Incoming junior college transfer Tiyon Evans is a pure running back. Jabari Small and incoming freshman Jaylen Wright are both speedy, all-purpose backs. Merritt can help breaking down all of those guys.

Next. Vols' 10 must-have 2022 in-state prospects. dark

A graduate of Capital University in Columbus, Ohio, other stops for Merritt include the Old Dominion Monarchs in 2016, St. Charles Prep School in Bexley, Ohio in 2011 and 2012 and his alma mater before that. He played running back and wide receiver in college in the late 2000s.

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