The Blue Board

UT has alll the weapons to be an amazing offensive football team this year :*** lose one player ( T Poole - RB ) to graduation...*** one SR on this years start off team ( Dallas Thomas )***

QB - T Bray ( Jr) 6-6 220 started since middle of FR year one of the best in the SEC / country this year ...hurt last year for 6 games w thumb injury
RB - Marlin Lane ( Soph) 6-1/ 208 can fly -played behind T Poole who grad last year
WR- J Hunter ( Jr ) 6-4/207 best in conf and could be one of the best in the country , hurt last year in 2nd game vs Fl
WR- D Rick Rogers ( JR) 6-3/220 possible 1st round pick this year , an all SEC WR last year
WR - C Patterson (JR) 6-4/225 # 1 JC player in US last year , ran a 10.3 in the100 two weeks ago in a meet
TE- Cam Clear ( Soph ) 6-6 275 , &/ or My Rivera ( SR ) 6-3 /252 starting TE from last year and leading WR on team from last year

OT - A Richardson ( Soph) 6-7/ 330 FR All American was hurt to start his Fr year but came on strong at end of Fr year
OG- Juwan James ( JR) 6-6/ 329 started for 2 yrs
C - Alex Bullard ( JR) 6-3 / 321 started last year after transferring from Notre Dame
OG- Dallas Thomas (SR) 6-5/ 312 started all 3 yrs at UT
OT- Zach Fulton ( JR ) 6-5 / 337 started last 2 yrs as

Kicking is a question mark even though we have the # 1 HS FG Kicker from 2 yrs ago ( Palardy - JR) and P ( Matt Darr Soph )

**** new OL coach ( Pittman from UNC ) should help the Ol this year as he is teaching to be alot more aggressive ****

How is hunter looking this year? Is he at 100%? I was watching some of the game he played in last year before he was hurt and he looked very good.

I think the Vols will be alot like Arkansas has been the last few years. We can win any game with offense but defense and kicking could lose us any game at the same time. But I think we will be alot better than we have been.9-3 at least.

This. Shoeless knows what's up.

If they do can I be a mod for the bowl season?

Nobody really knows how Hunter is going to turn out. He looks good, but has admitted he doesn't feel the same. C. Patterson could be better than Hunter or DaRick; he hasn't played against SEC competition, but some coaches who have witnessed say he is lights out.

The trump in this deck will be Bray. He will have open receivers; will he be able to take what the d offers and move the chains? Raijon Neal will also be explosive target out of the backfield. The O line should be mature enough to handle the pressure. Plenty of potential there barring ANY injuries...still no depth in roster.

Looking for J. Smith to have breakout year on defense under Sal's watch.

i agree with you but do think the depth will be better this coming year esp on the OL as we have :

Marcus Jackson ( Soph ) 6-3/328 who started a couple of games as a tr fr last year
James Stone ( JR ) 6-3 / 315 started every game for the last two yrs
Alan Posey ( RS/ FR ) 6-6/ 337 red shirt freshman who is pushing for playing time
Marquis Pair ( RS/Soph) 6-5/312 red shirt soph who was projected to start until he got hurt Fr year
Mack Crowder ( RS/ FR) 6-3/ 285 red shirt Fr who is pushing for starting time at C

totally agree and yeah it will get nasty if they dont win 7 or 8 this year

possibly but everyone is back from last year on a OL that gave up the fewest sacks i believe in the SEC last year ; the question is whether they will be able to run the ball which i think they will to some degree b/c def wont be able to stack the box againest the run
**** UT did finally add a RB coach this year in Jay Graham fr South Carolina which should help the running game some *****

I didn't really read much. Bet you have Rodgers, Gronk, Megatron, and Larry Fitz you aren't losing a game period. Not one guy in CFB could line up with any of those guys and not get abused.

Our passing game should be as good as its being billed. Thing about our O-Line is for the most part (save when Matt Simms played) they were excellent in pass pro last year. Everyone says we had a horrible line last year, but they were just inconsistent. Excellent in pass pro and not very good against the run. The running game is the question. Marlin Lane cannot fly as has been said ITT, and we still don't know who our #1 is going to be. I think the line will be better run blocking, but we are still waiting for a RB to emerge, and that will really determine whether we can be like Arky last year (I think our D will be about that good), or more middle of the road.

Agree that there are some interesting parts. We just need one guy to emerge, and after that, the other parts will be fine. I like Jay a lot. No excuse for Dooley not to have him on the staff 2 years ago, but I am happy he is here now. He will definitely be help, and If i had to guess, I think we will be fine.