We’re now just one week away from our first official game week, meaning we’ll get our first look at Tennessee’s depth chart ahead of the Syracuse matchup in Atlanta. The paper handed out to the media is sure to be filled with plenty of -OR- designations as the staff won’t want to give too much away.
One thing that they have given away? Their starting quarterback. Joey Aguilar got the nod on Sunday from the staff, winning the battle over Jake Merklinger and George MacIntyre. The rest of the starting spots
on the offense feel pretty set by now, although we don’t know what a couple of the rotations will look like.
Let’s dive into the offense below and take our best guesses.
Quarterback
- Joey Aguilar
- Jake Merklinger
- George MacIntyre
Nothing to really guess about here — it’s the Joey Aguilar show. The former Appalachian State quarterback spent the spring learning UCLA’s offense, only to bolt to Knoxville after Nico Iamaleava took his spot in Los Angeles. Aguilar arrived in May and has spent the last three months diving into Josh Heupel’s offense. Heupel had high praise for Aguilar following Friday’s scrimmage and didn’t waste much time after that naming him the starter.
The staff has grouped Merklinger with Aguilar, with MacIntyre a clear step below in press conference comments, despite MacIntyre’s strong fall camp. You’d have to assume Merklinger has won the backup job based on that and a year head start in the system.
Running Back
- DeSean Bishop, Peyton Lewis, Star Thomas
1A, 1B, 1C here — it’s hard to distinguish any sort of pecking order here. The bottomline here is that all three are going to be used 2022 style. It will be a departure from the bell-cow approach that Tennessee had last season with Dylan Sampson. Running back will be a strength for this team and it will be fascinating to see how the carries are split up early on in the season.
One other note here is that the staff really likes Daune Morris. Any sort of injury to that top three and Morris could find himself on the field as a true freshman.
Wide Receiver
- Chris Brazzell, Mike Matthews, Braylon Staley
- Travis Smith, Amari Jefferson, Radarious Jackson
- Joakim Dodson, Boo Carter, Trey Weary
Undoubtedly the scariest, thinnest and most inexperienced part of this roster, the depth chart seems pretty set. Tennessee needs that top three to get healthy and stay healthy, but it’s a talented group poised to take a big step forward. Brazzell is the obvious veteran that slides into that No. 1 role, but Mike Matthews is the former five-star that could become the focal point of the passing attack. Staley’s speed could be used inside or out.
The intrigue begin after that top three with a handful of freshmen that are going to have to play. We’ll throw Jefferson in that equation as well even with one season of experience at Alabama. Travis Smith has provided several moments in fall camp, while Jefferson has come on late as he continues to get comfortable in a new system.
Where does Boo Carter fit in here? The staff lured him back from flirting with the portal this winter with an apparent promise of some offensive snaps. Has that changed with his recent drama? It’s possible.
The truth is, beyond that top three, we don’t know a whole lot just yet. If some early injuries pop up, things will get mighty interesting on the depth chart. Personally, this all opens the door to more two tight end sets like we saw last season.
Tight End
- Miles Kitselman
- Ethan Davis
- DaSaahn Brame
Kitsleman is back and will return to his TE1 role. The veteran will likely have an even bigger role in the offense this season with issues at receiver. Ethan Davis is poised to take a step forward with Holden Staes out of the picture. As I noted above, it wouldn’t surprise me to see a heavy two tight end look to start the season as Tennessee sorts out some questions at receiver.
Part of that equation might end up being true freshman DaSaahn Brame, who Tennessee wrestled away from Oregon. It’s difficult to keep top prospects off the field in this NIL era, and Brame has already been praised for making plays in camp. He’s an interesting puzzle piece to keep in the back of your mind.
Offensive Line
LT: Lance Heard, David Sanders
LG: Wendell Moe, Sham Umarov
C: Sam Pendleton, William Satterwhite
RG: Jesse Perry, Sham Umarov
RT: David Sanders, Jesse Perry, Bennett Warren
Tennessee will work in four new starters up front and two of those spots are already locked up. Five-star freshman David Sanders will man the right tackle spot while Arizona transfer Wendell Moe will take over at left guard. The center competition between Sam Pendleton and William Satterwhite will determine the rest.
Pendleton, a Notre Dame transfer, is our best guess here. Should that happen, redshirt freshman Jesse Perry has emerged seemingly out of nowhere to put his stamp on the right guard spot. Sham Umarov would likely become your depth at guard while Bennett Warren provides the same at tackle.
It would be interesting to see what happens with injuries here. For example, it seems like the staff might shuffle the elite athlete David Sanders over to the left side should something happen to Heard. If Sanders goes left would Perry kick back out wide to right tackle? If Moe or Perry go down would they kick out Pendleton and roll with Satterwhite at center? We’ll more than likely see a couple of those scenarios play out this season.
Regardless, Tennessee has built some depth here on the offensive line. Quite honestly, some new faces and talent were needed here and Glen Elarbee certainly has that this season. We’ll see how quickly they can come together as a unit.
