Special Teams
Aaron Medley’s slow start to the season proved very costly against Oklahoma and Florida, but he appears to have righted the ship as of late. Trevor Daniel is an absolute machine at punter and has easily been the best surprise of the season with his 47-yard average and amazing propensity for the clutch punt. Coverage on kickoffs and punts has been very good with the exception of the Reggie Davis punt return touchdown for Georgia (which should have come back due to a block in the back).
Evan Berry is (statistically) the best kick-returner in the nation and has really flipped the field for Tennessee in some key situations, while Alvin Kamara and Cam Sutton have proved dynamic as punt returners when opposing teams give them the opportunity for returns. Mark Elder has done an outstanding job with all facets of Tennessee’s special teams, and their consistency is a reflection of that.
Grades:
Daniel: A-
Houston: B+
Reed: A-
Average Grade: A-
