It’s the first Game Week of 2019, and Tennessee kicks off their 2019 season in five days. With kick-off so close, it’s time to look at the Vols’ first official depth chart of the year.
Tennessee officially revealed the Week 1 depth chart on Monday prior to their game against Georgia State on Saturday. One of the first things that jumps out is the large amount of “or” on the two-deep.
All in all, there are 18 “ors” and 16 co-starters listed on the Week 1 depth chart. That includes the entire offensive and defensive lines as well. Tennessee’s entire starting five on the offensive line are listed as co-starters as are the three starting spots on the defensive line. That falls in line with everything Tennessee head coach Jeremy Pruitt and his assistants have said this fall camp about the uncertainty with both lines of scrimmage. The starting roles for those two units are still to be determined.
Another thing that stands out is the presence of both Trey Smith and Aubrey Solomon. Neither player has been cleared to play the 2019 season as of yet, but both are featured as co-starters in their respective units. Smith is a co-starter along with Riley Locklear at left guard while Solomon is listed as a co-starter at one of the defensive line positions.
The outright starters on the depth chart are no surprise. Jarrett Guarantano, Ty Chandler, Marquez Callaway, Josh Palmer, Jauan Jennings, Dominick Wood-Anderson, Darrell Taylor, Alontae Taylor, Nigel Warrior, Trevon Flowers, and Brent Cimaglia are all undisputed starters at this point.
On special teams, Ty Chandler and Marquez Callaway are listed as the two primary kick returners while Callaway is the lone player listed at punt returner. Freshman Eric Gray is in the two-deep at kick returner.
Interestingly, Jeremy Banks is listed as the third-string running back despite moving to linebacker for practice last week. Gray is the fourth-string running back.
Freshman linebacker Henry To’oto’o is listed as a co-starter on defense, and fellow freshman linebacker Quavaris Crouch is the No. 2 option at the SAM linebacker position.
As expected, sophomore cornerback Bryce Thompson is not on the depth chart following his indefinite suspension by head coach Jeremy Pruitt on Monday.
In total, there are five true freshmen who are slotted in as starters or co-starters right now for the Vols. Wanya Morris, Darnell Wright, Henry To’oto’o, Elijah Simmons, and Warren Burrell are all listed as potential starters for Week 1. There are four more true freshmen who are the No. 2 option — or are listed as co-backups — on the depth chart. Brian Maurer, Ramel Keyton, Quavaris Crouch, and Jerrod Means are all in the two-deep.
Here’s a full look at Tennessee’s Week 1 depth chart for the Georgia State game:
Offense
QB – Jarrett Guarantano, RS Jr.
JT Shrout, RS Fr. — OR — Brian Maurer, Fr.
RB – Ty Chandler, Jr.
Tim Jordan, Jr.
Jeremy Banks, So.
Eric Gray, Fr.
WR – Marquez Callaway, Sr.
Tyler Byrd, Sr.
Cedric Tillman, RS Fr.
WR – Josh Palmer, Jr.
Ramel Keyton, Fr.
WR – Jauan Jennings, RS Sr.
Brandon Johnson, Sr.
Jacquez Jones, RS So.
TE – Dominick Wood-Anderson, Sr
Austin Pope, RS Jr.
Andrew Craig, RS Jr.
Princeton Fant, RS So.
Jacob Warren, RS Fr.
LT – Wanya Morris, Fr. — OR — Jahmir Johnson, RS Jr.
LG – Riley Lockler, Jr. — OR — Trey Smith, Jr.
C – Brandon Kennedy, RS Sr. — OR — Jerome Carvin, So.
RG – K’Rojhn Calbert, RS So. — OR — Ryan Johnson, RS Jr.
RT – Marcus Tatum, RS Jr. — OR — Darnell Wright, Fr.
Defense
DL – Darel Middleton, Jr. — OR — John Mincey, So. — OR — Ja’Quain Blakely, RS Jr.
DL – Greg Emerson, RS Fr. — OR — Kingston Harris, RS Fr. — OR — Elijah Simmons, Fr.
DL – Matthew Butler, Jr. — OR — Aubrey Solomon, Jr. — OR — LaTrell Bumphus, Jr. — OR — Savion Williams, Jr.
JACK LB – Deandre Johnson, Jr. — OR — Kivon Bennett, RS So.
Roman Harrison, Fr.
SAM LB – Darrell Taylor, RS Sr.
Quavaris Crouch, Fr.
MLB – Daniel Bituli, Sr. — OR — Will Ignont, Jr.
Solon Page III, RS So.
WLB – Henry To’oto’o, Fr. — OR — Shanon Reid, Jr.
J.J. Peterson, RS Fr.
CB – Warren Burrell, Fr. — OR — Shawn Shamburger, Jr.
Kenneth George Jr., RS Jr.
CB – Alontae Taylor, So.
Jerrod Means, Fr.
S – Nigel Warrior, Sr.
Theo Jackson, Jr.
Tyus Fields, Fr.
S – Trevon Flowers, So.
Cheyenne Labruzza, RS So.
Jaylen McCollough, Fr.
Special Teams
K – Brent Cimaglia, Jr.
Paxton Brooks, So.
P – Joe Doyle, RS So. — OR — Paxton Brooks, So.
KO – Paxton Brooks, So.
Brent Cimaglia, Jr.
LS – Riley Lovingood, RS Sr.
KR – Ty Chandler, Jr. and Marquez Callaway, Sr.
Nigel Warrior, Sr.
Eric Gray, Fr.
PR – Marquez Callaway, Sr.
