After a primetime matchup against NC State in the national spotlight a week ago, Tennessee football returns to Neyland Stadium this week where they face Kent State in its final tuneup before SEC play.
Kent State enters the matchup 0-2 and as not only one of the worst teams in the FBS but as the single worse team on Tennessee’s 2024 schedule.
That means that Tennessee is going to get to use a number of players down the depth chart that typically don’t get a ton of playing time. Here are four players that I’m looking forward to watching once this week’s matchup gets out of hand.
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Quarterback Gaston Moore
Tennessee’s backup quarterback is the lone player on this list that’s not a freshman. He’s a veteran in Josh Heupel’s system but still hasn’t played a ton of football.
If Nico Iamaleava were to suffer a season ending injury then we know that Tennessee isn’t going to reach its high goals. But what if Iamaleava misses a game or two with an injury? Can Tennessee beat the likes of Kentucky and Mississippi Sate with Moore?
That’s why Moore getting more game experience and looking good doing it is important. He was shaky against Chattanooga in the opener, completing seven-of-12 passes for 69 yards and an interception. I want to see how he performs in a decent sample size against the Golden Flashes.
Receiver Mike Matthews
Five-star freshman receiver Mike Matthews missed the season opener against Chattanooga with an injury but receivers coach Kelsey Pope said the week after the game that Matthews was nearing his return to the field.
If Matthews is dressed out and ready to go in this one than I’m super excited to watch him play. He’s obviously extremely talented and while I’m skeptical that he’s going to earn a major role this season barring injuries, I still want to see what he’s got.
The Kent State matchup presents a perfect opportunity to do so. I’ll also be curious as to whether he runs more with Gaston Moore or Jake Merklinger.
Linebacker Jalen Smith
Freshman linebacker Jalen Smith was not a player on my radar as a potential contributor early in his freshman season. But after playing well in 23 snaps in Tennessee’s blowout win over Chattanooga and injuries ruling Kalib Perry and Edwin Spillman out against NC State, Smith played some real snaps.
With Perry and Spillman out against NC State, I figured that Tennessee would play just three linebackers against the Wolfpack. Instead, they put Smith in Perry’s role and he played 17 snaps in the win. Perry has recorded five tackles and earned a 69.8 PFF grade through two games.
Smith will almost certainly get a solid amount of playing time against Kent State and I’m excited to see how he performs.
Safety Edrees Farooq
There’s one play from late in Tennessee’s win over NC State that’s been sticking with me this week. Freshman safety Edrees Farooq flew out to the flat and provided a big tackle for loss.
The freshman safety’s recorded four tackles in just 17 snaps played this season and defensive coordinator Tim Banks spoke earlier this week about how good his instincts are.
That combination has suddenly made Farooq a player that I’m optimistic about in the long term. Excited to see what he can do this week against the Golden Flashes.
