Chattanooga Sports Personalities Preview Vols Ahead of SEC Media Days

Chattanooga-(WDEF) With the SEC Media Days set to start on Monday, we thought we’d get a jump start on previewing the Vols.
WGOW Sport Talk hosts ‘Quake’ Scott McMahn and ‘Cowboy Joe’ Varner, along with veteran Times Free Press columnist Mark Wiedmer, share their thoughts on what may lie ahead for Butch Jones fifth season on Rocky Top.
Reporter:”If you’re Butch Jones, how nervous are you. Brand new quarterback and a brand new offensive coordinator.”
Said Cowboy Joe:”Well I don’t think he’s. (chuckles) Yeah. He’s got some things on his mind right now. I’ll say that.”
Said Quake:”Finding a new quarterback coupled with a new offensive coordinator I think will be a huge deal for Tennessee. They should be able to run the football. They’ve got a ton of veteran guys coming back and that offensive line. I really like what John Kelly brought to the table last year. I thought he ran with a purpose.”
Said Wiedmer:”But Tennessee is breaking in a new quarterback who has been around awhile. I think that makes a big difference. They’re not bringing in a true freshman to run this team. I think their quarterbacking could actually in some cases be better. I think (Quinten) Dormandy gives them a chance to hit the deep ball a lot better than they did with Josh.”
Reporter:”Can receiver Jauan Jennings be a break-out star in your opinion?”
Said Wiedmer:”Oh absolutely. I think he can be an All-American.”
Said Quake:”That’s just got to be more of a hook to hang your hat on for Tennessee football this fall is defense this year more than ever.”
Said Cowboy Joe:”Vols fans and critics too. They’re waiting on the real (defensive lineman) Kahlil McKenzie to show up. They’re waiting on (Shy) Tuttle to show up. Not that they haven’t, but I think the expectations for them were so high that they haven’t met those yet.”
Reporter:”Do you sense Vol Nation is behind Butch Jones and feel that he can kind of get them over the hump?”
Said Cowboy Joe:”I think for the most part people like Butch Jones.”
Said Quake:”He has got to win the (SEC) East at some point in the next few. Maybe not this year but next year.”
Said Wiedmer:”With the schedule they’ve got, if they can get by Florida in Gainesville, they could easily win the East. But when you look at the LSU game, I think LSU comes off of both Alabama and Arkansas maybe before they play Tennessee. So they could come in there a little bit beat up.”
Said Quake:”Another big difference I’ve got to point out too is Tennessee football gets a strength coach. They thought they could pull it off without a strength and conditioning coach last year, and I think that’s part of why their injuries happened. It’s part of the reason why they ran out of gas in November.”