The Volquest staff predicts Tennessee football’s stat leaders, MVP this season
We made our Volquest staff picks for the 2023 season last week. Now we turn our attention to who does what for this Tennessee football team, starting with Saturday’s season-opener against Virginia at Nissan Stadium in Nashville.
Below, we make our predictions for Tennessee’s MVP, breakout stars on both sides of the ball and stat leaders for the Vols this season:
Brent Hubbs
Offensive Breakout Star: Dont’e Thornton. Simply put, he’s a really good athlete with terrific size and speed and he plays the most productive position in Josh Heupel’s offense. He has all the makings of a breakout guy.
Defensive Breakout Star: Doneiko Slaughter. He’s completely bought in as a cornerback. I think Slaughter as a boundary corner will show up in the run game and his physical play will give him a chance to be a guy the Vols can isolate on the corner one-on-one with receivers.
Newcomer with the biggest impact on offense: The common answer here is going to be Dont’e Thornton because he is going to put up numbers, but for me it’s John Campbell. Tennessee must find answers at the tackle if the offense is going to reach its potential, which means Campbell must become an anchor on the edge for the offense.
Newcomer with the biggest impact on defense: Kennan Pili. He arrived on the scene as an immediate leader but the question was how much better would he be a year removed from the ACL injury. The reality is that Pili has been better than anyone thought he would be in terms of his athleticism and ability to play in space. Pili is poised to have a big year.
Leading Rusher(s) in Yards, Carries and Touchdowns: Jaylen Wright has had the best fall camp of anyone. He seems to be playing at a different level right now than the rest of the talented runners in the running back room. Wright has become a much more complete runner over the last year and its shown up throughout fall camp.
Leading Receiver(s) in Yards, Catches and Touchdowns: I think Bru McCoy leads the team in catches. Dont’e Thornton leads the team in receiving yards. I think McCoy’s frame has him as the team leader in touchdowns.
Leading Tackler: Kennan Pili. The BYU transfer has been better than anyone expected he would be this fall camp. Pili has been better athletically and has led from the moment he arrived on campus. He has a ton of experience and appears to be thriving in this defense.
Sack Leader: This one is tough because if the Vols have to blitz to get home, then it’s Aaron Beasley. If they are able to get home with four rushers, then a LEO/edge guy is going to lead the team in sacks. So I’m going to go with James Pearce as a guy who puts it together this year to end up leading the team in sacks.
TFL Leader: Aaron Beasley. He led the team with 13 tackles for loss a year ago and his attacking style of play along with the way Tim Banks and Brian Jean-Mary use him will have him lead the team in TFL this fall.
Interception Leader: Kamal Hadden. He can be a feast or famine type guy at corner. He may give up some plays, but he’s going to make plays as well. He won’t be the most consistent corner, but I will take him to lead the team in picks.
2023 Season MVP: If the Vols are going to reach the expectations everyone has for them, then the team MVP has to be Joe Milton. No one wins is football without good quarterback play. Tennessee doesn’t win unless Milton has a big year.
Austin Price
Offensive Breakout Star: Is it fair to say the team’s leading rusher last season will break out? I think so and thus I’m taking Jaylen Wright to continue his surge. He hasn’t played that much football and his growth is noticeable to anyone on campus.
Defensive Breakout Star: I’m going to go Doneiko Slaughter in this spot. He reluctantly moved to corner last year because of injuries and found a new home where he can prosper. He has spent all offseason working on improving his craft and I think it shows up.
Newcomer with the biggest impact on offense: For me it’s going to be John Campbell. He won’t be that noticeable if he does his job well but I think that’s ideal for Tennessee. The Vols needed a tackle to lock down one side and the Miami transfer has done that.
Newcomer with the biggest impact on defense: Keenan Pili comes in more healthy and loving life for his quick stop in Knoxville. The coaching staff has found him more athletic and explosive than they even imagined, and his maturity on the field will pay dividends this fall.
Leading Rusher(s) in Yards, Carries and Touchdowns: I’m going to go Jaylen Wright in all three categories as he continues to blossom.
Leading Receiver(s) in Yards, Catches and Touchdowns: I’m going to take Dont’e Thornton for yards and touchdowns, but I’ll go with Ramel Keyton for catches. Joe Milton has a group he trusts in 2023.
Leading Tackler: Aaron Beasley will lead this team in tackles as he is a nice blend of athleticism and leadership.
Sack Leader: The flashy picks are the young guys but I’ll go Roman Harrison here.
TFL Leader: Much luck with the leader in tackles, it’s going to be Aaron Beasley for me as he has a knack for hitting the gap and getting tackles for loss.
Interception Leader: Gabe Jeudy-Lally is the pick for me here. He is very steady and will make plays pretty consistently in my opinion.
2023 Season MVP: Ultimately for Tennessee to get to where they want to go, it’s got to be Joe Milton in this category. Joe has been tremendous all offseason and now it’s time to see if he can take it to the game field.
Rob Lewis
Offensive Breakout Star: Can he breakout if everyone is expecting him to? That’s my question about Dont’e Thornton. Just about every media member covering the program has had Thornton pegged for stardom since seeing him in the spring. I’m also on that bandwagon.
Defensive Breakout Star: This is a tough one. I’m tempted to say Arion Carter, but no sure he’s going to play enough. I’ll role the dice and say Joshua Josephs. Tennessee is searching for pass rushers. Josephs flashed some as a freshman, let’s see if he takes another step in Year 2.
Newcomer with the biggest impact on offense: Since I’ve already used Thornton let’s go with McCallan Castles (thought about going John Campbell). Tennessee was desperate for tight end help in the transfer portal this offseason and found Castles. He’s had a strong fall camp and is going to have tons of opportunity.
Newcomer with the biggest impact on defense: I think this one is a slam dunk. It’s Keenan Pili and probably won’t be close.
Leading Rusher(s) in Yards, Carries and Touchdowns: I’ll take Jaylen Wright for all three categories. Everyone around the program seems to be expecting a big year from him.
Leading Receiver(s) in Yards, Catches and Touchdowns: I’ll go Bru McCoy for catches and touchdowns (I’m thinking he’ll kill defenses in the red zone) and give me Thornton for yards.
Leading Tackler: Aaron Beasley in a repeat performance from last year.
Sack Leader: Now this one is a mystery. I’ll go with Tyler Baron but that is nothing but a guess.
TFL Leader: Aaron Beasley had nearly twice as many TFLs last year (13.0) as the next closest returning player, Roman Harrison with 7.0. I’ll go with Beasley to do it again.
Interception Leader: Now this is a million dollar question. Tamarion McDonald had two last year, tops among returning players. I’ll take a stab with Wesley Walker.
2023 Season MVP: Tennessee had better hope it’s Joe Milton. That’s my pick.
Eric Cain
Offensive Breakout Star: Jaylen Wright. It’s finally his time to shine.
Defensive Breakout Star: Doneiko Slaughter. Narrowed down to one position, he’ll be more consistent.
Newcomer with the biggest impact on offense: John Campbell. Everyone will pick Dont’e Thornton, but Joe Milton won’t have to worry about his blindside.
Newcomer with the biggest impact on defense: Keenan Pili. He’s probably the most impressive newcomer through camp and that’s saying something.
Leading Rusher(s) in Yards, Carries and Touchdowns: Jaylen Wright, yards. Jaylen Wright, carries, Jabari Small, touchdowns. Small. Jaylen Wright breaks out in a big way but Jabari Small remains the vulture in this offense.
Leading Receiver(s) in Yards, Catches and Touchdowns: Bru McCoy, yards. Bru McCoy, catches. Dont’e Thornton, touchdowns. Bru McCoy is WR1 but Dont’e Thornton will be the biggest playmaker on offense.
Leading Tackler: Aaron Beasley. He’s gotten better every single game he’s played.
Sack Leader: Roman Harrison. Others in the room have higher upside but he will be most consistent and play most snaps.
TFL Leader: Omarr Norman-Lott. The transfer will be a HUGE boost to the interior of D-line.
Interception Leader: Tamarion McDonald. He’ll be where he’s supposed to be.
2023 Season MVP: Joe Milton. I think this offense will once again be a top-10 unit. If that’s the case, the quarterback makes it all happen.
Matt Ray
Offensive Breakout Star: If you’re Tennessee, you need this to be John Campbell. The veteran tackle has played a lot of ball in the ACC. I think he can do it in the SEC as well.
Defensive Breakout Star: Omari Thomas is going to have the opportunity for more one-on-one situations this fall, in my opinion. This should allow him to show up more on the stat sheet. I think he’s a prime candidate here.
Newcomer with the biggest impact on offense: Dont’e Thornton is the safe play here. Tennessee is going to target him with the football early and often. I like his chances to breakout this fall.
Newcomer with the biggest impact on defense: Tennessee has to find an interior pass rush presence, and Omarr Norman-Lott has a real shot to provide that this fall.
Leading Rusher(s) in Yards, Carries and Touchdowns: Guys are going to get touches but if Jaylen Wright continues to build on last season, he will lead the running back room in all of these areas.
Leading Receiver(s) in Yards, Catches and Touchdowns: This is probably the toughest question on the list. Tennessee is going to throw the ball all over the yard. Give me Bru McCoy for catches and touchdowns and Dont’e Thornton for yards.
Leading Tackler: Aaron Beasley will build on last season and lead the Vols in tackles this fall.
Sack Leader: I think I’ll ride with Omarr Norman-Lott here as well. He is going to have the chance to get after the quarterback. I don’t think an EDGE takes this brown this fall. But a Roman Harrison could factor in if so.
TFL Leader: Aaron Beasley goes back-to-back. He led the team here last year and he will this fall again.
Interception Leader: Tennessee has not had a lot of seperation in this category in some time. I think that changes this year. I like the versatile Doneiko Slaughter to lead the team in picks this fall.
2023 Season MVP: In this offense, it is hard pressed to bet against the QB. Although, if all goes according to plan, it will truly be a cast of characters. Give me Joe Milton here.
Grant Ramey
Offensive Breakout Star: Squirrel White. This pick comes down to a combination of Squirrel’s speed, what we saw from his work with Joe Milton in limited opportunities last season and Josh Heupel’s insane knack for scheming wide receivers wide open down the field and attacking vertically. Dont’e Thornton, Bru McCoy and Ramel Keyton will get theirs. But Squirrel’s top-end speed could make him the star.
Defensive Breakout Star: Aaron Beasley. I don’t know if I can get away with the defense’s leading tackler from 2022 being the breakout star for 2023. But it seems like Aaron Beasley has never got a ton of attention, despite his productivity. This season he moves into a much brighter spot light.
Newcomer with the biggest impact on offense: McCallan Castles. Love the Dont’e Thornton and John Campbell picks by my colleagues. But for the sake of being different … give me the 6-foot-5, 233-pound tight end from South Lake Tahoe that everyone calls Cali. He looks the part. People talk about his NFL size and upside. So why not?
Newcomer with the biggest impact on defense: Omarr Norman-Lott. I agree with all the Keenan Pili mentions above. But the more Omarr Norman-Lott produces this season, the more references I get to make to Omar Little and The Wire. Omarr comin!
Leading Rusher(s) in Yards, Carries and Touchdowns: Jaylen Wright. I was going to go with Jabari Small as the touchdown leader, but we’ve just heard too much praise for Jaylen Wright in August. It will be a clean sweep as he stars this season.
Leading Receiver(s) in Yards, Catches and Touchdowns: Squirrel White. Bru McCoy. Dont’e Thornton. Squirrel’s speed and this offense’s love of verticality gives him the most yards. Bru’s status as the old trusty veteran gets him the most targets. Thornton having arguably the most talent gets him in the end zone the most.
Leading Tackler: Aaron Beasley. He did it last year. No reason not to expect him to do it again.
Sack Leader: Aaron Beasley. Maybe it’s recency bias and I just have too many images of Beasley living in the Clemson backfield in the Orange Bowl in December. But man, he ended the season on such a high note that it’s easy to believe he’ll be productive in this category again.
TFL Leader: Aaron Beasley. I didn’t start these predictions expecting to become an Aaron Beasley stan but here I am.
Interception Leader: Doneiko Slaughter. I think he’s the most talented player in the secondary and I’m very interested to see what he looks like as a full-time corner.
2023 Season MVP: Tim Banks and Tennessee’s defense. Cop out? Maybe. The obvious answer and most popular answer is always going to be Joe Milton. But so much attention is going to be placed on Milton being the next Hendon Hooker and the Tennessee offense not missing a beat. But the defense quietly improved last season while the offense led college football in scoring at 46.1 points per game. The Vols don’t have to match that number this season, and Milton doesn’t have to be the exact replica of Hooker, if Tennessee’s defense can take the nexts step and be part of the foundation of this team.
The post The Volquest staff predicts Tennessee football’s stat leaders, MVP this season appeared first on On3.
