So far this spring, every Tennessee player has been asked about Jim Chaney’s early impact on the offense, with most offering up effusive praise for the SEC veteran playcaller.

Brandon Kennedy had a bit of a different take, though.

The former Alabama transfer lineman, now working with his fourth coordinator in his career, offered a Confucius-like take to reporters last week when asked to describe Chaney’s influences thus far.

“When offensive coordinators come in, they bring their different variations of things in but at the end of the day, football is football,” Kennedy said.

“You’re either going to run the ball or pass the ball.”

He's right.

Ironically, Kennedy’s austere comments actually get to the heart of what Chaney has brought to Tennessee this spring though.

As noted many times now, UT’s offensive structure isn’t dramatically different from a year ago under Tyson Helton’s guidance. The verbiage has changed, but mostly, the contrasts from last season are symbolic. At least right now.

It’s confidence. It’s direction.

“It’s about wanting and believing,” senior wideout Marquez Callaway said.

“(Chaney) sees us as higher (than we see ourselves), and he’s trying to get us to see ourselves that high, too. So we go to practice every day and go in the meeting room and try to learn.”

It’s no secret that Tennessee’s offense has limitations. The additions of blue-chip freshmen Wanya Morris, Darnell Wright and Eric Gray are nice, but the Vols still lack a game-breaker (at receiver or tailback) and a cohesive offensive line. Still, by returning such a veteran bunch — 10 starters from the season-finale loss to Vandy — Chaney has worked hard this offseason to reinvigorate a bealgured bunch with plenty of scars and a broken spirit from too many struggles in the past.

The Vols have ranked in the bottom 10 nationally of total offense the last two seasons, yet the same cast of characters believe Chaney is the coach who will unlock what’s gone wrong.

Why?

Confidence and direction.

Chaney is full of spunk and self-assurance. His voice carries weight. He’s as boisterous as any coach on Tennessee’s practice field, offering up a balance of approval and criticism to every position group on offense thus far this spring. In the coming weeks, Chaney will relish the opportunities to go head-to-head against Pruitt and UT’s defense in scrimmages.

That energy has started to trickle down to the players, too.

The offensive lineman love him. Quarterback Jarrett Guarantano has lauded Chaney’s “answers,” while tailback Ty Chandler gleefully discussed his excitement to work with the same coach who turned Sony Michel and Nick Chubb into star NFL rookies.

“I saw what he was doing at Georgia,” Chandler said.

“I was excited about it. I was excited to learn how he would use us, and I’m looking forward to just running through practice like these last (few) days. It’s been a great opportunity, just to learn new things and see things from a different light. His knowledge of the game, I’m just trying to catch up with that and learn as much as I can from him.”

Guys weren’t saying the same things about Helton a year ago.

Sure, there were plenty of positive quotes, but most didn’t truly know a lot about Helton. Chaney doesn’t have that problem. The Vols are well-aware of UGA’s recent offensive success and everyone knows who Drew Brees is.

While confidence alone won’t turn Tennessee into a Top 50 offense this fall — The Vols must block better. They have to create more explosive plays and turn redzone trips into touchdowns — unlike a year ago, a much-maligned unit with a fragile disposition is suddenly singing a tune they believe in.

“We’re learning new things,” Chandler said.

“We’ve just got to go out there and execute it. (Chaney) is going to have a plan there for us.”