WHO’S BACK
In the kicking game, Josh Heupel has the luxury of returning his placekicker in Chase McGrath and punter Paxton Brooks.
McGrath had a solid year going 12 of 16 with a long of 48 yards.
Brooks was a real weapon last year averaging 44 yards a punt while battling a tender hamstring that prevented him from kicking off. Brooks is healthy and plans to handle both punting and kickoff duties this fall.
Toby Wilson is back as well. Wilson handled kickoff duties last fall when Brooks was unable to do so.
The Vols also return deep snapper Matthew Salansky.
JT Carver returns as a redshirt freshman.
While Heupel is bring back all his kicking legs, he’s not bringing back his wheels in the return game as Velus Jones is off to the NFL.
WHO’S NEW
Tennessee did add a late signee in punter/placekicker Jackson Ross from Australia. Ross committed in June to the Vols.
BY THE NUMBERS
15 — Number of punt return yards allowed on 45 punts last season
126 — Number of kickoff return yards by Jimmy Holiday last year when teams tried to kick away from Velus Jones
42% — Percentage of kickoffs that resulted in touchbacks by kickers Toby Wilson and Paxton Brooks
BIGGEST STRENGTH
If McGrath and Brooks stay healthy then the strength is obviously in the fact that the Vols return as much experience as any team in the country at the placekicker and punter positions. Throw in a returning deep snapper and you have a battery that would make any head comfortable.
BIGGEST CONCERN
Who replaces Velus Jones? I believe Jones fair caught too many kickoffs for touchbacks last year but there’s no question he was a weapon for the Vols kicking game. He had 628 yards in kickoff returns and 272 yards in punt returns. Jones averaged 27.3 yards a kickoff return and 15 yards a punt return.
Tennessee has multiple options to look at in those roles from Trevon Flowers in the punt return game to a number of newcomers like Squirrel White.
In the kickoff return game, Jimmy Holiday and Jaylen Wright are both possibilities. For special teams coordinator Mike Ekeler it will be open competition in fall camp in the return game.
