Tennessee Football: Predicting the MVP of each position group
The Tennessee Football Volunteers are one week away from the start of their season. The game will take place in Nashville at Nissan Stadium. Many fans lament a season opener not being on campus, but one of the reasons for this is showing off the program in the Midstate where many of the state's best recruits are making plays on Friday nights. Any decision that gets more elite talent on campus is a smart move in my book. Elite talent almost always equals more wins so today I will be going through the talent on campus already and predicting an MVP for each position.
QB – Joe Milton III
The obvious choice here as this will be Milton’s 3rd year in the system, and expectations are sky-high. Milton is arguably the most talented QB in college football with unmatched arm talent and the build needed to inflict pain on would-be tacklers in the run game. The two starts last year for Milton in relief of the injured Hendon Hooker produced two wins including an Orange Bowl MVP performance that saw Milton make big throws in the 4th quarter to secure a big-time victory for the Vols. The accuracy concerns that Milton had in his first year are still a question mark, but the bigger issue in my eyes is Milton’s habit of being a bit of a statue in the pocket. If Milton can take off for big gains on the ground when needed and hit the splash plays in the passing game, he might just find himself in New York as a Heisman finalist.
RB – Jaylen Wright
Tennessee has not seen a group of RBs this talented since 2016 when Alvin Kamara, Jalen Hurd, and John Kelly were toting the rock. The difference between now and then is that Jaylen Wright, Jabari Small, Dylan Sampson, and Cameron Seldon have an offensive head coach that isn’t an insecure buffoon who will run one of them out of the program. I expect all 4 backs to contribute in some way to the offense but none in a bigger way than Jaylen Wright. Wright has the explosiveness to gash opposing defenses and by all accounts is impressing in fall camp. Wright took a huge step last year, but this year could be his coming out party as a truly elite RB.
WR – Dont’e Thornton Jr.
As long as Josh Heupel is the head coach at Tennessee the WRs will put up big numbers due to his ability to scheme them wide open. However, the numbers that Oregon transfer Dont’e Thornton Jr. has the opportunity to put up could be gawdy. Thornton has similar speed to last year's Biletnikoff winner Jalin Hyatt while also being the tallest WR on the roster at 6’5. The go routes and ability to make contested catches could see Thornton match or even exceed Hyatt’s production from last year.
TE – Jacob Warren
Sticking with the experience factor with this choice as this will be Warren’s Redshirt senior season. While Warren may not be the Swiss army knife Princeton Fant was last year, he is a solid receiving option over the middle and in the flats. What pushes him over the top as the MVP for this unit, however, is his blocking ability. All those RBs I mentioned earlier have to love having a big body leading the way or setting the edge for them on running plays. Warren has the knowledge of the scheme and the 6’6 252 frame to be a road grater and help produce the big plays on the ground.
OL – Cooper Mays
The Knoxville native and Tennessee legacy Cooper Mays is the undisputed anchor of the offensive line. The senior center is dealing with some injury issues at the moment in fall camp but should be back by the Florida game at the latest. In 2021 during Cooper’s sophomore season, he went down with an injury and the offensive line took a step back immediately. Having an experienced center such as Cooper for the whole season is likely the difference between the Vols having one of the best offensive lines in the league or being average at best.
DL – Omari Thomas
The Vols had one of the top rush defenses in the SEC last year and Omari Thomas was a big reason why. The big man held down the middle of the line and made his presence known in the pass-rushing game as well as getting two sacks. Thomas really shined against two of the Vol's biggest rivals last year by forcing a huge 4th quarter fumble against Florida and sacking Alabama’s Bryce Young for a 14-yard loss. I expect more of the same from Thomas in 2023 and for him to step us as the alpha dog of the defensive line.
LB – Aaron Beasley
Speaking of alpha dogs, Aaron Beasley’s play in the Orange Bowl was nothing short of dominant. Beasley racked up 12 tackles including 4 TFLs and 2 sacks. Beasley is expected to be the leader of the defense as a whole and the 5th year senior has the talent to do it. Beasley will be the mentor to several talented young freshmen at the position and must set the example for the Vols to improve their overall defense from last year.
DB – Doneiko Slaughter
Slaughter has always had the talent to be a force in the defensive backfield. The Senior from Georgia was plugged into the lineup against Kentucky last year and made the most of his opportunity. Slaughter had a whale of a game laying the wood to a Kentucky receiver causing a deflection which was picked off and then getting an interception of his own later in the game. Slaughter is my MVP for this unit simply because of his ability to be aggressive and go after a game-changing play.