Volume 1, Issue 4: No. 7 Tennessee Goes Into The Bye On A High
In today's issue, I wrote about Tennessee moving to 6-1 on the season.
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No. 7 Tennessee lost a critical piece to their defense last week in the Florida game with redshirt senior linebacker Keenan Pili. The BYU transfer suffered a torn ACL early in the ball game against the Gators and is out for the remainder of the 2024-25 season. Pili and sophomore linebacker Arion Carter had formed a dynamic duo through the first half of the season. With Pili lost for the year, many fans and analysts wondered how that would impact the Tennessee defense the rest of the season.
The Vols obviously miss Pili and his leadership in the middle. However, through six games sophomore linebacker Jeremiah Telander and Pili have similar grades over at PFF. The former Gainesville Red Elephant has an 82.4 grade against the run this season. Telander’s best trait through two seasons is his tackling and ability to stop the run. The same was true for Pili as his highest-graded trait was also against the run with an 82.6 grade. Alabama ran the ball at Tennessee 34 times for just 75 yards – that amounts to just 2.2 YPC for the game. The Vols should continue to thrive in stifling their opponents against the run even without Pili.
There are some position groups on this Tennessee team that could not afford to lose a player and leader like Pili and still be just as productive. At corner, Jermod McCoy’s availability is huge for Willie Martinez and that position group. On the offensive line, Cooper Mays’ availability is huge for Glenn Elarbee and that position group. At tailback, Dylan Sampson’s availability is huge for De’Rail Sims and that position group. Every position group has different levels of depth right now.
Linebackers coach William Inge’s room looks like it’s going to be OK post-Pili in the second half of the season. Part of that is how much former linebackers coach Brian Jean-Mary rotated last season with Telander, Kalib Perry and Carter, who are three of the main four guys rotating for Inge right now. Both Carter and Telander played a lot as freshman in 2023, and both have played a lot this season, and they’ve played well. Perry is a junior who now plays a key role excelling in coverage behind Telander. Perry has the best coverage grade among Carter, Telander, and Jalen Smith in the Tennessee linebacker room, per PFF. Like Telander, Perry also is one of the best LBs against the run on the team. The aforementioned Smith has the highest tackling grade amount the four linebackers in his 109 snaps this season. Point being, each guy is helping Inge and that room in different ways.
Pili was a really good player for the Vols this season, there is no question about that. However, because of how versatile the Vols’ linebacker room is now with Carter, Telander, Perry, and Smith right now, Tennessee’s defense was able to hold one of college football’s most prolific offenses to just 17 points on Saturday afternoon.
Tennessee could not afford to lose a player like Pili in 2021 or 2022, but because of how well the Vols have recruited and developed at that position, the Vols should be just fine at linebacker the rest of the 2024 season.
TODAY ON THE CHASE THOMAS PODCAST
Chase Thomas is the Sports Renaissance Man, Atlanta Sports Guy & VFL. On today's program, Chase is joined by fellow University of North Georgia alumni Matt Green to recap Week 8 of the college football season, how Tennessee beat Alabama at home again, what happened in Georgia's win over Texas in Austin, the craziness in the Big 12, Oklahoma looking like SEC Nebraska, if USC is in real trouble and much more.
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Today Over At TPL Tennessee
On Mondays, I write my ‘48 Hours’ column following the weekend’s big Tennessee game.
Read a brief excerpt from the column below:
That next Tennessee possession Iamaleava rolled to his right and found star wideout Dont’e Thornton Jr. on a 55-yard bomb to set up the Vols’ second touchdown of the game. It was without a doubt the best throw-and-catch for the Tennessee offense this season and huge for Iamaleava as he continues to grow and develop in head football coach Josh Heupel’s offense. Iamaleava had one more big-time gem of a throw on that third drive as he threw a perfect ball into the back of the end zone for Tulane transfer wideout Chris Brazzell II to reel in for the score. It had been a struggle for the Tennesseee offense from the Oklahoma game to the end of the first half against Alabama, but those three drives from Iamaleava in the second half very well may be a sign that the Vols are starting to gel and find their groove here in the middle of the 2024 season.
You can read the whole piece here:
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Check out the latest episode featuring Tennessee Volunteers wide receivers Kaleb Webb and Dont’e Thornton Jr below.
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The TPL Tennessee Daily Column Schedule
Each day, I write a different column over at TPL Tennessee on the Tennessee Vols all year long.
MONDAY- 48 Hours After Tennessee Vols Recap
TUESDAY- Terrific Tennessee Spotlight
WEDNESDAY- Tennessee Vols Wednesday Wonder
THURSDAY- Know The Foe Vols Game Preview
FRIDAY- 3 Thoughts & 1 Prediction For The Tennessee Vols
SATURDAY- Instant Reaction To Latest Tennessee Vols Game
SUNDAY- Stock Report For The Tennessee Vols
The Chase Thomas Podcast Weekly Lineup
There are a lot of different ways to stay locked in on all the Tennessee Vols podcasting coverage I’m putting out every day.
Below is my weekly podcast lineup, so you always know what’s coming down the pike each day on the program. (Note: There are always surprise special Tennessee Vols guests that pop in throughout the week as well.)
MONDAY - A Pod Divided w/ Fellow University of North Georgia alumni Matt Green
TUESDAY - Tennessee Vols Sports Guys w/ Rocky Top Insider’s Ryan Schumpert, Saturday Down South’s Ethan Stone and Omaha Production’s Jack Foster
WEDNESDAY - More Important Issues w/ Landon Raby & Caleb Mitchell
THURSDAY - A Pod Divided w/ Fellow University of North Georgia alumni Matt Green
FRIDAY - TBA (STAY TUNED)
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Make it a great Monday, everyone.
Best,
Chase