Tennessee football’s fall camp ahead of the 2025 season has now concluded its opening four practices.
While there is only so much that is open to the media (typically 15-20 minutes per session), it does give us a small insight into what the team looks like. However, it’s important to note that there’s plenty that goes on behind closed doors that isn’t accounted for.
Here are three thoughts on the offense at this point.
More From RTI: Pair Of Projected Tennessee Football Starters Sidelined During Open Portions Of Sunday’s Practice
Don’t pencil in a starting quarterback yet
There’s an open competition at quarterback for Tennessee this year. If you already had a signal caller penciled in, it’s worth erasing and waiting for the official decision.
As RTI continues to update in our practice observations, neither of the presumed top options, Joey Aguilar or Jake Merklinger, have been perfect. There’s been a good amount of impressive reps from the pair, but also a bit of undesirable throws on air.
We haven’t had the chance to see any quarterbacks throw against defenses, but we’ve seen how they deliver the ball to receivers running routes. In the periods open to the media, which is just a glimpse of the entire practice, Merklinger has been more accurate. That doesn’t mean Aguilar hasn’t turned it up a notch as practices develop and defenses enter the picture, though.
Head coach Josh Heupel noted what will be the deciding factors when he does make the decision. It seems like there’s no leader in the clubhouse at this point, though.
“Constant growth. Don’t make the same mistake twice,” Heupel said after the first practice. “Learn from the other guys that are at the position group. I think that’s important for everybody. No matter what position you’re playing, there’s not enough reps for everybody to get every single look, every single install. So you got to continue to learn from everything. That’s all on the field. And during the course of practice, quarterbacks mastering what we’re doing offensively, that’s controlling run game, pass game, the checks that we have in and all forms of it. There’s a lot that’s on their plate. So communication, then your fundamentals, which is preceded by your eyes, and then deliver an accurate ball. So all those things are going to go into it.”
Wide receiver depth is already noticeable
Tennessee is extremely thin at wide receiver. We knew that going into fall camp, and it’s already showing up.
With projected starter Chris Brazzell II missing time to start the string of practices, the team was already scratching down the depth chart. On Sunday, the other projected outside receiver, Mike Matthews, missed practice. Matthews is expected to be back sooner rather than later, though.
With these two out, it left just five scholarship wide receivers to participate on Sunday. As Adam Sparks of Knox News noted, four of the five have never played a snap of college football. The only one who has is the projected starter in the slot, Braylon Staley, who hardly got run as a true freshman a year ago.
This will mean that true freshmen Travis Smith Jr. and Radarious Jackson are going to be asked to do a lot in their first years. While they certainly look primed to make early impacts, there is still some room for growth. This includes a bit of dropped balls that UT’s staff is aware of and clearly working on improving.
“Young guys don’t have time to be young,” Heupel said ahead of fall camp. “It’s been one of the things that we’ve talked about as a program since we got back in January. Our coaches are responsible for that. Our players are, too. The guys that are vets inside those position rooms. I really like the guys that we have inside the wide receiver room. That’s athletic traits, playmaking ability, their attention to detail. Excited to see that room continue to grow throughout the course of training camp, and really through the season as young guys continue to get better.”
The tight end room is stacked
One way Tennessee can make up for a lack of depth at receiver and possible injuries is at tight end. Last season, Tennessee debuted 12 personnel sets that it consistently went to throughout the year.
I think there is a strong possibility that that could be a big part of the offense again. With Miles Kitselman returning, he could be paired up with Ethan Davis, who is already an extremely strong route runner and pass catcher, in these two tight end looks.
Behind them, there is clear talent, as well. True freshmen DaSaahn Brame and Jack Van Dorselaer have been very impressive and both carry themselves with great maturity. When you throw in returning Cole Harrison, who is banged up at the moment, it’s a deep and scary room for opposing defenses.
“Man, we put a lot on them through spring, through summer, they’ve done a good job investing and making sure, one, just alignment, assignment, understanding what they’re being asked to do has been really good,” UT tight ends coach Alec Abeln said during fall camp. “Obviously, through two days, you know, we’ll find out more as this camp gets going, but like the way they’ve prepared and what they’ve done mentally to put themselves in position for a really good camp.”
