Tennessee's passing game could be biggest surprise of season

Months of preseason buildup delude us into believing what a college football season might hold.

We evaluate teams based on starters returning, strength of schedule and what they accomplished last season. Then comes the kickoff, and even the most researched aspect of a team is rendered worthless.

A Cam Newton shows up at Auburn from junior college, and the Tigers are off and charging toward a national championship. A Johnny Manziel takes off his redshirt and takes off on a Heisman Trophy season at Texas A&M.

Those are glaring reminders of what folly predicting seasons can be. Yet, predicting, expecting and analyzing how seasons might go before they even start have long been a prominent part of college football.

There’s an appeal to that, especially for fans.

With the 2017 season just weeks away, Tennessee fans aren’t just waiting for the kickoff. They’re waiting for a surprise, waiting for a player or group of players to trample through all the preseason nonsense. That leads me to another prediction, a feeble attempt to guess the biggest surprise waiting UT fans.

It’s the passing game.

A surprise requires preseason uncertainty and potential. The passing game has both.

Ethan Wolf is a proven tight end. Wide receiver Jauan Jennings is one of the best athletes on the team, capable of distinguishing himself at more than one position, and a favorite to win a jump ball over almost any defensive back in the SEC. Wide receiver Josh Smith’s stats won’t turn heads but he  has made enough significant plays to make you wonder how much more he could do if he could stay healthy for an entire season.

That’s what we know. It’s what we don’t know that makes the passing game so intriguing.

Anyone who has seen junior quarterback Quinten Dormandy do more than limber up for a practice will attest to his passing skills. His 10-for-10 passing in the spring game did nothing to dispel the notion that he’s adept at flinging a football.

He hasn’t won the quarterback job yet over another highly prized recruit, redshirt freshman Jarrett Guarantano. But if the competition is close, Dormady would be the wise pick, if for no other reason than that he surely would transfer if he finished second.

The other end of the passing game holds promise, too. Likely starters Tyler Byrd and Marquez Callaway, both former four-star recruits, played just enough last season as freshmen to establish themselves as future playmakers.

Don’t forget about the protection side of the passing game, either. The Vols have plenty of experience in the offensive line and a star recruit in five-star offensive guard Trey Smith.

And don’t be surprised if the passing game clicks right away when the Vols open their season against Georgia Tech. The Yellow Jackets ranked 68th nationally in passing yards allowed per game last season and 114th in sacks.

Of course, Georgia Tech’s defense might have a surprise of its own.

John Adams is a senior columnist. He may be reached at 865-342-6284 or john.adams@knoxnews.com. Follow him at: Twitter.com/johnadamskns.