Tennessee football 2017 breakdown: Special teams has stars in Evan Berry, Trevor Daniel

John Adams
Knoxville
Tennessee defensive back Evan Berry looks behind him while returning a kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown during the second half  Saturday, Oct. 29, 2016, at Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, S.C.

This is the fourth in a series evaluating how Tennessee stands at each position for the 2017 football season. 

Coaches love to talk about the importance of special teams. But Tennessee’s Butch Jones has more to talk about than most coaches.

Evan Berry is an All-America kick returner. Senior Trevor Daniel ranks fourth among all active NCAA punters with a 45.1-yard average.

► Adams:Vols' attrition has taken toll on Butch Jones' approval

Berry and Daniel aren’t just talented. They’re both driven to succeed, which makes them great role models for the entire team, not just special teams.

And Berry is so good at what he does, he seems to elevate everybody else on the kick-return team. The support goes both ways, though.

“I trust my blocks, I trust my teammates, and they trust I will be in the spot where I need to be when that time comes,” Berry said. “They do a great job of making sure they hold their blocks.

“If you go back and look at the film, you really will see that I’m just running. But Micah Abernathy, my off-returner, and Tyler Byrd — they both give key blocks, as well as the front line.”

The way Berry sees it, a few good blocks are all he needs.

“If a player is trying to defeat a block and he’s able to tackle me at the same time, then that’s my fault,” he said. “I feel like that’s a two-on-one matchup, and we should win it every time.”

Berry’s career stats indicate that kick-coverage units have been overmatched for the most part. He made first-team All-American as a junior in 2015 when he averaged 38.3 yards on 21 returns. But his career average is noteworthy, too: 34.2 yards on 49 returns.

That career average might be even higher if he hadn’t missed the last four games of the 2016 season with a knee injury.

Vols punter Trevor Daniel (93) kicks during the Orange & White Game at Neyland Stadium on April 22, 2017. Daniel ranked third in the SEC and 11th nationally last season, averaging 44.6 yards per punt.

Daniel didn’t play his first two seasons at UT but quickly made up for lost time as a redshirt sophomore in 2015. He averaged 47 yards on three punts in his college debut.

In his second game, on a bigger stage, Daniel was even better. The former walk-on punted nine times for a 50-yard average and landed three punts inside the 20 against Oklahoma in Norman.

The Vols still have to decide on a punt returner. One of the leading candidates, sophomore wide receiver Marquez Callaway, averaged 57 yards on two returns last season.

MORE BREAKING DOWN THE VOLS

► Defensive line has potential, needs results

► Linebackers face immediate challenge vs. Georgia Tech

► Secondary: Vols could have big hit in Nigel Warrior

Although Aaron Medley has been UT’s placekicker for the past three seasons, he has been challenged in preseason camp by freshman Brent Cimaglia.

The vet: Medley has hit 43 of 48 field goal attempts from 39 yards or shorter. That’s not his problem.

“Aaron’s thing is the longer field goal,” Jones said. “He can do it. He has the leg strength.”

Tennessee placekicker Aaron Medley (25) kicks for a field goal against Appalachian State during the first half at Neyland Stadium on Thursday, Sept. 1, 2016. (MICHAEL PATRICK/NEWS SENTINEL)

But he hasn’t had the accuracy (9-for-25 on field-goal tries from 40 yards or farther). That failing has created an opportunity for Cimaglia of Franklin.

The future: Cimaglia was 9-for-17 on field-goal attempts and didn’t miss an extra-point try his last two seasons at Page High School. He showed his leg strength on kickoffs as a senior with 33 touchbacks on 47 attempts.

Quote: Daniel: “I want to be the best. I don’t want to get beat by anybody else. I’d like to win the Ray Guy (award). But that’s not my top goal.”

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.