Vols football under Butch Jones has too many star recruits not reaching potential

John Adams
Knoxville
Tennessee wide receiver Tyler Byrd (10) calls during the Tennessee Volunteers vs. Florida Gators game at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, Florida on Saturday, September 16, 2017.

Tennessee fans, empowered by the privilege of second-guessing, have been critical of their coaches' game management in the 26-20, last-second loss to Florida. But I'm not piling on.

In fact, coach Butch Jones' game management was actually an improvement over his last trip to The Swamp when he flunked math in a 90,000-seat classroom — or more precisely, failed to figure out that a two-point conversion attempt was needed after Tennessee's last touchdown. Instead, the Vols kicked, and the Gators struck back with two touchdowns in the final minutes for a 28-27 victory.

Don't get the wrong idea, though. I'm not suggesting that Bill Belichick came to mind when UT was managing its goal-line offense or deploying defenders for Florida's game-winning touchdown play last Saturday.

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But I wasn't dazzled by the tactical wizardry of Florida coach Jim McElwain, either.  He wasn't even the best Florida coach on the field, not with former Gators coach Steve Spurrier being honored at the end of the first quarter. 

The most brilliant strategy can be sabotaged by a player's mistake. And the most dimwitted decisions can be overcome by a player's talent.

John Kelly, UT's best offensive player, dropped what should have been a game-winning touchdown pass. Florida quarterback Feleipe Franks' 63-yard, game-winning touchdown pass might be as good of a throw as you will see on a college field all season.

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So, I won't pick apart UT's coverage. Or its game management.

I've got a big-picture complaint. It's also a recurring complaint. Two words: player development.

That's where I see the Vols faltering. There are just too many highly rated recruits — once sought after by numerous big-time programs — who aren't producing results comparable to their recruiting stars. They can't all be busts.

Jones deserves considerable credit for the talent he and his staffs have recruited. But he must get more from that talent.

Ultimately, his job could depend on it.

Did you notice Tennessee sophomore wide receiver Tyler Byrd during the game Saturday? He wasn't even listed on the player participation sheet in the game's stat package. But a colleague remembered seeing him line up in the slot on UT's last offensive series. And another media-type remembered seeing him deliver a block on behalf of Kelly.

So Byrd played. He just didn't play much.

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And if he's not going to play much at receiver, then the Vols need to try him in a secondary that is in jeopardy almost anytime an opposing quarterback releases the ball.

Byrd was a consensus four-star cornerback at Naples, Fla., High School. And if you're going to switch from one side of the ball to the other, wide receiver to cornerback might be the easiest path you could take.

Tennessee linebacker Daniel Bituli (35) tackles Georgia Tech running back Nathan Cottrell (31) during first half action at the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game Monday, Sep. 4, 2017 against Georgia Tech in Atlanta, Ga.

The Vols don't have to switch linebacker Daniel Bituli to help the defense. They just need to get him on the field more.

Granted, the sophomore had little college playing experience before this season. But you only had to watch him for a quarter against Georgia Tech in the season opener to appreciate his talent.

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He hits hard, cover ground and makes plays. What else do you want from your middle linebacker?

Answer: You want him to call the defensive plays. That's why Colton Jumper gets most of the playing time at middle linebacker.

Tennessee linebacker Colton Jumper (53) reacts after sacking Florida quarterback Feleipe Franks (13) during the Tennessee Volunteers vs. Florida Gators game at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, Florida on Saturday, September 16, 2017.

Colleague Blake Toppmeyer offered a suggestion under his byline: Why not let Jumper move to the other linebacker spot in UT's 4-2-5 alignment but keep calling the signals. Then, you could keep Bituli at middle linebacker.

You're probably thinking, "What does some sportswriter know about defense?

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But, after what we've seen so far, you also might be thinking, "What does defensive coordinator Bob Shoop know about defense?"

At least, Toppmeyer is trying to get the best players on the field. If you can do that, the game management might take care of itself.

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.