WHAT'S AHEAD
Today: Five players who need to make the most of spring practice
Tuesday: Five under-the-radar players to watch
Wednesday: The Good
Thursday: The Bad
Friday: The Unknown
Read more
KNOXVILLE — There's a new coaching staff looking for a new quarterback, new players trying to make their mark at wide receiver and new systems on offense and defense.
Tennessee's first spring practice under coach Butch Jones certainly isn't lacking for storylines worth watching.
The Volunteers open practice Saturday, and the Times Free Press will preview Jones' first practices in Knoxville this week leading up to his pre-practice news conference Friday.
Four months and two days after Tennessee hired him to replace Derek Dooley, Jones and his new coaching staff will hit Haslam Field and begin working with their new team. Tennessee is trying to snap a three-year streak of losing seasons. The Vols haven't reached a bowl game in two seasons.
Will Justin Worley or Nathan Peterman -- or one of two incoming freshmen -- win the battle for the starting quarterback position? Who steps up to replace the departed top four receivers? How does Tennessee rebound from last season's program-worst disaster?
Some of the questions will be answered in the next month, and it all starts in just five days.
Patrick Brown has been the University of Tennessee beat writer since January 2011. A native of Memphis, Brown graduated from UT in May of 2010 with a bachelor’s degree in Journalism/Electronic Media and worked at the Knoxville News Sentinel for two years on the sports editorial staff and as a freelance contributor. If it’s the NBA, the NFL or SEC football and basketball, he’s probably reading about it or watching it on TV. Contact him ...
