11 storylines to watch heading into Tennessee fall camp

Tennessee is set to hit the practice field on Wednesday morning for the first of many practices throughout August leading into the season-opener against Bowling Green on Sept. 2 at 8 p.m. ET on the SEC Network.

Volquest gets you ready for fall camp with 11 storylines you should being pay attention to as Josh Heupel gears up for his first season as head coach of the Vols.

1. Who wins the starting quarterback job?

There's no question what the No. 1 storyline going into fall camp is. All eyes will be on Tennessee's quarterback room.

Josh Heupel has made it clear that reps will be determined based on practice performance, but how will reps be handed out at the beginning of fall camp? Joe Milton has generated the most buzz this offseason because of his sheer size and skillset, but the Vols will need to correct what ailed him while at Michigan.

Sophomore Harrison Bailey has had a strong summer, finding his voice and building confidence along the way. Bailey won't go down without a fight.

Don't forget about Hendon Hooker. The Virginia Tech transfer is the most experienced out of the bunch and possibly the most consistent. It wouldn't be as big of an upset as some would think if he were to win the job.

2. How does the team come together? Which leaders emerge?

Though it's the second question we're posing, it may be the most important task for Tennessee this fall. Over the last decade, we've seen plenty of UT teams that didn't have great chemistry or leadership. And it led to quite a bit of dysfunction.

It would be surprising if Tennessee had chemistry and leadership issues in Heupel's first season. But the 2021 Vols still need to come together and that begins in fall camp. With so many new faces both on the coaching staff and roster, developing chemistry and leadership could be the difference in winning or losing a game or two.

3. What base defense will the Vols role with?

Tennessee's defensive coaching staff still needs to definitively determine what base defense it's going to run. They rightfully spent spring practice evaluating their personnel, and after adding some more bodies to the roster following spring, they'll likely spend a good chunk of fall camp continuing to do so.

At some point, however, defensive coordinator Tim Banks is going to have to come to a decision on what defense the Vols are going to be best suited for this season. They'll still be multiple, and sure, the defensive look will be based off what the opposition's personnel consists of, but they still need to settle on a base defense.

I would imagine that you'll see Tennessee's defense in a 3-4 alignment most of the time or a 4-2-5 to account for how many receivers are on the field at times in today's era of offensive football.

4. Who wins the starting left tackle job?

Left tackle is one of the most important positions in football and after Wanya Morris transferred to Oklahoma, and Jahmir Johnson transferred to Texas A&M, the Vols will have a new one this season.

Redshirt-senior K'Rojhn Calbert, redshirt-sophomore Dayne Davis and junior college signee Jeremiah Crawford will battle it out to protect the Volunteer quarterback's blindside. After having his knee cleaned up this offseason, Calbert appears to be the favorite heading into camp.

The battle for the left tackle job will also impact where Cade Mays plays along the line. Mays is at his best when playing guard, but he could play tackle if it resulted in the best combination for Tennessee up front.

5. How does the defensive front shake out?

Tennessee's defensive front has experienced more attrition than any other position on the roster, particularly at linebacker.

At inside linebacker, Quavaris Crouch is now at Michigan State and Henry To'o To'o is at Alabama. Texas transfer Juwan Mitchell is expected to step in and play a big role in the middle, but is Jeremy Banks or Aaron Beasley ready to step up next to him?

Along the defensive line, Tennessee added USC defensive lineman Caleb Tremblay and Kansas tackle Da'Jon Terry to offset the transfers of Darel Middleton, Greg Emerson and John Mincey. Tremblay and Terry look poised to step into the starting lineup alongside COVID-senior Matthew Butler.

Several questions surround Rodney Garner's group. Is Kurott Garland, Omari Thomas or Elijah Simmons ready to take the next step? How healthy is COVID-senior LaTrell Bumphus coming off of a torn ACL? Is Aubrey Solomon ready to live up to the hype?

6. What pass rushers emerge?

Factoring in to how the defensive front shakes out is whether or not any pass rushers emerge. The Vols desperately need Tyler Baron, Roman Harrison, Bryson Eason or Morven Jospeh to step up on the edge after losing Deandre Johnson to Miami, and Kivon Bennett to Arkansas State after being kicked off the team.

Junior college signee Byron Young living up to the hype that he generated in the spring would go a long ways towards Tennessee's defense improving upon a miserable 2020 season.

7. Who starts at corner opposite of Alontae Taylor?

Tennessee went into the spring with just Alontae Taylor, Warren Burrell and Kenneth George Jr. at corner. They now enter fall camp with five bodies after adding Auburn transfer Kamal Hadden and Alabama transfer Brandon Turnage.

It's probably safe to assume Taylor starts on one side of the field, but who starts opposite of him? Burrell has had a strong summer, but Hadden and Turnage are sure to give him a run for his money.

With Jaylen McCollough and Trevon Flowers penciled in as the starting safeties, Willie Martinez will also have to figure out who plays nickel. Veteran Theo Jackson is likely the best combination of being someone who can cover and also tackle. But can sophomore Tamarion McDonald or true freshman Christian Charles possibly step up and steal a role in the secondary?

8. How does the running back rotation shake out?

Based off the spring, it looks like sophomore Jabari Small will be the starting back. Junior college signee Tiyon Evans will look to supplant Small after missing a good chunk of spring due to injury, but it's safe to assume the two will be UT's top backs.

But in the SEC, you need three running backs. Freshman Jaylen Wright had a strong spring. Can he contribute in his first year? Is Dee Beckwith ready to assert himself as a playmaker? Can Tee Hodge or Len'Neth Whitehead make a big leap?

9. Who emerges as UT's third wide receiver?

Velus Jones and Jalin Hyatt are Tennessee's two best receivers heading into the season. But the Vols need a third to help replace the departure of Josh Palmer to the NFL.

Cedric Tillman had a strong spring and is now a veteran who may prove to be the most consistent out of the group. Ramel Keyton is also now an upperclassman, but hasn't been able to tap into his potential to this point in his career. The Vols also added Mississippi State transfer JaVonta Payton.

There's a nice group of youngsters for Kodi Burns to play with as well. Andison Coby, Jimmy Holiday, Jimmy Calloway and Walker Merrill are all capable of stepping up and factoring into the rotation this fall.

10. Can the Vols avoid injury?

It's a big question that hangs over every team this time of year. Injuries are a part of the game and far too often steal a player's season before it even begins. The Vols have mostly avoided major injury during fall camp the last couple of seasons. They'll hope to do so once again.

11. Who starts at kicker? And who returns punts and kicks?

With Brent Cimaglia transferring to Georgia Tech, Tennessee will have a new kicker this season. The Vols added USC transfer Chase McGrath over the offseason, signed one of the top kickers in the country in J.T. Carver and return Toby Wilson, who filled in for Cimaglia at the end of last season.

At kick returner, Velus Jones will return kicks, but will he be joined by dynamic freshman Jaylen Wright? The bigger question is at punt returner following the departure of Eric Gray. Like they did in the spring, the Vols will try out several players for the job throughout camp.