Tennessee Vols: 5 Players That Could Derail UT’s Season If They Are Lost
By Zach Ragan
Jauan Jennings — Wide Receiver (Junior)
It doesn’t matter who Butch Jones ends up naming as the starting quarterback, the passing game goes through Jauan Jennings.
The junior wide receiver is the most experienced skill position player on the Vols’ roster, but that’s not the only reason he’s so important to Tennessee’s success in 2017.
Jennings is the emotional leader of the offense. When he’s on the field, Tennessee’s offense has a swagger about it. That’s not something the Vols can afford to lose.
Of course there’s also the fact that without Jennings, the Vols would have very little experience at the wide receiver position.
Outside of Jennings, the Vols only had 24 receptions among their receivers returning from last season (not counting redshirt senior Josh Smith, who will miss at least half the season with a collarbone injury).
It’s easy to see why Tennessee is counting on Jennings in a big way this season.