Tennessee isn’t trying to reinvent the wheel as first-year Vols’ head coach Josh Heupel was tasked with last year. This year, the Vols are just trying to improve on one of the most surprising seasons in college football.

Tennessee will hit the practice field on Tuesday for their first scrimmage of preseason camp with several goals in mind. Some are the same objectives that every college football program has, such as “building depth”, “testing newcomers” and “finding chemistry” among a new group of players. Remember, the roster turns over every year.

However, Tennessee’s main goal this fall is much more defined than it was last season. Every player knows just how fast Heupel’s offense is, how the Vols want to attack on defense and that they actually have a coach with a brain in his headset. That hasn’t always been the case.

Here are some directives for the Vols in Tuesday’s scrimmage:

Get upfield NOW

It’s often forgotten that the Vols are aggressive on offense and defense. Everyone is quick to point out that Tennessee’s offense is always on the offensive. Pun intended. However, the Vols are just as aggressive on defense. Tennessee led the SEC in tackles for a loss last season. They want to be every bit as vertical on defense as their offensive counterparts.

“Schematically, we are a vertical-playing team,” UT defensive line coach Rodney Garner said. “We need to play more vertical. We need to be more disruptive. We want to cause chaos.”

That will largely depend on what players develop in the interior of the defensive line.

“We need to get better inside pass rush and we also have to do better maintaining our pass rush lanes,” Garner said. 

Garner was quick to point out that mobile quarterbacks hurt the Vols last season because Tennessee’s defensive line wasn’t attentive enough to hold their running lanes. That has to change – or Tennessee’s record won’t.

“Nobody came to Tennessee to say ‘I want to be 7-6.’” Garner said. “That’s not the standard.”

Find a left tackle SOON

Moving Darnell Wright from left tackle to right tackle, as the Vols plan to do this season, has some potential pitfalls. The Vols are taking one of the most athletic big men in the SEC and moving him from arguably the most important position on the field – other than quarterback – to a position that other Vols could certainly play.

The move says a couple of things about Tennessee and Wright. First, the Vols want to get their best five offensive linemen on the field. Tennessee’s program is not in a position to sit back and wait for a player to learn how to play an offensive line position. That happens in Tuscaloosa and Athens, but not yet in Knoxville. If a young, talented player is more comfortable at left tackle and Wright can play right tackle, which he has done, then the move makes a lot of sense.

However, if the Vols don’t have above average play at left tackle this season, then moving Wright will be questioned. Senior Jeremiah Crawford figures to be the starter at left tackle if he’s not overtaken by sophomore Gerald Mincey. One of the two needs to secure the starting position – and excel – soon. Tennessee’s coaches have said they’d like to have a starting five in place by the second scrimmage of preseason camp, which is next week.

Find THE tailback

Freshman Justin Williams-Thomas is the running back that everyone is talking about and the most likely to supplement what projected starter Jabari Small brings to the Vols this season. However, there are others.

Dylan Sampson might be the fastest player on the team. However, he’s just 5-foot-11, 190 pounds and a freshman. Jaylen Wright is also a speedster, but the sophomore faces similar size issues. Then, there’s Lyn-J Dixon, who is also small and is now playing for his third school in less than a year. These Vols have baggage.

So, all that being stated, it would be nice if Williams-Thomas asserted his role, utilized his elite ability and became a go-to back as soon as possible.

Find THE defensive back transfer that can transform a defense

The most likely candidate to fill this bill is Andre Turrentine, who transferred from Ohio State. Tennessee’s coaching staff would love for him to become a lockdown cornerback they can depend on.

The Vols would also love to find a safety that could curtail some of those long passing plays that plagued the vols last season. Wesley Walker, who transferred from Georgia Tech, is slated for that role.