The depth chart adjustment that Josh Heupel needs to make before the Tennessee Vols take on the Florida Gators
Tennessee Vols head coach Josh Heupel needs to make a slight depth chart adjustment before his team takes on the Florida Gators on Saturday night in Knoxville. The Vols' offense clearly needs a spark. Tennessee has scored just 37 points on offense over the last two games. UT slowed things down against Oklahoma two weeks […]
Tennessee Vols head coach Josh Heupel needs to make a slight depth chart adjustment before his team takes on the Florida Gators on Saturday night in Knoxville.
The Vols' offense clearly needs a spark. Tennessee has scored just 37 points on offense over the last two games. UT slowed things down against Oklahoma two weeks ago, which limited the offensive production, but after watching the Vols score just 14 points against Arkansas, I'm not sure that Tennessee actually left that many points on the field in Norman after switching to a conservative approach.
One of the players on Tennessee's roster that has the highest ceiling is true freshman wide receiver Mike Matthews. The former five-star recruit has NFL talent. He may not have a ton of experience as a player, but he has game-changing abilities on the field.
Heupel's system can take a little while for young players to learn. But when you have a future NFL player like Matthews on the roster, you have to find a way to get him on the field. Alabama is getting a lot of production from true freshman wide receiver Ryan Williams (who is only 17 years old). And Ohio State is getting a significant amount of production from true freshman wide receiver Jeremiah Smith. There's no reason that the Vols shouldn't be able to get production from their young five-star true freshman wide receiver.
Tennessee has to find a way to fit Matthews into their system — especially with wide receivers Squirrel White and Bru McCoy banged up after the loss to Arkansas. The Vols can't wait on Matthews to fully grasp the system. When you have elite playmakers, you've gotta find a way to get them on the field as quickly as possible (and right now, it's not like Heupel's system is leading to a lot of points in SEC games, so clearly some adjustments need to be made).
Vols quarterback Nico Iamaleava needs an elite playmaker to get the ball to. And that guy needs to be Matthews. Heupel and offensive coordinator Joey Halzle need to figure out a way to get Matthews in space, put him in opportunities to win matchups and put defenses in conflict. The Georgia native has elite ball skills and body control. He doesn't need a busted coverage, tempo, or wide splits to make plays — Matthews just needs opportunities.
Tennessee has a Ferrari sitting in the garage. It's time to take the cover off, crank it up, and hit the interstate. Matthews could be the catalyst that gets this Vols offense going in SEC play.
