For the Tennessee offense the 2008 season was historic for all the wrong reasons. The Volunteers are coming off an offensive embarrassment in 2008 under former offensive coordinator Dave Clawson. The Vols have nowhere to go but up on the offensive side of the football, literally. At the conclusion of last season the Volunteers were ranked as one of the worst offensive units in the country. 

Quarterbacks:  Jonathan Crompton will be the guy at the quarterback position for the Volunteers.  During Lane Kiffin’s Tuesday press conference he said, “we would never rotate quarterbacks.”  Kiffin also said the quarterback battle during fall camp was extremely close and is completely confident in Nick Stephens’ skills if the need for him arises.  Also, look for Nu’Keese Richardson to take direct snaps in a type of wildcat formation, much as Gerald Jones did in 2008.

Running Backs:  The Vols have a stable full of thoroughbreds at running back. Senior Montario Hardesty leads the backs in experience having rushed for six touchdowns in 2008, the most of any tailback on the roster. Highly touted running back Bryce Brown has been listed as the co-starter with Hardesty. The Wichita, Kansas native was rated the top running back in the nation by Rivals.com. Brown rushed for more than 1,800 yards and 30 touchdowns as a senior in high school. Freshman David Oku will also be getting snaps in the running back rotation; Oku was touted as the top all-purpose back in the country.  After a concussion during Saturday’s preseason scrimmage, sophomore Tauren Poole is listed as questionable for the Vols season opener.

Wide Receivers:  The Volunteers will be extremely thin at the wide receiver position, especially through the first few weeks of the season. Seniors Brandon Warren and Quinton Hancock will have the most experience at receiver heading into the season. Injuries to Gerald Jones, Austin Rodgers and Denarius Moore will all force several freshmen to step up and contribute early to the passing game. Freshmen Nu’Keese Richardson, Marsalis Teague, and Zach Rodgers will all play extensive roles in the passing game. Luckily Denarius Moore was seen running routes with the wide receivers during Monday’s work out and could be back as soon as week two against UCLA.  Monday Kiffin said, “Denarius is officially ahead of schedule.” 

Tight Ends:  The new offensive system has made way for Brad Cottam and Luke Stocker to really step up their involvement in the passing game at tight end. Both have been used extensively in fall camp. “I don't want to jinx the tight ends but I feel this year there's going to be a lot of opportunities come our way," Stocker said when asked about the tight ends involvement in the offense.  Both Cottam and Stocker should see plenty of playing time in 2009.

Fullbacks:  Along with the tight ends the full backs are also seeing a much bigger role in the new offense. Both Kevin Cooper and Austin Johnson have been largely involved in the passing game as well as blocking in the Volunteers running attack. Cooper’s career high in receiving yards was 27 came against UCLA in 2008. Look for that number to jump up significantly in 2009.

Offensive Line: Unfortunately, on Tuesday Kiffin revealed that long time starting center Josh McNeil’s career as a Volunteer could be finished. McNeil will likely have to undergo career ending knee surgery to repair an injury suffered during fall camp. McNeil’s 35 consecutive starts won’t be easy to replace, but senior Cody Sullins will take on that task. A highly publicized battle between the two centers during fall camp has prepared Sullins for the starting role. The rest of the line will be experienced with seniors Vladimir Richard and Jacques McClendon fill out the guard positions and senior Chris Scott at left tackle. Only one offensive line position remains up for grabs with Aaron Douglas and Jarrod Shaw battling at right tackle.