Tennessee football heads into spring practice with a number of new faces and storylines, most of which have little to do with Nico Iamareaba, who has taken over as starting quarterback.
Eight transfers and more than a dozen early-enrolling freshmen will be making their field debuts.
Practice begins March 18th. The Orange and White's spring game is April 13, but due to construction at Neyland Stadium, only 10,000 fans will be able to attend.
Here are 10 questions the Vols should answer during spring practice.
Could Lance Hurd make a case for left tackle?
Lance Hurd, a former five-star recruit who transferred from LSU, was UT's most important addition from the transfer portal.
With Gerald Mincey transferring to Kentucky, Hurd was able to play right tackle. However, he is considered a left tackle long-term, so he could be at that position now. If that happens, John Campbell will move from left tackle to right tackle.
That's why when practice begins, eyes turn directly to offensive line practice to see who will line up with the tackles on either side. But don't be surprised if things change throughout the spring.
What does the new secondary look like?
The turnovers from the defensive secondary are spectacular.
Wesley Walker (Louisville), Tamarion McDonald (Louisville), Donejko Slaughter (Arkansas), Brandon Turnage (Ole Miss), Warren Burrell (Georgia Tech), Deshaun Rucker (South Florida), Jack Latrell (Arizona) transferred.
Kamal Hadden, Jalen McCollough and Gabe Jeudy-Lary have declared for the NFL Draft.
At cornerback, sophomore Ricky Gibson, redshirt freshman Jordan Matthews, Jermod McCoy, a transfer from Oregon State, and Jalen McMurray, a transfer from Temple, are the top options.
At safety, junior Andre Turrentine, sophomore John Slaughter and MTSU transfer Jacoby Thomas should get most of the starting minutes. Jordan Thomas takes the star position.
Other players like Christian Conyear, Christian Harrison, Christian Charles, and freshman Boo Carter would fit somewhere in the secondary. Experimentation and moving parts are expected.
Who will start at left guard?
Andrej Karic started at left guard in early 2023 before suffering a season-ending injury. Redshirt freshman Vicen Lang is expected to come forward. Redshirt freshman Shamrad Umarov will probably move from backup tackle to guard.
Veteran Jackson Lampley could also look at left guard after playing well as the starter at right guard late last season. But starting right guard Javontez Spraggins will miss the spring with an injury, so Lampley will likely be needed there.
Which wide receiver will perform?
With Rhys White and Blue McCoy set to be starters in 2024, that means there will be an opening or two in the tight wide receiver rotation.
Donte Thornton, Chas Nimrod, Caleb Webb and Nathan Leacock are the top candidates to return. Chris Brazell, a transfer from Tulane, five-star freshman Mike Matthews and four-star freshman Braylon Staley join the competition.
Brazell and Thornton, a 2023 transfer from Oregon State, will be compared because they arrived in the same role one year apart. Thornton needs to bounce back from not making an impact last season, and Brazell will benefit from a first impression.
McCoy will miss more reps in the spring as he rehabilitates an ankle injury.
Does Dylan Sampson lead a duo or trio?
In the Citrus Bowl, Dylan Sampson and Cam Seldon rushed on 33 carries for a combined 188 yards. The Vols will feature the piece on certain Saturdays.
But now that Jalen Wright and Jabari Small are gone, the question is how deep the backfield will be.
Khalifa Keith is a 6-foot-1, 230-pound bruiser. Former Kearns standout Deshaun Bishop impressed last spring, but missed most of the season with an injury.
Freshman Peyton Lewis is expected to be limited in the spring due to injury.
So there should be reps in place to either compete for the No. 3 spot or reshuffle the deck, especially with new running backs coach DeRail Sims doing his initial evaluations.
How quickly can you get your tight end ready?
Holden Stace, who transferred to Notre Dame, doesn't have time to sit and watch. He is expected to step into the primary tight end role immediately after Jacob Warren and McCarran Castles exhaust their eligibility.
The same goes for redshirt freshman Ethan Davis, who will be elevated from a promising young prospect to a primary target in the passing game.
The secondary story here is Alabama transfer Myles Kisselman. He's primarily a blocking tight end and special teams player, but UT could test the scope of his skill set.
What else can Niko Iamareava do?
Imaleaba was calm and effective in his first Citrus Bowl start, earning MVP honors with three TD runs and one TD pass.
But let's not forget that he accounted for just 178 of the total offensive yards and only had six sacks. Therefore, there is room for improvement.
This is Imareaba's current attack. How can UT utilize his natural instincts as a runner and ability to throw while running? How can we improve his pocket awareness? What routes will suit his passing strengths?
It should be a fun spring for coach Josh Heupel and offensive coordinator Joey Hartzl to try out Imareaba's skill set.
Can Jake Marklinger claim QB2?
Quarterbacks always get a lot of attention. But in this case, four-star freshman Jake Marklinger could make an impact in the 2024 season.
Veteran walk-on Gaston Moore is Imareaba's backup. However, if Merklinger performs well early on, he could be in contention for the No. 2 spot in the fall.
It's not easy. Last spring, Imareaba went through a lot of growing pains as he adjusted to the tempo, learned the playbook and accelerated his improvement.
How does a new linebackers coach put the puzzle together?
BYU transfer Keenan Pili returns after suffering a season-ending injury in the 2023 opener. Pirri's replacement, Elijah Herring, the team's top tackler, could remain the starter or return to a reserve role.
Jeremiah Telander, Kariv Perry and Jalen Smith have experience.
Arion Carter was an exciting prospect whose talent blossomed before suffering a season-ending injury. There may be limits in spring practice.
That's a lot of puzzle piece for new linebackers coach William Inge, a former Washington assistant who chose UT over Alabama. Inge's first task is to put them together neatly.
Volume beyond Verma?Why Tennessee LB coach William Inge chose UT over Karen DeBoer's University of Alabama
Will Tennessee add or remove more players in the portal?
The transfer portal will be open from April 15th to 30th. That will happen after the spring game, but those decisions will be made before practice ends.
If a player falls down the depth chart, they may consider transferring to another school. If there is a big hole on the depth chart, UT will look to enter the portal of a major player.
I don't expect much activity on the spring portal. But what happens in spring practice will impact the level of movement.
Adam Sparks is a football beat reporter for Tennessee. Emailadam.sparks@knoxnews.com. X, formerly known as Twitter@AdamSparks. Please support strong local journalism by subscribing at . knoxnews.com/subscribe.
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