Tennessee enters the final month of the regular season at 6-2, still in the College Football Playoff conversation despite an offense searching for consistency and a disappointing loss at South Carolina.
During Friday’s episode of Live Ball, former Tennessee defensive back Todd Kelly Jr. evaluated the Vols’ first eight games, highlighting the defensive turnaround under Jim Knowles, the dominance of DeSean Bishop, and the self-inflicted mistakes threatening Tennessee’s postseason aspirations.
Kelly originally projected a 9-3 season but admitted the path to six wins has surprised him.
“I think we’re probably ahead of schedule,” Kelly said. “I didn’t even think we’d be a College Football Playoff team, to be quite frank.”
The good: A defense capable of carrying Tennessee
For Kelly, Tennessee’s biggest strength has been its defense, particularly the immediate impact of transfers Xavier Gilliam, Dejaun Lane, and Amare Campbell.
He also praised the development of returning players Tyree Weathersby and Ty Redmond, pointing to their improved confidence, physicality and execution under Knowles.
“I have not seen this defense break all season,” Kelly said.
Kelly credited Knowles for adapting his terminology to what Tennessee’s returning players already understood while continuing to introduce new defensive looks throughout the season.
That approach has helped establish a defense Kelly believes is capable of carrying Tennessee through its remaining schedule.
“With this defense, we can win out,” Kelly said. “I can’t believe I’m saying that with a first-year defensive coordinator, but absolutely.”
The bad: An offense still searching for balance
While Bishop has become the identity of Tennessee’s offense with 957 rushing yards, Kelly believes the Vols must find ways to complement their rushing attack.
That includes more consistent offensive line play, better execution in the passing game and continued development from freshman quarterback George MacIntyre.
Kelly believes MacIntyre has handled his opportunity well since taking over the starting role, cautioning against placing unrealistic expectations on the young quarterback.
“I think he’s being fairly judged,” Kelly said. “I think he also stepped into the opportunity after losing the quarterback competition ready to go.”
Rather than asking MacIntyre to carry the offense, Kelly wants Tennessee to emphasize quick, intermediate throws that allow its playmakers to create opportunities after the catch.
“I think you encourage George, man, we’re here for you. We’re going to go up and make plays. You saw we can do it even though it was called back. Let’s make these plays and let it actually count,” Kelly said.
His biggest challenge entering November is directed toward Tennessee’s receiving corps, including its tight ends and running backs.
“We’ve got to make plays for our offense,” Kelly said. “We have to complement the rushing attack.”
Which when it came to The Squeeze segment, Kelly said the receivers need to more involved and relied upon to help this team win.
“I think it has to be the receiving core in general, which would include whether it’s the running backs, tight ends, or receivers. … We’ve got to step it up. We’ve got to make plays for our offense. We have to complement the rushing attack,” Kelly said.
The ugly: Self-inflicted mistakes
Tennessee’s 27-24 loss at South Carolina exposed what Kelly considers the team’s most concerning weakness: discipline.
The Vols committed 12 penalties for 90 yards, including infractions that erased multiple touchdowns and explosive plays.
“Good teams don’t do that,” Kelly said. “You have the opportunity to put this game away in Columbia, South Carolina, and you shoot yourself over and over again in the foot.”
Kelly questioned whether Tennessee has consistently practiced the situations it is asking its offense to execute, particularly when moving away from its run-first identity.
He believes the Vols were the better team against South Carolina but failed to demonstrate it because of their mistakes.
“The best team doesn’t always win. It’s the team that makes the fewest mistakes,” Kelly said.
The outlook: Kelly remains bullish on Tennessee
With Kentucky, LSU, Texas A&M and Vanderbilt remaining, Kelly believes Tennessee has an opportunity to turn its disappointing loss into a valuable lesson.
He expects Bishop to finish around 1,400 rushing yards, believes Tennessee can improve its penalty numbers and projects the defense to remain among the nation’s top 20.
“I want him to [reach 1,500 rushing yards], but we got to keep him healthy. I think we’ve got to reduce his carries. I mean, 32 carries, 34 carries, 32 carries again.”
More importantly, he has not backed away from his belief that the Vols can make a postseason run.
“I’m holding on this Tennessee team,” Kelly said. “I’m bullish on just the opportunities that we have as a program, but we’ve got to stick to our identity.”
For Kelly, that identity is clear: Run the football, allow the defense to dictate games and eliminate the mistakes that have prevented Tennessee from reaching its ceiling.
