2008 Tennessee Volunteers football team The 2008 Tennessee Volunteers football team ( variously " Tennessee " or " UT " or the " Vols " ) represented the University of Tennessee in the college football season of 2008 – 2009 . The team was coached by head football coach Phillip Fulmer , in his 16th and final season as head coach . The Vols played their home games in Neyland Stadium and competed in the Eastern Division of the SEC . The 2008 campaign followed of a 10 – 4 2007 season , which saw the Vols win the Eastern Division of the conference and the Outback Bowl . This season marked the ten year anniversary , of Tennessee ' s 1998 BCS National Championship . On November 3 , Fulmer announced that , after winning some 150 games over his career , he will step down from coaching his alma mater at the end of the season . Before the season . Recruiting . The Vols followed the previous year of a top 5 class , with an effort that found the team ranked outside of the top 25 by both major recruiting websites , Rivals . com and Scout . com . The top players of the class where considered to be tight end Aaron Douglas out of Maryville , Tennessee and wide receiver / linebacker E . J . Abrams - Ward out of Thomasville , North Carolina . Douglas played at Tennessee as a redshirt freshman 2009 , transferred to Arizona Western College in the 2010 season and winter of 2010 signed with Alabama , where he participated in spring drills . Douglas was recruited to Tennessee as a tight end , and was moved to tackle by then first year coach Lane Kiffin . When Kiffin left Tennessee for USC , Douglas failed to report for spring drills under new coach Derek Dooley ( American football ) and eventually transferred to Arizona Western . Douglas redshirted his first season at Tennessee under then coach Phillip Fulmer , and a year later developed into an elite offensive lineman under Kiffin and line coach James Cregg . Douglas told the News Sentinel in May 2010 that a third coach in three years flipped the plan he had mapped out for himself “ upside down . ” On Thursday , May 12 , 2011 Police received a call at 8 : 13 a . m . Thursday and , upon investigation , they found Douglas ' body on the second - floor balcony of a Fernandina Beach residence . Douglas was pronounced dead at the scene . Of what was characterized as an accidental drug overdose . Abrams - Ward , a receiver redshirted for the 2008 season , selecting UT over North Carolina in a heated recruiting battle . On January 22 , 2009 UT announced that E . J . Abrams - Ward and Ramone Johnson where no longer members of Tennessee ’ s football team . UT said that the two were dismissed from the team for disciplinary reasons . Coaching changes . Tennessee lost 4 members of their offensive staff . Offensive Coordinator David Cutcliffe accepted the Head Coaching position at Duke . Cutcliffe took along OL / TE coach Matt Luke , and RB coach Kurt Roper . Roper will join the Blue Devils ' staff as Offensive Coordinator . WR coach Trooper Taylor also left the Vols for a coordinator position , accepting a job as Co - Offensive Coordinator at Oklahoma State . Cutcliffe was replaced by Dave Clawson , who comes to Tennessee from the University of Richmond where he was the head coach . Joining Clawson from Richmond is Latrell Scott , who will replace Taylor as the wide receivers coach . Stan Drayton , formerly the running backs coach at Florida , was hired to replace Roper as the running backs coach . Jason Michael , formerly on the staff for the New York Jets , was hired to coach the tight ends , replacing Matt Luke . Defensive coordinator John Chavis interviewed with the Atlanta Falcons but chose to stay at Tennessee . This decision followed a similar decision by defensive ends coach Steve Caldwell . In December 2007 Caldwell chose to stay with Tennessee and turned down an offer to be the Defensive Coordinator at Arkansas . Player news . Tennessee was bolstered by the return of safety Demetrice Morley . Morley was a five star recruit out of Miami , Florida who played for the Vols in 2005 and 2006 before being dismissed from the football team and leaving school for academic reasons . After sitting out the 2007 season , Morley was readmitted to the University in January 2008 and will rejoin the team . Morley told the media that he had been living in his car following his dismissal from the team , but that the birth of his son motivated him to return . Another defensive back , Antonio Gaines , was awarded a sixth year of eligibility by the NCAA in February . Gaines had missed the majority of both the 2003 and 2007 seasons due to injuries . The Vols are also welcoming two major transfer student athletes . Gerald Williams , who originally signed with Tennessee in 2005 has been cleared to join the team after spending finishing up at San Francisco Junior College . Brandon Warren , a Freshmen All American at Florida State has been cleared to play by the NCAA . Discipline . The Volunteer football has also seen its share of off of the field issues since the close of the 2007 season . The first incident of the offeseason occurred during a recruiting weekend . Wide receivers Gerald Jones and Ahmad Paige were cited for a misdemeanor possession of marijuana while hosting a recruit Neither were suspended , but both were required to undertake more frequent drug testing and participate in a police ride along program . Another incident involved redshirt freshman running back Daryl Vereen . Vereen was arrested and charged with public intoxication and underage consumption after an on campus fight . Vereen was required to perform community service and will be under a semester - long curfew . Fulmer also required the entire team to attend 6 A . M . running as punishment for the offense . Offensive lineman Anthony Parker was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct in January . Parker ' s punishment included morning runs , curfew , community service and the police ride along program . Parker was charged after failing to obey the commands of a Knoxville police officer with whom he had previous run - ins . This incident was followed by the arrest of incoming walk - on Vincent Faison for DUI . Faison was suspended for two games . In February , linebacker Dorian Davis and defensive back Antonio Wardlow were dismissed from the team for a violation of team rules . The most recent incident of the offseason involved decorated punter Britton Colquitt . Colquitt was suspended for five games after being arrested and charge with both DUI and leaving the scene of an accident . Colquitt also had his scholarship revoked . Players . Starting lineups and coaches . Head Coach : Phillip Fulmer Offense . Offensive Coordinator / Quarterbacks : Dave Clawson < br > Offensive Scheme : Multiple Wide Receivers : Latrell Scott < br > Offensive Line : Greg Atkins < br > Running Backs : Stan Drayton < br > Tight Ends : Jason Michael Offensive outlook . Coaches < br > Head Coach Phillip Fulmer hired Dave Clawson , formerly the head coach at the University of Richmond , to replace David Cutcliffe as Offensive Coordinator . Greg Atkins ( Offensive Line ) is the only returning coach on the offensive staff . Joining him are newly hired assistants Stan Drayton ( Running Backs ) , Jason Michael , and Latrell Scott ( wide receivers ) . Quarterbacks < br > The Vols must replace graduate Erik Ainge , a 5th round selection of the NY Jets in the 2008 NFL Draft . The leading candidates are Jonathan Crompton , who started one game as an injury replacement for Ainge in 2006 , redshirt freshman B . J . Coleman and redshirt sophomore Nick Stephens . After spring practices , Crompton had minor elbow surgery but should be ready for the season opener and all reports are that Crompton will be the starting quarterback . Running backs < br > Arian Foster saw the majority of time at tailback last season , with relief appearances by LaMarcus Coker , Montario Hardesty , and Lennon Creer . Coker was eventually dismissed from the team following the South Carolina game for a violation of team rules . Foster finished the season with 1193 rushing yards and 12 TDs . Foster , Hardesty and Creer all return and look to see significant time in the backfield . Looking to work his way into the rotation will be Daryl Vereen , a highly touted redshirt freshman . The fullback position may also be used more under Clawson . The starter was supposed to be David Holbert , but he has suffered another ACL injury and is out for the year . To honor Holbert , Arian Foster will wear Holbert ' s # 30 jersey in the season opener at UCLA . With the injury to Holbert , sophomore Kevin Cooper looks to be the starter but true freshman Austin Johnson , who just recently moved from linebacker to fullback , will also compete for playing time . Receivers < br > The Wide Receivers were led by Lucas Taylor and Austin Rogers last season . Taylor had 73 receptions for 1000 yards while Rogers caught 56 passes for 624 yards . Both return for their senior season in 2008 . Joining them will be Senior Josh Briscoe , Junior Quintin Hancock , Sophomores Gerald Jones , who many said was the star of the spring and will also see time at Quarterback , Denarius Moore , and redshirt freshman Ahmad Paige . Offensive line < br > The offensive line returns the entire starting group from late in the 2007 season . The line was shuffled after an injury to Eric Young . Josh McNeil will anchor the line at center , with guards Anthony Parker and Jacques McClendon . Ramon Foster and Chris Scott will be the starters at tackle . This line allowed only 4 sacks during the 2007 season . Many experts predict Anthony Parker to be a First team All - American and for this unit to be the strongest in the SEC . Tight Ends < br > The Tight End position is up in the air following the losses of Chris Brown and Brad Cottam . Brad ' s brother Jeff Cottam and Luke Stocker are the leading candidates for the starting job . Because of the depth issues at tight end , offensive lineman Cody Pope was moved to play the position Current starters ( as of October 6 , 2008 ) Defense . Defensive Coordinator / Linebackers / Associate Head Coach : John Chavis ( 20th year ) < br > Base Defense : Multiple ( 4 – 3 and 3 – 2 – 6 " Mustang " ) Defensive Line : Dan Brooks < br > Defensive Ends : Steve Caldwell < br > Defensive Backs : Larry Slade Position Outlook Coaches < br > 2008 will be the 14th season as Defensive Coordinator for John Chavis . The Defensive staff had been together and unchanged since the 1999 Season , with Dan Brooks , Steve Caldwell and Larry Slade . Defensive Line < br > On the Defensive Line , the Vols must replace two starters at end . Senior Robert Ayers and Junior Wes Brown are the leading candidates at those two spots . Tackles Dan Williams and DeMonte Bolden return after starting for the majority of the 2007 season . Providing depth will be tackles Walter Fisher , Chase Nelson , Donald Langley and Victor Thomas along with ends Ben Martin , Andre Mathis , and Chris Walker . Linebackers < br > The Vols replace two starters in the linebacker corps . Junior Rico McCoy returns to man one of the outside spots . Ellix Wilson , who started the 2008 Outback Bowl at the middle linebacker looks to earn that job for the 2008 season . The other outside spot is up in the air , with Nevin McKenzie seeing the most time there the previous year . Defensive Backs < br > The Defensive Backfield saw a slew of injuries and changes in 2007 , but looks to be much more stable and seasoned in 2008 . The Vols must replace departing safety Jonathan Hefney . Sophomores Eric Berry ( SS ) , Brent Vinson and DeAngelo Willingham ( Cornerbacks ) should return to their spots with special teams phenom , Dennis Rogan expected to see plenty of snaps at both cornerback and safety . SS Demetrice Morley was reinstated in school after academic trouble caused him to miss the 2007 season . He is the leading candidate at the vacant free safety spot . It has also been stated during the off season that Eric Berry could see time on the offensive side of the ball , as he has lined up at quarterback multiple times during spring practice . Projected starters ( Note : Does not include incoming Freshmen ) . Special teams . Position Outlook < br > Sophomore Daniel Lincoln ( kicker ) replaced departing Senior James Wilhoit in 2007 and earned All American Honors . Britton Colquitt returns as punter and will handle kickoffs . Sophomores Dennis Rogan emerged as the main kick and punt returner last , with Lennon Creer joining him as kick returner . Both players return . Projected starters ( Note : Does not include incoming Freshmen ) .