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Tennessee depth chart reflects Volunteers’ youth

By WTOP Staff

STEVE MEGARGEE
AP Sports Writer

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee coach Butch Jones likes to compare guiding a young football team to raising children and watching them mature.

The Volunteers are about to take their first steps.

Tennessee plans to start three freshmen and one junior-college transfer in Sunday’s season opener against Utah State. Ten more freshmen, two redshirt freshmen and three junior-college transfers are in second-team roles. Tennessee’s entire offensive and defensive two-deep includes just six seniors, matching Temple for the fewest of any Football Bowl Subdivision program.

“First games are the games of the unknown,” Jones said, “and we probably have more unknowns than anyone else in the country.”

Likely freshman starters include defensive end Derek Barnett, offensive guard Jashon Robertson and tight end Ethan Wolf. Junior-college transfer Von Pearson is listed as a starting receiver. Tennessee actually has five freshmen atop its depth chart if you include kicker Aaron Medley and kick returner Evan Berry, who are mentioned as co-starters at their respective positions.

Never before has a Tennessee true freshman tight end or defensive lineman started a season opener. Robertson, who opened training camp on the defensive line before moving to offense, would become Tennessee’s fourth true freshman offensive lineman to start an opener.

Freshmen in second-team roles include linebacker Dillon Bates, tight end Daniel Helm, defensive end Dewayne Hendrix, running back Jalen Hurd, linebacker Colton Jumper, strong safety Todd Kelly Jr., receiver Josh Malone, defensive tackle Dimarya Mixon, cornerback Emmanuel Moseley and offensive tackle Coleman Thomas. The second team also features three junior-college transfers (offensive tackle Dontavius Blair, linebacker Chris Weatherd and nose tackle Owen Williams) and two redshirt freshmen (offensive guards Austin Sanders and Brett Kendrick).

“It is exciting because I think it’s the future of Tennessee football,” Jones said. “This football team is going to be intact for many years to come. Along with that you suffer growing pains, but also they’re very talented.”

By contrast, Utah State has six potential senior starters on offense and five more on defense as well as a senior kicker and punter.

The makeup of Tennessee’s depth chart isn’t a surprise, but it does create plenty of uncertainty. Not even the newcomers themselves know how they’ll respond in front of a likely sellout crowd. Barnett acknowledged last week that he’d probably be nervous.

“I’m nervous before every game,” Barnett said. “High school games, I’d get nervous. There are just so many people. I’m not used to (playing in front of) all these people. But it will be a good experience.”

The Vols took steps to prepare their newcomers. Tennessee conducted an open practice at Neyland Stadium this month that drew an announced attendance of 40,000. Jones noted afterward that many of his players had never performed in front of a crowd that large.

Jones still doesn’t know how well they’ll adapt to game situations. He notes that season openers often provide opportunities for teams to try new things that an opponent hadn’t seen from them on tape. An experienced team can adjust to that type of scenario. Jones is hoping his freshmen also are able to handle it.

“How are these individuals really going to react when the scoreboard’s on and it’s for real?” Jones asked. “There are no do-overs. There are no reset buttons.”

NOTES: Less than 2,000 tickets remained for the Utah State game as of early Tuesday afternoon. … Medley and George Bullock continue to compete for Tennessee’s kicking job. Jones said it could end up being a game-time decision. … Cameron Sutton, the Vols’ top cornerback, also will open the season as Tennessee’s main punt returner. Sutton didn’t return any punts last season. … Jones said reserve quarterback Joshua Dobbs, wide receiver Alton “Pig” Howard and Berry all could get opportunities to simulate Utah State star quarterback Chuckie Keeton in practice this week.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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