Tennessee preparing for another dual-threat quarterback in Week 2

Last week it was Chuckie Keeton. This week it’s Fredi Knighton.

The Tennessee Volunteers host Arkansas State Saturday at Neyland Stadium. The Red Wolves enjoyed a 37-10 win over Montana State to open the season, a game where Knighten threw for 219 yards and a touchdown on 19-of-29 passing. Knighton also rushed for 104 yards on 15 attempts.

Tennessee faces its second consecutive matchup against an elusive dual-threat quarterback. Head coach Butch Jones is well aware of Knight’s impressive athletic ability and plans to make the dynamic quarterback the focus in the Vols’ preparation this week.

“[Knighton] is dynamic with the ball in his hands, he can also distribute the football,” Jones said. “He is explosive, dynamic with the ball in his hands. He has to be accounted for with all he does. He can distribute the football. He can flip field position and change the game in one snap.”

Arkansas State uses an uptempo no-huddle offense that usually takes about 8-10 seconds between plays. Sophomore linebacker Jalen Reeves-Maybin sees the differences between Arkansas State’s Knighton and Utah State’s Chuckie Keeton, Tennessee’s opponent in its 38-7 Week 1 win.

“Arkansas State does a little bit more quarterback, designed runs, where the last quarterback (Keeton), he kind of was a scramble guy,” Reeves-Maybin said Tuesday after Tennessee’s practice. “Overall, we’re just trying to keep him in the pocket, and when the quarterback runs, we’ve got to get hits on him. We’ve just got to be able to get (Knighten) on the ground,” Reeves-Maybin said. “I think if we can just put our focus on that, we’ll be all right.”

Tennessee defensive back Justin Coleman had high praise for the Arkansas State quarterback and the tempo of Red Wolves’ offense.

“It’s going to be our fast vs. their fast,” Coleman said. “They’re going to come out and use their speed to dominate. [Knighton] is someone we just can’t let get out of the pocket. When he runs, I can see that he’s devastating and can do some damage to a defense.”

Jason Hall

A former freelance journalist from Nashville, Jason covers Tennessee, Vanderbilt and Kentucky