COLUMBIA, Mo. • Tennessee called itself the youngest team in college football last year when 23 freshmen saw the field for the Volunteers, more than any other team in the country. Logically, the Vols will be older and wiser this year.
Then again, maybe not.
On the heels of another top-five recruiting class, coach Butch Jones plans to play at least 22 freshmen in Saturday’s opener against Bowling Green. In 2013, Jones inherited a program depleted of talent and experience, but the Vols’ youth movement underscores a trend across college football, especially among the schools that land the best recruits.