A look at several questions facing this year’s Vols on the injury front.

Late summer is a time for optimism when it comes to college football. Everybody is 0-0, and even though there likely are holes in your team big enough for Herman “The House” Johnson to walk through, you haven’t lost yet, so life’s good.

When it comes to the ‘08 Vols, I’m pretty pumped. Sure, there are questions — which are all being answered extensively in the Big Orange Roundtable, Week 1 and Week 2 editions so far. But most of the pieces remain from a team that represented the SEC East in the championship game last year and was a bonehead play or two from a senior quarterback away from beating the eventual national champions and making the Bowl Championship Series.

The only “major” losses are that senior quarterback Erik Ainge, who never really was a leader, per se, and one of the greatest linebackers in the history of UT football, Jerod Mayo. Now THAT guy will be missed. But the Vols have plenty of weapons returning.

However, something that I feel has gone largely overlooked this offseason is the number of injuries Tennessee must overcome to be able to put its best team on the field this Fall.  Though few of them are “serious,” there are several that are at least scary when you consider the weight being carried by the players who are hurt. So, I decided to break down the list of injured Vols by order of importance and give you my thoughts on what we should expect for the 2008 season from them.

Also, every Vols fan will be holding his/her breath when preseason practice starts. It seems like every year, we’ll have a key cog injured for the year or a lengthy period of time before the season even starts. Here’s hoping that the guys on the list below are the only ones we’ll have to concern ourselves with…

1. Jr. QB Jonathan Crompton: Arthroscopic elbow surgery

Any time your starting quarterback has arthroscopic surgery on his throwing elbow after spring practice and you’re not somewhat concerned, you’re not being realistic. This is an issue, regardless of what anybody says. The fact that he is already back, throwing the ball with more zip and accuracy than he did prior to the surgery is very encouraging, but he doesn’t need to overwork it. As the clear-cut starter, it is essential that Crompton walks the tightrope of getting enough offseason work with his receivers without affecting him leading into the season. The last time UT had an issue with a quarterback getting hurt in the offseason, incoming freshman Casey Clausen had to sit out a few games rather than compete for the starting job immediately. I’m not comparing the two, only stating that JC needs to take it easy.

FINAL VERDICT: I really think Crompton is going to be OK, and I don’t think there will be any ill effects from the surgery. Nobody is harder on Ainge than I am, but I’d loved to have seen how good he could have been last year without the broken pinkie. I don’t want to see Crompton at less than 100 percent because his game depends on his physical attributes, not his cerebralness. I think Crompton has to play regardless, but I think he’ll be close to full-go by the time the season starts.

2. Jr. C Josh McNeil/OT Anthony Parker: Arthroscopic knee surgery

Let me preface this by saying that McNeil — by all accounts — is fine. And, no, he didn’t injure himself in some wild sexcapade with several women at his apartment. (What? Surely you heard about that … here, here or here.) He has put on a lot of weight this offseason, which was desperately needed given the light weight he played at last season, and he is poised to continue his amazing career. Regardless of all the Anthony Parker hype, McNeil is undoubtedly the leader of what should be the strongest position on the team, and his health is pivotal considering how specialized the center position is. Though under Phillip Fulmer/Greg Adkins’ system, there are linemen on the roster versatile enough to snap and block, McNeil is needed as an anchor inside.

Parker had arthroscopic surgery on BOTH knees, so his situation is a little more alarming, though the second-team All-American is on all the lists again this year. He, like McNeil, is expected to be just fine. But any time you hear of an All-American being injured, it kind of sends chills down your spine.

FINAL VERDICT: I don’t think there is anything to worry about here. McNeil and Parker are offensive linemen. Offensive linemen have knee surgeries. It’s like death, taxes and toothless Bammers. Still, if those knees becomes balky enough that they miss playing time, UT’s chances to win the East will greatly diminish.

3. Jr. RB Montario Hardesty:  Stress fracture in foot

I know for a fact that nobody on the Tennessee roster wants to be on the field worse than Hardesty. Sometimes, people who are injury-prone are at fault because they can’t find their genitals. Hardesty is not one of these guys. He just always seems to get hurt, and it’s always from the knees down, which is simply not good at all for running backs. Therefore, we’ve never really seen what he can do for extended periods of time. But we have things like this to make us wonder …

Now, we’re still worried and wondering about Hardesty — who sat out spring practice with a foot injury. All reports are that he’s doing OK, but we’re wondering still after all of these injuries. It is essential for the Vols to have a complimentary back behind Arian Foster, and though Lennon Creer has shown flashes, a power back like Hardesty would be nice. Especially considering he should feel like he has something to prove as far as living up to potential/expectations.

FINAL VERDICT: I hate to be the enflamed hemmorhoid here but I just can’t count on Hardesty. I’ve been down that road before. It’s like expecting Gerald Williams to make it into Tennessee or expecting us to win a game in the Georgia Dome. I’ll believe it when I see it. Stress fractures have a funny way of popping back up, and if it’s not that, it’s probably just going to be something else for Montario — who by all accounts, is a good kid, even if he couldn’t get along with that idiot Kurt Roper. It saddens me to say this, but Montario Hardesty is the Mike Hampton of the Vols, except Hampton is one of those guys who still hasn’t found his male vitals.

4. Soph. CB Brent Vinson: Left shoulder dislocation

From a talented but frustratingly slow-learning wide receiver to a promising starting cornerback, Vinson had an odd-but-productive freshman year. In the process, he endeared himself to Vols fans everywhere by playing with Iron Man resolve late in the year when the team absolutely had to have him. When it comes to Freshman Love, there has been no Vol in the history of the program more revered after one year than Eric Berry, but Vinson is on the tier below Berry and Peyton Manning in that regard. Several times late last season, Vinson played in severe pain, only to run off the field with his shoulder limp by his side after it popped out of place … again. After having surgery in the offseason, Vinson missed valuable spring time. But he should be battling fellow sophomore Dennis Rogan for the starting right cornerback position. Every UT fan wants to see both of those guys ready, and Vinson has a ways to go before being 100 percent.

FINAL VERDICT: This is a tough one because I think this is a difficult injury to fully recover from in the time that Vinson has had. Still, I think he will not miss any playing time and should be in the mix all season. If I was a betting man, I’d say Rogan has a terrific camp to beat Vinson out for the starting spot, but Vinson is right in the mix all year for the spot opposite DeAngelo Willingham. The Vols have recruited/developed their way to a situation in the defensive backfield that resembles the depth they have along the offensive front … at least this year. Still, every Vols fan knows you’re not keeping Vinson off the field.

5. Sr. WR Lucas Taylor: Arthroscopic shoulder surgery

As Will Ferrell as Harry Caray says, “Maybe I’m just a worrier.” But when your 1,000-yard receiver played much of the last half of last year hurt, missed the bowl game because of (ridiculous) academic issues and then sat out all of spring practice with shoulder surgery, pardon me if the warm-and-fuzzies don’t actually sit with me. As much talent as UT has at receiver (and there is a bevy with Gerald Jones, Josh Briscoe, Austin Rogers, Ahmad Paige, Denarius Moore, Quintin Hancock and probably other guys I’m leaving out), Taylor is the leader. The unquestioned leader. If you need a big catch, Taylor is the guy to go to. It is absolutely essential that Crompton has a couple of seniors in the receiving corps on the field or at his disposal, and Taylor — in my opinion — needs to be that guy 70 percent of the time at least. I think if he’s healthy, he will show Dave Clawson that he is the undoubted No. 1 receiver on this team.

FINAL VERDICT: I’m concerned. Not just because of this injury, but because Taylor is undersized and may have a difficult time staying healthy going against some of the physical cornerbacks in the SEC. What absolutely needs to happen is the emergence of Jones, who is dynamic enough to draw attention from everybody’s No. 1 cornerback. If that happens, I see Taylor being able to terrorize opponents as UT’s “No. 2 receiver” when really he’s just picking up the scraps. That’s how I want to see Taylor. He’s not flashy enough to take over games, but he simply gets the job done, and he needs a bigtime compliment to take some of the pressure off.

6. Jr. CB Marsalous Johnson: Arthroscopic knee surgery

Forgiveness is a big part of football, especially college football. One day, I’m going to have to forgive Erik Ainge for curling up in a fetal position every time he saw the LSU uniforms, though I’ve not gotten to that point. Don’t know if I ever will either, since his UT career is over. At least the Wisconsin game made me not hate him. When it comes to Johnson, even though there were plenty of culprits, his number always comes to mind when I think of D.J. Hall abusing Tennessee last year. Ryan Karl and Jonathan Hefney were as big a part of that debacle as Johnson, but in my head, I see Johnson getting beat. So, he has some making up to do. Under no circumstances should Johnson start, but he is good enough to make some big plays, and he has two years to do so. SO YOU’D BETTER GET STARTED.

FINAL VERDICT: Johnson started seven games last year before getting hurt against Alabama, so he has had plenty of time to recover. I don’t see there being any change in Johnson, but he needs to improve a good bit to break a rotation as solid as UT will be putting on the field. He’ll assuredly be in the mix, but if he has lost a step, it’ll be tough for him to ever seriously contend to start.

7.  Sr. CB Antonio Gaines: Torn left ACL

Anybody who tells you they know what to expect from Gaines is kidding themselves. Heck, I don’t even think the coaches know what they’re getting. He hasn’t played much his entire UT career and then went out and endured a season-ending injury in the second game of the season last year against Southern Miss. Though he was rewarded a sixth year of eligibility, I don’t see Gaines being able to provide anything except depth in the defensive backfield.

FINAL VERDICT: Again, who knows? I really haven’t heard too much about his progress because I don’t think that coaches or anybody who covers the team thinks he’s going to be too much of a factor. Still, with all the injuries the unit suffered last year, we need Gaines available and ready to play. He’s had a lot of time to recoup.

OTHER INJURIES: Rodriguez Wilks and Josh Hawkins are hurt, but both should be back and neither should play much. RS Frosh OL Darris Sawtelle had surgery on both shoulders and will miss the season. Senior FB David Holbert was hurt in the first scrimmage last year with a gruesome knee injury, and his career is over.