#VolReport: Cracking The Pads

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — It was time to crack some pads on Saturday! Butch Jones led Team 119 through its first practice in pads this spring. Jones had a specific agenda for the day and he was pleased with the results.

“Practice number three, full pads for the first time and sat down and really had a check list of the things that I felt that we needed to get accomplished,” said Jones. “I knew there were probably, maybe unrealistic but as a coach, your standard, your expectations are very high. I wanted to see how we could practice together with pads in terms of staying up, our practice etiquette, from going from all three tempos, which are tag, which are thud and which are tackle.”

Jones continued to have keen focus on details, with the added factor of being able to do it in pads.

“Those are one of the things, from first down to second down to third down and playing situational football to see how we could continue to do that when the pads go on,” he said. “Just our overall style of play, our toughness, our mentality but also the retention of fundamentals in a physical environment.”

At times teams struggle with the entire composition of wearing the pads along with the skills they worked on prior to wearing them. Jones liked what he saw on Saturday.

“A lot of times when you put the pads on for the first time you really forget your fundamental basis that you worked hard on all off-season and then into practice one and practice two,” he said. “I like their mentality, I like their approach to practice but we must become a much more physical football team.

“That was evident today, particularly in the offensive and defensive lines. We can’t use the excuse of missing 10 individuals, everyone is responsible for their own toughness, their own self determination and we have a long ways to go.

“But it is kind of what is expected after practice three. Our overall toughness from a physical standpoint, from a mental standpoint and from an emotional standpoint. I am looking forward to grading the film. I think we will have numerous teaching opportunities.”

ANTICIPATION BUILDS FOR HURD, KAMARA TANDEM

Saturday’s practice in pads provided an early glimpse into the true team speed that Team 119 will take into the 2015 and redshirt sophomore running back Alvin Kamara did not disappoint on that front.

“He’s fast,” said linebacker Jalen Reeves-Maybin. “He had a couple plays today where I know I couldn’t get to him. He’s fast and he works at it; he’s dedicated. I feel like he’s going to help the defense a lot.”

Kamara drew laughs when told of Reeves-Maybin’s comments, saying “I got past him today and he was like, `I didn’t know you were that fast.’ The pads come on and I ain’t trying to get hit.”

Still, the junior college transfer who began his college career with a redshirt year at Alabama has a focused goal on what he hopes to achieve during the spring.

“I just want to show the coaches what I can do,” he said. “I want to show them that I can be a weapon this year. I have an electric running style. Quick, explosive. I feel like I can turn an eight-yard play into 80.”

Many assume that Kamara can be that weapon, especially when paired in the backfield with returning freshman All-AmericanJalen Hurd. Together, Hurd — a 225-pound bruiser — and Kamara — a 195-pound speedster — will look to put pressure on opposing defenses as a sort of “thunder and lightning” duo.

“I think it will be a heck of a pressure on a defense,” said Kamara of what he and Hurd can bring offensively. “Jalen is a bigger body. He can run on the edge and he can pound it on the inside. And me, I can get on the edge and just give them that pressure to have to contain. And working off the play action, it will be fun.”

That sort of complementary play is an exciting prospect for head coach Butch Jones, who was also pleased with the display of athleticism Kamara put forth at Saturday’s practice.

“I think they [Hurd and Kamara] complement each other with their different styles of play. You look at any great program or any great offense, they have more than one marquee back. They have a stable of backs and we haven’t had that luxury here. We are still lacking depth at the running back position, but I see Jalen and Alvin really feeding off each other.”

McDOWELL MIRRORING REEVES-MAYBIN

Sophomore Cortez McDowell came to Tennessee as a safety, spent the bulk of his freshman season playing special teams, and is now in the midst of a transition to the WILL linebacker position. If this career arc looks familiar, you won’t need to look far to find the source: just move one spot down the numerical roster to new No. 21 Jalen Reeves-Maybin.

“He tries to call me his duo,” said McDowell of Reeves-Maybin, the teammate in whose footsteps he’s following so closely. “It’s all good. It’s all fun. We love it. We love to compete. It’s just two brothers going at it.”

Before starting all 13 games at WILL linebacker in 2014 and tying for first on the team with 101 tackles, Reeves-Maybin made his mark as a true freshman standout on special teams in 2013. He led that unit with 11 tackles all the while rotating between reserve linebacker and defensive back.

Enter McDowell, a four-star safety out of Locust Grove, Georgia, who picked up right where Reeves-Maybin left off by amassing a team-leading 14 special teams tackles during his freshman season this fall. And now as he begins to make the full shift to linebacker, McDowell is soaking in as much as he can from his trailblazing counterpart.

“Definitely, definitely he has,” said McDowell when asked if Reeves-Maybin has served as a mentor. “He and Kenny Bynum have both been there with me every day, helping me out. Helping me with my keys, just talking to me and making sure I have everything under control, make sure I’m using my head right. I thank both of them every day.”

Reeves-Maybin was equally complimentary of his positional protégé, heaping praise on the young linebacker for the strides he has made already throughout the offseason.

“I think Cortez is going to be really good,” Reeves-Maybin said. “He’s kind of the same-build player as me, a little faster than me, actually. He’s definitely going to be a good player. He’s going to be able to come in and make an impact on the game. He’s a playmaker.

“Right now it’s his mental game [that is most improved]. He’s smart and he’s savvy enough to know the offense and how it’s going to attack him. He’s looking good.”

JONES PRAISES TUTTLE

The first player Butch Jones pointed out for having a strong practice in Team 119’s debut in pads was freshman defensive lineman Shy Tuttle.

“The one individual who I thought really stepped up and really made his presence felt was Shy Tuttle,” said Jones. “I thought he had a very, very productive and very, very good first day (in pads).”

The five-star defensive tackle came to Rocky Top much-heralded as a high school All-American at North Davidson. The 6-3, 315-pound Tuttle showed his agility with a highlight interception in Saturday’s session.

“(Tuttle) had an unbelievable interception with a tipped football and then finishes off with making the catch as well,” said Jones.

SMITH BACK IN ACTION

Saturday was a special day for Josh Smith. For the first time in 196 days, the wide receiver put on pair of shoulder pads.

It was a milestone of sorts for the Knoxville product, who saw his 2014 season end early after he suffered an ankle injury in the Vols game at Oklahoma on Sept. 13, 2014.

On Saturday, Smith was back on the field in pads and it felt great.

“I haven’t put the pads on in months so I am knocking the rust off,” Smith said following Saturday’s practice. “Coach Z (Zach Azzanni) is coaching me up hard. I am trying to get right.”

Immediately following Smith’s injury, it appeared he would return later in the season, but following the Florida game on Oct. 4, it became apparent that he would have to apply for a redshirt season as the ankle was not making the appropriate progress.

“Getting injured was a shot to my heart,” said Smith. “It was hard, but I am bouncing back now.”

It took a long time for Smith to feel `right.’

“Late in the offseason, where I started rehabbing a lot more,” said Smith. “Rehab was big, now I am close to 100 percent.”

Butch Jones likes the way Smith has continued to have a great demeanor as he worked his way back.

“Josh Smith has had a workmanlike mentality every time he steps inside the building,” said Butch Jones. “He shows up to work everyday.”

MOSELEY MIGHT HAVE MONO

Jones said one of the Vols’ emerging defensive backs Emmanuel Moseley could be sidelined for a while with mononucleosis.

“Emmanuel Moseley is undergoing further examination, he may have Mono right now,” said Jones. “So we are going through that. So Emmanuel wasn’t able to practice today.”

The 5-11, 175-pound Moseley saw action as a reserve cornerback in his freshman season, making 18 tackles in 13 games. He has drawn high praise from Jones and defensive backs coach Willie Martinez since arriving on Rocky Top.

SOUND BITES

Here are sound bites from #Team119:

HEAD COACH BUTCH JONES

»(On the challenge of developing toughness with limited numbers)

“It is a challenge but you can never use it as an excuse. I think of it and we all think of it as an opportunity, it is a tremendous opportunity. But you just don’t develop toughness or a physicality just in team and an 11-on-11 setting. It may be one-on-ones, it could be as simple as in drill work. So there is a lot that goes into the physical makeup of practice. I think our players are trying. Again, I like their effort, I like their mentality, I like their overall approach. It is just getting back to playing football. Those are all things that you expect in practice three. Now if we are having the same conversation next week and the following week, then I will be concerned. But it is nothing to be concerned about. Right now after practice three you are asking me my thoughts and those are my thoughts, that we have to be a much more physical football team. Again, we are limited a little bit on the perimeter of our offense as well. But I do like a lot of the things that our three quarterbacks did as well today.”

»(On what he needs to see from linebacker Gavin Bryant)

“Consistency. The football intelligence part of it. Gavin stood out a little bit today. When Gavin knows his assignments and he knows what he is doing and when he plays with confidence he attacks things down hill. Gavin is a very explosive football player and I liked some of the things I saw from him today. When we talk about Cortez, you talk about Gavin or you talk about Dillon, we also need them to make their impact on special teams too. When you look at the monumental change that we have made from year one to year two in the growth and development of our special teams, a lot of that was from younger players that are all back and it is understanding your role and doing your job. And understanding that responsibility. So we also now, when you add Gavin Bryant to your special teams, he needs to continue to be a big time special team player for us. Devaun Swafford, we have challenged him as well in the special teams game and Dillon Bates as well, as these are individuals that can run, they are very athletic and they are very explosive.”

»(On the possibility of having a playmaker like Cameron Sutton at nickel)

“You need. That is the world that we live in. Very rarely are you in base defense in today’s world, you are in nickel and you are in dime. That is one of the things that we really felt set back our growth and development as a defense, we have not had the luxury of playing in any of our dime packages because of the lack of depth at the defensive back position. We have tried to really concentrate on that this year through the recruiting process particularly in this years incoming class. But again it is developing that overall depth but you saw what Justin Coleman, we were a much better defense last year because we had the luxury of moving Justin Coleman to nickel. Nickel is a critical, critical position in your defense, it is one of your most important positions on your defense but it is also one of the most challenging because of what you ask of that nickel. He has to be able to play zone coverage, he has to be able to play man coverage and usually lock up on the fastest receiver that is in the slot. But he also has to have the physicality to set the edge of your defense, be able to win at the junction point and get off blocks and sometimes there is a tight end split out there. It takes a little bit different player to play at the nickel position.”

RS SOPHOMORE RUNNING BACK ALVIN KAMARA

»(On the first day in pads)

“First day in pads is always kind of jittery. Guys ready to hit, haven’t been in pads in a while. So guys just getting used to having those shoulder pads those on and being able to have full contact. It’s fun, people getting inside the pads and being able to hit a little bit.”

»(On his focus through the first spring practices)

“Just trying not to overthink things. It’s easy to get in a new system and overthink the simple things. So I’m trying to just take the directions the coaches are giving me and run with them. I’m trying not to overcomplicate things.”

»(Comparing UT practices to those at the other programs he’s been in)

“It’s really just the tempo. Coach Jones is fast and furious; that’s our offense. So the tempo is really fast the whole practice. So getting used to that tempo is what I’ve been really been getting used to. It’s really different. It’s a lot faster. When you get in it and just get moving with practice, that tempo kind of catches you off guard a little bit. You’ve got to bear down and get right with the tempo.”

SOPHOMORE LINEBACKER CORTZ McDOWELL

»(On making an impact on special teams last season)

“I just wanted to come in and help the team out in any way I could. Going through the recruiting process, the main thing was to get here and play special teams. I learned my role every day, but the main thing was to work on special teams.”

»(On the transition from safety to linebacker)

“It was a smooth transition. I’m more comfortable in the box. The transition from safety to linebacker has been a blast. At linebacker I have guys like [Jalen Reeves] Maybin and Kenny Bynum who’ve helped me transition and get better every day. So I’m thankful for those two guys right there.”

»(On the necessary adjustments in moving from safety to linebacker)

“Be more physical with my hands. That and reading my keys. Everything is so compact, so how to read your keys on the fly and how to use your hands with o-linemen coming at you. So you’ve got to be real physical in the box.”

JUNIOR LINEBACKER JALEN REEVES-MAYBIN

»(On improvements of the defense)

“I feel like we hit the ground running this spring. Even with the young guys I feel like they are catching up really fast. We are just trying to take it as high as we can go. We want to be the best defense in the country.”

»(On how it felt to finally put pads on)

“It was great. I feel like we got a late start to spring. Everybody has been itching with two days of no pads. It gets everyone hungry. Everyone came today with good energy and ready to go.”

»(On best hit of the day)

“I’m going to say Gavin Bryant on Ray Raulerson. Gavin is probably one of the hardest hitters on this team. If someone is in his way when he is running it is not a good place to be.”

RS SOPHOMORE WIDE RECEIVER JOSH SMITH

»On Alvin Kamara’s impact on the offense)

“Alvin’s a playmaker for sure and I noticed that right as he came in, making plays left and right in the offseason. You can see how hard he works and his work ethic. It was clear. You knew there was something to him. You can see I it on the practice field, now let’s see it in games.”

»(On having so many talented weapons on offense)

“It’s a good thing for us, it takes a lot of pressure off us. You get to block for him, you get to see the big plays he they can produce. It’s exciting to see success for the other guys.”

»(On his weight gain)

“I was 195, now I’m 208. I have put on a lot of weight and a lot of muscle. I feel blocking, I am a lot more comfortable. Putting on the weight was a success. It will help a lot, there’s no jamming me. It’s fun getting bigger and stronger.”

RS SOPHOMORE DEFENSIVE LINEMAN KENDAL VICKERS

»(On taking the spring practice as an extra opportunity with so many other guys out)

“I feel that way, but when everyone gets back we are going to work as one. We have only have one goal and purpose. When everyone gets back we are going to working 100 miles per hour.”

»(On ever having envisioned to be a defensive tackle)

“I came into college doing whatever I had to do to help the team win. It didn’t really affect me in any way. I just came in doing what I could do to get on the field.”

»(On if the goal of defensive tackle this spring is to be in the rotation)

“We are going to need everybody to step up including myself. Everybody has had their year to shine. I think I need to be a guy to step up, try to help the team lead and do whatever I can.”

RS SOPHOMORE OFFENSIVE LINEMAN BRETT KENDRICK

»​(On improvement during the winter)

“I realized I wasn’t where I need to be in the weight room. I needed to get stronger and more physical so just seeing that and there was some stuff with my pass sets not being square enough. I really learned and being able to see it against other SEC teams really helped me learn. I put the work in during the winter.”

»(On playing opportunities)

“There is a huge opportunity for me. We have Kyler (Kerbyson), (Dontavius) Blair, myself and now Jack Jones, so you look at us saying they can play guard and tackle. I really pride myself on being able to play tackle, play to the high level and work my pass sets are good as I can. That has been a huge opportunity for me. Normally there are a lot of tackles out there, so just being out there and getting extra tackle reps when I can.”

RS SENIOR OFFENSIVE LINEMAN KYLER KERBYSON

»(On depth at offensive line)

“Depth always helps at any position that you have and having these new guys just gives us older guys more opportunity to coach, which is great. I love teaching Jack [Jones] and Chance [Hall] all new kind of stuff that they haven’t experienced yet. It really gives us a chance to see what they got.”

»(On what he has seen from the freshmen offensive linemen)

“They are hard workers. It is hard to make the transition from high school, I mean they are supposed to be going to their senior prom in a few months. So that is always really hard for them. But they are making strides and they are trying. That is all you can ask for is effort out of those guys.”

»(On what he is focusing on this spring)

“I am just focusing on solidifying that tackle spot. I told Coach Mo [Mohoney] that I really wanted to play in a position that I am probably going to play in the fall with Marcus [Jackson] having his surgery and not practicing. He left me there which was nice, so I will be able to concentrate on that.”