KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Under on and off rain showers, Team 119 practiced for the fifth time this spring. The Vols' assistant coaches met with the media following practice. They provided some detailed updates as the Vols head into Saturday's practice at Neyland Stadium.
DeBORD'S SIGNAL-CALLER SCOOP
Coach DeBord addressed the progression of the quarterbacks today, noting the improvements of Joshua Dobbs, Quinten Dormady, and Jauan Jennings.
Though DeBord believes that Joshua Dobbs has improved his feet movement, he still has a little work to do.
"We talk about three quicknesses at the quarterback position: the mental, the arm, and the feet," DeBord said. "Mentally, he's quick that way and he's really, again he's got a strong arm and a quick arm, but he's just got to continue to get better with his feet."
DeBord has been impressed with how Dormady has handled the transition from high school to college football at such a quick pace.
"We have to remember that he should be in high school right now. He's out here and we've thrown a lot of football at him and I really like how he's handled it," DeBord said. "He's got really good talent and he's working hard and he continues to get better every practice. I just like the way he's going about this right now."
The offensive coordinator also noted Dormady's ability to handle the multiple coverages thrown at him during practice.
"He's learning about every play against all coverages all the time and he's doing a good job with that," said DeBord.
Jauan Jennings' mentality has impressed DeBord the most. Jennings has been working mainly with Offensive Graduate Assistant Nick Sheridan to improve his knowledge of the game.
"We're really letting Nick Sheridan take him and start from ground zero and really build his knowledge and build his mechanics and all that," DeBord said. "Jauan just continues to get better as he goes through these practices."​
AZZANNI FINE-TUNING WRU
Five practices into the spring, wide receivers coach Zach Azzanni is pleased with his group of wide receivers. Through both ups and downs of perfecting mechanics, he sees improvement.
"Pig [Howard] has had a great first five practices. He had a big-time time today," Azzanni said. "Von [Pearson] has been a little up and down here and there, but that's to be expected at times during spring ball, but he had a good day today. Johnathon Johnson has been pretty solid.
"It's good to have Cody Blanc out there taking some reps. Cody was another guy was another guy who was getting a lot better when he got injured. I'm pleased with all those guys."
It's not just the physical improvements on the field that Azzanni is noticing. He's especially happy with the mental changes he's seen, especially from Malone and Howard.
"Josh is improving every day," Azzanni said. "It's fun to watch. He has a high care factor so he's really been working his craft. He still has a ways to go but he knows that. The thing I like about Josh right now is he's coming out there with the mentality to improve. He's not banged up and bruised so he's able to improve. I'm pleased with his development.
"It's night and day his approach right now. There's days I have to push his buttons and get him going like every one of them. I've been pleased with his development as far as physicality and how he's just a physical. He's healthy, so it's night and day. He looks like a different player."
Howard has picked up where he left off after a successful 2014 season. Azzanni continues to praise Howard for his workmanlike style and changed mentality.
"He's a completely different person," Azzanni said. "I've said this many times, he's night and day. He comes out there with a business approach. Anytime you take over a program, the guys who have been there a year or two want to ask `Why are we doing this' and `We never it did it that way.' He was kind of in that when we first got there. He's completely opposite now. He's doing everything we expect him to."
WEATHERD PROVING A WEAPON
With Tennessee battling injuries this spring along the defensive line, senior Chris Weatherd has made the most of his opportunity to prove his mettle at the defensive end position. A role player last season who excelled on spying the quarterback in third down situations, Weatherd has shown speed around the edge that the defensive coaches cannot ignore.
"You've got to figure out a way to get him on the field because he does have a trait that nobody on our team possesses," said linebackers coach Tommy Thigpen. "He can run sideline to sideline and play four quarters in the same speed he was in the first quarter. He does have a trait of rushing the passer and pursuing the ball."
The transfer from Trinity Valley Community College saw action in all 13 games for the Vols last season, racking up 12 tackles and 2.5 sacks as a junior. Defensive coordinator John Jancek hopes Weatherd's speed and athleticism make him a versatile and reliable mainstay on the field come fall.
"He's going to be like Curt Maggitt--he's going to play some defensive end and some SAM linebacker," Jancek said. "I hope his role expands. That's going to be on Chris. But he has shown some things. His speed and quickness is a benefit, just as long as he can hold up on the line of scrimmage at the defensive end."
GAULDEN MAKING STRIDES AT NICKEL
Sophomore defensive back Rashaan Gaulden is sharing his time this spring at nickel and corner. Fairly new to the nickel position, he's beginning to settle in.
Defensive backs coach Willie Martinez likes Gaulden's physicality and athleticism at the position.
"I think he's doing a nice job," Martinez said. "I don't know if you would call it natural, but when you're physical and athletic, you have a chance to be pretty good. He's shown that early on in these practices."
If there's one thing he isn't surprised of, it's Gaulden's physicality. However, there is one aspect that he sees needing improvement.
"He was a very physical coming out of high school," Martinez said. "That's the one trait that we loved about him. He would show a lot of physicality when he played. I'm not surprised by that.
"Now it it's just getting him to become more vocal because he has to do a lot of communication where he feels comfortable and that's where he never played the position before. The great thing is that we did it in the fall. We committed to it and we had him backing up Justin Coleman. He learned from someone who did a really good job. He roomed with him, which we did on purpose. I think that was very beneficial for him because Justin was a great leader."
