Spring Practice Updates Day 1

[Fingers]

VIDEO



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VQ Practice Highlights: Vols Practice 3-20 from Brent Hubbs on Vimeo

INJURIES

Ol trey smith (undisclosed)

ol chance hall (knee)

ol k’rojhn calbert (knee)

wr jauan jennings (knee)

dt quay piccou (undisclosed)

lb daniel bituli (knee, shoulder)

db cheyenne labruzza (knee)

db todd kelly jr. (knee, ankle)

db d.j. Henderson (undisclosed)

Number assignments

WR Alontae Taylor: No. 6
DL/LB Jordan Allen: No. 8
P Paxton Brooks: No. 37
OL Jerome Carvin: No. 75
OL Ollie Lane: No. 78
TE Jacob Warren: No. 87
DL Greg Emerson: No. 90

Also, two jersey number changes: Cheyenne Labruzza is now wearing No. 20. He started as No. 9 and switched to No. 42 during his freshman season. Eric Crosby will wear No. 99 after having No. 27 last season.

Patrick Brown

NOTES

-Jennings is listed on the official spring roster, Quay Picou is not. Byrd listed as defensive back.

Intensity was at an all-time high. Coaches weren’t letting off the players to start spring practices, and the rainy weather was no excuse for sloppy fundamentals. Coaches got on to players for not following through in catches, showing poor footwork, and more during the open portion of practice.

Jonathan Kongbo looks slimmed down and in great shape. Darrell Taylor looks even more athletic than last year, and both were still listed as defensive linemen and were with the defensive line group. There’s a chance that changes as practices go on, however.

Tyler Byrd, Carlin Fils-aime, and Princeton Fant officially took the field at new positions. Byrd and Fils-aime were with the defensive backs and Fant moved from wide receiver to tight end.

N. Rutherford

* Tempo, tempo, tempo. The new staff, with guy like Pruitt, Will Friend, Chris Rumph and Tracy Rocker leading the charge, were working hard to instill a specific pacing to the first practice. It was clunky at times with players and even some GAs still learning the script, but the message has clearly been delivered: We’re going to practice hard and fast.

* As expected, Darrell Taylor, Ryan Thaxton and Deandre Johnson are listed as DL on the official roster but all three players were working with OLBs during individual periods. The other OLBs were Austin Smith, Dillion Bates and Jordan Allen, who looks solid after just a few months in a new S&C program.

* We’ve noted on here that Princeton Fant is a guy the new staff is high on and will be moved around to a number of positions this spring. He’s listed as a tight end, but Fant was taking reps at RB on Tuesday. He was running behind Ty Chandler, who looks to have added some weight, and Trey Coleman.

* The routes on air period was similar to what we saw a year ago … way too many balls hitting the ground. In fairness, it’s Day 1 and the conditions were not ideal, but the QBs — with Jarrett Guarantano and Will McBride splitting reps with several walk-ons — were hot and cold, while receivers dropped too many balls. As expected, Guarantano ran first on every rep/drill.
A couple wideouts who did catch my eye were LaTrell Williams, Brandon Johnson and early enrollee Alontae Taylor. Taylor was working at the Z spot today. Marquez Callway and Jordan Murphy were among those at the X receiver spot.

Jesse Simonton

The only music you heard on Haslam Field came from across the street at Lindsey Nelson Stadium, where the Tennessee baseball team was warming up for a midweek game against East Tennessee State. There was no music blaring at football practice.

The quarterbacks seemed to spend more time under center than in shotgun formations, and the reserves seemed to get more reps than they used to.

Darrell Taylor, Deandre Johnson, Ryan Thaxton and newcomer Jordan Allen went through individual drills with Rumph, whose group also included Austin Smith and Dillon Bates.

The notable players working with Rocker were Jonathan Kongbo, Kyle Phillips, Matthew Butler, Shy Tuttle, Kivon Bennett and Eric Crosby, among others.

Daniel Bituli, Will Ignont, Shanon Reid and Solon Page III were part of Sherrer's groups during position drills.

The Vols quickly went into routes-on-air with the quarterbacks, now wearing black jerseys instead of the red or green jerseys of previous years, throwing routes of various lengths to the wideouts and tight ends.

The most notable moment was Jarrett Guarantano dropping in a beautiful deep ball to Marquez Callaway, and overall there didn't seem to be an abundance of balls on the ground.

Patrick Brown


PICS

 

[K-town Vol Fan]

Yes! Fingers returns!

 

[Orange defense]

Thanks big guy...

 

[skelleher20]

Yea Boy football is back!!!!!!!

 

[FLVOL_79]

Thank you fingers!..

 

[jbr82]

Is Pruitt sticking with 2 players with 1 number?

 

[Geaux_Vols]

Is Pruitt sticking with 2 players with 1 number?

Most teams do that. Bama did it last year. I think its more a matter of necessity.

 

[Geaux_Vols]

Also, no more black stripes!

 

[butchna]

Is Pruitt sticking with 2 players with 1 number?

85 man scholarship roster with numerous walk-ons. Add in retired (official or non) numbers and you run out pretty quickly BEFORE you get to placating elite signees with their favorites.

 

[rtb1983]

It moved.

 

[ftsandersvol]

It seems like a lot of injuries to have had almost four months off.

 

[Rockytoprowdy]

I like seeing them outside in the elements. They didn’t run to the indoor facility just because of a little rain. I like it.

 

[Orange defense]

So, the poor footing, receivers not catching the football, and other things must be from what they’ve gotten used to over the past four years. This shows the reflection of Butch Jones practices, but no more. These guys will straighten up and get better by the 2nd and third practices. These guys will be like superstars by the end of spring, because this staff won’t put up with it. Sounds like it has already started getting better.:rock:

 

[TennesseeTarheel]

What? No rap music? Maybe focussing on the drills. Or, do the jams come later?

 

[orangeluvr]

As usual fingers brings it! Great work.

 

[volroadwarrior]

This team is not without talent. But it is thin at many positions.

 

[JFreak]

Welcome back Fingers!! Did I miss something with Quay?

 

[Biopsyman]

No slogans.. No team 120 whatever.. So Happy that Asshat is gone

 

[StoVol]

thanks fing

 

[BigO95]

It seems more like a blue collar no nonsense football practice to me! I like it!!! I like the no music, no yelling on the microphone, seems like a lot less distractions.

 

[Biopsyman]

It seems more like a blue collar no nonsense football practice to me! I like it!!! I like the no music, no yelling on the microphone, seems like a lot less distractions.

Leadership reps

 

[BigO95]

Leadership reps

:lolabove: That's too funny!!

 

[87&91ALUM]

I can remember the puke buckets, guys running to the top of the stadium and back, and Jamal pulling a sled in a muddy ditch. I like the old school approach to practice. Ditto on practicing in the rain.

I appreciate those of you who make this thread one of the best.

 

[NeverWe'llSever]

15-0

 

[ACvol3]

Byrd and Carlin both at DB? U can tell we have a defensive minded coach.