Thursday practice 3.24

#1
Fingers

Fingers

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#1
NASCAR driver Bubba Wallace attended practice.

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Instate offensive lineman Patrick Leitten is on campus taking in practice. As is 2018 defensive back Houston Griffith.
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Fort

PRACTICE HIGHLIGHTS

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cycP9VV5sS0[/youtube]

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0gAZocffw4[/youtube]

Hobbs highlight link: https://player.vimeo.com/video/160295718

It was limited, and it's hardly a full-strength offense that it was going against, but I loved the aggressive approach from Tennessee's defense as we saw some real, live full-speed football with contact. Butch Jones even made Sheriron Jones live for a couple of plays.

John Kelly continues to run with a great purpose, and Vincent Perry bounced back from Tuesday's work to have some really nice catches in some combo work. Preston Williams is Preston Williams; looking better all the time.
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Brice

I thought John Kelly ran hard and a couple of times made the first down on his own.

Steven Griffin had a big hit in filling the hole nicely. I also saw Cortez McDowell make a few plays as well.
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I did seem some good things out of Drew Richmond. He handled Darrell Taylor a couple of times in run game work. The quick athletic guys Richmond seems comfortable going against. The heavier guys seem to cause him a little more trouble, but I like what I see from his continued development.
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Hubbs

The one first-team offensive player to make a nice play was wide receiver Preston Williams who made a nice catch on a quick-slant with Cam Sutton draped on his back.

Williams continues to impress with his focus and demeanor as he seems to be taking the game very serious this spring.

Defensively, Kahlil McKenzie was continuing to look good, and Quay Picou seems to be taking advantage of the reps he's getting.
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Fort

I thought D.J. Henderson played more solid during the open part of practice.
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Austin Price

Justin Martin looks like he’s about to become the player fans hoped to see last fall, just a long, rangy athlete who covers a lot of ground. Rashaan Gaulden also looks like he’s ready to live up to the hype at safety. Overall, that unit is really starting to look like a top-shelf SEC secondary, which isn’t really something that you could say about the Vols’ in recent years.
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Rob Lewis

Junior running back Jalen Hurd was back in full pads after having to sit out Tuesday's practice with what coach Butch Jones called tendinitis. Redshirt junior running back Alvin Kamara returned to practice Tuesday after missing several practices with a knee injury.
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Dustin Dopirak

Assistants available after practice: Shoop, DeBord, Mahoney, Stripling and Azzani

Don Mahoney said Jack Jones has been getting work at center and Dylan Wiesman has been cross-training at guard and center.
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Mahoney said he's been pleased with Drew Richmond and Venzell Boulware, who have had extended reps with Hall and Jashon Robertson.
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Steve Stripling said he's been pleased with Darrell Taylor and Austin Smith, but says Smith has been slightly lost at DE.
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Bob Shoop is really impressed with Rashaan Gaulden. Said again safety could be a strength.
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Stripling said they do view Austin Smith as the Curt Maggitt hybrid type. Meaning he plays SLB in base formations.
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Dustin Dopirak

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VM0WymAPS2g[/youtube]

Darrell Wallace Jr: Best part of padding up with the squad...@Finally_Maybin looking at me and saying "i would tackle the $h!t out of you!" 😂😅

Patrick Brown: Bob Shoop says #Vols have installed defense "piece by piece" this spring. Started with coverages, added blitzes this week.

Patrick Brown: Shoop uses a free/strong safety setup. At SS it's Kelly/Griffin, at FS it's Gaulden/Abernathy, though all have cross-trained this spring.

Patrick Brown: The "most consistent and most productive player" on Tennessee's defense so far this spring? Malik Foreman, per Shoop.

Photo Gallery: Photos: UT spring practice No. 5
 
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#3
#3
Stephen Griffin, Kahlil McKenzie, Drew Richmond, Preston Williams, John Kelly....the 2015 class continues to live up to the hype.

I have a feeling this class will deliver TWO national titles to Rocky Top.
 
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#4
#4
I'm trying to keep my expectations for Preston Williams under control, but it's not easy. I'm also glad to hear that John Kelly is running hard, but I think we need someone to develop behind him in case Hurd and Kamara both declare early. Hopefully, Kamara sticks around to be the guy his senior year.
 
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#5
#5
In the back of my mind I thought Preston would be a primadonna/mediocre but it looks like he has stepped up his game and wants to win.
 
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#6
#6
Dobbs 4 Heisman said:
Stephen Griffin, Kahlil McKenzie, Drew Richmond, Preston Williams, John Kelly....the 2015 class continues to live up to the hype.

I have a feeling this class will deliver TWO national titles to Rocky Top.
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Can I have some of that you're smoking please better yet I shouldn't because I will lose my job
 
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#7
#7
Quaint88 said:
I'm trying to keep my expectations for Preston Williams under control, but it's not easy. I'm also glad to hear that John Kelly is running hard, but I think we need someone to develop behind him in case Hurd and Kamara both declare early. Hopefully, Kamara sticks around to be the guy his senior year.
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I hope Kamara does too, but I bet there's close to no chance it happens.
 
#8
#8
I know this is a little out there but what if we put Evan Berry as a nickel blitzer?
 
#10
#10
Quaint88 said:
It's a good problem to have: our junior running backs are just too NFL ready. Darn it!
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We've just gotta hope that CFA is ready to fill Kamara's shoes by next season and we bring in 2 RBs who can contribute and/or push Kelly and CFA in the 2017 class.

Luckily, our OL next season should be the best we've seen since 2013, so that should help out our RBs.
 
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#12
#12
thinking about it its pretty crazy thinking how much better our roster is from when butch took over. Reading the spring practices i forget about all the guys who arent even practicing and even with guys like berry, malone, robertson, hall,barnett out id still be happy going into a game with this roster then in years passed
 
#14
#14
Thanks Fingers. I can't help but think we're in for a special season.
 
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#15
#15
Seems as though Malik Foremans rise towards the end of last season wasn't a fluke, and they are prioritizing him at nickel. Moving Gaulden to safety is just a sign that they need both those guys on the field. So far so good.
 
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#16
#16
Heard Butch holler: "Good job Bain!"

I dont know if that guy can play, but he sure looks the part. Also got my first glimpse of Croom in a while, damn that guy is a monster!
 
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#17
#17
VinylVols said:
Seems as though Malik Foremans rise towards the end of last season wasn't a fluke, and they are prioritizing him at nickel. Moving Gaulden to safety is just a sign that they need both those guys on the field. So far so good.
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He's got great athletic gifts. Dunno why anyone would think it's a fluke. If he plays next year like he did from the Alabama game on, he'll be a NFL draft pick.

He's got prototypical NFL nickel corner athleticism.
 
#18
#18
Good to hear Austin Smith is still the #1 SLB in base sets. I didn't like any of the other options.

Sorry Cortez McDowell fanboys. Looks like he'll still be firmly planted on the bench.
 
#19
#19
Darth_Shiveman said:
We've just gotta hope that CFA is ready to fill Kamara's shoes by next season and we bring in 2 RBs who can contribute and/or push Kelly and CFA in the 2017 class.

Luckily, our OL next season should be the best we've seen since 2013, so that should help out our RBs.
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It's going to be a very easy sell to 4 or 5 star RBs by CBJ to come in and play early for team 121. If Kamara and Hurd have big seasons and both go, perfect opportunity for a high school kid to play early and get a lot of media attention similar to Fournette if we can get one like that IMO.
 
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