Spring Practice Updates Day 6

[Fingers]

Visitors on campus today

2020 QB Harrison Bailey ****
2020 ATH Arik Gilbert *****
2020 WR Porter Brooks ****
2019 TE Jackson Lowe (Tennessee commit) ***
2019 TE Sean Brown ***
2019 ATH Trezman Marshall ****
2019 ATH Aaron Beasley ***
2019 RB Eric Gray ***
2020 OL Justin Rogers ****
2020 ATH Enzo Jennings ****

Videos


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[youtube]http://youtu.be/fwL2i40WBoM[/youtube]


VQ Highlights: Vol Practice 3-31 from Brent Hubbs on Vimeo


Notes

Jordan Murphy continues to look impressive to me at wide receiver.

Drew Richmond has taken some steps in regard to being more physical off the line from what I’ve seen.

Kongbo looks like he’s in great shape. Then again, appearances have never been the issue with Kongbo.

Both Alexis Johnson and Shy Tuttle have filled out and look to be both bigger and in better shape. Kyle Phillips also looks more like an SEC type defensive lineman, but just like with Kongbo, appearances have been deceiving with him in the past as well.

There’s been a lot of talk about Tyler Byrd moving from receiver to defensive back, and today I got to see him move around and do a little technical stuff with the defensive backs. He’s definitely added on some weight and looks beefier, but he still has really good speed. I think he’s more needed at corner than safety, but he may not have the nuances nailed down for corner just yet.

Former Vol running back and reigning NFL Rookie of the Year Alvin Kamara was in attendance at practice today.

n.rutherford

Let’s start with the quarterbacks, where Jarrett Guarantano had his sharpest session of routes on air I’ve seen this spring. The rising redshirt sophomore was on the money with both long and intermediate throws.

Marquez Callaway dropped a perfectly thrown nine route, but otherwise, none of Guarantano’s passes hit the ground when I was watching.

David Johnson and Tyson Helton were complimentary of Alontae Taylor, Brandon Johnson and Latrell Williams during the route-tree.

Kevin Sherrer was not pleased with his inside linebackers Saturday. Solon Page, Will Ignont and Shanon Reid all drew Sherrer’s ire in various manors. Similarly, Chris Rumph remained all over Jordan Allen, who had to do up-downs, and Ryan Thaxton, forced to do pushups. Rumph was pleased with Darrell Taylor and Austin Smith

The tight ends were once again not involved in the routes on air period, but Brian Niedermeyer was throwing passes to his unit during one drill.

Ryan Johnson saw a bit of work at LG today, too, working tandem blocks with Drew Richmond at LT.

I saw 5-star ATH Arik Gilbert, 4-star WR Porter Rooks, 4-star QB Harrison Bailey, RB Kimini Vidal (teammates with Bailey and Gilbert, has LSU/South Carolina offers), 2019 DB Martin Emerson, 2019 DB Aaron Beasley, 2019 LB Trezman Marshall and 4-star OL Justin Rodgers

Tennessee’s disabled list names remained the same: Todd Kelly Jr., Jauan Jennings, Darrin Kirkland, DJ Henderson and Trey Smith. Tight end Austin Pope, who made a couple one-handed catches at practice Thursday, was working with Fitzgerald on the side before practice with a heavy wrap on his left hand

j.simonton

Sophomore-to-be Tim Jordan — AKA Buff Hamster — was back on the field after missing the first five practices while recovering from an appendectomy.

Jordan wasn’t just tossed back toward the top of the rep chart, though. He took reps behind sophomores-to-be Ty Chandler and Trey Coleman and redshirt-freshman-to-be Princeton Fant … and some walk-ons, in certain drills.

The Vols continue to operate with their linemen working at the same position, so Richmond and left guard Devante Brooks should be very accustomed to tandem blocks having done so many of them in practice.

One of the most vocal players on the offense's field early in Saturday's practice was none other than quarterback Jarrett Guarantano.

Perhaps heeding Pruitt's advice about wanting his quarterback to create a positive effect on the players around him, the redshirt sophomore continues to go first through drills and carry himself like Tennessee's quarterback competition is already settled and he's the guy.

Guarantano barked "details" at his wide receiver before their second set of reps during the routes-on-air period. He later urged them to practice with a sense of urgency. When there was no one on the line to mimic a press cornerback, Guarantano wouldn't start the rep until one was in place.

The routes-on-air period began with the customary deep passes, and there were too many balls on the ground. Marquez Callaway had a pinpoint throw from Guarantano go through his hands, which prompted Johnson to yell that "the last six inches are the most important." Will McBride then threw an uncatchable ball intended for Jordan Murphy.

Tennessee's slot receivers (Brandon Johnson, Latrell Williams and Jacquez Jones) continue to look solid.

Johnson has been sure-handed during open-viewing portions of practice. Williams appears to have put his injury troubles behind him. Jones probably isn't 100 percent, but he's moving reasonably well for a player a little more than seven months removed from knee surgery.

Rumph had the Vols' outside linebackers working on hand placement and block destruction and seemed to be liking what he saw from Darrell Taylor, Deandre Johnson and Ryan Thaxton.

Smith and Allen are players Rumph has been riding throughout spring practice.

Shy Tuttle, Alexis Johnson and Jonathan Kongbo all appeared to make mistakes during drills on Saturday, but got the corrections handled to Rocker’s approval.

p.brown



Photos

Pruitt

-Pruitt says today was the biggest improvement from practice to practice for the offensive line

-Ball security has been an issue at times, per Pruitt.

-Pruitt says they believe in the philosophy of playing the "next best football player" and not just the backup at a position

-All the players who switched positions to start spring practice are still at those positions. Nobody has switched back

-Jeremy Pruitt: Tennessee has played football since a long time before all of us were born, and it’ll be here after all of us are gone. Our job is to make it better than it was when we got here.

-Jeremy Pruitt: "I want as many former VFLs back as we can get. It’s going to take all of us to get this program back to where it’s supposed to be.”

-Jeremy Pruitt following Spring Practice No. 6: “I think we have great teacher progression. It’s worked everywhere we’ve been.”

-Pruitt: "It's kind of like we have all true freshmen right now. … Nobody knows the expectations we have as coaches. We have to coach them."

 

[rtb1983]

It moved.

 

[SN-A-C Orange]

Fingers is a ******! :rock:

 

[Bauce]

It went 6 to midnight...

 

[WestTnHawk]

It went 6 to midnight...

The scrimmage?

 

[Fingers]

The scrimmage?

I don’t believe there’s a scrimmage planned for today.

 

[FleeceItOut]

Golden Fingers

 

[Bluff City Vol]

It moved.

George Costanza ?

 

[WestTnHawk]

I don’t believe there’s a scrimmage planned for today.

Thanks Fingers!

 

[Biopsyman]

George Costanza ?

Like a frighten turtle

 

[StoVol]

friend gettin after they asses (vid 4)

 

[dcm3w]

I'm hoping Murphy will step up at WR. His tape looked smooth coming out of HS...

I'm not going full D4H but I think he could be our next Malone.

 

[Catbone]

Are they trying to run of thaxton and allen?

 

[BaldBiker]

Are they trying to run of thaxton and allen?

I think they are following the rule of git better or git shirt. Aight.

 

[butchna]

I think they are following the rule of git better or git shirt. Aight.

I think when you expect more, demand more on this one.

 

[Pacer92]

I think when you expect more, demand more on this one.

Agree....total package is demanded by this staff, im hoping...

Talent isn't enough...

 

[Orange defense]

Isn’t that Pruitt and Kamara talking, and Kamara laughing? Pruitt pointing at him, and he they knew each other back at Bama. A nice reunion going on here. I liked the fact that Kamara showed up at practice to see some of the boys on the team that he played with.👍

 

[Roustabout]

Isn’t that Pruitt and Kamara talking, and Kamara laughing? Pruitt pointing at him, and he they knew each other back at Bama. A nice reunion going on here. I liked the fact that Kamara showed up at practice to see some of the boys on the team that he played with.👍

Pruitt wasn't at Bama when Kamara was there.

 

[jpope9]

Love what I'm hearing about JG, maybe he's finally taking that leadership role a starting qb should have and great to see AK in attendance!

 

[JustFunnN'Orange]

Thanks for the update Fingers! You make the off season more bearable.

 

[Sleegro]

Pruitt wasn't at Bama when Kamara was there.

He was when they were recruiting him though.

 

[vol-un-tear]

Pruitt wasn't at Bama when Kamara was there.

He’s asking him to come back for his last year

 

[VolInDayton]

Any word on how Fant has been adjusting to RB? He must be decent because he's still there after 6 practices.

 

[Orange defense]

He was when they were recruiting him though.

I thought that was right.

 

[Orange defense]

Pruitt wasn't at Bama when Kamara was there.

I think he was. I’m sure he knows him well though?