Running back Marlin Lane and tackle Marques Pair were both absent during the open portion of practice. Coach Butch Jones will provide any update on their status after practice.
Left tackle Dontavius Blair and defensive linemen Dimarya Mixon were among the players Jones wanted to see in drills early in practice. Jones gave Blair two shots in a pass-blocking drill against defensive end Corey Vereen, with each winning one. Mixon got three cracks at different offensive linemen in one-on-one blocking drills. He stalemated with Ray Raulerson, but was knocked back by Kyler Kerbyson and Marcus Jackson.
Emmanuel Moseley had one of the best plays of the day in a one-on-one drill against Marquez North. Moseley got beaten off the line, but made a nice recovery and got just enough of the ball to deflect it away from a leaping North. In the same drill, Jason Croom easily got past safety LaDarrell McNeil and made a leaping grab in the corner of the end zone for a touchdown. Cameron Sutton also had good coverage on Josh Malone and forced Riley Ferguson to throw it out of the end zone during another rep in the same drill.