Vols Practice Thread #19

[Fingers]

Lots of number changes on Vols roster today. Likely special teams related: TE Wood-Anderson now No. 4 LB Jonathan Kongbo now No. 99 RB Ty Chandler now No. 8 WR Josh Palmer now No. 84 CB DJ Henderson now No. 39 DL Matthew Butler now No. 94

-Jesse Simonton

J.T. Shrout, normally #12, and Zac Jancek, #14, both wore #7 jerseys at practice today. Looks like UT's defense is getting used to hunting QBs that wear No. 7, such as WVU's Will Grier.

-David Cobb

It looks like Kivon Bennett was back working with the defensive line after spending the past nearly two weeks with the outside linebacker. ... Looked like Emmit Gooden was also getting some work at the other defensive end spot.

Both linebacker Darrin Kirkland Jr. and center Brandon Kennedy were working off to the side during the open periods but were heading to rejoin their position groups in some team stuff as practice was closing.

Chance Hall looked to be getting significant work at left guard, while Riley Locklear worked at right guard. Ryan Johnson continues to get work at center with Kennedy a little limited. It looks like left guard might be the most unsettled position on the offensive line a week out from the opener.

-Patrick Brown

Jonathan Kongbo went from 1 to 99
Dominick Wood-Anderson from 18 to 4
Kingston Harris from 51 to 54
Bryce Thompson from 10 to 20
Austin Smith from 11 to 30
Ty Chandler from 3 to 8
Josh Palmer from 5 to 84
DJ Henderson from 31 to 39
Matthew Butler from 56 to 94

With several duplicate numbers still on the roster, the latest changes are another indication of who is and isn’t above the playing line for the Vols to start the season. The 2017 class is clearly on notice.

Other highlights from Friday: Trey Smith remains at LT and was working in tandem with Jahmir Johnson, who was back at LG. The backups there today were Chance Hall and K’Rojhn Calbert. With Brandon Kennedy still nursing a right hamstring injury, Ryan Johnson was at center and Riley Locklear flipped over to RG.

-Jesse Simonton

One of the things @CoachJPruitt likes best about this @Vol_Football team is the way they compete in practice. “If you watched us practice in the spring as opposed to how we practice now, we’ve learned to practice and learned to compete every day,” Pruitt told me.

Big No. 73, @smithtrey98, went through his fourth day Friday with @Vol_Football after being cleared for contact. And while the sophomore left tackle said he was a little rusty, @CoachJPruitt added, "He looks like the Trey Smith I remember when we recruited him as a young player."

Kudos to former @FarragutFB star Jacob Warren, who's been working his rear off in the weight room. Saw him today while visiting @Vol_Football, and he looks like a different kid. He was just over 200 pounds when he arrived on campus and is now up over 230. Still has great hands.

-Chris Low

 

[nesbuddha66]

BOOOOM

 

[CobraVol]

.

 

[OneVolNation]

Thanks, Fingers.

 

[pacer35_80]

.

 

[tn4elvis]

Almost first.

 

[Browe1]

My friends live in Stokely so i can catch glimpses of the practices. JG is throwing some nice passes from what i can tell

 

[Woodlawn VOL]

GBO!!!! BOOM!!!!

 

[Rockytopvol86]

The jersey numbers game always confuses me the first week or so lol. Thanks fingers!

 

[Remy]

After years of noticing Tide players with calves developed beyond what we see on other teams, the Vols now appear to have players whose calves are poppin' as well.

 

[Dudleys87]

Not to be that guy who the fk is better than Trey at LT in college football?

Just first team all SEC? Smh

 

[Dudleys87]

So If you move up in #s that means you need to start looking for a new sport?

 

[VoLBall86]

Is anyone knowledgeable enough about these drills to explain what some of them are actually for? By that I mean for example being under the low black ceiling device (sorry I have no idea what they are called) or when they show guys hitting the other man as he jumps in the air with his arms out, or seeing the Linemen kneeling on the ground and pushing up. I see them doing a lot of these same drills and I was just wondering what said exercises are actually meant to instill. Sorry for the crappy descriptions I'm just trying to get a better grasp on what they are learning. I never saw them doing hardly any of this under Lyle.

 

[Pacer92]

Is it just me or is our O-line starting to resemble an SEC line...size wise?!

They look twice as big as last years!

 

[Dudleys87]

Is it just me or is our O-line starting to resemble an SEC line...size wise?!

They look twice as big as last years!

When you have a coach that understands football and where it is won and lost good things happen

 

[Ten_Titans]

With several duplicate numbers still on the roster, the latest changes are another indication of who is and isn’t above the playing line for the Vols to start the season. The 2017 class is clearly on notice.

What does this even mean?

 

[Dudleys87]

Is anyone knowledgeable enough about these drills to explain what some of them are actually for? By that I mean for example being under the low black ceiling device (sorry I have no idea what they are called) or when they show guys hitting the other man as he jumps in the air with his arms out, or seeing the Linemen kneeling on the ground and pushing up. I see them doing a lot of these same drills and I was just wondering what said exercises are actually meant to instill. Sorry for the crappy descriptions I'm just trying to get a better grasp on what they are learning. I never saw them doing hardly any of this under Lyle.

With out vast knowledge it looks to me like they’re teaching good positioning and pad level.

Just a guess.

 

[Dudleys87]

What does this even mean?

Shape up or ship out!

 

[strongj81]

Looking forward to seeing #40 on the field next week. Hopefully he finally makes it in!

 

[Ten_Titans]

Shape up or ship out!

Lol. How does a number change mean shape up or ship out?

 

[Dudleys87]

Wood-Anderson hopefully has a monster game against WV

 

[Dudleys87]

Lol. How does a number change mean shape up or ship out?

If they’re being put on notice I wouldn’t take that as hey kid your doing great.


The only # changes that make sense are the 7s

 

[RavinDave]

Is it just me or is our O-line starting to resemble an SEC line...size wise?!

They look twice as big as last years!

The same lineman with a little swagger looks bigger, I should think, than he does without. More of this game is mental than one might think. JMHO.

 

[Sleegro]

Is anyone knowledgeable enough about these drills to explain what some of them are actually for? By that I mean for example being under the low black ceiling device (sorry I have no idea what they are called) or when they show guys hitting the other man as he jumps in the air with his arms out, or seeing the Linemen kneeling on the ground and pushing up. I see them doing a lot of these same drills and I was just wondering what said exercises are actually meant to instill. Sorry for the crappy descriptions I'm just trying to get a better grasp on what they are learning. I never saw them doing hardly any of this under Lyle.

Ceiling to train on keeping pad level low. The jumping one is training how to hit and wrap up in a safer way where you don't take them to ground. Limits chance of injury. Last one if it's what i think is about training explosion thru the hips when blocking or taking on blocking. Isolates the muscles better and translates to more power once on their feet. I think those are the points at least.

 

[Dudleys87]

In other words Pruitt has clearly set a standard for the players. Some are meeting it and some aren’t. It shouldn’t be anyone’s surprise that Kong isn’t thus far in his career.