Vols Spring Practice #10

[Fingers]

Offensive linemen Cooper Mays and Jackson Lampley were not practicing today. Both missed the Thursday scrimmage as well. Same for John Campbell, who was not seen while the media was present. Joshua Josephs was not a full-go today as he deals with a minor hamstring issue. James Pearce, whose been limited some the past few weeks, was back and at practice today. Receiver Nathan Leacock was getting some work done after returning to the practice field last week.

That’s one thing I’ve noticed this spring. Energy is a huge thing – especially when you’re in these latter days of camp. The leadership before and during practice has been solid to make sure everyone was up and going at a good pace.

The routes on air period wasn’t horrible but I wouldn’t call it the sharpest session I’ve seen this spring. Nico Iamaleava threw the ball well but had two misses that were high. He connected on a really nice throw to Holden Staes, who reeled the ball in over his shoulder in the back corner of the end zone. I saw Ethan Davis drop one in the back of the endzone, but the assistant coach was there hitting him with the pad while coming down – trying to make it as difficult as possible.

The offense line was just a mixed bag here on a Saturday morning as several of the key guys were not in pads. Lance Heard was out here and so was Dayne Davis – but those two were just about it from the ‘regulars.’ Larry Johnson, Trevor Duncan and Jesse Perry were getting work at right tackle while Heard and Gage Ginther took snaps at left tackle. I would personally hold a lot of these veterans out of 11-on-11 work the rest of the way, too. It does Tennessee no benefit to having Cooper Mays and John Campbell out there right now.

Jakobe Thomas was getting some praise from Tim Banks out there this morning. Christian Harrison was as well. The secondary needs to finish spring drills strong as though there’s still plenty of questions that need to be answered, the group has been a pleasant surprise thus far.

e.cain

In what we saw on Saturday, the first group up through the various split-line drills went Lance Heard at left tackle, Shamurad Umarov at left guard, Vysen Lang at center, Dayne Davis at right guard and Larry Johnson III at right tackle. The second group was all freshmen: Gage Ginther at left tackle, Max Anderson at left guard, William Satterwhite at center, Ayden Bussell (redshirt) at right guard and Trevor Duncan (redshirt) at right tackle. Freshman Jesse Perry flipped over from left tackle to right tackle to even things out there.

Nico Iamaleava showed off some touch on a couple of throws to the back corner pylon. Tight end Holden Staes made a nice over-the-shoulder catch on one rep and Iamaleava dropped it into a bucket over a (fake) defender to Squirrel White in the other corner. The quarterback did overshoot Kaleb Webb on his final throw of this set.

Chas Nimrod made a nice top-tapping catch on a fade, but had a slant go through his hands in the back of the end zone. Gaston Moore made a nice throw to tight end Miles Kitselman on a corner route. Wideout Chris Brazzell II made a leaping catch on a back-shoulder throw from Moore, and then got some solo coaching from Kelsey Pope as they worked through some technique of the route.

With Ethan Davis banged up, it was Staes, Kitselman and walk-ons at tight end, who started their individual work off with some drills on the two-man blocking sled.

If you need an illustration on the strength of this Tennessee defensive line, consider the tandems at defensive tackle: Omari Thomas with Omarr Norman-Lott, Bryson Eason and Elijah Simmons, Jaxson Moi and Daevin Hobbs. That’s four experienced, proven players for Rodney Garner, a transfer he really likes and an ultra-talented sophomore – the Vols can work with that. Some of the other defensive linemen were lined up as a full offensive line so the tackles could work on handling different blocking combinations.

The lineup at defensive ends went Dominic Bailey, Tyre West, Jayson Jenkins and Tyree Weathersby, and the LEOs, even without Josephs, had a full group with Pearce, Caleb Herring, Chandavian Bradley and more.

Freshman Boo Carter was taking reps at safety early in the week and it sounds like he got some first-team work at Star in the scrimmage. John Slaughter and Christian Harrison have alternated roles with the former sliding down for some work at Star and the latter working some at safety.

p.brown

Nate Spillman made a nice catch

Slot receivers ran goal-line stutter out-routes, Squirrel and Braylon did it well

Vysen Lang and William Satterwhite were getting snaps in while Cooper Mays is still banged up

Omari Thomas is first to do EVERY drill

There were A LOT of recruits here today

r.sylvia

 

[Orangeblooded615]

First

 

[WillisWG]

Yep.

The secondary needs to finish spring drills strong as though there’s still plenty of questions that need to be answered, the group has been a pleasant surprise thus far.

DL has some nice depth....gotta love it


David Sanders visiting....this guy would look great in the Orange

 

[HighRockvol]

Hope we lock up sanders today

 

[Jackcrevol]

e.cain








p.brown






r.sylvia

Who is R Sylvia? He may be my fave reporter.

'Staes made a catch.'

'Squirrel was good today.'

'Nico threw the ball.'

 

[TAF]

The secondary needs to finish spring drills strong...the group has been a pleasant surprise thus far.

I have a feeling this Group might make some REAL noise this year!

 

[TAF]

 

[JustFunnN'Orange]

The secondary needs to finish spring drills strong as though there’s still plenty of questions that need to be answered, the group has been a pleasant surprise thus far.

I was about to post the same quote from e. cain. I sure hope this guy can evaluate talent and we can surprise the SEC this year!!!

 

[BruisedOrange]

e.cain
[...] I saw Ethan Davis drop one in the back of the endzone, but the assistant coach was there hitting him with the pad while coming down – trying to make it as difficult as possible.

I hope they're hitting them with those pads before they catch the ball.

Somewhere in the SEC's B'ham headquarters there's a storage room with a crate full of pass interference calls for Tennessee receivers that were never delivered.

 

[WillisWG]

 

[Volinnooga]

Haven’t really read much about Heard. Is he living up to expectations?

 

[WoodsmanVol]

I think our barely adequate OL will force the use of TEs more than we ever have before. And the result very positive, especially as the season wears on. Thisis the year the Heup will really show what an n offense magician he really is.

I also think opponents hearing and seeing how ga-ga we are about our 8-million dollar man, will be out to embarrass both him, the team, and our fanbase. I believe years back, we had a freshmen duo, whose names escape me. Florida railroaded us and mocked our previous bragging about those QBs. With a so-so OL, our priority will be to protect Iamaleava. I think opponents will seek to railroad Nico in the same vein. However, the Heup will most likely exploit such overzealous efforts by having Nico nickle and dime them to death, with the RBs gashing them. All after luring the DBs and LBs into chasing short yardage TE's and short running sideline routed WRs. Every now and then, reminding them ole Nic can long ball too if they get too sloppy. In short, we fans are expecting a quick strike rapid deployment squad. An air warfare. Instead, we will see a tank Battles of El Alamein. We will have the defense for that type of warfare.

 

[joevol33]

Thanks Fingers

 

[OrangeShades]

I think our barely adequate OL will force the use of TEs more than we ever have before. And the result very positive, especially as the season wears on. Thisis the year the Heup will really show what an n offense magician he really is.

I also think opponents hearing and seeing how ga-ga we are about our 8-million dollar man, will be out to embarrass both him, the team, and our fanbase. I believe years back, we had a freshmen duo, whose names escape me. Florida railroaded us and mocked our previous bragging about those QBs. With a so-so OL, our priority will be to protect Iamaleava. I think opponents will seek to railroad Nico in the same vein. However, the Heup will most likely exploit such overzealous efforts by having Nico nickle and dime them to death, with the RBs gashing them. All after luring the DBs and LBs into chasing short yardage TE's and short running sideline routed WRs. Every now and then, reminding them ole Nic can long ball too if they get too sloppy. In short, we fans are expecting a quick strike rapid deployment squad. An air warfare. Instead, we will see a tank Battles of El Alamein. We will have the defense for that type of warfare.

Those QB's were Ainge & Schaefer...I think. Didn't Ainge beat Florida in the DUMP?

 

[kong]

I think our barely adequate OL will force the use of TEs more than we ever have before. And the result very positive, especially as the season wears on. Thisis the year the Heup will really show what an n offense magician he really is.

I also think opponents hearing and seeing how ga-ga we are about our 8-million dollar man, will be out to embarrass both him, the team, and our fanbase. I believe years back, we had a freshmen duo, whose names escape me. Florida railroaded us and mocked our previous bragging about those QBs. With a so-so OL, our priority will be to protect Iamaleava. I think opponents will seek to railroad Nico in the same vein. However, the Heup will most likely exploit such overzealous efforts by having Nico nickle and dime them to death, with the RBs gashing them. All after luring the DBs and LBs into chasing short yardage TE's and short running sideline routed WRs. Every now and then, reminding them ole Nic can long ball too if they get too sloppy. In short, we fans are expecting a quick strike rapid deployment squad. An air warfare. Instead, we will see a tank Battles of El Alamein. We will have the defense for that type of warfare.

O line will be a strength imo

 

[malibuvol]

Hope we lock up sanders today

Probably Clemson bound...Hate it, but it is what it is...

 

[WoodsmanVol]

Those QB's were Ainge & Schaefer...I think. Didn't Ainge beat Florida in the DUMP?

You might well be right. Time has dimmed my memory of specifics. Don't recall if Ainge beat them, I do recall they whipped us, then mocked the UT's bragging about our two frosh QBs.

 

[WoodsmanVol]

O line will be a strength imo

OK. Nobody hopes you're right more than I. I just don't see it at this time. I worry about not the first unit, but the backups. The SEC beats people up, sooner or later, you have to call upon your depth. I don't think we have quality depth right now.

 

[OrangeShades]

You might well be right. Time has dimmed my memory of specifics. Don't recall if Ainge beat them, I do recall they whipped us, then mocked the UT's bragging about our two frosh QBs.

I know what you mean about the memory dimming LOL. Can anybody let me know if Ainge won in the DUMP

 

[OrangeShades]

You might well be right. Time has dimmed my memory of specifics. Don't recall if Ainge beat them, I do recall they whipped us, then mocked the UT's bragging about our two frosh QBs.

Ainge won in 2004 in Neyland not the DUMP so kudos to you Woodsman & your dimming memory...CBD oil? LOL

 

[kong]

OK. Nobody hopes you're right more than I. I just don't see it at this time. I worry about not the first unit, but the backups. The SEC beats people up, sooner or later, you have to call upon your depth. I don't think we have quality depth right now.

Nobody has depth in the transfer portal era

 

[WoodsmanVol]

Nobody has depth in the transfer portal era

Don't know why, but your comment made me laugh. Perhaps because it has the ring of truth.

 

[WillisWG]

I know what you mean about the memory dimming LOL. Can anybody let me know if Ainge won in the DUMP

The under appreciated Clausen was last Vol QB with Ws in the dump

 

[orangebloodgmc]

Probably Clemson bound...Hate it, but it is what it is...

And yet, until it actually is ...

... it isn't at all.

 

[VolFreakJosh]

Probably Clemson bound...Hate it, but it is what it is...

Clemson bound but has yet committed.

Interesting..