KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – With the second day of spring practice already in the books for the Tennessee Volunteers, the highly-touted newcomers are continuing their processing and understanding of the college game, learning quickly with each practice.
A lot of buzz around the football program revolves around the significant additions made to the defensive side of the ball. Athletic playmakers with versatility was a focus for the Big Orange as the attention shifts towards the 2023 season, now it is about developing those guys who fit just that mold.
Defensive coordinator Tim Banks, along with a handful of early enrollees took to the podium Tuesday morning and afternoon to speak with members of the media.
“A lot of times, when freshmen come in, one of the hardest things for those guys to make in terms of adjustments is just the mental capacity and what it takes,” Banks said, speaking with the media for the second time since the Orange Bowl. “Those guys’ ability to grasp what we’re trying to get accomplished from an X’s and O’s perspective, and then just their sheer tenacity. A lot of those guys come from high-level programs, and you can tell by the way they carry themselves and how hard they’re working to this point. We’re extremely pleased with them. We think most of those guys have a chance to be special as they continue to grow within the program.”
Many of the new faces on Tennessee’s roster had a chance to experience what college ball was like at the end of the season, participating in bowl practices and making the trip to Miami, Florida, for the Capital One Orange Bowl. Those weeks leading up to the game were full of lessons and growth, just a taste of what spring practices would be for the next generation of Volunteers.
“Coming from bowl practice, it definitely prepared me for this and showed me the speed of the game,” defensive back Jordan Matthews said. “It showed me what to look for, what coverages are going to be expected from me. Bowl practice prepared me in a way that, mentality, I needed to be ready to get out there and play.”
Being a part of that generation means something to in-state players like Caleb Herring. He and his brother, Elijah Herring, prepped at Riverdale High School in Murfreesboro and seeing the flagship university of the state back in the national spotlight has extra value to them. Under the direction of head coach Josh Heupel, he feels the momentum beginning to build.
“When I saw that Coach Heup came, I knew that this program was going to get turned around,” Caleb Herring said. “Seeing all the success that he had at UCF, I knew he was going to bring it over to the SEC with better talent—just seeing what he’s done in a short amount of time. I committed because I saw the direction that this program was going in.”
Leading up to the start of spring practices, the newcomers have been able to adjust to the culture of the team, to get to know their teammates and build connections with them off the field that translate into trust and togetherness on the turf.
“I understood the assignment when I first got here,” defensive back John Slaughter said. “Even as a recruit, (I knew) everything is going to be faster, bigger, stronger and more competitive in comparison to high school. Here, stars don’t matter, rankings don’t matter, everyone’s a dog.”
The Volunteers will have an off day tomorrow before returning to Haslam Field for the third practice of spring ball on Thursday morning.
Defensive Coordinator Tim Banks – March 21, 2023
On his early evaluation of the newcomers who were also here for bowl practice in the fall…
“Just their retention. A lot of times, when freshmen come in, one of the hardest things for those guys to make in terms of adjustments is just the mental capacity and what it takes. Obviously, our playbook is a lot more advanced than some of the high schools that they came from. So, those guys’ ability to grasp what we’re trying to get accomplished from an X’s and O’s perspective, and then just their sheer tenacity. A lot of those guys come from high level programs, and you can tell by the way they carry themselves and how hard they’re working to this point. We’re extremely pleased with them. We think most of those guys have a chance to be special as they continue to grow within the program.”
On how he can tell if a newcomer is going to be able to play early or further down the road…
“Like I tell all the guys during the recruiting process, we don’t decide who starts, they do. It’s just really based on their body of work and the consistency in which they do it. You’re going to have some good days, and obviously there’s going to be some bad days. But how many days can they string together that are positive? Are they continuing to get better? Are they continuing to work? Those are the characteristics that decide how much playing time a guy gets. That’s not necessarily just for the freshmen, but that’s for the sophomores, the juniors or even some of the guys that had a big role last year and are hoping to get a bigger role. Everything is based on consistency. Like we always say, you get what you earn. If those guys are doing the right things and doing it in a consistent manner, then those guys have an opportunity to contribute.”
On what he has seen from BYU transfers CB Gabe Jeudy-Lally and LB Keenan Pili…
“Both of those guys have been awesome. They’re obviously both experienced guys. Gabe, from the back-end perspective, he’s very calm, he has a great demeanor about him. He’s extremely smart. So far, he’s been everything that we want him to be. As far as KP (Keenan Pili) goes, I actually love this kid. He’s just a guy that’s great to be around. Just the way he carries himself as a young man, but then when you get him on the field, you understand why he’s played so many games. We’re excited about both guys. We think they both have an opportunity to contribute to our program. Obviously, as they continue to grow, their roles will be determined.”
On if he tries to spoon-feed the freshmen or throw everything at them…
“The way we are built right now going into year three, those guys don’t really have the luxury of being spoon-fed. They’re learning at the same pace that the veterans are learning. In some ways, that can be tough on freshmen, but I think in the long term, it’s going to speed it up and give those guys an opportunity to be able to contribute this year. We’re not slowing down at all. We’re throwing a lot at them and the more they can retain, the more we’ll continue to throw at them. It’s only been two days, but so far, they seem to have a pretty good grasp at what we are trying to get accomplished.”
On having an influx of new players in the secondary and how much he moves them around…
“It’s not really a one size fits all answer. I think it is a lot based on the kid and what he’s done. You use Christian Charles as an example. When we first got here, Christian actually played safety for us, so him having an ability to play boundary safety, field safety, obviously with the experience that he gathered last year playing corner – we feel like we can move him around to a lot of different spots to give him a great opportunity to continue to carve out a role for himself. As it relates to the freshmen, we try to be a little bit more deliberate with our approach with those guys, giving them the opportunity to learn one of the positions. Once they show they can obviously master that spot, then we start to move those guys around a little bit. So, the playbook is going to be thick enough that we really want them to focus on one specific position and then once they gather that, we’ll obviously move them around accordingly.”
On how Arion Carter’s mental makeup and athleticism will elevate him going forward…
“I think obviously anytime you get a chance to invest, and he has 15 opportunities to do that just like all of those guys, but I would tell you about him as a person, just once again, a high character kid – has a lot of pride in what he does. He is extremely bright. Like you said, the athleticism you can’t hide. I was really pleased with the instincts that he showed today in coverage. I think a lot of times for linebackers, typically when they come out of high school, they are guys that just come off the edges or guys that are just thumpers inside. For you guys who saw him in play in high school, you know he was a tremendous running back, obviously blossomed as a linebacker. He’s got really good instincts, and like I said, I was pleased with what he showed in coverage today. He’s definitely trending in the right direction.”
On his recruiting philosophy and the specific traits he looks for in recruits…
“I think a lot of it is by position, specific sometimes, but I think overall makeup. You obviously want guys that are tough, guys that are athletic. When I say tough, it is not just physically, but mentally. How much of a competitor are they? I personally like guys that play multiple sports, guys that love to compete. Those things are, to me, it seems to be a dying art. Any time you can have a guy that maybe runs track, wrestles, (plays) basketball, things of that nature, they’re just used to competing no matter what the arena is. To me, that competition piece and being able to compete is a big one, but obviously size, toughness and athleticism are things that we cherish as well.”
On how he is hoping to use spring practices to shape the identity of what he wants the defense to be…
“We’re investing and we’re building. We try to talk daily about the choices that we make putting us in a position to have the outcome that we desire. It’s a long spring. We obviously got two days in, but so far, those guys are really working their tails off because they understand what’s at stake. Sometimes when you think about 15 opportunities like, ‘well, I’ve got time to get better’. We don’t see it that way. We are in a fight and a race to try and be as good as we can be as fast as we can be it. Our key is, particularly the guys that have been here, obviously understand that mantra. It’s just one of those days. We are trying to be 1-0 every day and I think our kids understand that and that’s how we’re working.”
On how tough it is to come in and learn the cornerback position as a freshman…
“Like I said earlier, all of those guys are really doing a great job with their preparation and understanding what to do. But obviously, you step up in class when you come to the collegiate level. You’re not the fastest guy like a lot of these guys were on their respective teams and Jordan (Matthews) is no different. The thing that I love about him is he’s a super competitor like a lot of those guys. He’s got good size. He obviously can run. He’s a guy that we are not concerned about in terms of the stage being too big. It’s just working on his craft daily, which he is doing. We think he has a chance to be a special player here along with some of the other guys.”
On looking at rushing yards per game, passing yards per game and third down defense and improving in those areas…
“You always try to look at ways that you need to improve, but ultimately, like I tell guys all the time, we obviously have a style of play that we want to play with that we think gives us the best opportunity to be successful. What are we trying to take away? We want to stop the run. Now what does that look like? Those are high percentage throws too on early downs. We count that in the run game. But to me, you want to be able to take away the explosive plays. To me that’s a critical factor in success. Any time you can make a team one dimensional, it puts you in a win situation as well. But the third thing, to be quite honest with you is what you said earlier, are you getting off the field? I think we are top 25 in the country in stop rate. If you’re just talking statistically, people will say, well you were not quite as good in the passing game. Well, no we weren’t, but we were good where it needed to be and that’s getting our tails off the field. That’s the bottom line of football. Don’t let them score. Get off the field. Give the offense a chance to be good. Like I said, we’re top 25 in doing that. Our goal is obviously to be number one, but our real goal is to win. So, whatever that takes is what were are going to do.”
On what you want the freshmen to learn from the older guys…
“That’s a big question because it’s a lot of things. Related to football, how we go about our business. Being able to manage the highs and obviously work through the lows. I think sometimes you can get comfortable when you have some success. Sometimes, when things don’t quite go the way you want them to go, guys tend to drop their heads. Our veterans understand, we play from one snap lives. Period. Once that snap is over, we start over again. If they can teach them that skill, I think it will bode well for most of the freshmen.”
On a sense of urgency at the cornerback position…
“Honestly, it’s a sense of urgency all over our defense, and I know that sounds cliche but that’s just how it is when you continue to recruit and recruit at a high level, you like to think the guys that you’re bringing in are going to push the guys that are here. Only going to make them better or give these freshmen an opportunity to play. Is it great having a bunch of guys back on the back end? Absolutely because competition is one of the best things going. Everybody wants to be the best, but when you don’t know or don’t have anybody pushing you, sometimes that can be challenging. It’s good to have this urgency that we have right now with 15 practices. Obviously, we think the world of (Warren) Burrell, as he’s gotten healthy, but we have a bunch of guys too that are hungry to try to prove what they can do. It’s healthy. It’s healthy for any team and obviously it’s healthy for our back end.”
Freshman LB Caleb Herring
On being an in-state kid choosing Tennessee …
“When I saw that Coach Heup came, I knew that this program was going to get turned around. Seeing all the success that he had at UCF, I knew he was going to bring it over to the SEC with better talent—just seeing what he’s done in a short amount of time. I committed because I saw the direction that this program was going in.”
On how he has adjusted to spring practice and the speed of it…
“Before we got to doing spring stuff, I became used to it, because we would do 11-on-11. That would already be some fast stuff. Adjusting from that in high school to now has been a been jump, because in high school it’s usually slow-paced and they don’t go that fast on offense. This offense is the fastest in the country. It’s been an adjustment, and today I would say I did a pretty good job of becoming adjusted to that speed.”
On being reunited with his older brother Elijah Herring and how that motivates him…
“Having a year off, it was kind of tough without him. Having him back now and around me is good to have someone there pushing me, holding me accountable to the things that I do on and off the field and continuing to push me.”
On the biggest piece of advice he has received from his brother about playing at UT…
“Just have fun and be comfortable. If you’re not comfortable and having fun, you’re not going to make any progress. Another thing he has taught me is to not be afraid to ask questions. He told me to ask as many questions as I can to be able to learn the game. He’s been big when it comes to that.”
Freshman DB John Slaughter
On getting adjusted to practices…
“It’s going smooth, I’d say that both practices have prepared me well but I am still getting used to the speed. Of course we’re just starting up these first two days, but I know the intensity, speed, everything is going to speed up. It’s been going smoothly so far.”
On understanding the culture of the Tennessee football team
“I understood the assignment when I first got here, even as a recruit, everything is going to be faster, bigger, stronger and more competitive in comparison to high school with smaller guys. But here, stars don’t matter, rankings don’t matter, everyone’s a dog here.”
On describing the identity that the defense is working towards this spring
“We’re trying to run the meat and potatoes as Coach Banks would say. Disguising coverages, that’s one thing we’re working on right now. Coming in as a new guy it’s another new thing we have to learn, just disguising coverage and playing a different coverage. We’d be on cover four but disguise it as cover two or cover three. I feel like that’s one of the big parts.”
Freshman DB Jordan Matthews
On choosing to attending Tennessee …
“The business opportunity here—I am a business major. My mom really stressed that. My dad was really focused on sports. I thought about that coming here with the Haslam School of Business. The networking here with all of the greats that have passed through Tennessee—Eric Berry and all the rest. That played a factor, and also Coach Martinez. He’s definitely a key factor in my recruitment. He talked to me and gave me coverages and knowledge to even play with on the high school level. I feel like that really developed me.”
On the difficulty increasing at the collegiate level versus high school…
“One, the speed of the game. That is something I have to get used to, and I know Tennessee especially goes at a really fast speed in their offense. That is one thing I need to get adjusted with. The physicality of it and how physical the receivers are. I have to get off blocks in, shed blocks in, and get to the ball as fast as you can.”
On seeing any benefits from bowl practice helping with spring practice…
“I would say coming in from bowl practice, it definitely prepared me for this and showed me the speed of the game. It showed me what to look for, what coverages are going to be expected from me. Bowl practice was a little slower than spring, but it still prepared me in a way that mentality I need to be ready to get out there and play.”
On what he has able to learn from the older guys on the team…
“Definitely. I would say one in particular, Warren Burrell. He took me under his wing from my official visit and he kept in contact with me throughout my senior season. He told me what to expect, what to look for, and what I need to get better on throughout the off season to get better. To get ready for my freshman season, so I feel like Warren really prepared me and he is still preparing me to this day.”
Freshman LB Jeremiah Telander
On the football activities he did from arriving on campus to spring practice…
“For me the playbook was way different from high school, so I started making some flash cards, started using some highlighters and really just spending time on field study and memorizing all of the plays trying to get them very quickly off the top of my head. Every Tuesday and Thursday the linebackers will meet up together and get the trash cans out. We will go over run fifths, so kind of on a slow pace to give us an opportunity to ask each other questions on a slower pace – just a linebacker type of deal.”
On what he has learned from the other linebackers in the Tennessee system…
“Aaron Beasley, Elijah Herring, Kalib Perry, they sat down with us and we watched some film together. Like I said, we are in the trash cans, and they tell us it is all going to happen really fast but at the end of the day we are still just playing football, so you just have to slow your head down and remember you are playing football. That is one thing they have helped me with a lot.”
On the positive gains he has made from workouts…
“When I first got here, I was 214 pounds and now I am 226. I made a lot of gains. I feel a lot stronger. I feel a lot faster, and we haven’t had a full-padded practice yet but I feel faster on the field and I definitely physically have gotten stronger and faster.”
Freshman LB Arion Carter
On if the game is slowing down for him…
“Yes sir, especially me coming in in December. Being here and then being at the bowl side, just seeing the game come to me, letting the game come to me and it’s slowing down. It’s slowed down tremendously. Just getting better each week, each day, competing so far. It’s been good.”
On freshman group’s personality on and off the field…
“I feel like everyone as a whole, we complement each other just as guys. We all get along. We all have our own personalities at times. It’s just great. We get along so well. I feel like coming in everybody in the linebacker group came in during December. We’ve gotten to know each other and we’ve kind of grow as a group. Just growing our brotherhood overall, we’re all like family at this point and we’re going to continue to grow and get better with each other.”
On when he made his mind up that he would play linebacker in college…
“I knew I was going to play linebacker in college after having a spring ball last year and going through summer playing. I knew I was an aggressive running back, I love contact, so as soon as I transitioned it was so easy and I was so fluent. I knew from there I wanted to play linebacker also.”
-UT Athletics
