KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The Volunteers donned shoulder pads for the first time this fall as Tennessee football took Haslam Field Saturday morning for practice No. 3 of preseason training camp. After practice, linebackers coach William Inge spoke to local media about his unit’s progression through the first three on-field sessions of camp.
 
The second-year assistant has a veteran tandem in Arion Carter and Jeremiah Telander, and the room has leaned on their experience and leadership in preparation for the season opener – four weeks from Saturday when the Vols take on Syracuse at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Aug. 30.
 
“We’re always teaching leadership,” Inge said about his returning starters from 2024. “From a leadership standpoint, (Carter and Telander) have evolved into being better leaders. Most of the time that’s going to happen with what you have to do with your actions and what you have to do, what you call sweat equity, the work that you put in around your teammates because everyone is going to see that.
 
“If you have great actions, everyone is going to be able to follow you. Luckily those guys can act and speak about it, so what you’re seeing is a culmination of some of those things that have happened over the last year and a half or two years for them.”
 
Inge has been pleased with the depth of the room and the acclimation of three true freshman linebackers in Brenden Anes, Jaedon Harmon and Jadon Perlotte. Anes was a full participant during 2025 spring practice, while Harmon and Perlotte are seeing their first on-field action this fall after recovering from offseason procedures.
 
“We’ve been very pleased with the depth that we have in the room thus far and when it comes to the younger backers,” Inge said. “Primarily from Jadon Perlotte, Jaedon Harmon –  who were not here in the spring – it’s been a pleasant surprise to see those guys, probably from number one, a preparation standpoint, but also from a skills standpoint, seeing the things they can bring to the table. It’s been really good. And then, you throw in Brenden Anes, who actually got to be here during the winter period, in the bowl prep and in the spring. It just adds to the depth and to the competition in the room.”
 
Full comments from Inge’s media availability can be viewed below. The Vols return to the Anderson Training Center Sunday morning for the fourth practice of fall camp.

Tennessee Football Press Conference | Aug. 2, 2025

Linebackers Coach William Inge

On what he’s seen out of the younger linebackers…
“We’ve been very pleased with the depth that we have in the room thus far and when it comes to the younger backers, primarily from Jadon Perlotte, Jaedon Harmon –  who were not here in the spring – it’s been a pleasant surprise to see those guys, probably from number one, a preparation standpoint, but also from a skills standpoint, seeing the things they can bring to the table. It’s been really good and then you throw in Brenden Anes, who actually got to be here during the winter period, in the bowl prep and in the spring. It just adds to the depth and to the competition in the room.” 
 
On Arion Carter’s work ethic and growth…
“I think that what you see, he’s been probably consistent. It’s still been the same scenario. When you come here in the morning, he’ll be the first one here. (If) you come here at night, he’ll be the last one leaving. And now, I think from a leadership standpoint, what he’s done has really turned into the player-led organization part of the program where he’s making sure the rest of the guys are doing some of those same things. So, it’s not just him dealing with the linebackers, but him also dealing with the secondary, the D-Line, the O-Line and just his communication that he has around the guys on the team. That’s what you want when you take the next step in leadership. He’s also doing the same thing. We talk all the time where, ‘in order for you to be a dominant linebacker or dominant player that is known, it is about leadership and production, and he is producing on the field as well.'” 
 
On Arion Carter’s and Jeremiah Telander’s leadership qualities…
“Those are the things that we teach, and we talk daily about. The one thing that we’re teaching and preaching, and from my perspective leading, is we’re always teaching leadership. From a leadership standpoint, they have evolved into being better leaders. Most of the time that’s going to happen with what you have to do with your actions and what you have to do, what you call sweat equity, the work that you put in around your teammates because everyone is going to see that. You can be a very good leader with you having to say nothing, but you happen to have great actions. If you have great actions, everyone is going to be able to follow you. Luckily those guys can act and speak about, so that’s what you’re seeing is a culmination of some of those things that have happened over the last year and a half or two years for them.” 
 
On how he saw Jadon Perlotte and Jaeden Harmon handle being out during the spring  and how he saw them maximize everything they were doing mentally…
“Some of that is for sure the things that I have to be able to do because you don’t know for sure what their level of preparation is, what their level of teaching was kind of beforehand. You could think about what it may be, but I’ve definitely been pleased. From a preparation standpoint, to see the work that they put in to make sure they’re right, you can see immediately Jaedon Harmon, he got under the wing of Arion Carter. It could not have been any better. To see (Jadon) Perlotte somehow matriculate to be somehow under the wing of (Jeremiah) Telander. It’s something I didn’t really have to push to see Perlotte and Brenden Anes get under Telander because they are both playing the MIKE (middle linebacker) positions. Seeing them, I think their biggest asset has been their level of preparation. I told them in the spring, you are not getting the physical rep, but you have to get the mental rep. So, whenever we go to walkthroughs or practices, there are some things we would look at one-on-one. Just seeing them understand how it applied now that they have had the opportunity to do some of those things, you can see they are learning double just in the four practices now that they have had a chance to experience it. With them, you do something good, I tell them, keep it in a jar. So, when it comes out again, you can remember it. If it is something that wasn’t so good, ‘hey, let’s throw it out and remember it needs to be this.’ They’ve been very good with the correction phase.”
 
On what has allowed him to stack up talent in the linebacker room…
“Recruiting is a constant process. The one thing I want to do in my room is to have the very best platform for everyone to be able to go in and play. I tell them, if you are prepared and you understand how not to beat yourself, you will have a chance to play. Something I take a lot of pride in, for me from a coaching standpoint, is putting our players in positions where they all can play. That’s what I tell them in the recruiting process. If you do what you are supposed to do, you are going to have a chance to play. That’s what we want to be able to do. That’s our job now that you have a brand in that Power T, which is the mighty icon of the SEC. You can go into any home and sell them the vision that is very real. And it’s a real vision, because when they push play, they see it. They see it and our reputation, it really destroys our past.” 
 
On Edwin Spillman’s growth, and the expectations for his role this season…
“Edwin would be what you would call, ‘the monster of the room’ because he doesn’t have to speak a lot, because you have Arion (Carter) and (Jeremiah) Telander there. But, when he does speak, he is very active, and he is someone who is, literally, biting the heels off of those guys when it comes to his performance, his actions, his leadership and his trust level. So, he is someone that we have a high regard for when it comes to putting him on the football field.”
 
On how he handles coaching a room with both veteran experience and youth…
“Well, we tell them, ‘the life that you’re going to be in is like drinking from a firehose.’ But also, I want to make sure that you know – even though some of the guys like Arion (Carter) and (Jeremiah) Telander have playing experience, I keep the heat turned up on them as well so that they don’t know that they’re an experienced player. What I’m able to do is give them level 300 questions to some of the situations and I can give level 100 questions to some of the younger players and bring them along slowly but surely. And luckily, as we have time and you endure the growth process, everyone still gets matriculated into the same system and same teachings. So, that is something that we’ve done with our process, is a lot of times with the young guys, I do get a lot of time with our young guys, specifically only them, so that I can bring them along. We also bring in the older guys, the veterans that have played before, so they can get with them and bring them along. That’s how you become player led. That’s our mission, to make sure that the separation isn’t so far between the players that don’t have a lot of playing experience combined with the players that do have a lot of playing experience because, in our system and in the world that we live in, young guys don’t have time to be young.”
 
On the resemblance of some of the younger players to the likes Carter and Telander…
“Absolutely. When you talk about seeing flashes, holy smokes. Let’s just say with (Jadon) Perlotte, I have to keep a rope on him because he is the one where you have to say, ‘woah’ instead of ‘sic ’em.’ When the ball is snapped, he goes at 150 miles per hour, all the time. (Jaedon) Harmon is your quiet leader. He’ll be so prepared, and he knows and understands everything that is going on. He is like a slither as he finds his way around and he’s always around the football. That’s exactly what you want and what we’ve seen the last couple of days.”
 
On the next step for Carter and Telander as players and where they need to grow this season…
“I think, just for them, being consistent at the point of attack. That is our number one mission. When you’re at the point of attack, you have to be able to make your play. That’s been our main sight now, is getting to the point of attack, and now, let’s not just make the tackle, let’s create a takeaway. That’s how you take the next step.”
 
On what will set Edwin Spillman apart this season…
“His ability to attack. He’s the combination of both Arion (Carter), with his speed and physicality, and (Jeremiah) Telander, with his ability to run through a wall. If you had a brick wall up, he’s like the Incredible Hulk, because he is going through the wall. That’s what we love about Edwin. And that’s why he’s going to continue to keep on rising. He’s like yeast, every day he gets better, he gets taller, he gets bigger, everything that you want out of a player. It’s a blessing to have him on our football team.”