KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee football will take Haslam Field on Wednesday morning for the first time this preseason camp under the direction of third-year head coach Josh Heupel, who joined coordinators Tim Banks and Joey Halzle at the program’s on-campus media day on Tuesday.
The Vols officially reported for the start of camp, went through media day and then participated in their team photo in Neyland Stadium, a venue they look to extend a nine-game winning streak in next month.
Tennessee will work out in helmets and shorts on Wednesday, the first of four practices scheduled for Week 1. A significant amount of offensive and defensive production returns along with every defensive on-field position coach for the second straight year.
Halzle, the Vols’ new offensive coordinator, has already served as the program’s quarterbacks coach for the two previous seasons and worked alongside Heupel at now four straight stops. That continuity has been a key for success according to Heupel.
“As you get a chance to see some of these guys here as we open up training camp, I really like the position they’ve put themselves in physically to be ready to go compete this training camp,” he said. “(I’m) excited about the continuity in what we have coming back as a staff. Over the course of our three years, being able to maintain the core group of our guys, I think that has allowed us to continue to grow in our culture, continue to grow in our schemes and build on the trust that we’ve built over the first two years within our program, players and coaches alike.”
Below are quotes from Heupel, Halzle and Banks from Tuesday’s media day, as well as player quotes from quarterback Joe Milton III, quarterback Nico Iamaleava and leading returning tackler linebacker Aaron Beasley.
Head Coach Josh Heupel
Opening Statement
“Great to see everybody. This is the best time of the year. I’m excited to open up training camp tomorrow with our guys. We’ve had a great summer, and the players have been fantastic. They’ve really been that way since we got back in January. Each part of our offseason, they’ve handled themselves with great maturity and been extremely competitive. Individually, I feel like we’ve made a lot of strides. As you get a chance to see some of these guys here as we open up training camp, I really like the position they’ve put themselves in physically to be ready to go compete this training camp. (I’m) excited about the continuity in what we have coming back as a staff. Over the course of our three years, being able to maintain the core group of our guys, I think that has allowed us to continue to grow in our culture, continue to grow in our schemes and build on the trust that we’ve built over the first two years within our program, players and coaches alike. Excited to kick it off with these guys here tomorrow and start this training camp. It’s a long month. It’s a process throughout the course of the season, and it’s a process during the course of training camp to get ourselves ready to go play here in 31 days when we open up in Nashville.”
On the state of the program now compared to two years ago…
“First of all, we have the cornerstone pieces of who we are. The foundation has been laid. Great trust and accountability inside of our walls. Our players, just their daily habits, who they are, what they’re about, how they compete individually with themselves and collectively as a group, too. We’ve come a long way in a short amount of time. Our roster — I’ve said it before — that first fall we had 65 scholarship players. We’re close to 85 (today). We have real depth, real competition, really at every position. That’s true of our veterans that are here. There’s a lot of young guys, 18 of them that were with us during the course of spring ball. I expect them to be a much more mature and complete players when we step on the field tomorrow, but certainly as we grow during the course of training camp. There’s just great competition everywhere. Our athleticism, strength, all those things have continued to improve. Our functional movement, we’re continuing to take strides. But this is the time of year where you have to go out and earn it every day.”
On the benefit of continuity on his coaching staff…
“The people that we’ve been able to promote have been within the building, within those position units. They have connection and relationships with those players, so it’s not like you’re starting over from scratch, even when you promote somebody. I think it’s really important, inside of your program — at any point, but it was certainly important where we took this program over, trying to build something — at every phase of every single year, we’ve never had to completely reset. We’ve been able to continue. We come off of last year’s season, they come back in late January, it’s about, ‘OK, this is where we were. This is who’s back. This is how we grow.’ As a staff, continuing to push on our scheme, fine tune who we are and what we want to do. Our players continuing to grow in every facet, from our strength program to what we’re doing schematically and fundamentally. It has allowed us to continue to grow really quickly, and I don’t think you can understate that part of it as we’ve grown here over the first two years and heading into year three.”
On the leadership from linebackers Aaron Beasley and Keenan Pili…
“Both of those guys have dramatically continued to improve their bodies. I think functionally the traits that we’re looking for, they’ve continued to improve on. I think you guys will see that as you get a chance to watch some of the practice. (Aaron) Beasley is a guy that had not played a lot of football, grows into a role on the football field and plays at a really high level, certainly in the Orange Bowl last year. As that has taken place, he’s been able to be very intentional in how he wants to grow as a leader too. He’s a part of our leadership council. He has great influence inside the linebacker room, but really across our defense in our football team too. He’s continued to grow in his maturity outside of the game. With the middle of that defense, it’s important that you have great leadership and that they’re willing and able to communicate at a really high level. That’s off the field and that’s during the course of play as well. Keenan Pili, a guy that has great maturity and athletic traits that we were looking for. He’s the guy that in spring ball was just trying to figure out what we’re doing schematically and how he needs to improve every day. This summer, he took a huge leap in having command of the guys around him. The maturity of both of those guys I think will show itself as we go through training camp and as we get into season.”
On how to plant good seeds and develop good habits in fall camp that show up in the season…
“You want good seeds that are planted. Practice habits, and how that affects your health during training camp and during the course of the season. The ability to play each play independently, no matter what happened on the previous play. Playing harder than your opponent even though you’re competing against yourself during the course of training camp. How do you take care of the ball? How do you go attack the ball and on the defensive side of it? You have to constantly grow in this game. You’re resetting in each phase and every offseason. This is the last quarter of our offseason. It’s important that you develop the habits, and you develop the leadership. We try to be intentional with that even during the course of training camp by continuing to give those guys ownership. They have to go be problem solvers when we get out and we’re playing against an opponent this fall. You have to put those guys in a position to do some of those things.”
On the depth behind offensive lineman Cooper Mays and the overall health of the program…
“I do think there’s great competition on the offensive line. That’s true at the tackle position. You talk about Cooper (Mays), his stability and what he brings to the offensive line. He’s a guy that’s played at a really high level. He’s one of the guys that continues to develop his ownership and leadership inside of our program. I really love what he’s done all offseason. That backup center spot will be a competition. We have multiple guys that will be competing for that including some young guys in our program. Also, Parker Ball has been here for a while. That’s one of the things personnel wise that we have to figure out here as we get through the next couple of weeks.
“The health of our program, as far as our individuals go, we’re in a pretty good spot. There’s one guy that won’t be with us this fall. Pakk (Kwauze) Garland, just from the injury last fall, hasn’t gotten himself in a position where he’s cleared. It’s not because he hasn’t been putting in the work. It’s just him in the process that he’s had to go through with that injury. He’ll be a part of our program but will not be playing this fall.”
On what he liked about receiver Dont’e Thornton’s tape and how he has adjusted to UT…
“He has great length, natural hands and (is) a great route runner. He had one of the fastest GPS speeds in the transfer portal. I’ve loved how he’s approached coming into our program by wanting to earn it. He’s become a relentless worker. He cares about his performance and how he prepares in a really good way. He’s spent a lot of time understanding and trying to grow inside of our offense really quickly. I’m looking forward to seeing him this fall. There’s great competition and some flexibility at the wide receiver spot. I’m looking forward to seeing how that unfolds here during the course of training camp.”
On how refreshing it is to come off of a New Year’s Six bowl victory and have the NCAA violations behind them…
“The NCAA stuff being behind us is huge for us as a program, as much as anything on the recruiting side of it. I said that probably a week ago at media days as well. As far as how I’m different or what’s different about the program, we have two and a half years of built-up trust and chemistry with your staff and your players. At the end of the day, how we approach and how I approach every single day, it’s not any different. This is a highly competitive game. You have great players and coaches that we’re going to be going against all fall. You have to reset and go earn it every single day. We have a real sense of urgency inside of our program that starts with me having a sense of competitiveness and drive. At the end of the day, there were a lot of great moments last year. None of that stuff comes with us. At the end of the day, last year there were a lot of goals that we didn’t reach. This group has been really intentional about pushing forward and putting ourselves in a position to go chase some of those things.”
On what a productive camp looks like for quarterbacks Joe Milton III and Nico Iamaleava and if that looks any different for either of them…
“Yeah, a little bit. They’re different as far as the stages that they’re at inside of the quarterback room, understanding our offense and fundamental things like how we want them to play. I expect both of them to compete and lead at a high level. I think it’s really important that those guys have great energy and urgency and that transcends not just through our offense, but also through our football team for all of our players. This is a game that’s never going to be perfect. Being able to reset from one play to the next, I think, is one of the most important traits that you have as a competitor and as a player in this game. For those two guys being able to do that and then master what we’re doing offensively will be really important.”
On Ramel Keyton’s role as a veteran within the team…
“He’s somebody who probably puts as much time or more time than anybody inside of our program into the extra work. You can come up here late at night and see him on the jugs. He cares and he prepares the right way. He’s continued to grow in what we’re doing and understanding our schemes. He’s continued to heighten his fundamental technique at the wide receiver position. That was a huge part of why he took advantage of the opportunity when Cedric Tillman went down last year and played at a really high level. I anticipate him continuing to do that and having a great training camp. I’m really excited about what he’s done in a short amount of time with us.”
On his thoughts about the edge rushers and the LEO position…
“One of the position groups where there’s real depth, competition, length and athleticism. Those are some of the traits that we’re looking for off the edge. Some of that is inside too with some of the guys that we’ve brought in. I’m looking forward to great competition. I’m looking forward to us continuing to develop in our ability to affect the quarterback, and not just doing that with pressures all the time but being able to do it with the four guys up front. At the end of spring, I felt like we made some real strides and that a lot of our guys that were back and a part of our program. We’ve had a couple of new guys that came in here in late May, early June too. I anticipate those guys continuing to learn what we’re doing, but playing with great technique and competing for a spot. Right now, this time of year, you have to show that you can master what we’re doing and go take the job. It’s your job to prove that you’re going to play at a championship level. Once that happens, then we have to find a role for those guys. I anticipate those guys doing that during the course of training camp.”
On the depth at the cornerback position…
“The five guys that came in in January, I’m really excited about their athleticism and physical traits. They were super mature in the way they competed and handled themselves on the field and off the field. I anticipate those guys, after going through an offseason, going through spring ball, and having an opportunity to digest all that and go back through some installs this summer, when we hit the ground being a very different player while still understanding that they’re going to have to continue to grow throughout the course of training camp. The veterans a year ago were kind of nicked up during training camp. We got nicked up during the course of the season. We need those guys to stay healthy. We need them to be on the field. We need them to compete and get those reps. You can’t be the player that you need to be if you’re not practicing during this time of year. We need all of those guys playing and competing here during the course of training camp for them to be their best. It’s one of the positions where there’s great competition. With every position in our program, you have to go earn it here during the next two and a half to three weeks of training camp and prove that you’re going to play at a championship level. I’m really looking forward to the competition at that spot.”
On the difference in the program today compared to when he took it over two years ago…
“It’s different in that you have two years of experience with the majority of your roster. You have a culture that is built. There’s continuity. There’s also an understanding from your players. They know exactly what they are getting into. They know each phase of our offseason and what training camp is going to look like. Our staff has been able to remain intact for the most part. Now, we are able to just go out and compete on a daily basis. We don’t have a lot of issues with our guys. They do a phenomenal job on the field as well as outside of this building in the classroom. It’s truly about us individually and collectively becoming our best and being very pointed when we come in here. We are going to enjoy what we are doing and have a lot of fun, but we are also going to compete at an elite level.”
On what he looks for in players that allows him to trust them going into the season…
“Emotionally, being able to reset from play to play. Master the concepts that we have in all three phases. Play with fundamentals and technique. Be a consistent competitor. Show that you’re going to play harder than your opponent for 60 minutes every day when we get on the grass. Be a great teammate. For the guys that have great leadership roles, it’s making sure that those guys keep growing in that too. It will show up during the course of the season.”
On his favorite moments with the team since the end of the season…
“For me, I love being on the grass with them, so what we did during the course of spring ball. I love having the opportunity to reset and enjoy time with them outside of the game too. That could be guys coming over to my house during the course of the summer, me beating them up on the basketball court, or the softball tournament that we had. I love those team-building moments as well. Today, we walked upstairs and got to have a conversation about what training camp is going to look like, and you could feel the excitement and energy. It’s the daily interaction with this group. I love being around these guys, and they love being around each other too.”
On if there’s been any difference with Joey Halzle at offensive coordinator…
“Obviously, he’s going to have to address the offense at times. I chose him because we’ve got great trust in him. Philosophically, very similar. He sees the game through the same type of lens. It’s been a seamless transition. Our players have great trust in him. Excited about what he’s done up until this point.”
On the benefits of Joe Milton III being able to start the final two games of last season…
“For all of the guys—Joe included—that had the opportunity to play late in the year, including the Vanderbilt game when we had a few guys nicked up to the bowl game, and that experience in some ways is a springboard to the 2023 season. It gives all those guys great confidence in what they’ve done up until that point to go play that way when given the opportunity. For Joe, nobody was surprised that he played that way inside of the program. We had seen the way he worked and competed and how he had continued to grow as a person but also as a player. Anticipated him playing that way. At this point, what happened in January or December has nothing to do with where we go. Those guys being focused on continuing to grow every day, that’s really important.”
On if he sees a big difference looking back at his first two teams at Tennessee…
“In this game, you have to go out and take it every Saturday. There is nothing given. You have to be mature enough to go reset and handle everything that comes at you. That’s play to play, day to day, and week to week. The difference in year one and year two is continued growth and understanding in what we’re doing. A lot of the players were back. Our roster continued to improve. We got more depth in year two. Continuity with our staff allowed us to continue to push forward in a positive way. I think the continued growth and accountability and trust inside of our walls, love and respect for each other and the program and how we attack every single day. The continued growth in those areas shows up in the performance, and it shows up on the scoreboard that everybody sees. Everybody, every program around the country does all the big things. It’s the little things that matter, that make the difference. Those are the things that our coaches and players have to be focused on during the course of training camp. They’ve done that, continued to grow this offseason but you don’t take anything for granted. You have to continue to grow in all those areas.”
On the difference in depth at linebacker now compared to when he started…
“Length, athleticism, accountability every single day, growth inside the meeting room, understanding scheme—not just running around sideline to sideline—but understanding what your job is and what your keys are and being able to play with fundamentals and the right steps. We were really thin in year one. We’ve added length, athleticism, more competition. That showed up on defensive snaps. It showed up on our special teams a year ago as well. BJ (Brian Jean-Mary) has done a great job of recruiting that room and recruiting what we need to that room too.”
On the pride he has when former players succeed in the NFL…
“I do keep up with them. Obviously, it’s tough to have a ton of conversations in the middle of training camp. All those guys, guys that played for us and guys I’ve gotten to know that played here before I got here, I sent all those guys a good luck text as they were getting ready for training camp. Excited to see their success and their growth. Guys are going into the league for year one, I know there’s a lot of anticipation and some nervousness because you’re going into something that you haven’t been in yet. What those guys have done, how they’ve grown and also how they’ve played, really excited to see the success of the guys that just went into it, but also the success of the VFLs. I’m excited to see those guys play on Sundays and make plays.”
On what Alec Abeln, Kelsey Pope and other young coaches bring to the staff…
“Great energy. They’re dynamic personalities that do a great job of building relationships in the recruiting realm. They have a complete understanding of what we’re doing offensively. They’re great teachers in the room. They connect with the players. They’re able to meet the players where they’re at and help them grow to what we need them to be. In every way inside our program, they’ve continued to help us push forward. Two great young coaches that we love having in the building.”
Defensive Coordinator Tim Banks
On opposing defenses struggling against Tennessee’s offense…
“That’s a great question. I think with anything, it starts with your players. We have really good personnel here. Obviously, tremendous quarterback play over the last couple of years and a plethora of receivers. I don’t think that our o-line nor our running backs get the credit they deserve. I think it starts with the players. Then you add Coach Heupel and his football acumen with Coach (Joey Halzle), and what coach (Alex Golesh) brought to the table, Coach (Glen Elarbee), that whole staff. I just think it’s a combination of great players, great minds on the offensive side of the ball and tremendous scheme. We feel very fortunate that every day, we get a chance to go against (that offense). We feel like if we can defend those guys, we’ll have a great opportunity defending anybody in the country.”
On the defensive line’s ability to rush four and affect the quarterback…
“Another great question. That’s obviously what we’re building toward. We feel very good about the number of guys that we have returning. We feel like we’ve recruited at a high level, and we have some young players that are going to get some opportunities to show what they can do. Just like anything, it’s a work in progress. We’ll obviously know more once we get going during camp this season. Hopefully we develop the way that we think we should. That’ll open up some more opportunities for us to be more creative in terms of getting to the quarterback.”
On the jump the defense has made and if he saw that improvement in fall camp last year…
“I think everything is a process, so to speak. We thought we were getting better. We showed dividends in some stats, but I think we got better in a lot of areas quite frankly. That’s why you work. Every year is a new year. You try to identify some things that you think you need to improve on that can help us win and win at a higher clip. We obviously identified some things last year, and we worked to correct it. Like I say every day, it always starts with the players. I thought our players bought in to what we are trying to get accomplished, and they played at a high level.”
On senior linebackers Aaron Beasley and Keenan Pili…
“I think with Aaron, it’s about confidence. Honestly, he’s always been confident, but as the spotlight started to shift toward him a little bit, I thought he got more comfortable in that setting. He’s been great. I think he’s had a tremendous offseason. From a leadership perspective, I think he feels like he has a voice and people will obviously listen when they see the production that he’s put together consistently. As far as KP (Keenan Pili) goes, he was a great addition to our team this spring. He’s a tremendous young man and a tremendous family man. He’s big, athletic, physical. We’re super excited about watching him continue to develop during camp. I think all of our team, particularly on our side of the ball, really respects him because of his work ethic. He’s not really a real vocal person at this point, but I think as he continues to get more comfortable with our team, I think you’ll see him get even more vocal.”
On the ‘proof of concept’ within the program…
“I think it’s great. I think it’s great for the fans. For us, personally, we realize that what you did last year was last year. I think at this point, we’re continuing to chop wood and carry water so to speak, to get ready for this upcoming season. From a confidence perspective, obviously that’s great. But, as I told the kids, experience is only good when you can go back and learn from it, whether it was good or bad. If we learn from it and build upon it, then it’s something that can become special. We can’t carry over any tackles. We can’t carry over any interceptions. We have to earn them again during camp, and that’s honestly the goal.”
On when he realized the caliber of Beasley’s game…
“When we got here, he had just kind of transitioned to the linebacker position. He’s really a quiet guy by nature, but I think he has a quiet confidence about him. He was always sneaky athletic. He didn’t say a bunch, but we got here with some things that he needed to get cleaned up. He missed a little bit of time, but when he got back and got his legs under him, we knew right away that he could be a guy we could count on. Nothing’s been given to him. Everything has been earned. That just makes it that much sweeter to me. He’s definitely one of those guys. He didn’t come in here as a highly thought of linebacker. Obviously, he was a defensive back, but he’s really worked his tail off every year to put himself in a position to not only be a consistent linebacker, but be a high-impact linebacker in this league.”
On Tyler Baron’s development…
“Tyler has always had the God-given talent. He’s arguably one of our better players on our defense in general, not just up front. He’s long and athletic. I think the biggest thing for him is just that he’s been banged up a ton. He was fortunate enough to be able to make it all the way through spring. We saw a lot of great consistency with his play. We’re obviously super fired up to watch it carry over to camp. What does a successful season look like for him? I think it’s him reaching his full potential on the field. That will help our defense. The goal is to play at a high level defensively, and he can be a big part of that.”
On the different level of competition he expects from the cornerbacks this fall compared to last fall…
“It will help a ton because all of those guys are healthy at this point. They’re very talented. I think the room is very talented. Again, if you’re not out there to get the reps, it’s hard to play to your full potential. Having all of those guys back with game time experience only helps us because at the end of the day, to think that we can go into the season with just two corners is not what we think. We know we’ll need at least three or four and in a perfect world, five guys that we feel like we can plug and play and it won’t be a huge drop off. Having all of those guys healthy and ready to compete only will help that room get better. If they’re better, we’re obviously better.”
On where he has seen the most growth in his unit since arriving at Tennessee and what can take them to the next level…
“I think the overall consistency and confidence. When we got here, I don’t think the room had a lot of confidence. Those guys are very confident in what they bring to the table. As far as where we need to go, every year is a new year. We just want to be consistent with our play. We want to be able to have a unit that guys can look out there and see very clearly that we’re going to play extremely hard, playing tough and being smart. We want to be a unit that doesn’t beat itself. For the most part, we’ve been that. But I think continuing to grow in those areas will only bode well for this team.”
On his expectations for senior defensive lineman Roman Harrison…
“Roman has played a lot of football for us. It’s funny because when you go back through the cutups, B.Y. (Byron Young) had a tremendous season for us and he’ll be greatly missed, but Roman showed some flashes. He’s probably pound-for-pound one of the tougher players in this conference. Like I mentioned earlier, it’s about the consistency, playing a little bit smarter and cleaning up those things. Quite honestly, we saw some of that from him this spring. We thought he was a lot more consistent in what we were asking him to do. I think his overall knowledge of not just rushing the passer, but what we’re asking him to do in some coverage principles, he got a lot better. We’re expecting him to have a really good year for us and he needs to. He’s one of the harder workers on our team and on our defense in particular. We are hoping for the best for him. Everything he’s shown us to this point is learning toward that direction.”
On the luxury of having some of the same coaches in the program for a third consecutive year…
“It’s always great. There is a lot of turnover every year in the collegiate game and obviously in the pros as well. I think from a football perspective, it’s awesome. To be quite honest, I think it’s awesome just as far as recruiting goes. You get a chance to recruit these kids, see them start to develop and grow not just as players, but as men. I don’t know if there’s anything more gratifying than that. To watch someone develop under your watch, academically, socially and obviously on the field is special. We’ve been able to have some continuity in where we call home. Knoxville has been very good to me and my wife. It’s truly a blessing and I’m extremely grateful for the opportunity.”
On what he likes about the skillset of junior defensive lineman Omarr Norman-Lott…
“Omarr has been a good get for us. With his quickness, he’s very subtle. He’s not the biggest guy in terms of length, but he’s extremely wide and he has a tremendous first step. Our inside guys have been really good, particularly against the run. I think Lott can give us the same thing against the run, but I also think he brings the element of explosiveness and getting off the ball with his first step. We definitely think he’ll help us in the pass rush game, but with the way we move and stunt, I think he has a chance to be really productive in our system.”
On the defense playing a big role in several key wins last season and if that was communicated to the defensive players enough…
“Honestly, our kids know. We know what we bring to the table. We know how well we play. You can’t win 11 games without playing great defense. We felt like we handled our business on that side of the ball, but our ultimate goal is to play for championships. For us to do that, we have to continue to grow in our role. Who gets the credit? We don’t spend a lot of time worrying about that. We worry more about getting a win at the end of the day. That’s been our message since day one. I think if you asked our kids, they would say the same. We don’t care about all of that. We know what we bring to the table. We’re very confident in our approach and our system. We’re super excited about the opportunity to go out there and compete for Tennessee.”
Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks Coach Joey Halzle
On how much of a jumpstart Joe Milton III got playing in the final two games of 2022…
“I think that’s always big. There’s no substitution for actually playing on the field. As much as you want to rep in practice or as much as he does off the field, there’s nothing like being back there with live bullets. Obviously not a great situation like you said on the way it occurred, but him being able to get those two games under his belt before taking it over this year were huge for his development and huge for our team to see the level at which he played. They have a ton of confidence in him after that game.”
On how different of a person and quarterback Joe Milton III is today versus two years ago…
“He’s a completely different guy, not just player. His attention to detail is elite. He came back after that Clemson game and was hungry to keep learning and keep pushing forward. He didn’t rest on his lulls and say he had figured it out. He pushed and saw the success that he had, and he knew what he could do. Now his mentality is matching that on how much he wants to learn and how he’s consuming the game at all times. It’s fun to be a part of right now, and it’s a special mindset that this kid has.”
On what kind of run-after-catch ability the wide receivers bring to the table…
“I think we have elite run-after-catch ability. You have different types of guys. You’ve got (Squirrel White) who’s a 10-4 guy. That elite level speed that can run around an entire defense. You’ve got (Bru McCoy) who runs the ball like he’s a linebacker. You have a bunch of young guys who are out there just ball-in-hand, lighting quick. There’s been a lot of emphasis on how we can get these guys the ball. It doesn’t always have to be 50 yards down the field. How do we get them the ball, get them in space, and let them go do their thing. It’s going to be fun to watch.”
On the bond Joe Milton III and Hendon Hooker had versus the bond now forming between Milton and Nico Iamaleava…
“They’re already extremely close. I think Nico getting here in December, having those 15 bowl practices and then going to the bowl site, where he just got to be around the guys. He was new, so he didn’t really know them, but he just got to be around. Everyone was saying you know, I like this guy, he’s a good dude, he’s just a normal kid. Now it’s like a big brother-little brother relationship with the two of them. You rarely see Joe without Nico. So, it’s been great for him to kind of see the way a quarterback should operate on a day-to-day level. Joe has been a great mentor to him, and he’s really helping bring along his development on and off the field.”
On the work Ramel Keyton put in the offseason and how it compared to Jalin Hyatt’s offseason last year…
“Whenever you see someone have the success that they had on the field, whenever you can engineer that backwards and see why. What changed from year one to year two for Jalin, it was completely the way he approached the game, like what I said with Joe (Milton III). It’s rare to be in this building and not see Ramel in there on some form of the jug machine catching deep balls, short and crossers. He is in there all the time getting his stuff in. He has done that in the past, but I think he feels an opportunity, and to me, he’s trying to mirror what Jalin did. He had an opportunity when Velus (Jones Jr.) left, so he took the most of it. Now with some guys leaving the program, I think Ramel feels like he has that opportunity, and he’s putting in the work so he can try and take it.”
On the significance of the chemistry Joe Milton III built with Ramel Keyton and Squirrel White…
“I think it’s kind of like I said with the game reps, there’s no substitute for it. As long as you can get out there and throw with the guys you’re throwing to, it helps. You see whenever a quarterback in the NFL changes a team, he gets the receivers together and starts throwing, because they all have different speeds and see things differently. So, it’s absolutely an advantage when they’ve really had almost two years of working together and now, they’re all trying to take that step up into the next roll. I don’t think its overblown, but it’s not to say they won’t have great chemistry with Bru (McCoy) and the guys that have been there in the past. It’s a very helpful thing, but it’s just not the end all be all of how it’s going to fit together.”
On examples of how Joe Milton III has had great attention to detail in the offseason…
“For Joe, a lot of it is not just knowing what the pass routes were. He could’ve told you what they were, but why are we calling things in certain situations. If he’s knowing the why behind why we’re doing things in certain situations, why is this coming up opposed to this, it helps him to understand, ‘Where do I want to get with this ball, and where do my eyes start?’ In the run game, he can tell you all the calls that the offensive lines make, which helps him be like, ‘If this is an RPO, am I reading this guy? Am I reading that guy? What about pressure? Field pressure? Internal pressure? How are they picking up? Are they picking it up?’ He has a huge understanding of that now which is extremely detailed, which allows him to just go play free and let his talent take over because he’s not trying to see everything at the same time. When you understand, I am protected or I’m not, this run is blocked or it’s not, now you can just get your eyes in the right spot and go be a big talented guy, which he is.”
On how much Tennessee can add to the offense this season with new personnel…
“That’s been a big focus of our off season. We are who we are, but we’ve got some guys with some specific skill sets that we feel like our job as a staff is to take those skill sets and let them show them off on Saturdays. A lot of it has been like what is good for this specific guy, not just who we are and what we do, but what is good for this guy, and how do we get him in a situation that benefits his skill set and will play to that as well.”
On how to coach players to focus on the next play…
“A lot of that is just training the mind that anger doesn’t help you. It’s a quote-unquote failure on that last play, something that didn’t go (well), just file it away, learn something from it and move on. That’s been the biggest thing from (Joe Milton III). ‘I don’t know why I did that,’ okay cool, let’s figure out why. That’s why this play didn’t work. Whether my eyes were in the wrong spot, my fundamentals were wrong, whatever it was. Let’s learn from that and then file it away and grow from it. That’s been the thing that he’s done. That’s why you’ve heard what he said, ‘I couldn’t put plays behind me.’ It’s because he’s been thinking about them instead of saying, ‘Alright, let me learn from it. I learn from it, and I move on.’ That’s how he’s been able to grow on that area right there.”
On how Joe Milton III will be utilized in the run game differently compared to Hendon Hooker…
“He’s different. Hendon played around 218-ish; Joe is 235-240. Big guy like that, you can do a lot of fun stuff that can run. Obviously running a quarterback, we all understand you have to be smart and pick your times to do it. I’m sure there will be times where we feel like in a certain game versus certain looks, maybe we lean on it a little more. With what we have in the backfield too, Joe can do some stuff, but we aren’t going to take away from those guys.”
On how different his job is from a day-to-day basis since his promotion to offensive coordinator…
“The guys I have working with me in the quarterback room, Mitch (Mitello) and Jack (Lowary), are amazing. They do a great job, trust them completely and wholeheartedly. It’s mainly been, now you’re running the meetings. So on the front end of it, everything has to be prepared instead of walking in, waiting to hear what we’re doing and how does this just affect my quarterbacks. That’s the main difference. The setup for the day, I have to be making sure it makes sense for everybody, not just taking in what I’m hearing and making sure it makes sense for the quarterbacks and only looking through at that scope. I have to look through it at the scope of, is this right for the tackle, is this good for the backs, is this good for the receivers, is this good for the tight ends. It’s not just does it affect my position, which we did as a staff. I’ve said it a bunch since I’ve taken over this job, it’s extremely communal in the way we operate and work. For me on the front end, I have to be more intentional about an entire offensive scope and not just a quarterback scope.”
On how comfortable he would be if they were to need Nico Iamaleava early in the season…
“Huge confidence in him. That guy is mature beyond his years. He didn’t come in like a true freshman, he came in, one wanting to learn. Not thinking, ‘I’m a highly rated recruit, I got it figured out.’ He came in understanding, I want to learn, I need to know. The way that guy has his calmness on the field, just his demeanor, I think the guys believe in him as well. If he’s called upon to do a job, that dude will step in and compete at a high level and perform at a high level. We have a ton of confidence in that guy.”
On what he saw from Dont’e Thornton Jr. when he came in and how he has done over the summer in learning the scheme…
“He does, to use your word, he has freaky talent. A guy of his size that can run like that is rare. There’s good players and guys that have rare traits. That guy is extremely rare in what he can do on the football field. Whenever we come in and it’s completely different from what most people doa, there’s a learning curve. He spends as much time with the quarterbacks as anybody. He’s always with Joe (Milton III) as well, like ‘Alright, how do you want that, how do you see that? Do you see it the way I’m seeing it?’ He’s once again not an older guy that’s come in, like I got it, kind of trying to be a mercenary. He’s trying to learn too and trying to do it the way we do it. Really happy with where we are. Tomorrow it’s time to show that you got it.”
On how much the coaches know about Joe Milton III’s skillset in the offense compared to two years ago…
“His accuracy has grown so much. His touch has grown so much because he’s dialed into fundamentally changing a little bit. He had the classic thing; he has a naturally powerful arm. A lot of times you can just get away with things. He has taken a huge growth in using his lower body, not trying to rip the ball with his upper body all the time, and his accuracy has just jumped through the roof right there. With that big powerful arm, he can put the ball out on the perimeters really quick. He gives you some ways to stretch the field, not just vertically with the arm, but laterally as well. That guy can do anything you ask him to, and now he’s doing it at a higher, consistent level. That’s why you’re going to see the jump from that year one to now.”
On what he hopes to see from Nico Iamaleava in fall camp based on what he saw him grow in over the summer…
“I think he did a great job in spring, just to start there. Getting thrust into the two reps, which a lot of freshmen come in and they’re going against a freshman. He’s going in there against linebackers that have played four years of college football already, and Coach Banks has his entire disposal of his defense at him. Anytime going from spring to summer, that is a huge time – Coach Heupel is exactly right – to make jumps at the quarterback position. I’m looking for him to be more defined with his eyes, not trying to figure out, ‘What am I getting?’ Having a clearer picture like, ‘That’s what I’m getting, this is where my eyes go, and that’s where the ball goes.’ You just keep growing from that, and that’s really quarterback play in general. Eliminating quickly, getting the ball out of your hand with accuracy. That all comes from understanding more of your offense, more understanding of defense. Same thing I was saying with Joe, ‘Am I protected or not?’ If you don’t know, you’re going to watch the rush. If you don’t have to watch the rush because you know you’re protected, your eyes are up and they’re in the right spot. All the intricacies of quarterback play, that’s where I’m looking to see that growth from spring to fall camp.”
On where Bru McCoy has made the most strides after a year…
“He’s done a great job. He’s completely changed his body from getting here. The guy is in amazing shape. He has such an intricate knowledge of what we’re doing and how we’re trying to accomplish it now. It’s kind of like we said with Joe (Milton III), it’s fun to watch him just go play now. Now a big, strong, fast guy is going and playing really strong and really fast. It’s been great to see him, once again, not be a transfer that thinks they got everything figured out. ‘Hey coach, just tell me the plays and I’ll go play.’ Actually wanting to improve himself, his skillset, all of that, and now you’re going to see that. Once again, I feel like he’s going to take another huge step this year.”
On what makes Coach Heupel such a great offensive mind and football coach…
“Two things, and they almost sound a little contradictory. One, he doesn’t stray from who he is. He knows who he is, he knows who we are, and he’s going to push that. He’s going to make sure that’s the way it’s handled. But he doesn’t tight cast him so much that he doesn’t allow himself to think of new things, creative things. Also, like I was saying, being creative to players. He always asks the question, ‘Does that work for him?’ You come up with a cool play design, ‘I think that’s cool, is that the right route for him? Is he good at that, does someone else need to go there or does the whole thing need to get canned?’ He makes you think of the actual players and not just the plays. He’s going to stay true to who he is, but he’s going to make sure what he’s doing makes sense for the guy standing on the field. If they’re not ready to do it, or they’re not capable of doing it, it doesn’t matter how good the design is, it’s not going to work.”
On Ramel Keyton’s ability as a receiver…
“Ramel is an elite deep ball threat. You’ve seen that last year when he stepped in for (Cedric Tillman). That guy can track a deep ball at a high level, and he’s got deceptively long speed on people because he’s a long strider. He’s a great threat there, and he has very natural ball skills. You’ve seen him make a ton of catches off his body. He doesn’t struggle to extend his arms and catch in traffic; he doesn’t have that fear. So, his ball skills and his long speed are big attributes for us.”
On how you know which receiver will get the ball…
“That’s one of the best parts about fall camp. Everyone is going to get their shot, and the guys that show that we can’t afford to not have them on the field are going to be on the field. Doesn’t matter if they are a freshman, sophomore, junior or senior. We will play multiple guys; we have multiple receivers we feel really comfortable with and confident in. That’s going to help us in the long run of a long SEC season.”
On McCallan Castles and Jacob Warren’s growth from the spring going into the fall…
“It’s similar to what I was saying about Nico and Joe. You rarely see Joe (Milton III) without Nico (Iamaleava), you rarely see Jacob without McCallan. McCallan being older when he came in, he had less to do physically than the freshmen. He’s already a big strong kid. He’s since then put on about 15 pounds. He looks amazing right now. He can run, he’s a guy that can get in and out of his breaks really well, and it’s fun to see guys with that kind of skill set when they get so comfortable with the offense and now, they just go play. They play fast, and they play aggressive. That’s been since the very first time I’ve talked to you guys a couple years back. We’re going to play fast, and we are going to play aggressive. That’s the non-negotiable here. To see them be able to do it because they’re actually comfortable in the scheme, that’s when it gets fun.”
On the offensive line competition during fall camp, specifically at left guard and right tackle…
“Losing (Jerome Carvin) that played a ton of snaps here, whenever you lose a top 10 pick (in Darnell Wright), I don’t care the position, it’s hard to replace. I think it’s the same (answer) with the receivers. We feel great about our young guys. Some guys that came in mid-year, we feel like we’re in a good spot. Whenever you have that kind of opening, that open competition, it makes for practice to be intense and physical. It brings the best for the whole, iron sharpens iron. Whenever there are true open spots, guys try to go get them. It makes for a great camp when you have those situations out there.”
On the depth of the quarterback position impacting play calling for quarterback runs…
“Probably even more now, it’s hard to keep a lot of scholarship guys in the room. We feel really confident in the guys we do have in the room. I think there’s always been that with the quarterback, that’s always the question. He’s a good runner, how much do you really want to run that guy? Because no matter who you have, whenever you lose your starter, it’s just hard. It’s hard to come in the second quarter of an SEC game on the road. I don’t care who you are. You’ve been preparing as the two all week, you’re taking all your reps, and you’re mentally ready to go, but you’re coming in almost halfway through or a quarter-way through a game that everyone else is already playing. It’s just hard. There’s always that balance of how much do you run him versus how much is he going to create runs on his own when he scrambles. You factor all that in, you try to do the thing that’s best for the team based on the scheme, what do we need to get to, but also allow you to have longevity throughout the grind that is an SEC schedule.”
Redshirt Senior QB Joe Milton III
On where he started to gain a superb grasp for attention to detail when it came to football assignments…
“I have a lot of younger guys on the team. I’m technically an older guy on the offense, so for me being able to coach up a guy on their assignment, that’s a purpose of my position. For me as a person, just being able to know exactly who does what so I know that I have the play as called.”
On how he changed his mind set to forget the previous play and move onto the next one…
“It’s really just the whole point of moving on. Our offense is so fast paced, you never know when the next play is going to score. I’ve had a lot of these moments happen where in the moment I’m still thinking about the previous play and the next play could have been a touchdown, but it was something that I was thinking about that messed me up to where I made a bad throw or had a bad read. I learned in practice that the next play could be a touchdown, so the moment you flush it the easier things will be.”
On how he is grasping the hype around the football program…
“It’s cool and all, but I’m not that type of person to fall into that type of stuff. I see it, because you can’t avoid it, but to be honest I don’t read it. At the same time, we have to understand the main thing, and the main thing is winning. I’m not focused on anything else.”
Freshman QB Nico Iamaleava
On feeling confident and comfortable at Tennessee…
“It was pretty quick. Just getting out there and getting my feet wet. Getting live bullets going against the ones and twos on defense. That’s where you really build confidence is in practice. I think just over practice I have built confidence.”
On the relationship he has built with Joe Milton III…
“He really took me in when I first got here, and I have always appreciated him for that. He has been a big brother to me. We just keep going and we’ll see how the season goes.”
On his work over the summer leading into fall camp…
“I wanted to work on my foot work within the system. I wasn’t used to it when I first got here. Little steps that I had to work on, was really working on that. Throwing mechanics. I went back home and worked on it when my QB coaches back home.”
Senior LB Aaron Beasley
On the growth of the young linebackers…
“They have done a phenomenal job in my opinion. They are young guys, but you couldn’t tell if you didn’t know that. They carry themselves pretty well. Real smart. Real mature for their age and they can play ball. I expect great things from them for sure.”
On his leadership style…
“I say I lead more by example. Before I say anything, I am going to make sure I am honing in on that myself, that I’m doing what I need to do to be correct and be right in whatever it is I am doing. I’ll pull a guy along if I see him having a down day or just not doing so well that day. I’ll talk him up, uplift him, things of that nature. If the defense in general just feels down, I’ll say something when it needs to be said.”
On the personality of the defense…
“We want to attack. We want to play fast. We want to play in the backfield a lot. We want to make plays and attack for sure.”
-UT Athletics
