By Jimmy Hyams

Jeremy Pruitt isn’t much on establishing rules. He just wants to follow them.

That goes for playing games without fans in the stands to playing only conference games to the time needed to prepare for the season to eligibility issues.

North Carolina coach Mack Brown and Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith are opposed to playing games without fans, saying if it’s not safe for the fans, it’s not safe for the players.

What is the opinion of Tennessee’s coach?

“I’ve just kind of always been one to follow the rules,’’ Pruitt said in a recent interview on SportsTalk WNML radio. “I don’t really get a chance to make those kind of decisions. So whatever they decide to do, I’ll support it and we’ll follow the rules and do what everybody else says.”

Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly says a team needs 30 days of conditioning and fundamental work before starting summer camp around Aug. 1. Alabama coach Nick Saban said you need 14 days. Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley said you don’t need any.

What does Pruitt say?

“I don’t know what the exact amount of days would be,’’ Tennessee’s coach said. “If you look over the history of college athletics and probably professional sports, it’s changed and everybody has adapted to the rules as they’ve changed over the years. So I’m sure whatever rules are put in place, everybody will adhere to them.

“The first thing would be to protect the players because each player will be different when you start back. There are probably guys that have some access to do a lot of things when it comes to training right now and there’s probably some that don’t. I just think that whenever that time does come, you have to have a really good understanding of each individual player and where they’re conditioning is at — what they can and can’t do.”

With spring practice canceled and a limited amount of work during the summer, does Pruitt think that might result in fewer true freshmen contributing right away?

“I don’t think so,’’ Pruitt said. “Right now we’re allowed to spend four hours a week doing meetings. With the technology that is out there today, it’s going really well. I wouldn’t think that it would be that big of a difference.

“My thought is you always want to play the guys that give you the best chance to win. It’s not about who knows the most. It’s about being able to play the best players. That’s kind of the way we look at it.”

There is some chatter that some conferences might be wiling to play this fall, even if it means only league games. Would Pruitt be in favor of that?

“That’s probably a question for somebody else,’’ Pruitt said. “I probably would have an opinion, but nobody but me and you are really going to care what my opinion is.

“Instead of speculating and all that, I’ll just wait and see what happens and whatever happens, we’ll support it and try to be the best we can possibly be.”

With the NCAA basically shutting down operations, it might have an impact on players seeking waivers for immediate eligibility, like Cade Mays, who transferred to UT from Georgia.

Pruitt said he is the “wrong one to ask that question’’ and has “no idea’’ of the potential impact on a transfer.

There Pruitt goes again.

He’s not about setting rules or even having an opinion on them.

Just tell him the rules, and he’ll play by them.

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By Jimmy Hyams

Tennessee is in the hunt for Mississippi State transfer Fabian Lovett.

In the past couple of years, the Vols have taken transfers Deangelo Gibbs from Georgia, Aubrey Solomon from Michigan, Keller Chryst from Stanford and Madre London of Michigan State, among others.

Accepting transfers can be a bit risky. Do they fit your culture? Do they fit your scheme? Do they provide enough value to use a valuable scholarship?

Tennessee coach Jeremy Pruitt doesn’t mind perusing the transfer portal for potential prospects, but he also wants to do his homework before making the investment.

“Most of the time if you’re going to take a transfer,’’ Pruitt said, “there’s probably a previous relationship, an opportunity where you know circumstances, and you’re not just depending on one or two years at another place.

“You want to take big-picture approach because you know the background in high school, just so you can gather as much information as you can.’’

Pruitt said it’s like recruiting a prospect. You evaluate tape but you also evaluate character. You talk to the recruit’s coach, his teacher, the janitor, the lunch lady.

“It’s hard to predict the future,’’ Pruitt said, “but the more information you have, most of time (the person will) not change a whole lot from what they’ve done in the past.’’

Tennessee offered Lovett two years ago. He was rated the No. 4 player in the state of Mississippi.

Lovett announced his transfer just days after new Mississippi State coach Mike Leach tweeted a meme of a woman knitting a noose for her husband who was quarantined.

Leach apologized and deleted the tweet.

Mississippi State officials said Leach needs an education on Mississippi culture.

Regarding transfers Pruitt has taken at Tennessee, Chryst played eight games without a start and had only a few bright moments.

Solomon started last season and shows flashes of being a solid player.

Gibbs was moved from defensive back to receiver and had to sit out last year due to NCAA transfer rules. He hopes to be in the rotation – if not start – this fall.

London played sparingly.

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