5 Things Chris Young Wants You to Know About His New Single, “Losing Sleep,” and Upcoming Album

5 Things Chris Young Wants You to Know About His New Single, “Losing Sleep,” and Upcoming Album

Posted on May 24, 2017

Chris Young is back on the country radio airwaves with a new single, “Losing Sleep,” the lead track from his upcoming seventh studio album.

Penned by Chris, Josh Hoge and Chris DeStefano, “Losing Sleep” falls into Chris’ sexy-song wheelhouse, mixing an up-tempo beat with his rich baritone. After two weeks, the new single is working its way up the charts, which is something Chris knows a thing or two about. His three previous singles—“I’m Comin’ Over,” “Think of You” and “Sober Saturday Night”—reached No. 1 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart.

Chris sat down with Nash Country Daily and shared five things he wants you to know about the new single and upcoming album.

1. In the Writing Room

“Writing ‘Losing Sleep’ was fun for me, because I’d written with Chris [DeStefano] on ‘Goodbye’ for my A.M. record, and I’d written, obviously, a lot of the last record [I’m Comin’ Over] with Josh [Hoge]. I was like, ‘You know what? I wonder what would happen if I put them together in a room with me? I wonder if this will click?’ It really, really did. Anybody will tell you, if they’ve been in the room with either one of those guys, they’re fantastic writers. ‘Losing Sleep’ is an idea that I’d been kicking around for awhile, and I brought it in to Chris and Josh, and we just went off to the races with it and got something that I was really excited about. We wrote this in December 2015, so this was right after I’m Comin’ Over dropped. Sometimes you hear where people are like, ‘Oh, man, I put so much into this record, I just took a little time off from writing.’ I dove right back in, and I’m really glad that I did because that song—like I said—is almost two years old, and it’s just always been one that I’ve been in love with.”

2. Finding His Groove

“Well, ‘Losing Sleep’ is a little more progressive sonically, and I’ve got another song on the record that’s just this big piano ballad—that’s a song that I’m really, really pumped about. There’s another song that’s got a whole bunch of steel guitar, and kind of a really, really cool guitar lick that’s kind of a summer thing. [The new album] hits a bunch of different grooves. I think that’s one of the things that’s gonna jump out to everybody. Every song has its own groove and its own space. It is very different, but I think it makes a cohesive project.”

3. New Album’s Status

“We have already tracked all the songs. We still need to do a couple vocals and some over-dubs on the back half of the record, but the first half is already finished and mastered. Really, really close, honestly. We just need a couple of days in the studio, and obviously some time to deal with mixes and send it over to mastering, and make sure we’re happy with it. This is the first time in my career that I’m a co-writer on every song on the record, so I’m excited about that.”

Corey Crowder (left) and Chris Young

4. Co-Producing With Corey Crowder

“This is third album that we’ve produced together. Producing is a lot of fun for me, and it’s something that I really enjoy digging into. I’ve saved all of my production notes and mix notes. It’s just something that I do enjoy that is very different from the process of songwriting or the process of performing. I think it would be different if I didn’t really enjoy doing it, and also get to work with somebody like Corey Crowder. I mean, he’s awesome.”

5. Collaborations on the New Album

“I’m not gonna say no. As of right now, there are not, but that is something that has been discussed on one of the songs on the back half of the record, so we’ll see.”

Watch the lyric video for Chris’ new single, “Losing Sleep.”

Tammy Wynette’s Former Estate Is on the Market for a Cool $5.5 Million [Photo Gallery]

Tammy Wynette’s Former Estate Is on the Market for a Cool $5.5 Million [Photo Gallery]

Posted on May 24, 2017

Tammy’s Wynette’s former estate, dubbed First Lady Acres, is on the market for a cool $5.5 million.

Constructed in 1970, Tammy’s husband George Jones purchased the almost-10,000-square-foot property in 1974. The nine-bedroom, nine-bath house remained Tammy’s primary residence until 1992.

The home, which sits on eight acres, was recently updated and features an open floor plan, gated estate, exercise room, chef’s kitchen, butler’s pantry, pool, cabana, helicopter pad, steam room, putting green, outdoor kitchen, fountain and more.

Former owners of the estate also include banjo virtuoso Earl Scruggs and, most recently, Train drummer Scott Underwood.

Take a look at some of the pics below, courtesy of Zillow.

Watch Kelleigh Bannen’s Poignant Performance of “Church Clothes” at the Grand Ole Opry

Watch Kelleigh Bannen’s Poignant Performance of “Church Clothes” at the Grand Ole Opry

Posted on May 24, 2017

Kelleigh Bannen’s powerful single, “Church Clothes,” is about a couple that disguises their failing relationship by getting dressed up and going to church together. When Kelleigh initially heard the tune—which was co-penned by Liz Rose and Nicolle Galyon—she was struck with how brave the song was.

“It’s specifically about this couple that’s getting dressed and ready to go to church and what they’re hiding, which is that their marriage is falling apart,” said Kelleigh to Nash Country Daily. “You don’t really know what happens to this couple. That’s one of the things I really like about this song. Then there’s this other layer. Your church clothes can be a metaphor for all kinds of ways that we’re hiding or covering up—and not in like an ugly way necessarily—just in a fear of what would people think or what would people say.”

Watch Kelleigh step on the hallowed Grand Ole Opry circle and perform “Church Clothes,” accompanied by a single acoustic guitar.

Watch Lady Antebellum Perform “You Look Good” as the Pros Bust a Move on “Dancing With the Stars”

Watch Lady Antebellum Perform “You Look Good” as the Pros Bust a Move on “Dancing With the Stars”

Posted on May 24, 2017

Lady Antebellum and their groovin’ new single, “You Look Good,” were part of the festivities on last night’s (May 23) season finale of Dancing With the Stars.

The trio of Hillary Scott, Charles Kelley and Dave Haywood treated fans to a live performance of their single as DWTS pros Witney Carson, Hayley Erbert, Artem Chigvintsev and Gleb Savchenko donned countrified getups and busted a move onstage.

Watch Lady A’s performance below.

Five Vols Named To Athlon’s Preseason All-SEC Team

Five Vols Named To Athlon’s Preseason All-SEC Team

Posted on May 23, 2017
Vols KR Evan Berry / Credit: UT Athletics

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Five Vols have been named to the Athlon’s preseason All-SEC squad, as announced by the magazine on Tuesday.

Tennessee is also ranked 19th in Athlon’s preseason top 25 ranking. The Vols return 53 lettermen and 14 starters (seven on offense, seven on defense) from last year’s squad. UT opens its season against Georgia Tech in the Chick-Fil-A Kickoff game on Sept. 4 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia.

Senior Evan Berry was named a first-team specialist as a kick returner. Junior receiver Jauan Jennings and senior offensive lineman Jashon Robertson were picked for the third-team offense. Junior linebacker Darrin Kirkland Jr. was named to the third-team defense. Redshirt senior punter Trevor Daniel was selected as a third-team specialist.

Berry was named to the 2016 All-SEC Coaches Second Team despite being limited to nine games due to injury. His 32.9-yard kickoff return average ranked first in the SEC and he had a 100-yard return for a touchdown against South Carolina on Oct. 29. He also posted 12 tackles and one tackle for loss. Berry’s 34.2-yard career kickoff return average ranks first in Tennessee history and his 1,677 career kickoff return yards are the third-most by a Vol. As a sophomore in 2015, he garnered Walter Camp, Sporting News and FWAA All-America honors and was SEC Special Teams Player of the Year as a kick returner.

Jennings had a breakout sophomore campaign, ranking second on the team with 40 receptions, 580 receiving yards, 14.5 yards per catch and seven receiving touchdowns. He played a major role in Tennessee’s 38-28 comeback win over Florida on Sept. 24, collecting three receptions for 111 yards and a sensational 67-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter that gave the Vols the lead. Jennings’ signature catch of the season was in the Georgia game when he hauled in a 43-yard Hail Mary with time expiring to lift the Vols to an incredible 34-31 win over the Bulldogs.

Robertson is the Vols’ most-experienced offensive lineman with 35 career starts. He started 13 games at left guard in 2016, helping anchor a UT offensive line that paved the way for a school-record 473 points and 36.3 points per game (second-most in the SEC). Tennessee’s 5,768 yards of total offense were the second-most in program history.

Kirkland, who was a 2015 SEC All-Freshman team pick, battled back from a high ankle sprain he suffered early in the 2016 season and played in eight games, making seven starts. He finished the year with 45 tackles (30 solo), 1.0 sack and 5.0 tackles for loss.

In his second season as UT’s starting punter, Daniel posted a 44.6-yard average (third in the SEC) with 28 punts inside the 20, 29 fair catches and 21 punts of 50 or more yards. His 70-yard punt against South Carolina was the longest in the SEC in 2016. Daniel was a candidate for the Ray Guy Award last season.

To see the entire Athlon Sports All-SEC list, go here: https://athlonsports.com/college-football/sec-football-2017-all-conference-team/

-UT Athletics

 

Vols Make It Official; Add Daniel To Bolster Backcourt

Vols Make It Official; Add Daniel To Bolster Backcourt

Posted on May 23, 2017
Vols G James Daniel III / Credit: UT Athletics

James Daniel, a 6-0, 175-pound guard from Hampton, Virginia, has signed an institutional aid agreement and plans to enroll at Tennessee this summer and play for the Volunteers as a graduate transfer during the 2017-18 season.

Daniel earned his degree in Sociology from Howard University this spring.

One of the best-kept secrets in college basketball during the 2015-16 season, Daniel led the country in scoring at 27.1 points per game, ultimately earning Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Player of the Year honors and honorable mention All-America distinction. Daniel’s memorable junior season for the Bison featured nine games of 30 or more points, including a career-best 39 in a win over William & Mary.

“James gives us not only offensive production but toughness and experience as well,” Vols head coach Rick Barnes said. “He recognized that our program has a lot of positive momentum and it means a lot to us that this was an important factor for him. He has already distinguished himself individually and now wants to have an impact on team success. Adding James to our roster is significant because it gives us some really good depth in our backcourt and the potential for some potent offense.”

As a junior in 2015-16, Daniel shot .388 from the field, including .332 from beyond the arc. He attempted 241 total 3-pointers on the year, good for just more than eight per game. Daniel also got himself to the free-throw line with astounding frequency, attempting a nation-leading 331 free throws his junior season—good for 11 attempts per game. He converted those freebies at an .846 clip.

A product of Hampton’s Phoebus High School, where he was named Virginia’s Tri Player of the Year, Daniel played only two games at Howard last season as he coped with an ankle injury that ultimately required surgery in March. After missing the first 14 games of the season with what had been diagnosed as a high ankle sprain, Daniel played two games in January before being told he had chipped a bone in his left ankle, effectively ending his season.

In his brief action in 2016-17, Daniel—the preseason MEAC Player of the Year—scored a game-high 24 points against Florida A&M before adding 10 points at Columbia. Those outings pushed his career scoring total to 1,933 points—the most in Howard’s basketball history and just 342 shy of the MEAC’s all-time scoring record.

Daniel led the Bison in scoring in each of his three full seasons with the program, averaging 21.0 points per game as a freshman and 16.7 points per game as a sophomore.

For his career, Daniel is averaging 21.5 points, 2.4 assists, 2.3 rebounds and 1.7 steals per game. His career shooting percentage stands at .366, including a .335 mark from 3-point range and an .822 mark at the charity stripe. He has averaged more than 30.0 minutes in each of his collegiate seasons, logging more than 3,000 total minutes (33.9 mpg) over his career.

Daniel becomes the ninth Virginian to suit up for the Vols and the first since Justin Jackson completed his eligibility in 2008-09.

Daniel will be the fifth incoming graduate transfer in program history, following forward John Fields (2010-11), guard Antonio Barton (2013-14), guard Ian Chiles (2014-15) and forward Lew Evans (2016-17).

Tennessee’s crop of newcomers for the 2017-18 season now stands at five. Standing as the only senior on next season’s roster, Daniel joins incoming freshmen Zach Kent, Derrick Walker and Yves Pons as well as junior college transfer Chris Darrington.

-UT Athletics

 

Softball Preview: 2017 NCAA Knoxville Super Regional

Softball Preview: 2017 NCAA Knoxville Super Regional

Posted on May 23, 2017
Knoxville Super Regional

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — After perfect 3-0 showings in last week’s NCAA Regional round, SEC foes No. 8 Tennessee and No. 9 Texas A&M square off in this week’s NCAA Super Regionals from Friday–Sunday at Sherri Parker Lee Stadium.

The showdown between the Volunteers and Aggies will be a rematch of the last series of the regular season, where UT took two of three games from A&M in College Station.

Media & Broadcast Info

Every game of this week’s super regional will be televised nationally, with Friday and Saturday’s games airing on ESPN2 and Sunday’s if necessary game set to be broadcast on ESPN. Alex Loeb (PxP) and Megan Willis (analyst) will call the action for each game.

Radio coverage for each game will be carried on Sports Radio WNML (FM 99.1 or AM 990) and UTSports.com. Live stats will be available for all games on the Tennessee softball schedule page at UTSports.com HERE.

Game Schedule

View the full NCAA Knoxville Super Regional schedule below:

Friday

Game 1 | Tennessee (H) vs. Texas A&M (A) | 6 p.m. ET| TV: ESPN2

Saturday

Game 2 | Texas A&M (H) vs. Tennessee (A) | 5 p.m. ET| TV: ESPN2

Sunday

Game 3 (If Necessary) |Tennessee (H) vs. Texas A&M (A) | 3 p.m. ET | TV: ESPN

Scouting Report

Tennessee Volunteers

No. 8 National Seed | Knoxville Regional Champions

The Vols are making their fifth trip to the NCAA Super Regionals in the past six seasons, one of just 10 programs who can claim that feat. This will be their ninth trip to supers overall, with seven of the previous eight appearances resulting in trips to the Women’s College World Series. In the midst of their 14th consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance, the Big Orange are a top-eight seed for the sixth time in program history (2006, 2007, 2012, 2013, 2015) and are looking to advance to their eighth Women’s College World Series.

Tennessee enters super regionals with a 47-10 overall record and after going 3-0 in the regionals last week with a pair of wins over Longwood and a thrilling comeback victory over USC Upstate. The Vols were led once again by junior superstar Meghan Gregg, who homered in all three games and led the team with six RBIs during the regional. The USA Softball National Player of the Year candidate tied the UT single-season RBI record of 77 with a solo home run in Sunday’s regional final victory over the Lancers.

UT’s pitching staff also stepped up over the weekend, allowing just one earned run in the three games. Matty Moss was dominant throughout, tossing two complete-game shutouts while allowing just five hits and striking out 19 batters.

Texas A&M Aggies

No. 9 National Seed | College Station Regional Champions

The Aggies are making their first trip to the NCAA Super Regionals since 2013 after going unbeaten to win the College Station Regional last week. A&M defeated Texas Southern, Texas State and Texas in its three games, outscoring those teams by a combined 20-2. Texas A&M is also looking to book its eighth trip to the Women’s College World Series and its first since 2008.

The duo of Tori Vidales and Riley Sartain lead the Aggies’ powerful offense that is tied for 15th nationally in scoring at six runs per game. Vidales ranks second among all SEC players with 16 home runs and hit four in the regular-season series against the Vols. Sartain leads the team with a .358 batting average and 44 RBIs. Texas A&M also features a balance pitching staff that ranks 17th in the country with a 1.78 ERA. All three of the Aggies’ primary pitchers have ERAs of 1.78 or lower. Samantha Show leads the staff with 19 wins, 117 strikeouts and 133.2 innings pitched.

Fan Information/Stadium Policies

Please be advised that the university’s clear bag policy for all of its athletic venues will be in effect for the NCAA Knoxville Super Regional and all other events at Sherri Parker Lee Stadium. In order to enhance safety and expedite fan entry at Tennessee athletic events, the university is implementing new safety policies for fans bringing bags into all athletic venues.

Only one clear plastic bag no larger than 12 inches by 6 inches by 12 inches or a one-gallon, clear, resealable plastic storage bag per person will be permitted. Fans will also be allowed a small clutch purse not to exceed 4.5 inches by 6.5 inches. Fans interested in purchasing an approved clear bag may visit the Official Team Store at Neyland Stadium, VolShop locations in the Student Union, 17th & Cumberland Avenue and University Commons; as well as other area retailers.

For more information on the new bag policy and all other stadium policies please visit the NCAA Knoxville Super Regional Gameday Information page HERE.

What’s Next?

The winner of the NCAA Knoxville Super Regional will advance to the Women’s College World Series, which will be held in Oklahoma City from June 1-7 at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium — OGE Energy Field.

-UT Athletics

 

Rodgers, A. Lipcius receive All-SEC honors, full teams listed

Rodgers, A. Lipcius receive All-SEC honors, full teams listed

Posted on May 23, 2017
Jordan Rodgers & Andre Lipcius / Credit: UT Athletics

HOOVER, Ala. — Tennessee Baseball’s Jordan Rodgers has been named a 2017 First Team All-Southeastern Conference third baseman while Andre Lipcius has also been recognized as a Freshman All-SEC first baseman, as announced by the league office on Monday.

With the nominations, Tennessee has two players recognized for postseason All-SEC honors for the first time since 2014, when VFLs Christin Stewart (First Team) and Nick Senzel (Freshman) were also named to the same respective All-SEC lists.

Rodgers becomes the first Volunteer to earn First Team All-SEC honors since Stewart did so in 2015 and is the first UT player to receive All-SEC honors since former teammate Senzel (Second Team) took home the award in 2016. The last Vol to receive a First Team All-SEC nod at third base was VFL and current New York Yankee Chase Headley in 2005.

As a senior on Rocky Top in 2017, Rodgers hit a career-best .322 with nine home runs and 35 RBIs. He committed just four errors over 160 total chances with 117 assists at the hot corner, good for a .975 fielding percentage.

Highlighting his final season for the Orange and White, the Bartlett, Tenn., native cranked a grand slam against Vanderbilt on April 29, helping UT to a 5-3 win in Nashville.

As a junior in 2016, Rodgers led the NCAA in RBI through the start of SEC play, finishing the year ranking tied for fourth in the SEC with 56 RBIs. On April 1, 2016 vs. Kentucky, he also became the third Volunteer in school history to hit for the cycle and the first since VFL Matt Duffy accomplished the feat on March 9, 2011.

Rodgers finished his UT career with 156 games played, 157 hits, 13 homers and 105 RBIs (2014-17).

In his first year at Tennessee, Lipcius becomes the Vols’ first Freshman All-SEC player since Senzel in 2014, as well as the first freshman Vol to earn the award at first base since current Major Leaguer Yan Gomes did so in 2007.

In 2017, Lipcius was the lone Vol to start and play in each of Tennessee’s 52 games. He hit .275 with a team-leading 11 doubles and 26 RBIs. At first base, he was charged with just four errors over 470 chances, including 443 putouts, and helped UT turn 33 double plays – tied for fifth-most in the league.

The Williamsburg, Va., native posted a 21-game streak of reaching base safely to begin his collegiate career with Tennessee (Feb. 17 – March 26).

-UT Athletics

2017 SEC Baseball Awards Announced

HOOVER, Ala. (May, 22, 2017)—–The Southeastern Conference on Monday announced its 2017 Baseball Awards and All-SEC Teams, recognizing standout performances from this season. The 2017 SEC Baseball Tournament will be played Tuesday through Sunday at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium.

Mississippi State’s Brent Rooker was named the SEC Player of the Year, Kentucky’s Sean Hjelle is the SEC Pitcher of the Year, Texas A&M’s Braden Shewmake is the SEC Freshman of the Year, Kentucky’s Nick Mingione is the SEC Coach of the Year and Kentucky’s Zach Logue is the SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year.

Rooker leads the SEC in several offensive categories, including batting average (.415), hits (85), RBI (73), home runs (20), doubles (28), slugging percentage (.873) and total bases (179). He is the first Mississippi State player to reach 20 home runs, 20 doubles, 70 RBI, and the first SEC hitter to do so since 2000.

Hjelle is 9-2 this season with a 3.17 ERA, including a 7-1 mark in SEC action with a 1.90 ERA. His nine wins this season move him into a tie for 6th place on Kentucky’s single-season wins list. Hjelle has allowed one earned run or less in six of his last seven starts and has given up six or fewer hits in his last 12 starts.

Shewmake is a two-time SEC Freshman of the Week honoree, and he is batting .342 with 39 runs, 16 doubles, two triples, 10 home runs and 64 RBI. He ranks second in the SEC in RBI, fourth in hits and fourth in total bases.

Mingione was named SEC Coach of the Year in his first season at the helm of the Wildcats. Kentucky’s 38 wins on the season are the most since 2012, and 38 wins are the most for a first-year Kentucky head coach. Kentucky finished second in the Eastern Division and earned the No. 3 seed in the SEC Tournament.

Logue has earned a 3.96 GPA in Chemical Engineering at Kentucky. He is a two-time member of the SEC Academic Honor Roll, and he is 6-5 with a 5.03 ERA and has 76 strikeouts in 77.0 innings this season.

2017 SEC Baseball Awards

Player of the Year: Brent Rooker, Mississippi State
Pitcher of the Year: Sean Hjelle, Kentucky
Freshman of the Year: Braden Shewmake, Texas A&M
Coach of the Year: Nick Mingione, Kentucky
Scholar-Athlete of the Year: Zach Logue, Kentucky

First-Team All-SEC
C: Grant Koch, Arkansas
1B: Brent Rooker, Mississippi State
2B: Braden Shewmake, Texas A&M
3B: Jordan Rodgers, Tennessee
SS: Ryan Gridley, Mississippi State
OF: Greg Deichmann, LSU
OF: Tristan Pompey, Kentucky
OF: Jeren Kendall, Vanderbilt
DH/UT: Michael Curry, Georgia
SP: Kyle Wright, Vanderbilt
*SP: Sean Hjelle, Kentucky
*SP: Alex Lange, LSU
RP: Logan Salow, Kentucky

Second-Team All-SEC Team
C: Troy Squires, Kentucky
1B: Evan White, Kentucky
2B: Riley Mahan, Kentucky
3B: Colby Bortles, Ole Miss
*SS: Kramer Robertson, LSU
*SS: Jax Biggers, Arkansas
OF: Jonah Todd, Auburn
OF: Jake Mangum, Mississippi State
OF: Chandler Taylor, Alabama
DH/UT: JJ Schwarz, Florida
SP: Alex Faedo, Florida
SP: Brady Singer, Florida
RP: Michael Byrne, Florida

Freshman All-SEC Team
C: Hunter Coleman, Texas A&M
1B: Andre Lipcius, Tennessee
2B: Braden Shewmake, Texas A&M
3B: Josh Smith, LSU
SS: Cam Shepherd, Georgia
OF: Carlos Cortes, South Carolina
OF: Zach Watson, LSU
OF: Dominic Fletcher, Arkansas
DH/UT: Logan Foster, Texas A&M
SP: Ryan Rolison, Ole Miss
SP: Eric Walker, LSU
RP: T.J. Sikkema, Missouri

SEC All-Defensive Team
C: Michael Papierski, LSU
1B: Evan White, Kentucky
2B: Deacon Liput, Florida
3B: Josh Smith, LSU
SS: Dalton Guthrie, Florida
OF: Jeren Kendall, Vanderbilt
OF: Jonah Todd, Auburn
OF: Jake Mangum, Mississippi State
P: Brigham Hill, Texas A&M

* – Denotes a tie in voting. Ties are not broken.

-SEC

 

Does Jason Aldean Buck Rural Stereotypes or Play Right Into Them in New Video, “They Don’t Know”? [Watch & Vote]

Does Jason Aldean Buck Rural Stereotypes or Play Right Into Them in New Video, “They Don’t Know”? [Watch & Vote]

Posted on May 23, 2017

Jason Aldean released a new video for his current single, “They Don’t Know” on May 22. The song, which is the title track to his 2016 album, is currently No. 34 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart.

“When I first heard the song, it really made me think about how rural communities can come across misunderstood,” said Jason in a press release. “It’s a classic scenario in movies, a Hollywood producer films in small towns and packs in every stereotype you can imagine. This song wraps all those feelings together perfectly and basically says not to judge a book by its cover. I relate to that growing up in the backwoods of Georgia.”

On that note, here is some of the subject matter featured in the new video:

  • Behind-the-scenes footage of Jason’s road crew erecting his stage before his recent tour stops
  • Jason performing onstage
  • Pickup trucks and ATVs driving through the mud (mudding)
  • Jason’s new logo (his initials in the shape of Georgia)
  • Folks enjoying each other’s company in a mud bog

Watch Jason’s new video below and let us know what you think in the following poll.

Does Jason’s New Video Buck Rural Stereotypes or Play Right Into Them?

Come back soon to participate in our next poll!
Jimmy’s blog: UT QB commit not scared of competition

Jimmy’s blog: UT QB commit not scared of competition

Posted on May 23, 2017

By Jimmy Hyams

In this day and age of instant gratification, quarterbacks are transferring at a dizzying pace.

In recent years, Texas A&M has had seven quarterbacks transfer or de-committ.

Florida has had three quarterbacks play well at Boston College, N.C. State and Louisiana Tech.

Tennessee has lost three quarterbacks in four years: Nathan Peterman (Pitt), Riley Ferguson (Memphis) and Sheriron Jones (undecided). Peterman and Ferguson starred at their new schools.

Alabama lost three quarterbacks in three months after true freshman Jalen Hurts won the starting job.

That brings us to Tennessee’s most recent football commit: four-star quarterback Adrian Martinez of Fresno, Calif.

Actions speak louder than words, but Martinez, unlike so many other quarterbacks, said he knew another quarterback from the Class of 2018 had already committed to Tennessee, Michael Penix. He knows about junior Quinten Dormady and redshirt freshman Jarrett Guarantano.

Didn’t matter. Martinez wasn’t dissuaded by the competition from picking Tennessee.

“Honestly, in my perspective, no matter where I would end up going I would have to compete with someone else,’’ Martinez told Josh Ward in an interview on WNML’s Sports 180 show. “I would have to compete with the guy in the class ahead of me, the class below me. It wouldn’t matter.

“So my whole mindset is whether it’s just me going in, or Mike and me and some other guy, it doesn’t matter. My mindset is to be the best I can be for the University of Tennessee and that’s becoming the starting quarterback regardless of who is there.

“I’m a competitor, and another guy doesn’t scare me away.’’

Martinez is well aware of the running exploits of former UT quarterback Josh Dobbs. Martinez thinks he can hurt teams with his legs but also his arm.

“I want to really be able to throw the ball, that’s ultimately what a quarterback has to do,’’ Martinez said. “He has to be able to make all the throws in the pocket. I really feel like I can bring both (running and passing) to the table in an effective way.’’

Martinez hopes to be a Pied Piper for the Class of 2018. He has compiled a list of recruits to pursue, provided by Jones.

Martinzez said he wants to convince prospects to buy into Jones’ message and believe Tennessee can “really accomplish something special.’’

Martinez added: “I know guys are going to want to play on a special team. People want to win a national championship. … I think that we can sell them on that. That is the goal moving forward, to convince them of what we have in place and what we can accomplish.’’

Martinez had been committed to California but de-committed two days after his UT visit. He said he suffered an undisclosed injury and that Cal “wavered.’’ Offers came pouring in from the likes of Alabama and Oklahoma and others.

But he picked Tennessee.

“Tennessee never wavered,’’ Martinez said. “(Quarterbacks) Coach (Mike) Canales and coach Jones, they never stopped believing in me, no matter what. … They proved they believe in me more than other schools by their actions.

“They made me a priority and convinced me I can truly be special in their system in the SEC. They have solid academics. And to play in front of 100,000 at Neyland stadium, it’s an opportunity I can’t pass up.’’

Martinez has been playing quarterback since he was 7 years old.

“I feel like I know what the position is about,’’ he said, noting the leadership and responsibilities and conduct necessary of quarterback. “And playing (quarterback) at the University of Tennessee, I don’t think it gets any better than that.’’

Big Kahuha Wings: The wings that changed it all

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