The Tennessee Volunteers held Practice 10 of fall camp on Sunday. Below are highlights from Practice 10 in Knoxville.
Daily highlights, video interviews and audio podcasts of each interview available daily and updated often here at 991TheSportsAnimal.com!
The Tennessee Volunteers held Practice 9 of fall camp on Saturday. Below are highlights from Practice 9 in Knoxville.
Daily highlights, video interviews and audio podcasts of each interview available daily and updated often here at 991TheSportsAnimal.com!
Tennessee head football coach Josh Heupel reviewed UT’s first scrimmage of fall camp at Neyland Stadium on Thursday with reporters. Watch that below and subscribe to our YouTube Channel by clicking on the video.
Walter Camp Award Preseason Watch List
NEW HAVEN, Conn. – Tennessee quarterback Joe Milton III was named to his third major award preseason watch list on Friday when he was tabbed as one of 45 players to watch for the 2023 Walter Camp Player of the Year Award, as announced by the Walter Camp Football Foundation.
The redshirt senior has also been included on the Maxwell and Davey O’Brien Award watch lists heading into this season.
Milton was one of 20 quarterbacks on Walter Camp Award preseason watch list, including three from the Southeastern Conference, joining LSU’s Jayden Daniels and Mississippi State’s Will Rogers.
The strong-armed signal caller from Pahokee, Florida, has made 17 appearances during his two seasons with the Vols, making four starts in that span. During the 2022 season, Milton completed 53-of-82 (.650) passes for 971 yards and 10 touchdowns while throwing no interceptions. Of the 114 FBS quarterbacks to throw 10 or more touchdowns last year, Milton was the only one to have zero picks.
After serving as UT’s backup quarterback last fall, Milton was thrust into action as the starter in the final two games of the 2022 campaign. He engineered the Tennessee offense to a 56-0 victory at Vanderbilt to close out the regular season before capping the year with an MVP performance in the Capital One Orange Bowl as the Vols took down No. 7 Clemson, 31-14.
Milton was marvelous in Miami Gardens, completing 19-of-28 passes for 251 yards and a career-high tying three touchdowns to lead UT to its first New Year’s Six bowl victory during the College Football Playoff era (2014-present). The win punctuated Tennessee’s first 11-win season since 2001 and first win in the Orange Bowl since defeating Oklahoma in 1939.
The 2023 watch list will be narrowed to 10 semifinalists in mid-November. The 2023 Walter Camp Player of the Year recipient, which is voted on by the 133 NCAA Bowl Subdivision head coaches and sports information directors, will be announced on ESPN’s College Football Awards Show in December. The winner will then receive his trophy at the Foundation’s 57th annual national awards banquet in New Haven, Connecticut in early 2024.
To view the full preseason watch list for the 2023 Walter Camp Award, click HERE.
A complete list of Tennessee’s preseason honors can be found below.
Sr. DE Tyler Baron
All-SEC Fourth Team (Athlon)
Sr. LB Aaron Beasley
All-SEC Third Team (Athlon)
Sr. OL Cooper Mays
Rimington Trophy Watch List
All-SEC Third Team (Media)
All-SEC Fourth Team (Athlon, Phil Steele)
Sr. WR Bru McCoy
All-SEC Second Team (Athlon, Media, Phil Steele)
Sr. QB Joe Milton III
Walter Camp Player of the Year Watch List
Davey O’Brien Award Watch List
Maxwell Award Watch List
All-SEC Third Team (Media, Phil Steele)
Sr. RB Jabari Small
Doak Walker Award Preseason Candidate List
Sr. OL Javontez Spraggins
All-SEC Third Team (Media)
R-Sr. TE Jacob Warren
Mackey Award Watch List
Wuerffel Trophy Watch List
Allstate AFCA Good Works Team Nominee
So. WR Squirrel White
All-SEC Fourth Team (Athlon)
Sr. RS Dee Williams
All-American Fourth Team (Phil Steele)
All-SEC Third Team (Athlon, Phil Steele)
Jr. RB Jaylen Wright
Doak Walker Award Preseason Candidate List
All-SEC Fourth Team (Athlon)
-UT Athletics
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee’s defensive front set the tone in the Volunteers’ first scrimmage of preseason camp on a soggy Thursday in Neyland Stadium.
“The run game part of it, the defensive line, interior and guys on the edge, but I thought our backers did a great job fitting gaps and our safeties were involved in it too,” said head coach Josh Heupel. “For a first scrimmage, I thought there was a positive sign of just our tackling in space.”
Multiple newcomer offensive skill players saw significant action with the first-team unit. Senior center Cooper Mays was sidelined after undergoing what Heupel said was a minor procedure on Wednesday. Redshirt senior Ollie Lane and redshirt freshman Addison Nichols stepped up in his absence with both taking snaps with the first team.
“Ollie is really smart. He’s played a lot of football and has played multiple positions. He’s repped at the three interior spots since the time that we’ve gotten here. He’s been really good. The communication, mechanics and us being able to play with tempo the way that we want to when it presents itself, it’s been really easy for him to transition inside.”
The offense found its rhythm late in the scrimmage with running backs Jaylen Wright, Dylan Sampson and Jabari Small establishing their presence. The Vols also worked two-minute offense and goal line situations late in the scrimmage.
Tennessee is off on Friday before holding back-to-back padded practices on Saturday and Sunday at Haslam Field.
The Vols open the season on Sept. 2 against Virginia at Nissan Stadium in Nashville. The game is being presented by Nissan. Kickoff is set for 11 a.m. CT on ABC.
Tickets for the Nashville opener are on sale now through the Nashville Sports Council and Nissan Stadium via Ticketmaster.com.
Tennessee Head Coach Josh Heupel
Aug. 10, 2023
Opening Statement
“Really good day out there, great energy. We got some special teams work, some live work for those guys, which I think is really important at this point in training camp. I really liked what our specialists have done up until this point, but it was really good for the guys who are covering or blocking to get some live work. Offensively and defensively, really good day. I think we got out relatively clean today too, which is important. I thought defensively, great energy and great effort, in particular really early in the scrimmage. They did a great job against the run early too and got off the field on some third downs. Offensively, we created some plays on the back half of the scrimmage within the run game, and we had a couple plays in the pass game too. All in all, it was a really good day. We have a lot ahead of us. We have to grow. That starts this afternoon when they come back to us. All in all, really excited about what happened today.”
On what he saw from the center position and an update on Cooper Mays…
“Cooper had a minor procedure late yesterday, and he’ll be back and healthy as we get closer to kickoff. I anticipate that being a couple-week deal. Today, we rotated through a bunch of guys like Ollie (Lane) Parker Ball, Vysen (Lang) and Addison Nichols. Those guys are all competing for those spots. All of those guys have taken some reps, even when Cooper was here too, as we continue to look for that backup center spot.”
On Ollie Lane’s performance at center after being accustomed to playing guard…
“Ollie is really smart. He’s played a lot of football and has played multiple positions. He’s repped at the three interior spots since the time that we’ve gotten here. He’s been really good. The communication, mechanics and us being able to play with tempo the way that we want to when it presents itself, it’s been really easy for him to transition inside.”
On Joe Milton III operating the offense during the scrimmage…
“Joe, I thought operationally was really good. There was some situational stuff that we can be better, coming out in situation. We did some four-minute things at the end as well. It’s a great opportunity. Coaches are completely off the sidelines, coaches are up in the box. Guys have to learn how to operate between the white lines. There’s growth in that way for Joe. All in all, I was really pleased with his decision making and what he did with the football all day long.”
On the status of defensive backs Wesley Walker and Tamarion McDonald…
“Those guys are in a good spot. We’ve held them (out) here in the last couple of days, but nothing long term. It’s just based on loads and what they’ve been doing. I wanted to protect them today. Those guys will be with us here as we move forward. Those guys have played really well in the secondary, and I anticipate them playing at a really high level as we keep pushing forward.”
On if he is close to narrowing down the rotation of the wide receivers…
“I think the rotation piece is going to be fluid with all of those guys. Some of our young guys continue to grow and make some real strides too, Chas Nimrod and Kaleb Webb. The four older guys continue to push and compete. I like what they’ve been doing. They’ve operated really efficiently in what we’re doing offensively and within the scheme of what we’re doing. I think they’re playing with great fundamentals and technique. All in all, I like what they’re doing, and the back half of training camp—we’re essentially at the halfway point as far as pure training camp before we get into school—back half of it will be really important too.”
On Dont’e Thornton playing slot or outside receiver…
“Dont’e has the ability to play both. For us this year, we probably have a little bit more mobility, guys who can do multiple things within the offense than probably how we’ve played them the first couple of years that I’ve been here.”
On the defensive front’s development and depth…
“The run game part of it, the defensive line, interior and guys on the edge, but I thought our backers did a great job fitting gaps and our safeties were involved in it too. For a first scrimmage, I thought there was a positive sign of just our tackling in space. I thought that was a real positive. Defensively as a whole, you guys have heard me say it before, when we got here a lot of the kids that had left the program, not all of them, but a lot of them were on the defensive side of the football. We’ve been thin the first couple of years. We added some depth last year that helped us take a step, in particular in the run defense. Feel like we’re continuing to add some real depth and competition and that leads itself to real competition in practice. Who’s going to be the first one running out, how many snaps each guy is going to play? The competition on the practice field and the meeting rooms are a coach’s best friend and we have that. That’s in the interior, it’s out on the edges too. The athleticism, the ability to rush the passer and not just defend the run, it’s also showing up here in training camp, too. I like some of the strides that we’ve taken.”
On where he wants Joe Milton III to develop in terms of handling different situations…
“Processing the offense, he’s operating and handling at a really high level right now. Decision making, understanding protections, how to get himself protected or throw hot, his eyes as far as what he’s seeing from the second level pre-snap and on the snap. He’s been really good at that part of it. Situational football for the quarterback, continuing to grow just in understanding four-minute situation – which we did from a backed-up situation today – clock management. All those things are a continued part of all of those guys’ growth, from Joe all the way to Gaston Moore and everybody that is in the room.”
On how much the offensive line is going to benefit from going against the defensive front…
“I think having to move some pieces around a little bit, guys working at guard, at center – it’s tough because you’re in multiple situations. It’s not like you’re just going into a day. Depending on the period, we kind of cycle through so they get a little bit of that throughout the course of every single practice. You want practice to be more difficult than it is on gameday, and so as we try and put the pieces together and how guys are going to play, in the long run it’s going to make us a lot stronger unit. There’s times you’re really fortunate at every position or on the o-line and d-line where you stay healthy for most of the season, but a lot of times it isn’t that way. You go back to year one, two or three plays in a game we lose a tackle and the next guy has got to be ready to play. We’ve gotten a lot of work where I feel like they’ll be cohesive when you have your five starters. At the same time, we’ve got some rotational stuff that I think will pay dividends as the year unfolds.”
On how Jabari Small is developing coming off of injury and the strides Dylan Sampson has made…
“I talked about the defensive line. I thought as the scrimmage went on the running back group did a really nice job. Jaylen Wright had some really nice runs, reading what’s happening up front with our blocking schemes, doing a great job of pressing it and having a nice big run. I thought Jabari played really well, it was important for him to get some live work too, missing the spring. Dylan Sampson did a nice job in the run game, pass game too. The young guys inside of our program, all three young guys have been really promising. Excited about that group. Coach (Jerry) Mack has done a great job with them.”
On what he’s doing at the star position after injuries…
“There’s multiple guys that have been rotating. From Warren Burrell, Jourdan Thomas, there’s been multiple guys that have played that position and we’re trying to find the right fit as you find the right five to be out on the field. You want your best five out there and how you put the pieces together is how you rotate those guys as well.”
On if Warren Burrell’s experience allows him to rotate positions easily…
“I think he’s extremely bright. Being able to handle playing on the edge at corner, which he has a lot of experience at. His total understanding of the principles and schemes and responsibilities and where your eyes need be allow him to transition and take some snaps at that. His ability to understand your gap fits off of that too are really important. He’s an intelligent player that’s been here for a while and that’s a part of why we’ve been able to play him at that spot.”
On what he’s seen from Ethan Davis and McCallan Castles and what they’ve brought to the tight end room…
“Both of those guys have played a ton of football. At this point, really believe that both of them will play at really high level when they’re out there on the field. McCallan and really both of them are so much further ahead than they were when they finished spring ball. Both of them are seasoned in what we’re doing offensively. McCallan has been really good out on the perimeter, Ethan Davis is too. It’s really natural for both guys to be playmakers out in space. That’s true today, it’s been true through the first seven practices before we got out here too. (They) have the ability to be dynamic in the pass game. Both of them have gotten really comfortable and continue to grow inside the core too. McCallan, I thought yesterday was his best day inside the core. Really pleased with what those guys are doing.”
On the value of offensive tackles being able to play on the left and right side…
“We’ve rotated our tackles a bunch. Guys that have played on the left side and right side, (not only) their understanding of what we’re doing, but their experience in general and the ability to flip everything, from fundamentals and technique to scheme, gives us flexibility that you don’t always have. From JJ (Jeremiah Crawford) to John (Campbell Jr.) and the rest of the crew, been excited about where we’re at, but how we’re trending too at those positions. They compete really hard every single day. They compete with each other, but they do it in a really positive way. That o-line group is extremely tight, and I think you guys have seen that here the three years that Coach (Glen) Elarbee has been here.”
On Javontez Spraggins’ performance in Thursday’s scrimmage and throughout fall camp…
“First of all, he has great energy every single day. He’s the same competitor. That’s a part of why he’s climbed personally. He has great influence on the offensive line unit, the offense in general and really our football team. He’s a huge part of the energy that we have at practice every single day. He’s been hyper focused on how he can grow to be the best player that he can be. You guys know he’s going to play with great effort and be extremely physical. In the offseason, he continued to change his body. Fundamentally, I think he’s continuing to grow. In particular, I think that pays dividends in pass pro situations.”
On balancing patience with wanting to push freshman QB Nico Iamaleava…
“When you have to grow, you have to grow. You have to be pushed. When we install it, he’s running everything. You’ve heard me say that when they finish spring ball, when they come back at the beginning of training camp, they should be a different player. He’s a different player. He has great command and understanding of what we’re doing. He understands protections. He understands how he has to get us out of run-run checks, pass-run checks or whatever it might be. He hasn’t been perfect, but he’s grown. One of the things that we’ve talked about is not making the same mistake twice. He doesn’t make the same mistake twice. He learns from it. There was a rep yesterday as he was going through his reading progression. There was a tight window on the inside, he throws the ball and while he’s standing in the pocket, you can see him visually be like, ‘Hey man, I should’ve gotten to the next one outside.’ He’s intentional and has great work habits.”
-UT Athletics
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — With Practice No. 6 in the books and Tennessee football’s first scrimmage of the fall set for Thursday morning, the Big Orange wide receivers are generating plenty of buzz and excitement in preseason training camp.
After the departures of Jalin Hyatt and Cedric Tillman to the NFL, current veterans Bru McCoy and Ramel Keyton have stood out to second-year wide receivers coach Kelsey Pope as leaders of the room. The senior duo was productive last fall, combining for 83 catches, 1,229 receiving yards and nine touchdowns. McCoy was key in Tennessee’s final drive against Alabama with a 27-yard reception to set up the game-winning field goal, while Keyton’s 43-yard diving grab against Florida late in the first half will be remembered as one of most spectacular catches in program history.
In his Wednesday post-practice media session, Pope discussed McCoy’s natural transition into a leadership role over the course of the offseason. The California native enters his second year at Tennessee this fall and has received preseason All-SEC recognition from multiple media outlets.
“The special thing about Bru is he’s always carried himself that way, right?” Pope said. “When you had Cedric (Tillman), Jalin (Hyatt) and those guys in that room, Bru still carried himself that way … The guys in the room have always respected him. When guys leave, and they go to the next level, it’s an easy transition for a kid like that.
“He’s a great leader. He’s truly an alpha. He is going to come to work every single day, and when he’s not going, he’s the biggest cheerleader on the sideline. He’s everything you want in that group, but him and some of those older guys that are leading, they do a great job of helping our young guys come along and learn how we do things.”
Entering his fifth year with the program, Keyton has intentionally worked to develop his leadership skills over the past six months with a team-first mindset. Since head coach Josh Heupel‘s arrival in 2021, the Vols’ receiver room has built its reputation on work ethic, and Keyton is doing his part to maintain that standard.
“At some point guys start to make it about the group,” Pope said. “You see Ramel, and he’s naturally a quiet kid, but you see him going to coach other guys on the side, even when he’s tired. He just came off the field, but he wants to go coach other guys when they come off to the sideline. He’s willing to stay after with the younger guys and help them get transitioned and things like that with the playbook. You just see selfless acts like that. You see him serve others. I think for a while now he’s come on for us. Again, I think that started off the field and I think that translated to Saturdays. Now, you guys see what you see out of him.”
After six practices on Haslam Field and inside the Anderson Training Center, the Vols will head to Neyland Stadium for the first scrimmage of fall camp Thursday morning. The scrimmage is closed to the public and to media, with head coach Josh Heupel‘s press conference scheduled for approximately 11 a.m.
Full comments from Pope’s Wednesday media session and select quotes from redshirt senior tight end McCallan Castles, Keyton and junior wide receiver Dont’e Thornton Jr. can be found below.
On if Dont’e Thornton is specifically working in the slot or on the outside too and where he has improved since the spring…
“Yeah, we are working him in different spots. We are doing a good job of trying to use his skill set to put him in some different situations. Just his growth the most was getting in here and learning what we do, learning how we operate on the field and in the building. There is a work ethic. I think that has been brought on by the players. It is expected here now. So, with him learning to play ball, with him getting in here and creating habits, he’s fit right in with these guys and has done a great job so far.”
On if Ramel Keyton was a guy that stepped up last year when he needed him and how he has grown…
“Honestly, Ramel (Keyton), he has become a great person. He’s become a more mature kid. He’s become more accountable, and he cares about football. He’s become a way better teammate. I think that’s translated to him being able to take advantage of some opportunities on the field. He does a great job down the field just to catch it for us. This offseason, he’s done a good job of homing in on technique and more of the intermediate underneath game. He’s done a great job for us, and we look forward to him continuing to lead our group.”
On how Bru McCoy has stepped up with Jalin Hyatt and Cedric Tillman gone…
“Yeah, I think that’s been a natural transition for him. The special thing about Bru (McCoy) is he’s always carried himself that way, right? When you had Cedric (Tillman), when you had Jalin (Hyatt) and those guys in that room, Bru still carried himself that way. Now those guys were on the outside, they had been here, but the guys in the room have always respected him. So, when those guys leave, and they go to the next level, it’s an easy transition for a kid like that. He’s a great leader. He’s truly an alpha. He is going to come to work every single day, and when he’s not going, he’s the biggest cheerleader on the sideline. He’s everything you want in that group, but him and some of those older guys that are leading, they do a great job of helping our young guys come along and learn how we do things.”
On how he would assess Chas Nimrod and Kaleb Webb…
“Those two have been very impressive, both though in their own separate ways. Kaleb (Webb) is a bigger body, big catch radius, strong, powerful kid. Chas (Nimrod) is more agile and very twitchy, but both of those guys have been exceptional. My job for those two, they haven’t seen this thing before on our level, so I have to get those guys consistent. Right now, you see flashes all over the place from both of them. Right now, it’s my job to get those guys more consistent so they are making plays consistently. You see it more on a first-second-third down basis, it is not just showing one series to the next.”
On Dont’e Thornton valuing family and how it has been shown in the wide receivers’ room…
“I think that’s a huge reason why we got the kid, I really do. I think when recruiting, you find things about kids that are important to them. I think you have to sell those points. One of the reasons we got him is our relatability as coaches and the players. He came here and he fit right in with the players. To me, that’s a seamless transition because when you’re working hard at a common goal, when that environment is comfortable for you to work hard in, it’s easier for me to give it everything I’ve got. When I’m worried about who’s around or I’m uncomfortable with the people around me, it’s going to be that much harder for me to really strain. So, Dont’e has come in, and he’s like gel, and he’s been a glue guy for our group. They all crack jokes and they’re on social media together. It’s like he’s been here the whole time almost.”
On Bru McCoy controlling his in-game emotions…
“He’s a California guy on the outside, but on the inside, he’s one of the most fierce competitors I’ve been around. I think some of that came naturally with Bru. He came here wanting to prove himself. You have to fight a fine line when you’re that type of player. There’s a duality, right? I want to be aggressive, and I want to be urgent, but I can’t press, right? When he got some of those situations last year, he’s like a bull in a china shop. I think this year he’s able to take some of that load off to still be accountable, but you see him play a lot more smoothly. He isn’t as tense because he’s seen a year in, he’s got an expectation and what we do and what this league is, and he’s been awesome for us.”
On becoming a dad soon and how he will balance that from a coaching perspective…
“That’s a great point. I think I’m still learning man, I could probably get some pointers from you guys, the dads in the room. For me, I treat these kids just like I would treat my own. I want to make sure I’m giving everything I can to these guys, and then when I’m at home, I’m giving everything I can to my wife and my family. The special thing about that is, these guys are just as involved with my family as I am with theirs. I had three or four guys drop off their favorite kids’ books like The Cat in the Hat and Dr. Seuss series. For me, that’s heartwarming, because it lets you know the guys that you invested in are willing to invest back in you. So that kind of gives me some pride. I take a lot of pride in that. It speaks back to that family feeling we were just talking about. When they see the time and effort that I put into them, they are that much more willing to do that with my son and my kids in the future. That gives you a good feeling. That lets you know you’re going in the right direction. You’ve got a good coach.”
On how much pride he has for former players he coached that are now in the NFL…
“I think it’s awesome to see but quite frankly that’s the expectation, right? You hear a lot of people say a lot about the offense and this and that and people make up what they want to in recruiting. This offense helps guys win in one-on-one matchups. That league is all about one-on-one matchups. So, the things that those guys are doing there is an expectation by everybody in this building, that they’re going to win situations like that. We look forward to seeing those guys. Texting back and forth with those guys between games and between practices is awesome. It’s also good to share with your current guys because they saw those guys, where they started. Jalin (Hyatt) and Cedric (Tillman) started their career here and where they are now, I think those experiences you can use as learning tools for the guys you got in your room. So, it’s been awesome.”
On how he has seen Squirrel White mature and grown in the offseason…
“Yeah, he’s awesome. He’s turned into a little bit of a comedian. He and Joe Milton were a new duo this summer. That was new to me but seeing him open up and be more talkative and his personality come out, that’s only better for the rest of the room. Squirrel (White) is a vibrant light on and off the field. When he’s around the guys, everybody lights up. When he’s on the field, it’s contagious. Everybody’s willing to play hard. Seeing that personality, (him) showing the room has been awesome, man really good.”
On receivers building a relationship off the field with Joe Milton…
“I think that’s always a good thing, when wide receivers and quarterbacks are clicked up like that. I think that helps them build camaraderie off the field. Obviously, when you’re in my foxhole, and I know who you are, I know what you’ve been through, that just makes us in the fourth quarter a lot more deadly, because guys are willing to go to battle for those that they know. They’re right next to him. It’s been cool to see. It’s been cool to see Joe’s (Milton) maturation. When he got here and where he is now, it’s like two completely different people. He’s matured a ton. It’s fun to see him on the practice field. Outside of the physical gifts, you see him interacting with guys in between drives, coaching them up, talking about what they see. He’s not always talking, he’s listening too, which to me shows us a good leader. He’s willing to listen and apply on his end as well. So, seeing all those guys mature has been phenomenal for us and we look forward to continuing to take the jump this training camp.”
On how much he battles misconceptions of the offense preparing guys for the NFL…
“A hundred percent. I think what people don’t understand, they try to just kind of make up, but it’s my job as a coach to answer questions in the recruiting process. Our offense puts guys in situations to win one-on-one matchups. Defenses are supposed to stop guys and those one-on-one situations. It doesn’t matter at the end of the day what the scheme is, what the play call is. I’m given a technique to beat a defensive player. He’s given a technique to beat me. If I’m beating him 10 out of 10 times, I can translate that on any level and that’s what it comes down to. Now guys have different skill sets. You show those in recruiting. Guys are put in different spots, you show those in recruiting. At the end of the day, you got to win your matchup, and that’s what it is. That’s what those guys have learned to do and that’s what they showed on Saturday. That’s why they’re successful in the league. It’s no rhyme or reason to why they’re doing it besides a transition from what they did in college.”
On Ramel Keyton changing his number to No. 9…
“Yeah, it probably happened the first couple of days. I think sometimes guys need new numbers. I’m all about looking good, feeling good, but at the end of the day, we got to get results. If you are wearing 99, and you’re the best player in the country, you’re probably going to be 99. So, Ramel (Keyton) has been awesome with that transition. He hadn’t missed a beat. He looks just like the old number 80 there. He’s improved in some areas. So, I look forward to seeing more from nine on the field.”
On what point he realized the type of player Ramel Keyton could be…
“I think it was last spring. I think we had a guy go down and Ramel kind of transitioned into more of a starter’s role last spring. I think it was at that point when you started to see him play and show what he can really do. The funny thing about that is that life comes full circle, we get to the season, and the exact same thing happened, the guy in front of him went down. He was a reserve. He came in and made a bunch of plays for us in critical situations. I think that’s why it’s so important in practice to push these guys to their limit. When guys go down, or you have a guy out for a day or two, you have to treat the next guy like he is a starter. That way during the season when those things happen, you don’t skip a beat, guys don’t flinch. They just continue to go and roll. We can truly create a unit that way. I think we’re getting to that point to where our unit is becoming more holistic, where we can plug and play guys wherever.”
On what he has seen from Nate Spillman and Nathan Leacock…
“Both of those guys have been great in the classroom. Both of those guys still have some work to do on the field, but they both have traits. They’re both physically gifted. They’re both determined and want to be good and that’s really all you need. We’ve seen a lot of guys in our room get developed. If guys are competitive and determined, we can develop you and you can be as good as you want to be. They have shown every tool in the world to be successful in what we do and in this league.”
On when he realized Ramel Keyton was more out of his shell and a better person in the locker room…
“You see their interactions, right? At some point guys start to make it about the group. You see Ramel and he’s naturally a quiet kid, but you see him going to coach other guys on the side, even when he’s tired. He just came off the field, but he wants to go coach other guys when they come off to the sideline. He’s willing to stay after with the younger guys and help them get transitioned and things like that with the playbook. You just see selfless acts like that. You see him serve others. I think for a while now he’s come on for us. Again, I think that started off the field and I think that translated to Saturdays. Now, you guys see what you see out of him.”
On some examples where Dont’e Thornton has shown his potential as a wide receiver in this offense…
“So, from Donte, what you get is you get a big, big, targeted receiver. A guy that can run, a guy that can bend that is agile. We had a couple of days early in camp, where it’s just helmets and shorts, and he’s coming across the middle and it’s a big target for the quarterback coming across the middle field with speed. He’s able to catch that thing and continue to run. For me, having guys like that with that ability with that length, being able to run the way he can, is awesome to see. It is a completely different product than what we had last year in Jalin (Hyatt) and sometimes Cedric (Tillman). He’s kind of a mixture of both of those guys in some ways. There have been a bunch of times this camp where you see him and your eyes get big. Maybe I look at coach Heupel and he looks at me. He’s a good addition to us. Him and all of the other guys have been awesome this camp. We just look forward to those guys continuing to push the envelope, continuing to work. Hopefully that process is where it needs to be when we start.”
On how complicated the offense is given the pace they play at…
“Honestly, the offense itself, once you get it down, is not super hard to do. It’s that pace that you have to be able to look at the sideline to know what you have to do right then and there. Once it clicks, it’s definitely a lot easier. You see Jacob (Warren), he’s been doing it for years. He’s locked in, ready to go. You see the young guys that are kind of still thinking about it. Ethan, you can tell, I think me and Ethan (Davis) have had almost the same transition. You’ve kind of gone through that awkward phase where you’re trying to figure out what you have to do. Now, he’s lined up and he’s ready to go, I’m lined up. You can tell on the practice field we play a lot faster and more efficient in the plays.”
On what excites him about this year’s offense…
“I think it’s just everybody is ready to reload. We’ve got guys at every position coming in that can play. You can just see it on the practice field, every day we’re getting better and more explosive against our own defense. Once we get against Virginia or somebody, it’s going to come to fruition. I think we’re just going to keep going one week at a time and just steamrolling through.”
On defensive players that have impressed him…
“I have to shout out Arion Carter. That dude fills holes fast and he is going to lace you in the hole. I’ve never seen a dude come in so ready to play from a young guy standpoint. The other guys, Aaron Beasley and Keenan Pili, that’s as veteran as you can get at linebacker. They don’t do anything wrong, they’re always there to make plays, super solid. Jaylen McCollough, he is so solid. Special teams and everything he does, super sound technique. He’s always high energy, ready to coach everybody up.”
On the difference of the type of balls coming from Hendon Hooker’s hands and Joe Milton’s hands…
“You have to really be sharp with your eyes, and you have to know it’s going to come with a little more pace with Joe. There’s going to be more zip to it. You’re going to see the ball, but it’s more like having stronger hands to be able to catch it. But once you catch it consistently, it’ll come natural.”
On the work ethic in the Wide Receiver’s room since the departure of key players from last year…
“I feel like as a group, we all have the work ethic that it takes to succeed, and we push each other to the standard that we set. It’s like organic, the whole room. It’s not just one person like me, or Bru, not just (Nathan Leacock), it’s everyone in the room. Everybody is striving to be better, everybody is trying to be great. I feel like as a room, we keep pushing each other. We’re going to be great.”
On if this season brings a sense of this is his time to shine and how he plans to capitalize on it…
“I wouldn’t say it is necessarily my time to shine. I feel like it’s our time to really go out there and prove what we worked on and what we did all summer, and really what we did from January to this point. Now just I feel like every time we go out to practice, we feel like we’re playing in a game and we take that approach like we’re playing Alabama, Georgia, Florida, in practice so I feel like if we keep that consistently we’ll reach the goal that we set.”
On if the receiver production is a reason he came to Tennessee and how the offense is so receiver friendly…
“That is definitely a big reason for why I came here. The biggest part about this offense is that Coach Heupel wants to throw the ball. If you look back and see it, he threw the ball a lot of the time throughout his first two years. It was the most any head coach or offensive minded coach, threw the ball with success in their first two seasons. If you’re a receiver, this will be the best place for you to be.”
On his relationship with Kelsey Pope…
“I’d say I have a great relationship with Coach Pope. With me being away from home, he’s like that dad that you have, that can coach you on the field and also be there for you off the field. I definitely depend on Coach Pope a lot. He’s always there for me.”
On how he has built a relationship with Joe Milton III…
“Me and Joe have a great relationship. From the moment I got here, me and Joe have been clicking and getting together. Even on nights where I feel like I don’t understand the play, I can call Joe or go over to his house, he’ll walk me through it and then we’ll be good to go. I’d definitely say we have a great relationship.”
-UT Athletics
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — With Practice No. 6 in the books and Tennessee football’s first scrimmage of the fall set for Thursday morning, the Big Orange wide receivers are generating plenty of buzz and excitement in preseason training camp.
After the departures of Jalin Hyatt and Cedric Tillman to the NFL, current veterans Bru McCoy and Ramel Keyton have stood out to second-year wide receivers coach Kelsey Pope as leaders of the room. The senior duo was productive last fall, combining for 83 catches, 1,229 receiving yards and nine touchdowns. McCoy was key in Tennessee’s final drive against Alabama with a 27-yard reception to set up the game-winning field goal, while Keyton’s 43-yard diving grab against Florida late in the first half will be remembered as one of most spectacular catches in program history.
In his Wednesday post-practice media session, Pope discussed McCoy’s natural transition into a leadership role over the course of the offseason. The California native enters his second year at Tennessee this fall and has received preseason All-SEC recognition from multiple media outlets.
“The special thing about Bru is he’s always carried himself that way, right?” Pope said. “When you had Cedric (Tillman), Jalin (Hyatt) and those guys in that room, Bru still carried himself that way … The guys in the room have always respected him. When guys leave, and they go to the next level, it’s an easy transition for a kid like that.
“He’s a great leader. He’s truly an alpha. He is going to come to work every single day, and when he’s not going, he’s the biggest cheerleader on the sideline. He’s everything you want in that group, but him and some of those older guys that are leading, they do a great job of helping our young guys come along and learn how we do things.”
Entering his fifth year with the program, Keyton has intentionally worked to develop his leadership skills over the past six months with a team-first mindset. Since head coach Josh Heupel‘s arrival in 2021, the Vols’ receiver room has built its reputation on work ethic, and Keyton is doing his part to maintain that standard.
“At some point guys start to make it about the group,” Pope said. “You see Ramel, and he’s naturally a quiet kid, but you see him going to coach other guys on the side, even when he’s tired. He just came off the field, but he wants to go coach other guys when they come off to the sideline. He’s willing to stay after with the younger guys and help them get transitioned and things like that with the playbook. You just see selfless acts like that. You see him serve others. I think for a while now he’s come on for us. Again, I think that started off the field and I think that translated to Saturdays. Now, you guys see what you see out of him.”
After six practices on Haslam Field and inside the Anderson Training Center, the Vols will head to Neyland Stadium for the first scrimmage of fall camp Thursday morning. The scrimmage is closed to the public and to media, with head coach Josh Heupel‘s press conference scheduled for approximately 11 a.m.
Full comments from Pope’s Wednesday media session and select quotes from redshirt senior tight end McCallan Castles, Keyton and junior wide receiver Dont’e Thornton Jr. can be found below.
On if Dont’e Thornton is specifically working in the slot or on the outside too and where he has improved since the spring…
“Yeah, we are working him in different spots. We are doing a good job of trying to use his skill set to put him in some different situations. Just his growth the most was getting in here and learning what we do, learning how we operate on the field and in the building. There is a work ethic. I think that has been brought on by the players. It is expected here now. So, with him learning to play ball, with him getting in here and creating habits, he’s fit right in with these guys and has done a great job so far.”
On if Ramel Keyton was a guy that stepped up last year when he needed him and how he has grown…
“Honestly, Ramel (Keyton), he has become a great person. He’s become a more mature kid. He’s become more accountable, and he cares about football. He’s become a way better teammate. I think that’s translated to him being able to take advantage of some opportunities on the field. He does a great job down the field just to catch it for us. This offseason, he’s done a good job of homing in on technique and more of the intermediate underneath game. He’s done a great job for us, and we look forward to him continuing to lead our group.”
On how Bru McCoy has stepped up with Jalin Hyatt and Cedric Tillman gone…
“Yeah, I think that’s been a natural transition for him. The special thing about Bru (McCoy) is he’s always carried himself that way, right? When you had Cedric (Tillman), when you had Jalin (Hyatt) and those guys in that room, Bru still carried himself that way. Now those guys were on the outside, they had been here, but the guys in the room have always respected him. So, when those guys leave, and they go to the next level, it’s an easy transition for a kid like that. He’s a great leader. He’s truly an alpha. He is going to come to work every single day, and when he’s not going, he’s the biggest cheerleader on the sideline. He’s everything you want in that group, but him and some of those older guys that are leading, they do a great job of helping our young guys come along and learn how we do things.”
On how he would assess Chas Nimrod and Kaleb Webb…
“Those two have been very impressive, both though in their own separate ways. Kaleb (Webb) is a bigger body, big catch radius, strong, powerful kid. Chas (Nimrod) is more agile and very twitchy, but both of those guys have been exceptional. My job for those two, they haven’t seen this thing before on our level, so I have to get those guys consistent. Right now, you see flashes all over the place from both of them. Right now, it’s my job to get those guys more consistent so they are making plays consistently. You see it more on a first-second-third down basis, it is not just showing one series to the next.”
On Dont’e Thornton valuing family and how it has been shown in the wide receivers’ room…
“I think that’s a huge reason why we got the kid, I really do. I think when recruiting, you find things about kids that are important to them. I think you have to sell those points. One of the reasons we got him is our relatability as coaches and the players. He came here and he fit right in with the players. To me, that’s a seamless transition because when you’re working hard at a common goal, when that environment is comfortable for you to work hard in, it’s easier for me to give it everything I’ve got. When I’m worried about who’s around or I’m uncomfortable with the people around me, it’s going to be that much harder for me to really strain. So, Dont’e has come in, and he’s like gel, and he’s been a glue guy for our group. They all crack jokes and they’re on social media together. It’s like he’s been here the whole time almost.”
On Bru McCoy controlling his in-game emotions…
“He’s a California guy on the outside, but on the inside, he’s one of the most fierce competitors I’ve been around. I think some of that came naturally with Bru. He came here wanting to prove himself. You have to fight a fine line when you’re that type of player. There’s a duality, right? I want to be aggressive, and I want to be urgent, but I can’t press, right? When he got some of those situations last year, he’s like a bull in a china shop. I think this year he’s able to take some of that load off to still be accountable, but you see him play a lot more smoothly. He isn’t as tense because he’s seen a year in, he’s got an expectation and what we do and what this league is, and he’s been awesome for us.”
On becoming a dad soon and how he will balance that from a coaching perspective…
“That’s a great point. I think I’m still learning man, I could probably get some pointers from you guys, the dads in the room. For me, I treat these kids just like I would treat my own. I want to make sure I’m giving everything I can to these guys, and then when I’m at home, I’m giving everything I can to my wife and my family. The special thing about that is, these guys are just as involved with my family as I am with theirs. I had three or four guys drop off their favorite kids’ books like The Cat in the Hat and Dr. Seuss series. For me, that’s heartwarming, because it lets you know the guys that you invested in are willing to invest back in you. So that kind of gives me some pride. I take a lot of pride in that. It speaks back to that family feeling we were just talking about. When they see the time and effort that I put into them, they are that much more willing to do that with my son and my kids in the future. That gives you a good feeling. That lets you know you’re going in the right direction. You’ve got a good coach.”
On how much pride he has for former players he coached that are now in the NFL…
“I think it’s awesome to see but quite frankly that’s the expectation, right? You hear a lot of people say a lot about the offense and this and that and people make up what they want to in recruiting. This offense helps guys win in one-on-one matchups. That league is all about one-on-one matchups. So, the things that those guys are doing there is an expectation by everybody in this building, that they’re going to win situations like that. We look forward to seeing those guys. Texting back and forth with those guys between games and between practices is awesome. It’s also good to share with your current guys because they saw those guys, where they started. Jalin (Hyatt) and Cedric (Tillman) started their career here and where they are now, I think those experiences you can use as learning tools for the guys you got in your room. So, it’s been awesome.”
On how he has seen Squirrel White mature and grown in the offseason…
“Yeah, he’s awesome. He’s turned into a little bit of a comedian. He and Joe Milton were a new duo this summer. That was new to me but seeing him open up and be more talkative and his personality come out, that’s only better for the rest of the room. Squirrel (White) is a vibrant light on and off the field. When he’s around the guys, everybody lights up. When he’s on the field, it’s contagious. Everybody’s willing to play hard. Seeing that personality, (him) showing the room has been awesome, man really good.”
On receivers building a relationship off the field with Joe Milton…
“I think that’s always a good thing, when wide receivers and quarterbacks are clicked up like that. I think that helps them build camaraderie off the field. Obviously, when you’re in my foxhole, and I know who you are, I know what you’ve been through, that just makes us in the fourth quarter a lot more deadly, because guys are willing to go to battle for those that they know. They’re right next to him. It’s been cool to see. It’s been cool to see Joe’s (Milton) maturation. When he got here and where he is now, it’s like two completely different people. He’s matured a ton. It’s fun to see him on the practice field. Outside of the physical gifts, you see him interacting with guys in between drives, coaching them up, talking about what they see. He’s not always talking, he’s listening too, which to me shows us a good leader. He’s willing to listen and apply on his end as well. So, seeing all those guys mature has been phenomenal for us and we look forward to continuing to take the jump this training camp.”
On how much he battles misconceptions of the offense preparing guys for the NFL…
“A hundred percent. I think what people don’t understand, they try to just kind of make up, but it’s my job as a coach to answer questions in the recruiting process. Our offense puts guys in situations to win one-on-one matchups. Defenses are supposed to stop guys and those one-on-one situations. It doesn’t matter at the end of the day what the scheme is, what the play call is. I’m given a technique to beat a defensive player. He’s given a technique to beat me. If I’m beating him 10 out of 10 times, I can translate that on any level and that’s what it comes down to. Now guys have different skill sets. You show those in recruiting. Guys are put in different spots, you show those in recruiting. At the end of the day, you got to win your matchup, and that’s what it is. That’s what those guys have learned to do and that’s what they showed on Saturday. That’s why they’re successful in the league. It’s no rhyme or reason to why they’re doing it besides a transition from what they did in college.”
On Ramel Keyton changing his number to No. 9…
“Yeah, it probably happened the first couple of days. I think sometimes guys need new numbers. I’m all about looking good, feeling good, but at the end of the day, we got to get results. If you are wearing 99, and you’re the best player in the country, you’re probably going to be 99. So, Ramel (Keyton) has been awesome with that transition. He hadn’t missed a beat. He looks just like the old number 80 there. He’s improved in some areas. So, I look forward to seeing more from nine on the field.”
On what point he realized the type of player Ramel Keyton could be…
“I think it was last spring. I think we had a guy go down and Ramel kind of transitioned into more of a starter’s role last spring. I think it was at that point when you started to see him play and show what he can really do. The funny thing about that is that life comes full circle, we get to the season, and the exact same thing happened, the guy in front of him went down. He was a reserve. He came in and made a bunch of plays for us in critical situations. I think that’s why it’s so important in practice to push these guys to their limit. When guys go down, or you have a guy out for a day or two, you have to treat the next guy like he is a starter. That way during the season when those things happen, you don’t skip a beat, guys don’t flinch. They just continue to go and roll. We can truly create a unit that way. I think we’re getting to that point to where our unit is becoming more holistic, where we can plug and play guys wherever.”
On what he has seen from Nate Spillman and Nathan Leacock…
“Both of those guys have been great in the classroom. Both of those guys still have some work to do on the field, but they both have traits. They’re both physically gifted. They’re both determined and want to be good and that’s really all you need. We’ve seen a lot of guys in our room get developed. If guys are competitive and determined, we can develop you and you can be as good as you want to be. They have shown every tool in the world to be successful in what we do and in this league.”
On when he realized Ramel Keyton was more out of his shell and a better person in the locker room…
“You see their interactions, right? At some point guys start to make it about the group. You see Ramel and he’s naturally a quiet kid, but you see him going to coach other guys on the side, even when he’s tired. He just came off the field, but he wants to go coach other guys when they come off to the sideline. He’s willing to stay after with the younger guys and help them get transitioned and things like that with the playbook. You just see selfless acts like that. You see him serve others. I think for a while now he’s come on for us. Again, I think that started off the field and I think that translated to Saturdays. Now, you guys see what you see out of him.”
On some examples where Dont’e Thornton has shown his potential as a wide receiver in this offense…
“So, from Donte, what you get is you get a big, big, targeted receiver. A guy that can run, a guy that can bend that is agile. We had a couple of days early in camp, where it’s just helmets and shorts, and he’s coming across the middle and it’s a big target for the quarterback coming across the middle field with speed. He’s able to catch that thing and continue to run. For me, having guys like that with that ability with that length, being able to run the way he can, is awesome to see. It is a completely different product than what we had last year in Jalin (Hyatt) and sometimes Cedric (Tillman). He’s kind of a mixture of both of those guys in some ways. There have been a bunch of times this camp where you see him and your eyes get big. Maybe I look at coach Heupel and he looks at me. He’s a good addition to us. Him and all of the other guys have been awesome this camp. We just look forward to those guys continuing to push the envelope, continuing to work. Hopefully that process is where it needs to be when we start.”
On how complicated the offense is given the pace they play at…
“Honestly, the offense itself, once you get it down, is not super hard to do. It’s that pace that you have to be able to look at the sideline to know what you have to do right then and there. Once it clicks, it’s definitely a lot easier. You see Jacob (Warren), he’s been doing it for years. He’s locked in, ready to go. You see the young guys that are kind of still thinking about it. Ethan, you can tell, I think me and Ethan (Davis) have had almost the same transition. You’ve kind of gone through that awkward phase where you’re trying to figure out what you have to do. Now, he’s lined up and he’s ready to go, I’m lined up. You can tell on the practice field we play a lot faster and more efficient in the plays.”
On what excites him about this year’s offense…
“I think it’s just everybody is ready to reload. We’ve got guys at every position coming in that can play. You can just see it on the practice field, every day we’re getting better and more explosive against our own defense. Once we get against Virginia or somebody, it’s going to come to fruition. I think we’re just going to keep going one week at a time and just steamrolling through.”
On defensive players that have impressed him…
“I have to shout out Arion Carter. That dude fills holes fast and he is going to lace you in the hole. I’ve never seen a dude come in so ready to play from a young guy standpoint. The other guys, Aaron Beasley and Keenan Pili, that’s as veteran as you can get at linebacker. They don’t do anything wrong, they’re always there to make plays, super solid. Jaylen McCollough, he is so solid. Special teams and everything he does, super sound technique. He’s always high energy, ready to coach everybody up.”
On the difference of the type of balls coming from Hendon Hooker’s hands and Joe Milton’s hands…
“You have to really be sharp with your eyes, and you have to know it’s going to come with a little more pace with Joe. There’s going to be more zip to it. You’re going to see the ball, but it’s more like having stronger hands to be able to catch it. But once you catch it consistently, it’ll come natural.”
On the work ethic in the Wide Receiver’s room since the departure of key players from last year…
“I feel like as a group, we all have the work ethic that it takes to succeed, and we push each other to the standard that we set. It’s like organic, the whole room. It’s not just one person like me, or Bru, not just (Nathan Leacock), it’s everyone in the room. Everybody is striving to be better, everybody is trying to be great. I feel like as a room, we keep pushing each other. We’re going to be great.”
On if this season brings a sense of this is his time to shine and how he plans to capitalize on it…
“I wouldn’t say it is necessarily my time to shine. I feel like it’s our time to really go out there and prove what we worked on and what we did all summer, and really what we did from January to this point. Now just I feel like every time we go out to practice, we feel like we’re playing in a game and we take that approach like we’re playing Alabama, Georgia, Florida, in practice so I feel like if we keep that consistently we’ll reach the goal that we set.”
On if the receiver production is a reason he came to Tennessee and how the offense is so receiver friendly…
“That is definitely a big reason for why I came here. The biggest part about this offense is that Coach Heupel wants to throw the ball. If you look back and see it, he threw the ball a lot of the time throughout his first two years. It was the most any head coach or offensive minded coach, threw the ball with success in their first two seasons. If you’re a receiver, this will be the best place for you to be.”
On his relationship with Kelsey Pope…
“I’d say I have a great relationship with Coach Pope. With me being away from home, he’s like that dad that you have, that can coach you on the field and also be there for you off the field. I definitely depend on Coach Pope a lot. He’s always there for me.”
On how he has built a relationship with Joe Milton III…
“Me and Joe have a great relationship. From the moment I got here, me and Joe have been clicking and getting together. Even on nights where I feel like I don’t understand the play, I can call Joe or go over to his house, he’ll walk me through it and then we’ll be good to go. I’d definitely say we have a great relationship.”
-UT Athletics
DALLAS – Tennessee running backs Jabari Small and Jaylen Wright were named preseason candidates for the 2023 Doak Walker Award, as announced by the PwC SMU Athletic Forum on Wednesday.
The award is presented annually to the top running back in college football and is named for SMU’s three-time All-America running back Doak Walker. It is the only major collegiate award that requires all candidates to be in good academic standing and on schedule to graduate within one year of other students of the same classification.
Tennessee was one of 11 schools with multiple players named to the preseason candidates list.
Small finds himself on the award’s preseason list for the second straight year while Wright is making his first appearance on the list. The duo ranked first and second on the team in rushing yards last season, combining for 1,609 yards and 23 touchdowns on the ground.
Small led the team and finished second in the Southeastern Conference with 13 rushing scores a year ago, which was tied for sixth in single-season school history and marked the most by a Vol since Montario Hardesty had 13 in 2009.
Wright led the Big Orange in rushing with a career-high 875 yards to go along with 10 rushing touchdowns, tied for fourth most in the SEC. The Durham, North Carolina, native frequently showcased his big-play ability in 2022, ranking fifth in the conference with five runs of 30-plus yards and third in the league with three rushes of 50 or more yards.
The PwC SMU Athletic Forum Board of Directors will name 10 semifinalists in November, and three finalists, as voted on by the Doak Walker Award National Selection Committee, will be announced in November, as well. The committee will cast a second vote in December to determine the recipient. The National Selection Committee consists of past recipients, former NFL All-Pro and college All-America running backs, media members and selected special representatives.
The recipient of the 2023 Doak Walker Award will be announced live on The Home Depot College Football Awards.
A complete list of Tennessee’s preseason honors can be found below.
Sr. DE Tyler Baron
All-SEC Fourth Team (Athlon)
Sr. LB Aaron Beasley
All-SEC Third Team (Athlon)
Sr. OL Cooper Mays
Rimington Trophy Watch List
All-SEC Third Team (Media)
All-SEC Fourth Team (Athlon, Phil Steele)
Sr. WR Bru McCoy
All-SEC Second Team (Athlon, Media, Phil Steele)
Sr. QB Joe Milton III
Davey O’Brien Award Watch List
Maxwell Award Watch List
All-SEC Third Team (Media, Phil Steele)
Sr. RB Jabari Small
Doak Walker Award Preseason Candidate List
Sr. OL Javontez Spraggins
All-SEC Third Team (Media)
R-Sr. TE Jacob Warren
Mackey Award Watch List
Wuerffel Trophy Watch List
Allstate AFCA Good Works Team Nominee
So. WR Squirrel White
All-SEC Fourth Team (Athlon)
Sr. RS Dee Williams
All-American Fourth Team (Phil Steele)
All-SEC Third Team (Athlon, Phil Steele)
Jr. RB Jaylen Wright
Doak Walker Award Preseason Candidate List
All-SEC Fourth Team (Athlon)
-UT Athletics
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Three years into his current tenure, Tennessee defensive line coach Rodney Garner has molded his unit into a strength of the Volunteeers, combining a mix of veterans and talented newcomers. Garner’s group and Tennessee went full pads for the first time this preseason camp with a 21-period practice on Tuesday at Haslam Field.
Garner and a trio of defensive linemen — Roman Harrison, Elijah Simmons and Bryson Eason — met with the media following practice.
“Along the lines of changing the culture of the room, I do feel like we are moving the room in the right direction,” Garner said. “Now, we have peers holding each other accountable. That’s what you want. If you’re ever going to have a championship caliber program, you have to have the leadership coming from within. Now, you’re seeing guys starting to hold each other more accountable. It’s not just the coaches where they’re sitting there saying, ‘That’s not our standard. That’s not how we do things.’ I think if we can keep moving in that direction, then we’ll be able to achieve better results.”
Despite the departure of 2023 NFL Draft third round pick Byron Young, the Vols return Omari Thomas, Tyler Baron, Harrison, Simmons and Eason, while adding Arizona State transfer Omarr Norman-Lott and multiple talented true freshmen from a recruiting class that ranked among the best in the country. In addition, true sophomores Joshua Josephs and James Pearce Jr. bring speed off the edge.
“I definitely think Omarr is an upgrade for us,” Garner said. “He’s a young man that has a body of work, even though it was in a different conference. He has a little bit more maturity to him. He has power, initial quickness. He knows how to maneuver his body, slip and naturally make some plays. He can really run. As he continues to really get himself into better shape, I think we will see a much better product than what he’s shown thus far.”
Garner likes what he sees in the endurance and strength from Simmons, who enters his fifth year with the program and will wear No. 10 this fall after making the switch from No. 51.
“Elijah is a powerful big man,” Garner said. “He does have initial quickness and short-area quickness. He has built-in pad level and leverage. Everybody knows that he switched his number to 10, and if you’re a defensive lineman wearing number 10, you need to be elite.”
The Vols will practice full pads on Wednesday before going through their first scrimmage of preseason camp on Thursday morning in Neyland Stadium. The scrimmage is closed to the public.
Defensive Line Coach Rodney Garner
On the physicality of the defensive line group in the first day of pads…
“I thought with today being the sixth day, that they looked like it was the sixth day. Early on, I really like the energy and the way the guys have approached practice. Today, it started wearing on them a little bit. We have to continue to push the needle, continue to get mentally and physically tougher and be able to fight through those situations. Overall, I thought it was good. We did have a couple of guys get banged up, so some guys got more reps. When we started to limit some guys with reps, then other guys can increase their reps. That’s a game situation, so they have to learn how to fight through and be able to push themselves when they think they can.”
On Omarr Norman-Lott’s development since the spring…
“I definitely think Omarr is an upgrade for us. He’s a young man that has a body of work, even though it was in a different conference. He has a little bit more maturity to him. When you sit there and look at this kid, he has a skillset. He has power, initial quickness. He knows how to maneuver his body, slip and naturally make some plays. He can really run. Initially coming into camp, I thought he was just a tad bit too heavy. I think that now, he’s starting to trim down, and his athleticism is starting to show even more. As he continues to really get himself into better shape, I think we will see a much better product than what he’s shown thus far.”
On the growth of the defensive line group since he’s arrived at Tennessee…
“Along the lines of changing the culture of the room, I do feel like we are moving the room in the right direction. Now, we have peers holding each other accountable. That’s what you want. If you’re ever going to have a championship caliber program, you have to have the leadership coming from within. Now, you’re seeing guys starting to hold each other more accountable. It’s not just the coaches where they’re sitting there saying, ‘That’s not our standard. That’s not how we do things.’ I think if we can keep moving in that direction, then we’ll be able to achieve better results.”
On how unique it is to have players that enjoys his coaching style…
“I really don’t like yelling. I wish I didn’t have to yell at them. I’d like for them to just do a better job, be more physical, take the coaching and not try and kiss up to the teacher.”
On the players are that are holding each other accountable within the defensive line room…
“Omari Thomas is a good leader. I think his leadership is continuing to grow. I think Tyler Baron has had the best offseason he’s had since we’ve been here. I’ve seen maturity come from him. I think Elijah Simmons and Dominic Bailey are growing. You’re starting to see some growth from multiple people. Roman Harrison has had a good camp and is starting to do things the Tennessee way, and not so much things his way. I think it’s becoming contagious. They’re not being afraid to call one another out. That’s what real leadership is, it’s just being willing to be different, be out front and be able to take a stand. A lot of times, some guys don’t want to go the wrong way, but they just want somebody to be willing to step out and go the right way so they can follow that guy. I think we are seeing a lot more of that. Obviously, we need to see more. You don’t have to be an older guy to be a leader. It’s about how you are doing it every day. Talk is cheap, and you have to be able to walk the walk. Nobody wants to hear you talk about it when you’re not doing it. Being able to lead by example, being that pace setter, getting there early, staying late, attention to detail, those are the things that it’s going to take for us to reach the goals that we’re setting for ourselves.”
On the growth of the LEO position from spring to now…
“I think you have length and athleticism. I think we’re starting to look like how a championship caliber room is supposed to look. We all have to continue to get stronger, we all have to continue to get more explosive, we all have to be more conscientious of our fundamentals and technique. I do like the athleticism. I like the guys being willing to buy in, and the guys to this point not showing selfishness, to where they’re starting to think about their teammates, the program and putting others first. If we can do that, then I think we can achieve a lot of good things. There are going to be a lot more awards for everybody to go around if we put the team first.”
On if run-stopping and pass-rushing skills are very different from each other…
“Coming out of last season, one of the things that we said when self-scouting was that we have to become a better four-man pass rushing team. We can’t always rely on bringing five or six guys. We have to be able to affect the quarterback with a four-man rush, and we also have to be able to finish the rush. A couple of times, we had some good rushes, but then we did a poor job of knocking the quarterback down. We didn’t maintain our rush integrity, our lanes, and we didn’t do a good job of keeping them in the pocket. I understand the conference that we are in, there are some elite guys that can really run, but that’s part of the job description. We have to be able to affect the guy, get him off the spot, and then we have to be able to finish the rush. We did a really good job as far as TFLs, but we have to do a better job as far as being a four-man pass-rushing team.”
On a defensive lineman that was very good at getting tackles for losses but could improve at rushing the passer…
“I think they all have to be better pass rushers. We as a team need to be better at the four-man rush. That means all the way across the board. We lost a lot of production with losing Byron Young, so somebody has to be willing to step up and be that bell cow. When you sit there and look at LaTrell Bumphus, he had a really good year. I don’t think he got nearly the credit or the recognition for some of the things that he was able to do. When you look at the cutups, he was a guy that was very effective and just did things the right way. We have to get everybody to elevate their game. I’m talking man-for-man and coach-for-coach. It’s not just player-driven, it’s coach-driven too. We have to do a better job at teaching them, demanding it and getting that end result.”
On how the athleticism of Elijah Simmons makes him valuable to the defensive line room…
“Elijah is a powerful big man. He does have initial quickness and short-area quickness. He has built-in pad level and leverage. His biggest enemy is when fatigue sets in. Everybody knows that he switched his number to 10, and if you’re a defensive lineman wearing number 10, you need to be elite. My challenge to him — sometimes No. 10 shows up to practice, other times No. 51 shows up. He just has to figure out who he Is and what he wants to be. No. 10 and No. 51 are different guys, so if he’s going to be 10, then he has to get himself in really good shape and be able to play out the whole game like 10.”
On what he has seen from Tyler Baron and how he has gotten better this offseason…
“I think he’s matured a lot. He has grown as a young man, and I think he’s bought in more into the team concept. I think he is being more of a team guy—more of a Tennessee guy than a Tyler guy. I think he is starting to see that if Tennessee does well, then Tyler Baron is going to do well, you know what I’m saying? But if Tennessee does poorly, odds are Tyler Baron is not going to do as well. That’s everybody, that’s not just Tyler. That is everybody, just getting them to understand this is a team sport. It is the greatest team sport out there. Just them understanding how blessed they are to have an opportunity to play at a program like this, to play in this conference, to play with the type of young men that they are playing with. We are all truly blessed, and we just need to understand that these are once in a lifetime opportunities. We need to bond together. You know we work extremely hard, but we need to bond together and make it special. If we are all pulling the rope in the same direction, then we definitely have an opportunity to do some special things.”
On how beneficial it is to have a staff that has been together for almost three years now…
“I think it is a blessing for us to be together for three years. I think that shows even in the team. I think we are so much farther ahead being three years into the program. Our kids are so much farther ahead with the system as far as making the checks, making adjustments, understanding the defense, being able to fix things and know when they are not quite right. So, that’s really comforting. Obviously, I think Coach Heupel does a really good job with being a great leader in the fact that he doesn’t let you become stale or stagnant, so you don’t have to worry about that. I do think guys knowing each other, pulling the rope in the same direction, there are no hidden agendas. Coach Heupel has done a really good job of setting the compass of where we are going, and everybody is following that direction.”
On what the key has been for Elijah Simmons becoming more consistent…
“Well, I think obviously just getting into better shape, growing, maturing, maybe even feeling somewhat unfulfilled just because he is a guy that will sit there and tell you. When I came and first met him and got around him, I was like man, you remind me so much of Geno Atkins. I thought he was going to be like that. It was just that initial quickness, the short-ended quickness, that explosiveness. He just reminded me of Geno (Atkins) who I had at Georgia. For whatever reason, he would start out always with a bang but some got away. He was hit with adversity, he would always fade away. He had a really good spring, and like I told him in the evaluation after spring ball, the challenge was going to be, is he going to pick up where he left off in spring, or were we going to start all the way back over again? So, I can tell you thus far through camp, he is having a really good start in camp. I think he sees that. So hopefully he is gaining a bit more confidence. Hopefully he likes the direction he is headed in, and we all just have to keep encouraging, pushing, prodding and all that. It’s just like I told the guys the other day, obviously if you can’t push yourself, then you need to be man enough to allow others to push you. Because there are some guys who can’t push themselves, but then they have to allow their teammates to push them, allow their coaches to push them. If you can’t push yourself and won’t allow others to push you, then we have a problem. We are not going to be able to get where we want to get to. I think now, he is allowing his teammates to push him when he hits that wall. He is allowing the coaching to push him in the right direction and not let it be all a negativity thing. So, hopefully he is growing and maturing in that area right there.”
Redshirt Junior DL Bryson Eason
On the benefit of working with the same defensive assistant coaches for a third straight year…
“I feel like it’s a positive for me because I know what they’re looking for. I know what they want. I’m just trying to go out there and execute those details and intangibles in order to play the D-line position for Coach (Tim) Banks and Coach (Rodney) Garner. I feel like it’s a positive. It helps me and gives me a lot of encouragement to know that I’m working with the same guys from previous years.”
On how players have held each other accountable this fall…
“Tyler [Baron] has been a great leader. Big O [Omari Thomas] has been a great leader for us inside the room, just holding everybody in that room accountable and making sure that we’re all doing what we’re supposed to do where we’re supposed to be. It’s the little things like that. Being a leader doesn’t necessarily mean you have to be a mean, tough guy. They’re leaders, but they show love. They lead the way. Their energy and their positivity just makes everybody else follow their lead and do what they ask us to do. I feel like the guys inside the room that have been asked to take that leader role are doing a great job and are bringing a lot of positive energy.”
On how much progress he has made at the defensive line position…
“It’s just about being able to be comfortable at the position, know what I’m doing, know my assignment and just learning different details to help me be better at the position. It’s just a great feeling to finally be somewhere where I know I can play, stay and my position won’t change. It’s a great feeling. I’ve been enjoying it. Having a lot of helpful guys around like O [Omari Thomas], Tyler [Baron], Dom [Dominic Bailey] and Omarr [Norman-Lott], they’ve been helping out, teaching me things, showing me things and it’s always positive. It comes out as a form of love. I’ve been enjoying it, embracing it and trying to be a great player for the team and help those guys.”
Senior DL Roman Harrison
On how much of pass rushing is natural ability compared to understanding of the defense…
“In this league, everybody is fast and everybody is strong. I would say it’s your will, obviously it’s your strain. Are you going to strain? If you get beat on this block, are you going try and beat it or are you just going to stay there. It’s just about, are you willing to finish? Are you willing? At this level, everybody is already physical, everybody is already fast, everybody is already strong. I feel like that’s what separates it.”
On what he feels like he has done well in fall camp…
“I would say my overall game and just my approach to the game as well. I’d say I’ve tried to work on my technique. I feel like I was already fast and strong and all that good stuff, but my technique in how I use my hands was the big thing that Coach Garner is always on me about. I worked on that this fall and just trying to make sure I know the playbook like the back of my hand. I already do because I’ve been here for a couple of years, but there is always going to be new plays. Just making sure I’m prepared for anything like that.”
On the confidence that the team has now compared to when he got here…
“I can’t talk about too much in the beginning, but Tennessee became what I wanted it to be without me having to say a word. That’s a big up to Coach Heupel. Obviously, with the last staff I would just sit back and watch everything. This staff, they bring you in more. It’s more of a family type of environment. We pull each other along and we bring the best out of each other because we expect the most from each other, because we ourselves are giving that. We expect to win games, we expect to win championships, but it’s going to come day-by-day. We know it’s going to come with the hard days, we’re going to have to work every day for it. Our technique, our plays, knowing what you have to do it all ties into it. We all know that as a group, under Coach Heupel we just expect to win.”
Redshirt Senior DL Elijah Simmons
On what changed for him mentally over the offseason…
“Just basically, it’s time now to change who I want to be in the future. I want to go to the next level, so I need to buy in. I feel like I need to buy in and just take the coaching just how it needs to be. That’s what I’ve been trying to do.”
On the difference in mindset of being the guy wearing No. 10 compared to being No. 51 last season…
“Obviously 51, he was a guy that he strained sometimes, he took off some plays, but he always wanted to finish. No. 10 continuously fights, strains and competes every day. Come out every day ready to play, ready to fight the next opponent. Each and every day, get better. That’s the main difference to me.”
On the guys who are pushing him in the defensive line room are…
“We all push each other every day. We all want to compete for positions. Each and every person is just trying to get better and better every day as we go along in this camp. Everybody pushes each other. It’s not just anybody singled out or anything like that, we’re all just trying to compete and get better.”
-UT Athletics
FORT WORTH, Texas – The Davey O’Brien foundation revealed Tuesday that redshirt senior quarterback Joe Milton III is one of 35 quarterbacks named to the Davey O’Brien Award watch list.
The award is the oldest and most prestigious national quarterback award and is presented to the nation’s best college quarterback each year.
The strong-armed signal caller from Pahokee, Florida, was one of five SEC quarterbacks tabbed to the watch list.
Milton enters his sixth collegiate season and third at Tennessee in 2023. After serving as Tennessee’s backup quarterback last fall, Milton was thrust into action as the starter in the final two games of the 2022 campaign. He engineered the Tennessee offense to a 56-0 victory at Vanderbilt to close out the regular season before capping the year with an MVP performance in the Capital One Orange Bowl as the Vols took down No. 7 Clemson, 31-14.
Milton was marvelous in Miami Gardens, firing 19-of-28 passes for 251 yards and a career-high tying three touchdowns to lead UT to its first New Year’s Six bowl victory during the College Football Playoff era (2014-present). The win punctuated Tennessee’s first 11-win season since 2001 and first win in the Orange Bowl since defeating Oklahoma in 1939.
The veteran quarterback has made 17 appearances for Tennessee with four starts over the past two seasons, and he finished the 2022 campaign completing 53-of-82 (.650) passes for 971 yards and 10 touchdowns with no interceptions. Of the 114 FBS quarterbacks to throw 10 or more touchdowns last year, Milton was the only one to have zero picks.
On Oct. 17, the official Davey O’Brien Midseason watch list will be released and will include all active quarterbacks from the preseason watch list.
The 35-man Davey O’Brien QB Class of 2023 will be announced on Tuesday, Oct. 24. Fan voting will occur through social media and will play a heavy part in the semifinalist, finalist and winner voting totals when combined with the national selection committee’s ballots. Voting will begin on Oct. 24.
The list of semifinalists selected from the QB Class will be named on Tuesday, Nov. 7. The Foundation will announce the three finalists two weeks later (Tuesday, Nov. 21). The 2023 Davey O’Brien Award winner will be unveiled live on ESPN on Thursday, Dec. 7, during The Home Depot College Football Awards.
A complete list of Tennessee’s preseason honors can be found below.
2023 Tennessee Football Preseason Honors
Sr. DE Tyler Baron
All-SEC Fourth Team (Athlon)
Sr. LB Aaron Beasley
All-SEC Third Team (Athlon)
Sr. OL Cooper Mays
Rimington Trophy Watch List
All-SEC Third Team (Media)
All-SEC Fourth Team (Athlon, Phil Steele)
Sr. WR Bru McCoy
All-SEC Second Team (Athlon, Media, Phil Steele)
Sr. QB Joe Milton III
Davey O’Brien Award Watch List
Maxwell Award Watch List
All-SEC Third Team (Media, Phil Steele)
Sr. OL Javontez Spraggins
All-SEC Third Team (Media)
R-Sr. TE Jacob Warren
Mackey Award Watch List
Wuerffel Trophy Watch List
Allstate AFCA Good Works Team Nominee
So. WR Squirrel White
All-SEC Fourth Team (Athlon)
Sr. RS Dee Williams
All-American Fourth Team (Phil Steele)
All-SEC Third Team (Athlon, Phil Steele)
Jr. RB Jaylen Wright
All-SEC Fourth Team (Athlon)
-UT Athletics
