Final roster cuts are all in. NFL teams had to get down to 53-player rosters on Tuesday in preparation for the start of the 2021 season.
Here’s an updated list of University of Tennessee players in the National Football League, as well as players that were once at UT and other Knoxville area players.
This update does not include coaches with U. of Tennessee ties on NFL coaching staffs or in front office positions around the league. I will list those in a separate post here on my blog.
Depth chart positions are from our friends at Ourlads NFL Scouting Services. As teams reveal their own “unofficial” depth charts, we’ll adjust those positions to what the teams list. Many haven’t done so yet for the season opener and the 53-player roster.
Recent Transactions TE Dom Wood-Anderson released by Seahawks
WR Josh Malone released by Jets
TE Jason Croom placed on IR by Eagles
TE Eli Wolf (ex-Vol) released by Ravens
Tuesday Cutdown Day Transactions RB John Kelly released by Browns
DB Nigel Warrior released by Ravens
DT Reginald McKenzie released by Bengals
TE Alex Ellis released by Raiders
DT Kendal Vickers released by Raiders
TE Ethan Wolf released by Saints
DB Bryce Thompson placed on IR by Saints
QB Joshua Dobbs placed on IR by Steelers
OT Ja’Wuan James placed on non-football IR by Ravens
RB Nathan Cottrell (local non-UT) released by Jaguars
OG Nathan Gilliam (local non-UT) released by Chargers
*Note: Some of these released players will be brought back to practice squads. He’ll track those and list them in future updates as well.
Notes and Numbers On UT Players *20 U. of Tennessee players on final 53-player NFL rosters to start season *2 rookie VFLs are currently on active rosters (T. Smith & J. Palmer)
*New Orleans has most current UT players on active rosters with 3 *WR & DL are the largest positions represented with 4 *15 of the 32 teams have a UT player on rosters *There are 5 players that were once at U. of Tennessee but then transferred *There are 4 players that didn’t attend UT, but have Knoxville/East TN ties *6 players that went to high school in the Knoxville area are on current rosters (A. Rodgers, B. Colquitt, L. Smith, H. Smith, R. Cobb, T. Higgins)
Tennessee Volunteers On 53-Player NFL Rosters as of 9/1/21 (20)
x = Rookie AFC East (3)
CB – Justin Coleman (27) Miami Dolphins – starting CB
P – Michael Palardy (5) Miami Dolphins – starting P
FB – Jakob Johnson (47) New England Patriots – starting FB
NONE – Buffalo Bills, New York Jets
AFC North (2)
DT – Malik Jackson (97) Cleveland Browns – starting LDT
DB – Cameron Sutton (20) Pittsburgh Steelers – starting RCB
NONE – Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals
AFC South (2)
TE – Luke Stocker (85) Tennessee Titans – 3rd team TE
LS – Morgan Cox (46) Tennessee Titans – starting LS
NONE – Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars
AFC West (3)
LB – Alexander Johnson (45) Denver Broncos – starting ILB
OL – Trey Smith (65) Kansas City Chiefs – x – starting RG
WR – Joshua Palmer (5) Los Angeles Chargers – x – backup WR
NONE – Las Vegas Raiders
NFC East (1)
DE – Derek Barnett (96) Philadelphia Eagles – starting RDE
NONE – Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, Washington Redskins
NFC North (2)
LB – Jalen Reeves-Maybin (44) Detroit Lions – backup ILB
P – Britton Colquitt (2) Minnesota Vikings – starting P
NONE – Chicago Bears, Green Bay Packers
NFC South (4)
WR – Cordarrelle Patterson (84) Atlanta Falcons – backup WR & starting KR
RB – Alvin Kamara (41) New Orleans Saints – starting RB
DT – Shy Tuttle (99) New Orleans Saints – 3rd team NT
WR – Marquez Callaway (12) New Orleans Saints – starting WR
NONE – Carolina Panthers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
NFC West (3)
CB – Emmanuel Moseley (41) San Francisco 49ers – backup LCB
WR – Jauan Jennings (15) San Francisco 49ers – 3rd team WR
DE – Darrell Taylor (52) Seattle Seahawks – starting LEO “DE-OLB”
NONE – Arizona Cardinals, Los Angeles Rams
Not on 53-Player Rosters – Reserve Lists (5) CB – Bryce Thompson (31) New Orleans Saints – x
TE – Jason Croom (81) Philadelphia Eagles
QB – Joshua Dobbs (5) Pittsburgh Steelers
OT – Ja’Wuan James (60) Baltimore Ravens
DE – Kyle Phillips (93) New York Jets
UT Players In The NFL On 53-Player Rosters By Position (20)
QB – 0
RB – 1
WR – 4
TE – 1
FB – 1
OL – 1
DL – 4
LB – 2
DB – 3
P – 2
PK – 0
LS – 1
One-Time Vols That Transferred To Other Schools On NFL Rosters (5)
x = Rookie
TE – Lee Smith (85) Atlanta Falcons (Powell HS/U. of Tennessee/Marshall) – backup TE
P – Tommy Townsend (5) Kansas City Chiefs (U. of Tennessee/Florida) – starting P
QB – Nathan Peterman (3) Las Vegas Raiders (U. of Tennessee/Pitt) – 3rd team QB
WR – Preston Williams (18) Miami Dolphins (U. of Tennessee/Colorado St) – backup WR
WR – Jalen Hurd (14) San Francisco 49ers (U. of Tennessee/Baylor) – 3rd team WR
Active Knoxville Area Players That Didn’t Play At UT on NFL Rosters (4)
x = Rookie
WR – Tee Higgins (85) Cincinnati Bengals (Oak Ridge HS/Clemson) – starting SWR
WR – Amari Rodgers (8) Green Bay Packers (Catholic HS/Clemson) – x – 3rd team WR
WR – Randall Cobb (18) Green Bay Packers (Alcoa HS/Kentucky) – backup WR
S – Harrison Smith (22) Minnesota Vikings (Catholic HS/Notre Dame) – starting SS
Old Crow Medicine Show has joined the TikTok trend of posting videos for fans to duet and sing along!
They shared a TikTok playing the chorus of their beloved song, “Wagon Wheel,” and fans went crazy when Darius Rucker tried his hand at the duet. Check it out:
The Joe Milton Era at Michigan didn’t end well, but the end game at Tennessee could be successful.
In fact, a reporter who covered Milton at Michigan would be “stunned’’ if Milton doesn’t do well at Rocky Top.
“Talking to guys who worked with him here,’’ said Angelique Chengelis, who has covered Michigan football for 30 years, “the guy has tremendous upside and I’d be really stunned if he can’t fulfill that at Tennessee.’’
If so, then why did he fail in three years at Michigan?
The 6-foot-5, 244-pound Milton started five games for Michigan last season. In the first three games, he passed for 225 then 300 then 344 yards. The latter two games were defeats.
In Game Four against Wisconsin, he was 9 of 19 for 98 yards with two interceptions.
At Rutgers, he started 5 of 12 and was benched.
In his last three starts, he completed less than 50 percent of his passes (32 of 65). He also had four interceptions against three touchdown passes in those games.
Chengelis didn’t think it was all Milton’s fault.
“To be fair,’’ she said, “the whole team pretty much collapsed after the opening victory at Minnesota.
“He didn’t get a lot of support. The run game wasn’t always clicking. They got behind fast. A lot was put on his shoulders for a first-time starter. A lot of pieces weren’t there for him.’’
But Chengelis wasn’t absolving Milton from all blame.
“He still had a lot to learn,’’ she said. “His accuracy wasn’t there. He tended to zero in on one guy. He didn’t check down very much. He felt rushed.’’
When Michigan went to backup quarterback Cade McNamara, the offense started to jell.
Milton has a strong arm, but touch is not one of his strengths.
“He has a rifle arm,’’ Chengelis said. “He really throws a bullet. I remember talking to some Michigan receivers (in 2019). They talked about how it hurt to catch the balls that he threw. He throws that hard.
“The other issue was, a lot of quarterback coaches that worked with him, worked to develop touch. I think it’s fair to call it a weakness of his. Maybe he’s improved that since he got to Knoxville. … But if you want someone that can throw 100 miles per hour, you got him.’’
During early August practices, it was common for UT receivers to have balls bounce off their hands as Milton fired fastballs.
How much Milton has improved his touch remains to be seen.
A powerful arm isn’t Milton’s only physical trait. The guy is extremely fast for his size. In his first two starts last year, he ran for 52 yards against Minnesota and 59 against Michigan State.
Chengelis described Milton as a pro style quarterback who can run.
“Dual threat is a stretch to describe him, but he’s immensely talented,’’ Chengelis said. “He’s a phenomenal athlete.
“I think he needs really good coaching. Maybe he didn’t get that at Michigan. And maybe he can get that in Knoxville and really reveal how good he can be.’’
Asked to gauge Jim Harbaugh’s developing of quarterbacks as above average, average or below average, Chengelis went with the latter.
“Everybody talked about (Harbaugh being) a quarterback whisperer,’’ she said, “and everybody is waiting to see that come to fruition here.’’
Meanwhile, Milton will get his first start for Tennessee against Bowling Green on Thursday night at Neyland Stadium.
Can Milton resurrect his career and play well for the Vols?
“I would be surprised if he didn’t,’’ Chengelis said. “He’s got talent. He’s got the arm. He’s got the ability. I think he can be a good leader. I don’t think he had a chance to flex those muscles much (at Michigan).’’
Congrats to Luke Bryan as his song “Waves” lands in the number-one spot this week on the country airplay chart.
Luke shared, “Wow. 27 #1’s is pretty crazy. I can’t thank Country radio and the fans enough for supporting my career. Love y’all”
Talking about “Waves” and the timing of its release, Luke says, “I always love to have a big summer song out there, and ‘Waves’ really checks a lot of those boxes and talks about the love of Summer and being at the beach but I think ‘Waves’ was just a right pick for the right kind of Summer song.”
While its very much a Luke Bryan hit, he does admit that this was a bit of a different direction for his music, “Well, I mean ‘Waves’ is kind of another level vocally and production-wise it’s not something I’m really I’ve ever done you know.” He adds, “The main thing is…vocally I loved doing something different like that, and production-wise I just thought it was a new sound for me and as long as I can kind of teeter back and forth between a song like ‘Waves’ and then have songs that have more country sounds too, and then experiment. I mean you look at you got ‘One Margarita’ and then you got ‘Waves’ and then you’ve got ‘Down to one’…I mean, all these songs kind, they move back and forth within a framework of what I try to do.”
Congrats to Luke Bryan on his 27th number-one hit “Waves”
Do you love when friends drop by unexpected? Do you then lift then up in the air?
No? Just a Chris Young thing then?
Chris was performing this weekend in Pennsylvania, and as he started his number-one song “Famous Friends” – Kane Brown walked out on stage to surprise Chris.
Check out his reaction here to Kane showing up unexpectedly…
It is funny that the Kane Brown lift happened on the weekend of the 4th anniversary of Chris Young lifting Vince Gill after Vince extended an invite to be an Opry member.
Chris admits, “Evidently it’s tradition when I’m surprised to pick someone up over my head!”
While Chris is singing his latest single at country radio with Mitchell Tenpenny, we haven’t heard any reports of Chris lifting Mitchell up…yet.
Watch their music video for “At The End Of A Bar.”
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – It’s game week on Rocky Top as the Volunteers get set to kick off their 2021 season in just three days’ time.
Head coach Josh Heupel met with the media on Monday to preview Thursday’s season opener against Bowling Green. Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. at Neyland Stadium, Shields-Watkins Field.
“We have been at work over the course of the weekend. We had three really good practices. Guys are mentally and physically in a really good spot,” Heupel said. “We need to clean some things up the next couple of days, but we are excited for the opportunity to go play inside Neyland Stadium.
“For our coaches, this will be their first opportunity to play inside Neyland, run through the T and experience the Vol Walk. I am unbelievably excited about those opportunities and the chance to live out those traditions. We are excited to go out and show the work we have put in during the last seven to eight months to go play some football.”
The big news of the day was Heupel naming redshirt junior Joe Milton III the starting quarterback for Thursday night’s opener. The Michigan transfer joined the team in June and has impressed Heupel and the staff with his strong arm and accuracy as well as his decision-making and athleticism.
“At the end of the day, Joe’s grasp of our offense in a short amount of time, his growth during the middle portion of training and his acceleration in what we are doing with his physical attributes and decision making led us to put the ball in his hands for the first game.”
Heupel was also quick to note that he really likes the quarterback group as a whole and trusts any of his three scholarship signal callers if and when their names are called.
“I really do mean it when I say that I love that group,” Heupel said. “They push each other and are really positive. Our team and offensive group see and feel that energy. All three of them have a positive effect on the offense and team as a whole. They’ve handled that throughout this entire process, which is really difficult to do.
“I really believe that all three of them will have an opportunity to go play at a really high level if given the opportunity.”
Tickets for Thursday’s season opener can be purchased at AllVols.com. Season tickets and mini plans are still available, as well.
The full transcript from Heupel’s Monday press conference, as well as select player quotes can be seen below.
Heupel Full Transcript
Opening statement…
“It’s great to see everybody. It’s finally game week. I’m excited, and I know our staff and players are super excited and ready to play in a couple of days. We have been at work over the course of the weekend. We had three really good practices. Guys are mentally and physically in a really good spot. We need to clean some things up the next couple of days, but we are excited for the opportunity to go play inside Neyland Stadium. For our coaches, this will be their first opportunity to play inside Neyland, run through the T and experience the Vol Walk. I am unbelievably excited about those opportunities and the chance to live out those traditions. We are back to a normal capacity and atmosphere inside Neyland Stadium. We are excited to go out and show the work we have put in during the last seven to eight months to go play some football.
“I mentioned at the beginning of training camp that we thought we would have a starting quarterback by game week. Joe Milton III will be our starting quarterback. We talked to those guys earlier about that. We won’t name a backup. I believe in what those guys are ready to do if given the opportunity. All three of them have continued to grow and compete. Joe’s had the opportunity to take a bunch of reps with the [first string] as of late. I believe in Harrison Bailey and Hendon Hooker as well. They’ve handled the meeting room and practices the right way. I’m excited about that room as a collective group.”
On going into his first game as the head coach of the Tennessee Volunteers…
“It’s the first time that we get to compete together as a program. We have experienced a lot of things on the practice field and outside of football with team building. We have tried to create some adverse situations, but this will be our first time to go do it in a live situation. We will find out who we are. It’s that point in training camp when it’s time to go hit somebody wearing another color. We will make some mistakes but will also make a bunch of plays. We will have fun competing together. We will learn how to handle adversity and how to communicate with each other. We are in a really good spot. I love the group that we are working with. They bought in to doing it the right way. Every year is a different journey. This is week one of our new journey, and I’m excited to kick it off. Anticipation is the word I’d use [to describe my feelings], and I’m excited about the opportunity.”
On the deciding factor for naming Joe Milton the starting quarterback…
“I don’t think there is just one thing. First of all, I really do mean it when I say that I love that group. They push each other and are really positive. Our team and offensive group see and feel that energy. All three of them have a positive effect on the offense and team as a whole. They’ve handled that throughout this entire process, which is really difficult to do. I really believe that all three of them will have an opportunity to go play at a really high level if given the opportunity. At the end of the day, Joe’s grasp of our offense in a short amount of time, his growth during the middle portion of training and his acceleration in what we are doing with his
physical attributes and decision making led us to put the ball in his hands for the first game.”
On if he’s planning to play two quarterbacks…
“Every game unfolds with a different situation. I’ve told our guys this and said it in here before, but it’s true, the strength of one position can never be one guy. All of them have to prepare like a starter. I anticipate (Joe Milton III) getting the ball first and playing his butt off in a really good way.”
“Both of them have handled it in a really positive way. I know that they know we believe in them. I think that is a big part of being able to handle that information. They have continued to get opportunities to grow in practice and they will believe in who they are and what they do in their future here.”
On how he handled camp as a player and being able to balance prep and rest…
“I think you want to look at what your finished product on gameday (is). You want to be the freshest, fastest, most excited, most physical football team on the field. How do you rewind that? You’ve got to take care of (the team) in a way that they all are physically able to go compete at that level and play fast and physical. You have to continue to sharpen yourself as you go through the season, that’s true during the course of training camp. From this game week to what we do is pretty much systematic each week. As you go deeper into the season we pull back a little bit on the number of reps. As to how we go through training camp, I think there’s a science out there that we try to understand from our strength and conditioning staff to get them to be their best. We understand on the football side of it what we need to do to get them there. I think our kids feel good where they are at mentally, physically and emotionally to go play their best football here on Thursday night.”
“He has practiced with the one group for the last 7-10 days, somewhere in that range. I think we came out of our second scrimmage and felt like he had taken some positive steps in a shorter amount of time, as far as time on task. We continued to break up those reps pretty much evenly, Joe got a majority with the first-team offense there for the last part of training camp and here into this game week.”
On the role of the quarterback in the offense…
“First of all, being a sound decision maker, getting (the ball) into playmakers hands is extremely important. There’s a lot more on them in the template that we play with as far as protections, run checks and pass-to-run or run-to-pass checks. There’s a lot on their plate that they’ve got to be able to process extremely quickly. That position is about extending and making plays. Sometimes that’s turning a negative into a zero, not just a big play that shows up on a stat sheet that everybody in the stadium can see too. All three of those guys have shown that ability. Joe (Milton) certainly has the ability to do that with his feet, escaping – some quarterback run game that Hendon (Hooker) can provide and Harrison (Bailey) can at times, as well. (Milton’s) ability to extend plays and broken plays turn into big plays is a part of who we have to be too.”
On how much pride he takes in teaching players…
“Coaching is teaching, just another word for it. From what you do in the classroom, to what you do in life, to your experiences on the football field, that’s simply what it is. Great coaches take great pride in being teachers. To go out on a practice field and you just hear a bunch of yelling and screaming, what is really inside of that message? The guys in our locker room are prideful, they want to play at a high level, they want to do it right. That’s been shown time and time again. If they’re not hearing your message right, you’ve got to look at how are you describing that message to them and making sure that you frame it in the right way where they can accept it, understand it, then go do it. In this game, it’s important to speak from passion, not emotion. I think that’s something we talk about as a coaching staff quite a bit.”
On how comfortable he is with the defense heading into the opener…
“I’m excited about that group. When we finished up spring, that was a really thin unit hit hard by the transfer portal, a lot of it before I had even gotten here. Adding the transfers that we added, experience for a portion of them, some youth that can have multiple years here, depth, right culture pieces as well. I think that was a huge part, being able to hit on those guys in May that has helped our defense. The other part of it is the way kids that have been here since January, February have really grown inside each of their position rooms. I look at the linebacker group, as a completely different meeting room than we were in spring ball, some of the guys came back from injury but just their growth as individuals, human beings, and understanding what we’re doing. (We’ve) added some young pieces in the secondary with a few transfers, as well. The depth at the defensive line position – there’s great competition, you have to strain every day. Every rep counts, there’s pressure on you to go perform at a really high level. You’ve got great coaches on that side of the ball. They’re very cohesive, there is a great understanding of what we’re doing defensively and I’m excited watch these guys play on Thursday night, I really am. Through training camp, we always pull clips when we go into our team meeting of guys playing with great effort and strain. We use the word ‘attack’ inside of our team meeting room and that group, there are orange jerseys flying around every single day and it’s been fun to watch.”
On quarterbacks making the right decisions as the game has changed…
“Certainly the game is being played differently than it was 15 years ago, 10 years ago. Part of that is guys spreading the field and putting people in more one-on-one situations in space. If you make one guy miss, it turns into a bigger play than if you’re playing inside the box in 22 or 12 personnel. The decision-making for the quarterback position is a must. The guys that make consistently bad decisions are ultimately the ones that will get you beat. Yes, you’ve got to be a great decision maker. Yes, we want you to extend and make some big plays, too, but those plays present themselves. The first thing is learning how to not get beat and that doesn’t mean you pull the reins back on kids but learning and giving them opportunities to grow and how to make big plays inside of the play. The biggest part of the quarterback position is being a distributor of the ball. You need to be a great decision-maker in the run and pass game and put the ball in the right player’s hands at the right time.”
On which coaches will be on the sideline and information on Bowling Green…
“Our coordinators will be up on the offense and defensive side of the ball. Offensively, Joey Halzle will be up as well. As far as full-time guys, defensively, most of our full-time guys on defense will be down on the sideline.
“Bowling Green, when you watch the video from a year ago, they’re a program that got a late start. There was some time off for them, getting them back. They only got a five-game schedule out of it. I think athletically you’ll see a different group this year than what you’ve seen from them because of time on task, strength and conditioning, being in better shape, being able to play harder for longer. Offensively, they are heavy 12 personnel. They have some athletic tight ends that can create matchups within the passing game. You’ve got to be able to be gapped out and handle the misdirection and the counter plays, you’ve got to be able to fit things extremely well. We need to play up the field and create some distortion and play on the other side of the line of scrimmage with our front, but you’ve got be able to handle the play action pass, too. Offensively, multiple in their fronts, four-down, 3-down. A mirage of coverages on the back end of it. They’ve had a couple of transfers that I assume are going to play for them – one on the secondary, one on the edge – that are solid football players. New coordinator, he was there a year ago as their corners coach I believe, but he will go back to (calling plays). I know he’s called plays at previous stops. It will be interesting to see how different they are on that side of the ball and we’ve got to be able to adjust. A big part of football games is, and you guys have seen it, special teams and penalties early in the season. We need to play penalty-free and our special teams has to do a great job of playing with great technique and understanding their assignment. All three phases have got to adjust. Week one you have to expect the unexpected and be ready to adjust and be able to communicate well from the sidelines.”
On the team’s COVID situation…
“I feel good about what we’re doing. Our vaccination rate is above 80% at this point. Our kids have been really good inside of the building and obviously, what we’ve had to do protocol wise has changed here during the course of training camp. Masks are now required in all of our meeting rooms. The kids have accepted it and have done a really good job with it.”
On how fall camp went, and how comfortable he is for Thursday…
“I like a lot of things that we’ve seen on the practice field. As a coach, you’re never completely satisfied. Good football teams continue to grow every single week. Someone asked the question earlier about managing the practice load that you put on your players versus having them prepare for gameday and being physically healthy. You’ve got to balance those two things, but you’ve got to do good-on-good during the course of the week to continue to sharpen yourself. We do that when we’re in our helmet and shoulder pad practices during the course of the week. We’re at the point now where you have to go out and play. It isn’t going to be perfect. This is not a game of perfection at any position for 60 minutes. How we handle those adverse situations will be a huge part of how our season unfolds. We’ve talked a lot about that with our team. You try and create adverse situations and teaching moments to be able to talk about those things, but it’s time for us to go play. We’re going to see how we handle it on Thursday night.
“The group as a whole has continued to grow, but those two guys have grown a bunch. Jeremy, obviously not having any time on the field with our coaching staff after being banged up coming back from surgery in the spring (has grown). Juwan being new in June, getting in here and having to learn a defense (has also grown). Obviously, all of his experiences in the different defenses that he’s played transfer over, but the verbiage and terminology are different. Getting synchronized is really important. Both of those players in particular, play extremely hard. Their speed and their athleticism show up. Their effort and strain show up. The rest of that group does, as well. I have to just count the other guys that are in that. I think you’ll see multiple guys play at that position. Those two guys are going to play a lot of football and play at a really high level for us.”
On if he feels the team is healthy besides typical bumps and bruises…
“We really are at this point. I really feel like pretty much everybody is going to be available. K’Rojhn (Calbert), with his injury early in training camp won’t be available, but pretty much everybody else is going to be ready to go roll on Thursday night. I’m excited to go see these guys compete. It’s going to be a lot of fun.”
“Very. I don’t even know how to describe it. It’s been quite awhile since we’ve had a packed stadium, which we’re going to have. It’s obviously been a little bit shorter of a time since we played, but nonetheless, (I’m) very, very excited, very eager, very ready.”
On if the d-line feels a responsibility to set the tone defensively…
“There’s a lot of pride in the room. Not only are we playing to do well for the team and set the tone for the defense, but there’s also just a sense of pride in the room. We are veterans, we’ve seen this program through the trials and the tribulations and we’re trying to set a real tone to change the culture not only in our room but for our team, and we really do think it starts with us.”
On what he’s learned about the defense during camp…
“The main thing is we’ve just come together as one, not just on the field but off the field. When you are off the field, and you can communicate to somebody effectively and be friends with that person – everybody is good, cool and vibing – that only translates to the field and then vice versa.”
On if he’s been impressed by the new offense…
“Oh yeah, definitely. Definitely impressed by it. Definitely up-tempo. They’ve come together more and more from up front, the receivers – I mostly see the up front – but just analyzing the offense, getting to learn football, you see it everywhere. The receivers, the tight ends, the quarterback just clicking on all cylinders, it’s made us a better defense by a lot. It’s really just the cohesion thing. We’ve been working together really well this camp and we’re going to continue to do so.”
“I feel like I’d have to put all the credit to (director of competition development Kurt Schmidt) and the strength staff. With the different stuff we do in the weight room, it kind of gravitates towards the offense and towards tempo. With the being said, I’d just have to give all my credit to them. It’s just hard work, just putting in the work.”
“Elijah Simmons, man, he’s a load up front. Big dude. He’s very hard to block. When he gets it rolling, he’s very good. He’s really been consistent. I would say the difference from last year to now, he’s very consistent. He knows what he’s doing, playing full speed, and I think he’s going to be great.”
On what he likes about running an up-tempo offense…
“I love just going to line up, and seeing the defense not putting their hands down, standing up, gasping for air. As offensive linemen, we love that. It’s like a shark smelling blood in the water. That’s how I kind of feel about it. I love just flying off the ball, seeing the defense not even set up. It’s great.”
On the leadership inside the offensive line group….
“The leadership right now, it’s really been me and (Cade Mays). We really took reins of the offensive line room, really have stepped up as being leaders. It’s up to us. We’re the old guys, we’ve played a lot, so it’s really up to me and Cade. Definitely leaning on Cade, man. We all know about Cade. He’s definitely been doing over and beyond what he’s been in the past year, so I can’t wait to see him play as well.”
“For me, I feel like I’ve really grown this camp. I’ve been working on the little details, just doing what coach (Kodi) Burns and other coaches on the staff want me to do. I think I’ve really taken the next step and all my teammates have taken that next step too.”
On the gameday experience being back this season…
“I am really excited for the fans and everything that is coming back to the stadium. Hopefully they will like (the offense), I like it. Hopefully we score a lot of points and it is very exciting to be in the stadium this year.”
On the skillset of the wide receiver room…
“I’m more of a big receiver, we’ve got Jalin (Hyatt), Jimmy (Calloway) and all these other guys who are fast, Velus (Jones Jr.). We’ve got guys who can beat you deep, we’ve got guys who can go up and get it. We’ve got a really diverse receiver room.”
The Hall of Fame Tip-Off Tournament has announced that tickets for the four-team men’s basketball event featuring Tennessee will go on sale to the general public Friday, Sept. 10.
Tennessee is set to be joined by Villanova, Purdue and North Carolina at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut for the two-day tournament Nov. 20-21.
Tickets are set to go on sale on Ticketmaster, with prices ranging from $20 to $150. Each day requires a separate ticket, though that ticket will be good for both games that day.
The Vols’ opening game against Villanova tips off at 1 p.m. ET on Saturday, Nov. 20, televised on ESPN News. Also on Saturday, Purdue is slated to face North Carolina at 4 p.m. ET.
Pending the outcome of those two games, Tennessee will be matched up with Purdue or North Carolina on Sunday, Nov. 21 in either the championship game, televised on ABC at 1 p.m. ET, or the consolation game at 3:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.
HALL OF FAME TIP-OFF TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
Saturday, Nov. 20
1 p.m. ET – Tennessee vs. Villanova (ESPN News)
4 p.m. ET – North Carolina vs. Purdue (ESPN News)
Sunday, Nov. 21
1 p.m. ET – Championship Game (ABC)
3:30 p.m. ET – Consolation Game (ESPN)
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Thursday celebrates the start of a new era of Tennessee football and also marks a new era on the Vol Radio Network. Former Vol and NFL quarterback Pat Ryan takes over the prestigious analyst role this season after legendary VFL Tim Priest retired earlier this summer. Ryan, only the fourth color analyst in the Vol Network’s 72-year history, teams with play-by-play announcer Bob Kesling who is starting his 23rd year calling Tennessee games. Network host John Wilkerson, spotter and contributor Brent Hubbs and sideline reporter Kasey Funderburg round out the game broadcast crew. Jeff Muir serves as the network’s ace statistician.
Thursday will also mark the debut of a new Vol Network pregame show tradition. At 6:30 p.m. ET / 5:30 p.m. CT on Sept. 2, a new show “Big Orange Countdown” will introduce fans to a new season of Volunteer football with expert insight from a host of former Volunteers. “Big Orange Countdown” succeeds “The Kickoff Call-In Show” in a move that honors past program traditions while looking ahead to the future with a modern and engaging twist.
Kesling and Ryan will set the stage from Neyland Stadium before turning things over to Vol Network veterans John Wilkerson and Brent Hubbs. They will be joined by former Vol wide receiver and team captain Jayson Swain (2003-06) and a rotating VFL special guest each week featuring former captain Will Overstreet (DE, 1998-2001) or Chris Brown (TE, 2004-07). For home games, Wilkerson, Hubbs, Swain and Overstreet or Brown will broadcast to a live audience at the familiar amphitheater at Gate 21 outside Neyland Stadium. Fans can ask questions on-site or submit a question via Twitter @VolNetwork #AskVolNetwork or e-mail via [email protected].
Following “Big Orange Countdown”, Bobby Rader takes over the duties this year for “Spotlight on the SEC” before handing things over to the game broadcast crew 15-minutes prior to kickoff. The “Big Orange Scoreboard and the Josh Heupel Show” provide complete postgame coverage. Vol Network programming is then capped each game with “The Final Scoreboard” hosted by Wilkerson, Rader and returning VFL Troy Fleming (RB, 2000-03) who will be joined this season by former Vol standout quarterback Erik Ainge (2004-07).
The Vol Network can be heard on over 60 stations across the state of Tennessee and the southeast, UTsports.com, the Tennessee Athletics App, SiriusXM and the Varsity App.
