Tennessee special teams coordinator and outside linebackers coach Mike Ekeler visited with the media after fall preseason practice #3 on Friday.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Strapping shoulder pads on for the first time this fall, the 2021 Tennessee Volunteers took to Haslam Field for the third time in preseason camp on Friday morning.
Earlier in the week, head coach Josh Heupel emphasized the importance of winning the special teams phase of the game. Special teams coordinator and outside linebackers coach Mike Ekeler showed a lot of optimism from the growth he has seen from his players.
“In the spring, our guys worked their tails off,” Ekeler noted of the Vols roster. “All you do in spring practice is build your players’ portfolio… on special teams, we have a really good idea what our guys’ skill sets are and where to plug them in. We’ve got a lot of dudes, man, a lot of RLDs, real live dudes, that are flying around and we should wreck shop.”
With a new-look defense, players had to get accustomed to a faster-speed of play. While there is room to grow, Ekeler feels like the understanding of schemes is well underway with his group.
“Their understanding of the system,” Ekeler said. “They’re a lot more comfortable which allows them to play a lot faster. We’ve got to play with better technique and get better every day. I like what I’m seeing.”
As Ekeler and the linebacker room continue through camp, it’s the motivation between peers that means the most.
“We push each other and that’s why we’re going to get better,” junior linebacker Byron Young said. “Working with each other every day, we’re going to get there.”
The full availability and transcript from Ekeler’s post-practice press conference can be seen below, along with quotes from select defensive players following the third day of camp.
Single-game tickets, mini-plans and season tickets are on sale now at AllVols.com.
Ekeler Transcript (8.6.21)
On players in shells for the first time…
“Yeah, I mean they are excited, they are excited to get out there and thump a little bit and it’s not football when you don’t have pads on, you’re (one hundred percent).”
On having a complete roster to assign special teams duties…
“I’ll tell you, in the spring, our guys worked their tails off and all you do in spring practice is build your players’ portfolio. So, each player you figure out what they can and can’t do, then you reaffirm that right now in our drills that we are doing on special teams, so we have a really good idea what our guys’ skill sets are and where to plug them in. We’ve got a lot of dudes, man, a lot of RLDs, real live dudes, that are flying around and we should wreck shop.”
On deciding roles for players on special teams…
“You’re (one hundred percent) because you want to identify everyone’s skill set and for our players, but I told them in the first meeting, ‘you’re not going to be a starting corner, starting receiver,’ he might play on one (special team), but potentially may not play on any of them. To them, to their skill set, to help them get to the next level, what we do is we take every rep that they do in practice and put them in a folder. So, let’s say you’ve got a starter and he plays on one (special team) and the scouts come in and say ‘can he play on kickoff, can he be on punt?’ Well I’ll pull up the tape and say ‘right here.’ Then, it’s a puzzle, it’s putting guys in the right places. Leaving tread on the tires of all the starters and developing young players, giving them a role. They might get 30 reps in the game, shoot, that’s like being a starter on offense or defense. So, there’s a formula to it and it’s ever-changing too.”
On the characteristics of return man…
“Alright, kickoff return. You don’t really have to be a make-you-miss type guy, but you got to be a guy who can run through the doggone smoke. You remember Days of Thunder when he dropped the hammer and went through the smoke? That’s the video I showed them. That’s what kickoff return is like, I mean you got bodies everywhere, man, and if you’re scared, you better call 911. You’ve got to run through the damn smoke. Punt return, now you look for a fart in a skillet. A guy who can make you miss, one cut, get vertical, that elusive guy. It’s a little bit different and punt return, you know, it’s not like kickoff (where) you’ve got everybody coming down, full boar, you’ve got windows and you’ve got space and you have levels so you can be more of a guy who’s going to make more cuts inside and out.”
On Byron Young’ start to camp…
“Our strength staff, Coach (Kurt) Schmidt and our whole staff, did an unbelievable job. He came here 220 pounds, he is 250 right now. He’s faster, more flexible and a lot more explosive. He’s a guy that keeps on progressing and can be as good as he wants to be.”
On the progression of players from spring to now…
“There’s a lot of guys, Roman Harrison, Tyler (Baron), (Byron Young), just a lot of guys. Shoot, it’s early. First day of half pads, day three. Those guys, their understanding of the system, they’re a lot more comfortable which allows them to play a lot faster. We’ve just got to play with better technique and get better every day, but I like what I am seeing.”
R-Senior DL Caleb Tremblay
On what his first few months in Knoxville have been like…
“It hasn’t been much of a culture shock to be honest. I would actually say Tennessee is a lot like where I’m from. I’m from Napa, California. We’ve got a lot of nature and trees there. It’s been a pretty easy transition. The guys on the team, everybody has been really nice. That’s one thing I want to say about the south: everyone is nice and welcoming down here, compared to California. The transition has been good and over the last three months, I’ve spent time getting my body right.”
On what it has been like being coached by Defensive Line Coach Rodney Garner…
“It’s been great. He’s a real technician. I feel like I’ve already made a lot of growth, even though we’ve just had three fall camp practices. Even in those three days, I’ve made a lot of growth as a player. I’m excited to work for him and see where it ends up. I’m going to show up every day and work.”
On what guys have stood out to him on the defensive line…
“With the defensive line unit, we’ve got a bunch of ballers. Everybody works hard. Everybody shows up and works. It’s fun every day. Everybody brings energy. Nobody is out there not to get better. That’s one of the best things to be around—that environment where everybody’s there to get better.”
Junior DB Warren Burrell
On what areas of his game he thinks he has improved in …
“I want to try to improve all around, but the main thing for me is I want to get my hands on the ball more. I’ve been doing whatever it takes, as far as catching jugs or even working with the quarterbacks—doing what I have to do to make sure I get both of my hands on the ball and create turnovers.”
On how much different of a player he thinks he is now in his third season, compared to his freshman campaign…
“I feel like I’m much more mature of a player. You know how freshman can be, with jitters and a little bit of anxiety going on. You want to do well in your first game. Now, it’s mostly focusing on going out there, being who I am and playing ball. I’m more confident in my ability of what I’m able to do when I step on the field.”
On why he is more confident in himself going into his junior year…
“For me, I believe confidence comes from work—the extra work you put in and doing what you can do to the best of your ability. I’ve been working hard. I’ve been doing everything I need to do, so now it’s just time to play.”
Sophomore LB Tyler Baron
On how he feels three days into camp…
“I feel pretty good. I added a little bit of weight, but with that I got a lot stronger. I went up around 12 pounds and I only gained .25 percent body fat. I am feeling really good and moving well. I’m just excited.”
On taking a bigger leadership role this season…
“I am definitely trying to take a bigger role in leading this team and being a voice and representing with my actions more so than just being vocal. I am trying to lead by example and just show everybody that this is what we’re going to do and this is the program we’re going to be.”
On the growth of Byron Young…
“You can ask anybody on the team, Byron Young has been the most effective person. He has taken the biggest jump I may have ever seen. It’s very impressive and I am excited to play across from him on the edge. You guys will see. He is very, very impressive to watch. He is piecing everything together and I am really excited for the season he is going to have.”
On the freedom of playing the LEO position…
“I love it. Coach (Tim) Banks giving us the ability to have personality and put ourselves in a bunch of different situations to show them we can do it. Whether that’s dropping in coverage, covering people down the field, rushing off the edge on the side – he just puts us in different situations to show versatility.”
On the mentality and mindset of the program…
“You are correct when you said it’s a different vibe. It’s a totally different atmosphere. I tell everybody coming in from our season last year to this year, you almost can’t even call it the same program. It’s a totally different mindset. People are taking more advantage of everything and it’s going to be really positive. The biggest thing for me is the mindset of the team and the mindset in the building. Everybody is looking for how they can improve more so than just getting through. Everybody is determined. All the new guys are buying into the program. Coach Heupel is leading us in the right direction and we’re just happy to follow him.”
Junior LB Byron Young
On his focal point coming out of spring football…
“My technique was one of my biggest focuses. During the spring, I kind of struggled with that a little bit. Here now in fall camp, I’ve gotten way better with that—my stance and everything. That was my main focus, my technique.”
On his adjustment to defending the Tennessee offense in practice…
“At the beginning, it was way fast. I didn’t know it was that fast. No time. You get the signal, one look, then you’ve got to be right back on the ball. They’re really fast … I’m kind of used to it. I’m not going to say it’s slowing down. It’s the same speed, but I just know what to do now. I know what to expect. I know that as soon as they have the ball and pass it, they’re right back on it. I know how to break it down.”
On his relationship with sophomore LB Tyler Baron…
“Tyler helped me a lot during the spring. I struggled a lot with my technique. He was always there. During the summer, he’d call me up and we would hit the field. Get a little 30 minutes, [working on] stance and everything like that. He still coaches me up and I listen to him like a mentor. I look up to him.”
On the competition among the outside linebackers…
“Tyler pushes me every day. [Roman Harrison] pushes me every day. Matt Butler, all those guys push me every day. We push each other and that’s why we’re going to get better. Working with each other every day, we’re going to get there.”
On defensive line coach Rodney Garner…
“Coach Garner’s on me every day and I’m glad he’s on me like that. I wouldn’t want to have it any other way. He’s on me every day and that’s another reason why I got my technique down pat. He pushes me, makes me start over, you know what I’m saying? I love it. He’s one of the greats. You look at his stats, he’s really one of the greats. I just take in everything he says, take in the coaching and perform.”
On his expectations for the team…
“We can be great. It depends on us and what we do. The work we put in. Anybody can be great and I feel like we’re on the road to success.”
-UT Athletics
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The University of Tennessee shared its women’s basketball home and away Southeastern Conference opponents for the 2021-22 season on Friday.
As part of the 16-game SEC schedule, the Lady Vols feature home games vs. Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, LSU, Mississippi State, Missouri, Texas A&M and Vanderbilt.
On the road, UT will play contests against Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Ole Miss, South Carolina and Vanderbilt.
In addition to its permanent home-and-home rival, Vanderbilt, Tennessee plays its two rotating home-and-home series against Alabama and Arkansas during the upcoming campaign.
Five of those league opponents closed out the 2020-21 season in the final AP Poll, including the No. 4 Aggies, No. 6 Gamecocks, No. 10 UGA Bulldogs, No. 15 Razorbacks and No. 18 Wildcats.
Times, dates and television information for the 2021-22 SEC schedule will be released at a later date, as will the complete Lady Vol non-conference slate.
Tennessee returns six players with starting experience from a squad that finished third in the SEC. That unit advanced to the NCAA Second Round and ended the year at No. 13 in the AP Poll at 17-8 overall and 9-4 in league play despite losing two starters along the way due to season-ending injuries.
“Go-to player” and awards candidate Rae Burrell, a 6-1 senior guard/forward (16.8 ppg., 4.6 rpg.), inside presence Tamari Key, a 6-6 junior center (8.9 ppg., 5.6 rpg., 2.9 bpg.), and 5-8 redshirt senior point guard Jordan Walker (5.4 ppg., 4.5 rpg., 2.3 apg.) were among the starting five at the end of the season and are presumptive candidates to lead this year’s team.
Three more Lady Vols (gifted 6-2 junior point guard Jordan Horston [8.6 ppg., 4.2 apg., 3.9 rpg.], powerful 6-1 redshirt senior forward/center Keyen Green [6.8 ppg., 3.0 rpg. during four games in 2020-21 / 13.1 ppg., 7.5 rpg. in three seasons at Liberty] and crafty 6-2 sophomore guard/forward Marta Suárez [4.1 ppg., 3.6 rpg.]) combined for 31 games in the jump circle in 2020-21, with Horston getting the nod 35 times during her career and showing her scoring and distributing capabilities. Green and Suárez, meanwhile, are coming off injuries that ended their 2020-21 seasons early, but all indications suggest both players will be ready to contribute significantly in the year ahead. Suárez’s participation on Spain’s FIBA U19 World Cup team this summer further underscores that expectation.
Burrell just missed first-unit accolades last season as an All-SEC Second Team selection. Key, a prolific shot-blocker and disrupter was on the SEC All-Defensive Team, while Suárez was named to the SEC All-Freshman squad. Horston was SEC All-Freshman two seasons ago.
Tennessee also adds a Sun Belt Conference-player-of-the-year graduate transfer in Alexus Dye from Troy, giving Kellie Harper seven experienced, starting-caliber players. Dye led the NCAA in double-doubles (23) and total rebounds (352) a year ago, and the extremely-active 6-0 forward averaged 23 points and 11 rebounds in games vs. SEC teams Texas A&M and Mississippi State last season.
The Lady Vols also welcome a four-player freshman signing class rated No. 9 by ProspectsNation.com and No. 15 by espnW, giving Tennessee 14 players and its largest roster since 2014-15.
Fans interested in being a part of the action at Thompson-Boling Arena this season are encouraged to click HERE for ticket information.
-UT Athletics
Chris Young‘s album Famous Friends is out now!
Before he took the stage at the Wisconsin State Fair on the release day for his album, Chris continued a tradition of buying his CD on the first day it’s available.
Chris headed to a local Walmart because they are carrying a special edition vinyl version of his album. As he was getting copies of that, and the CD version as well, he was recognized and ended having an impromptu meet and greet session with fans.
During the buying process, Chris shared that this was the first time ever he actually purchased his own music on vinyl.
Along with the album Famous Friends, Chris also released the music video for his song with Mitchell Tenpenny – “At the End of a Bar” – one of the 14 tracks included on the project.
Photo Credit: Jeff Johnson
Travis Denning‘s 6-song EP Dirt Road Down is available now!
When it came to naming the EP, Travis shares, “I think the reason we picked Dirt Road Down as the title of the EP was it looked great standing on its own – that could be the easy answer – but I just loved the encompassing feeling of Dirt Road Down. It sounds like, the same way the song approaches it so many different ways, to me it’s like another dirt road down.”
Travis says “I like to think of every EP and every song as just another piece, another page, another chapter of just the stories I want to tell and little bits and pieces of my career, and ultimately when it’s strung together, it’s just the path of my career. That path…probably, without sounding too cheesy, it has to be a dirt road.”
Dirt Road Down – track list;
1. “Call It Country” (Travis Denning, Jessi Alexander, Chris Stevens)
2. “Dirt Road Down” (Travis Denning, Taylor Phillips, Cole Taylor, Will Weatherly)
3. “Jack And Coke” (Travis Denning, CJ Solar, Chris Stevens)
4. “Grew Up With A Truck” (Travis Denning)
5. “I Went Fishin’” (Travis Denning, Thomas Archer, James McNair)
6. “ABBY” (Alternate Version) (Ashley Gorley, Matt Jenkins, Chase McGill)
With releasing Dirt Road Down, Travis is doing something that he couldn’t do at all last year…he released new music, and now he’s getting to bring it to the fans in concert. Sounds simple enough, but after the 2020 shutdown, Travis realizes now that he missed the concert experience more than he thought he did, “I am not gonna lie to you, I missed it pretty bad last year. And I didn’t realize how much I missed it until we finally got back on the road, you know? I missed the things that come along with the life of traveling and I miss touring and meeting new people. I miss going to my favorite cities. All that combined with new music, new songs. I mean it’s just a perfect scenario and I’m super happy.”
Fans are getting to hear Travis’ current single “Jack and Coke” live – but they can also see the music video right here…
Photo Courtesy of UMG Nashville
Zac Brown doesn’t just make music – he’s also a fan. So, when it comes to the songs he creates he likes to have tracks that he’d listen to as a fan.
When it comes to Zac Brown Band’s “Same Boat,” Zac says that for him it’s satisfying to listen to on a couple of levels, “So that idea, actually started with Jonathan Singleton and Ben Simonetti brought this idea of ‘Same Boat’ to the table and I loved it because instead of hearing about how divided we are, this song’s taking about how we’re all the same. And we go through a lot of the same struggles, and I think you can have a great time, listening to this song, or you can just listen to the lyrics and really get a deeper message on it, but I like songs that you can catch on a different levels.”
Fans are getting to hear it live and in person as the Zac Brown Band is out on The Comeback Tour
Check out the recently released the music video for “Same Boat” from Zac Brown Band
Photo Credit: Alex Chapman
Like clock work, as one month ends and a new one begins Tenille Arts shares her 1 Second Everyday recap.
As she looks back on July 2021, Tenille shares “Spoke whale, ate a bunch, and played tons of shows…. what more do you need?! Now it’s time for August to slip away into a moment in time.”
July was another packed month in what is becoming a packed year for Tenille.
She returned to the stage of the Grand Ole Opry and performed a brand new track with Matt Stell
We’ll be looking for “Over You Is You” Friday, August 13th.
July also saw the start of the What A Song Can Do tour – where Tenille, Carly Pearce, & Niko Moon join Lady A giving fans an awesome night of music.
The tour rolls on through August…
On top of all that, the video for Tenille Arts’ song “Back Then, Right Now” arrived for fans to watch…check it out right here…
Headline Photo Courtesy of Tenille Arts
Additional WASCD Tour Photo Credit: Melmillxo
Jake Owen is out with new music!
“Best Thing Since Backroads” is the follow-up to Jake’s smash hit, “Made For You.”
Jake says “It’s always exciting releasing new music.” And what’s better than that? When you get to play it for fans!
Jake adds, “It feels great being back out on the road and bringing happiness to people. I always strive to record songs that make you feel good. This one is going to be a lot of fun to play.”
Listen to Jake’s new song “Best Thing Since Backroads” right here…
Photo Credit: Robby Klein
Carly Pearce achieved a lifelong dream this week when she was inducted as the newest member of the Grand Ole Opry
To mark the occasion – her mom got Carly probably one of the most unique — and best gifts ever.
Carly shares, “Y’all. My mom surprised me with these 2 replicas of my debut Grand Ole Opry look in 2015 & my induction look that she made. Can y’all believe this?! The best gift ever”
Carly is following up her Opry induction by hitting the road this weekend with fellow Opry members Lady A (who were also inducted earlier this year) on the What A Song Can Do tour.
Fans in Kansas, Arkansas, and Missouri will be seeing Carly on stage this weekend singing this one…it’s her current hit single at country radio – “Next Girl”
Photo Credit: Allister Ann
Here’s some video our staff shot from Tennessee Volunteers football fall practice #3 in Knoxville.
