First-year Tennessee football head coach Josh Heupel spoke to the media after spring practice #1.
WATCH: Josh Heupel reviews spring practice 1, Salter & group of players suspended, accepting coaching and much more
WATCH: 2021 Vols NFL Pro Day Workout Video
Watch some video of Tennessee Volunteers NFL Draft prospects Trey Smith, Josh Palmer, Bryce Thompson and Brandon Kennedy workout for NFL teams at the Anderson Training Center at UT in Knoxville Thursday.
Jimmy’s blog: Were Vols overrated or simply under perform?
By Jimmy Hyams
After a sparkling start to the season in which the Tennessee men’s basketball were 10-1 and was ranked No. 6 in the nation, the Vols went into a tailspin, going 8-8 the last two months of the campaign.
The disappointment ended with a disappointing 70-56 loss in the first round of the NCAA tournament to a team picked to finish last in the Pac-12.
The same concerns that reared their head during the regular season were on display against Oregon State: Lack of point guard play, lack of inside presence, lack of shooting.
A Tennessee team that showed Final Four capabilities to start the year finished 18-9 and unranked.
A caller to SportsTalk WNML suggested the Vols were overrated and didn’t under perform.
I disagree.
When I evaluate a team, I look at its peak performance, then see how many times it came close to playing at that level.
Tennessee was good enough to beat Missouri on the road by 20, to win by double digits at Rupp Arena, to beat top 20 Kansas by 19, to run roughshod over Florida in the second half of the regular season finale, then in the SEC Tournament.
While the highs were high, the lows were disturbingly low. A 75-49 loss at Florida, scoring 50 points in a loss at Ole Miss, losing to Missouri and Kentucky at home after you beat both by double digits on the road, falling to Auburn without its best player, then the offensive debacle against Oregon State in which UT shot 33.3% from the field and made a paltry 5 of 26 on 3s .
Tennessee had a guy that projects to be an NBA lottery pick, a guy that could be a top 25 pick, a guy that was SEC defensive player of the year, a guy that averaged 18.3 points in his last 10 games of last season, a five-star wing who has great versatility, and a guy who debuted as a freshman by splashing six 3s.
Tennessee didn’t lack talent.
It lacked consistency. It lacked chemistry. It lacked a point guard. It lacked an inside scorer. It lacked leadership. And it lacked shooters.
Most teams that have made the Sweet 16 have several offensive threats, several guys that can drain 3-point shots, several guys that can dribble drive to the basket and an inside scorer.
Tennessee will have a roster makeover next year. It needs to find an inside threat (John Fulkerson could help there if he returns and returns to his junior level of play). It needs to find a bruiser inside that’s talker than 6-foot-6. It needs to find shooters.
And it needs a point guard.
My biggest miscalculation of this Tennessee team was the play at point guard. I thought the Vols could do it by committee, led by Victor Bailey Jr. and Jaden Springer and Santiago Vescovi.
Bailey had his moments, but he seemed more concerned about scoring than running the offense. And his defense was surprisingly suspect. When he wasn’t hitting shots, he didn’t help in other ways.
Springer was a reluctant point guard. He seemed more concerned about playing off guard, and then he seemed more concerned about getting his share of the points. And he too often got in trouble by driving into the lane without a plan.
Vescovi was a shaky ball-handler when pressured. And too often, he would jump while penetrating with no where to go, leading to too many turnovers. He also missed his share of open shots from beyond the arc. And he is a liability on defense.
Help is on the way with five-star point guard Kennedy Chandler. He can run the offense, score, pass and lead. He could be just as impactful as a freshman – if not moreso — as Keon Johnson and Springer.
UT likely will hit the transfer portal, trying to find a big man. Walker Kessler, a five-star center who signed with North Carolina, entered the transfer portal after his freshman season.
Other big men can also be found in the portal. UT has to get at least one.
This also had to be a very frustrating season for coach Rick Barnes. He wasn’t able to get his team to play at the consistently high level as his 31-6 squad of two years ago.
Barnes has had a Hall of Fame career; his 727 wins are sixth most among active coaches.
But he has not had great success in the postseason. In 34 years as a head coach, he has made one Final Four, three Elite 8s and seven Sweet 16s.
And in 62 tournaments (NCAA, NIT, CBI, conference) he has won one (Providence, Big East, 1994).
To improve on that mark, Barnes must retool his roster with a point guard (Chandler) a big man and more shooters.
That will better enhance his chances of postseason success.
Sponsored by Big Kahuna Wings: The wings that changed it all
First Spring of Josh Heupel Era Begins Thursday
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The opening spring of the Josh Heupel era at Tennessee is set to get underway on Thursday afternoon as the Volunteers will go through the first of 15 football workouts.
Heupel, who orchestrated offensive juggernauts at Missouri and UCF, begins his fourth season as a head coach and first at Tennessee. A 2018 National Coach of the Year finalist, Heupel posted a 28-8 record in three seasons at UCF, including a stellar 20-5 mark in conference play.
Following Thursday’s practice (approximately 6 p.m. ET), Heupel will speak to the media about the first practice and the excitement of his first spring in Knoxville.
The Vols will practice again Saturday morning before going through three practices next week leading up to Easter. Spring football culminates with the Chevrolet Orange & White Game at 4 p.m. ET on Saturday, April 24 in Neyland Stadium. Further details about the spring game in accordance with ongoing COVID-19 protocols will be announced soon.
Season tickets for the 100th year of Neyland Stadium and the start of the Heupel era are on sale now at AllVols.com. Season tickets start as low as $300, with the Vol Pass and payment plan options offered. Fans can experience the Neyland Stadium 3D map to select tickets based on preference. Fans with questions related to seats, views and options can utilize the live “CHAT” feature on AllVols.com.
-UT Athletics
Dan + Shay Explain How They’d Like “Glad You Exist” to Exist
Dan Smyers of Dan + Shay says that while “Glad You Exist” was made during the quarantine – much like their number-1 hit “I Should Probably Go To Bed” – his…and Shay Mooney‘s…vision for the song is for it to be a special concert moment in a post-social distancing world…
Check out the track right here — this is Dan + Shay with “Glad You Exist”
Photo Credit: Catherine Powell
Lee Brice’s “Memory I Don’t Mess With” is the Real Deal Thing for Him
The latest single from Lee Brice‘s Hey World, just might be one of his favorites on the album.
Turns out that “Memory I Don’t Mess It” is a true-life tale for Lee, but he thinks it’s one people can relate to in their own experiences as well, “‘Memory I Don’t Mess With’…man this is one of my favorite songs on the record. This is a real deal thing for me…kinda back in the day, and a real story of my own. It’s kind of self-explanatory and hopefully some other folks can relate with what it’s talking about.”
Check out the music video from Lee Brice for his personal song “Memory I Don’t Mess With” — and check out the behind the music video feature below…
Photo Credit: Spidey Smith
Matt Stell Proves “That Ain’t Me No More” In New Video
The music video for Matt Stell‘s new single “That Ain’t Me No More” is out now!
Talking about the video, he says, “Proud of this one”.
In his best movie trailer voice, Matt sets up the story, “IN A WORLD… Where the state of Arkansas gives tax breaks for hiring ex-cons, a heartbroken rambler gets a second chance at making something of the life he has left… Only problem is… His absolute smoke show of an ex has made a life of her own… with another dude. It’s a cold world, especially working double shifts at the concrete plant.”
He also adds, “Lemme know what y’all think.”
Check out the video for Matt Stell’s “That Ain’t Me No More” right here…
Photo Credit: Dustin Haney
Michael Ray Discovered a Lot of Info About Deana Carter Thanks to Honky Tonk Tuesday
When touring stopped last year, Michael Ray looked for a new creative outlet to help him connect with fans, and also give him something to do…so he started his Honky Tonk Tuesday series.
Fan and fellow artists have loved both watching and appearing on the weekly musical get together. Michael takes his hosting duties seriously, and makes sure to be prepared for the artists that show up.
He admits that while he was a fan and knew her music, his research of Deana Carter turned up some interesting tidbits that he didn’t previously know about her, “As a fan, I learned so much, because I do a lot of research before I have a guest on…so, I learned so much, but Deana Carter blew my mind. Obviously she’s an incredible artist, incredible singer – I didn’t know about her playing Farm-Aid, her growing up with Willie (Nelson), and Kris Kristofferson, and how much Willie Nelson played in her career, and just how talented she is as a songwriter and an artist…and that one I’ll always hold dear to me.”
Check out the episode of Honky Tonk Tuesday with Michael Ray and Deana Carter
Postgame/Boxscores/Photos/Stories: No. 21 Lady Vols Roll Past Kennesaw State in Midweek Doubleheader
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Two more dominant efforts in the circle and a number of timely hits propelled the No. 21 Tennessee softball team past Kennesaw State in Wednesday’s twin bill at Sherri Parker Lee Stadium.
After falling behind, 1-0, in game one Tennessee (23-5) scored 13 unanswered runs across the remainder of the doubleheader to send Kennesaw State (9-16) home with a pair of losses.
Game One Tennessee 9 Kennesaw State 1 F/6
A one-run complete game outing from sophomore Callie Turner was the story in the circle.
The Land O’Lakes, Florida native fanned four batters and gave up just the single run on four hits.
At the plate, senior Ivy Davis and sophomore Kiki Milloy combined to drive in seven of the Lady Vols nine runs, with Davis bringing around a season-high five runs, while Milloy brought around a pair.
Overall, the Orange & White tallied 13 hits in the run-rule victory.
After the Owls plated the game’s opening run in the top of the first, the Lady Vols exploded for a four-spot in the home half of the inning.
Ayala, Hannon and Milloy opened things up with back-to-back-to-back singles, with Milloy driving in Ayala to tie things up.
Two batters later, Ivy Davis roped a three-run shot over the wall in left field, giving UT an early 4-1 lead.
The next two innings were business as usual, before Tennessee posted its second crooked number of game one with a three-run fourth.
Milloy added her second RBI on a single to left, while Davis added her fourth and fifth RBIs on a smoked single up the middle to extend UT’s lead to 7-1.
The Lady Vols ended things in the sixth when Rylie West tripled to deep right center, bringing home Ashley Morgan to make it 8-1.
Two pitches later, West walked things off when she scampered home on a pass ball to improve UT to 22-5 with another game still to play.
Game Two Tennessee 4 Kennesaw State 0
A complete game shutout for junior Ashley Rogers led Tennessee to a victory in Game Two.
Rogers fanned 12 batters and conceded just a single hit in seven full innings of work. Eight of her 12 strikeouts came in the final 11 batters she faced to conclude the night.
Sophomore Madison Webber finished game two as the only player on either side to log multiple hits, going 2-for-3 with an RBI that drove in the fourth run to put the nail in the coffin.
The first five innings of game two could be described as nothing short of a pitcher’s duel with Rogers and Owls slinger Melanie Bennett going pitch-for-pitch.
Tennessee plated the only run in that five-inning span when Milloy ran home on a dropped third strike in the fourth inning.
In the home half of the sixth, the Orange & White added three insurance runs to take a 4-0 lead heading into the night’s final inning.
Senior Ashley Morgan started the inning off with a bomb to right center to double the Lady Vol lead at the time.
Ally Shipman and Webber followed Morgan’s homer with RBI’s of their own to further double UT’s lead heading into the seventh frame.
Rogers struck out the side to slam the door on Kennesaw State and cement the game two score line.
UP NEXT
The Lady Vols return to action this weekend with the Lady Vol Challenge on Saturday and Sunday. Tennessee will host Furman and Troy for six total games in two days at Sherri Parker Lee Stadium.
Game One PDF Box Score | Game Two PDF Box Score | Photo Gallery | Karen Weekly, Ashley Rogers and Kiki Milloy Postgame
-UT Athletics
Transcript: Future NFL Vols Set To Showcase Skills at Pro Day Thursday
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – NFL scouts and coaches will converge on the Anderson Training Center Thursday morning as Tennessee football holds its annual Pro Day in conjunction with the league.
Members of the 2020 Volunteers squad participating include offensive linemen Trey Smith and Brandon Kennedy, defensive back Bryce Thompson and wide receiver Josh Palmer. Smith, Thompson, Palmer all received NFL Combine invites, and Thursday will feature added importance as no in-person workouts were held in Indianapolis due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
The NFL has worked with individual schools to achieve consistency in the drills and testing that takes place with each NFL team. Pro Day invitees participated in virtual media availabilities on Wednesday.
Players will have an opportunity to go through measurable drills of their choosing – 40-yard dash, bench press, vertical jump, broad jump, three-cone drill and shuttle run – and then conclude the day with position workouts on site.
Smith, a 2020 All-American, enters Pro Day as one of the elite offensive line prospects on the board for next month’s NFL Draft. Smith saw action on over 2,500 snaps during his Tennessee career, and he allowed only one combined sack in his final two seasons. A Tennessee graduate and recipient of the Torchbearer Award, Smith was a two-time All-Southeastern Conference recipient and winner of the 2020 Fritz Pollard Trophy and 2019 Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year.
Palmer’s stock continues to rise as an explosive wide receiver. He capitalized on his 2021 Senior Bowl invitation by hauling in two passes and a touchdown in the contest after an outstanding week in Mobile. Palmer, a native of Brampton, Ontario, concluded his career with 99 catches for 1,514 yards and seven touchdowns with 16 of those catches being 25 or more yards.
Thompson proved to be a lockdown corner for the Vols during his three seasons. He still remains tied for the school single-game record for interceptions with three, and he finished his career with eight total picks. Thompson forced 10 turnovers, tallied 19 passes defended and made 102 tackles, including eight for loss.
Kennedy, a 2020 National Football Foundation National Scholar-Athlete, served as a team captain and leader during his time in Knoxville. Kennedy started 22 games at center for the Vols and played 507 snaps during the COVID-19 shortened season of 2020, allowing only one sack. Kennedy earned a pair of master’s degrees from Tennessee.
The NFL Draft is scheduled April 29-May 1 in Cleveland, Ohio.
Tennessee Football Pro Day Press Conference
OL Trey Smith
On which positions NFL teams have mentioned when discussing his future and his preparation for the NFL Draft…
“There have been a lot of teams that have talked to me about multiple positions, whether I like playing on the left or the right side, tackle or guard. Quite frankly, I can pretty much play either one, whatever the team needs me to play. I’m going to do what I have to do for my team to succeed. In terms of training, I spent most of my draft process training in Dallas at Michael Johnson Performance (MJP) with a lot of guys like Drew Little, Duke Manyweather and Ryan McCall. Those guys have helped get me ready for the draft.”
On his plan to help others with his bench press during Thursday’s Pro Day…
“(I was) scrolling through social media and seeing guys like Rashawn Slater, Creed Humphrey, guys that I train with. I saw the causes that they put on their social media. They reached out to me asking if I would be willing to make a post to help out with different types of diseases. So, first and foremost, it’s something that costs me very little. I simply just make a social media post. I think within an hour or two hours, the targeted amount of money that we wanted to raise was already raised. I think it was something that was easily done and for them, it means the world. For us as athletes, with the platform we have, I think it’s something that we should do. In terms of how many reps of bench press, I’m shooting for 30.”
On how his workouts have changed leading up to Pro Day and the NFL Draft…
“Pro Day focus and pre-Draft Combine focus is more so making sure that your body is at its optimum, peak shape. It’s what are you doing every day that’s helping to optimize your performance. Are you getting better? So, a lot of times in the morning at MJP, we’d go for about two hours. It could be a speed training or a simple lift. Then we’d take an hour or two-hour break before going back to lift again or it may be a speed focused day. Then, it’s maximizing your recovery for the rest of the day. At Tennessee, most of the time, we would have meetings. You’d get one lift in or maybe it’s more of an agility day. In terms of getting ready for a season, after this pre-Draft process of over, I’ll start focusing on building a lot more muscle mass and a lot more power in preparation for the NFL.”
On receiving Tennessee’s Torchbearer award and his impressions of Tennessee’s new coaching staff, led by head coach Josh Heupel…
“With the Torchbearer award, it is a great honor. I’m humbled and really blessed to receive it. You’re talking about a kid who came to Tennessee’s campus wide-eyed and a little unsure of himself. God’s good. Here I am standing here today, a Torchbearer recipient. I can’t do anything but just praise God and thank him for that. With the new coaches, I’ve been able to meet with Coach Heupel one time. I was actually walking in the weight room to meet Coach Kurt (Schmidt). I have a really good feeling about them. They’re really good people. I’m excited to see where Tennessee football is going to go.”
On how the Senior Bowl helped him during his Draft process…
“The Senior Bowl was huge. That’s a prestigious bowl and a prestigious event. Just being able to participate in it was an honor in itself. I would say that in the Senior Bowl, there were a lot of learning lessons that I had, especially with technique. I feel like as the week progressed, I got a lot better with it and I was able to master some of the things that I had been struggling with. I was extremely blessed to be in the Senior Bowl. It was a great opportunity to help myself and be better as a player.”
On the feedback he has received from NFL teams on his game…
“Meeting with different teams via Zoom and in that nature, I try to end every Zoom that I have with, ‘What can I do better as a player? What can I get better at?’ I’ve been getting feedback on hand placement, body balance, control and over aggression. At the end of the day, it’s about getting better as a player. I love getting the feedback because those are the people that are going to be my future employers. It’s been really helpful, in terms of my development.”
On what he will bring to an NFL team…
“I’m definitely going to be a tone-setter. I’m going to be a guy that when things aren’t going our way, I’m trying to be the most violent dude out there. I’m trying to set the tone from play one to the end of the game. I’m going to try to be a mainstay on the offensive line for years and years and years to come. I’m not trying to give my position up either.”
WR Josh Palmer
On what areas he thought he grew at the Senior Bowl and how much he thought it benefited him throughout this process …
“Just definitely being able to go and compete against the best players in the country. There were a lot of great guys down there and it definitely was a great experience for me to get my feet wet with an NFL offense. So, just being able to show that I can grasp plays and concepts and schemes.”
On the process so far overall and how does he not get too high with the success and not get too low with criticism …
“It’s just keeping my head down and going to work every day. Training at XPE, I was surrounded by a lot of great coaches – Anquan Boldin, Tony Villani, Matt Gates and just around a group of guys that were ready to work. In terms of not getting ahead of myself, I’ve never really been that type to let the outside media get to me. I always try to focus on things I can improve on. The success will speak for itself eventually. So, I just go in to every day trying to learn something new, and just embracing the whole experience.”
On what NFL teams tell him they like about his game when talking to them and what feedback does he get as far as improvement moving on to the pros…
“It’s all the same things – just my ability to get defenders moving, being able to stop to improve my game, the transition of running after the catch, blocking techniques and really just becoming a better overall player. That’s also something I have to improve on too, is just small improvements that will create big changes in my game.”
On if he has reached out to Jauan Jennings and Marquez Callaway for any advice on what look to look for in his rookie season in the NFL as a receiver…
“I talked to both of them a lot last year and just seeing what it was like. I got the same thing being in the playbook and just really understanding what you’re doing and what everybody else is doing and just taking care of your body because it’s a long season and you have to be able to sustain.”
On declaring for the NFL Draft after his junior season …
“The last game of the season I felt confident in my skills, felt I put good film throughout the whole year and I was consistent. I think I’m ready for that next level and I’m excited to see what it’s going to bring. Towards the end of the year when it came time to think about declaring for the draft, that’s when I started to weigh that option and go pro.”
On what position he thinks he can adjust to and play the best at the next level …
“I still say I’m a cornerback but I just love to be on the field. I’m always willing to play any position just to get on the field. Any NFL team can play me anywhere, put me where they choose because I am going to make plays there regardless.”
On what NFL teams like about his game …
“My versatility has been one of the key things NFL teams have told me that they liked about my game. They’ve told me how they like that I can play nickel, corner or safety. My ball skills are another trait because I believe I have some of the best ball skills in the country.”
On what he wants to accomplish during his Pro Day …
“I just want to go out there and do the best I can. I’m not going to set any specific goals for myself because I don’t want to put more pressure on myself. It’s great to be back on the field in front of coaches so I just want to enjoy this process and do the best I can.”
On what he hopes to show to scouts …
“Two main things that I’ve been working on is flexibility and explosiveness. I think those are the two main things that I really look back on during the season and thought I could improve on going into this part of my career. Tomorrow, I just want to go out there and have fun. This is something that I’ve done my whole life as far as playing football. Tomorrow, I just want to treat it just like that. I don’t want to make it too big of a deal.”
On where he has been training and his best attributes …
“I’ve been training here in Knoxville at D1. I’ve been down there and having a blast. I’m working very hard. The three things that I bring to an NFL team would probably be intelligence, work ethnic and toughness. Those three things, as far as intelligence in this offense last year, I set the protections and ID mike (linebacker) in the run game. For work ethic, a guy like me that comes into the building, I would be the first one there and last one to leave every day. As far as the toughness, early in my career, I battled some injuries. These past two years I’ve been healthy so I feel like those are things that I can bring to the NFL team.”
On what’s the process like in terms of meeting with NFL teams…
“It seemed daunting at first. At the end of the season, I was able to go to the all-star games, one in Orlando and one in Hawaii. So, I had those opportunities to showcase my abilities. Being able to talk with teams is just like talking to anyone else. They ask you about yourself, tell you what they think about you. It went easier as I went on but at first, I was a little nervous because it’s the NFL. You dream about things like that. To have the opportunity, I feel like I’m blessed.”
On when someone is in your situation, a late round guy or an undrafted free agent…
“Throughout your childhood, your goal is to be drafted. Either way, I just wanted an opportunity to be able to go in there and showcase my abilities. From being a kid, I always had this dream of going and playing in the NFL. So just to even be able to get my foot in the door and getting an opportunity is what I’m really focused on.”
-UT Athletics
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