Vols Fall Practice #4

[Fingers]

With no Joshua Josephs, Caleb Herring and Jordan Ross led the group.

Obviously, some of the young backs have a ways to go in this part of the game (as expected), but DeSean Bishop and Peyton Lewis have come a long way over the years – just like Dylan Sampson did from 2022.

Freshman Daune Morris continues to look the part. He might not have a specific role in the backfield this fall with there being three veterans ahead of him, but his future is bright. Don’t be shocked if he is back returning kicks and maybe even punts to begin the year. Morris, along with Braylon Staley and Mike Matthews are probably the top-three returners as of now.

On the offensive line, Sam Pendleton continues to get a good long look at the center position. He has been repping with the first team lately as Tennessee tries to figure out if their best five is with him snapping the football and one of Sham Umarov or Jesse Perry at guard.

Jake Merklinger was working with the first group today with Joey Aguilar and George MacIntyre following behind him.

Yesterday’s routes on air period was not the best, as we noted. Sunday’s start to this session wasn’t great either. Specifically, there was one short sequence where three balls were dropped in the span of about five throws. I think the period ended much better than it started, however.

The tight ends continue to look the best in the routes on air period. Miles Kitselman and Ethan Davis have been really good in space to begin camp. Freshman DaSaahn Brame is still turning heads in routes on air and Jack Van Dorselaer continues to be a pleasant surprise in this regard.

Chris Brazzell has not practiced yet and Mike Matthews was out today (while the media was on hand). So, the seven scholarship wideouts were down to just five.

e.cain

Sophomore wide receiver Mike Matthews did not practice while the media was in attendance.

Today's routes on air was slightly better than Saturday's, but that's not saying much given how poor it was the day before. The football is still hitting the ground way too often. Even for the first week of fall camp.

Radarious Jackson, Travis Smith Jr. and Braylon Staley all had a drop. Smith Jr. and Staley didn't have the most catchable pass to handle, but it's a catch an SEC receiver has to make. Wide receivers coach Kelsey Pope has been throwing tennis balls at his receivers throughout routes on air to help with the drops.

The quarterbacks haven't done much to help their receivers. If anything, George MacIntyre threw the best ball today while he worked exclusively with the reserves. Jake Merklinger also made accurate throws while we were out there aside from a throw in which he led DaSaahn Brame too much. Joey Aguilar struggled with the 5-15-yard throws the quarterbacks were attempting. He had too much zip on a throw to Smith, was behind Staley and made poor throws to Ethan Davis and Tommy Winton III.

b.mckee

Mike Matthews was off stretching to the side when drills began. The former five-star recruit is day-to-day and expected to be full go soon. Chris Brazzell was not on the field during warmups but I spotted him after drills began. As has been the case all week, the redshirt junior receiver worked off to the side.

One new note on the offensive line as we were unable to spot William Satterwhite during the open portions of practice. Sam Pendleton, Max Anderson and Nic Moore were the trio working at center with Satterwhite not present.

With that, here were the numbers from the five-ish minutes of routes on air that we watched. Jake Merklinger was nine-for-10, Joey Aguilar was seven-for-12 and George MacIntyre was nine-for-nine.

Aguilar got off to a pretty brutal start, throwing all five of his incompletions in a row. There were bad drops from Radarious Jackson and Travis Smith Jr in there and another drop on a ball over the middle that was a bit behind Braylon Staley. While Aguilar didn’t get any help on a couple reps, he also misfired on a handful too.

I thought Merklinger had the best day that I had seen from him. Was consistently accurate throwing the football with his one miss coming on a ball he threw too far out ahead of tight end DaSaahn Brame. George MacIntyre also had a really nice day but he continues to rep exclusively with the third team while we’re out there. Aguilar and Merklinger continue to rotate with the first team.

A couple final notes on the offensive side of the ball. Aguilar had the GoPro on his helmet today after Merklinger wore it the last two days. Travis Smith Jr. repped with the first team with Matthews sidelined. Receiver coach Kelsey Pope was sporadically throwing tennis balls at his receivers when they weren’t in active reps, urging them to catch the tennis balls with two hands.

Freshmen Ethan Utley and Mariyon Dye simply do not look like freshmen. Isaiah Campbell doesn’t look quite as put together as those guys but he still looks the part of a top 50 recruit.

Jaxson Moi and Bryson Eason were the first two defensive tackles going through drills but I continue to believe that Daevin Hobbs is the highest ceiling guy in that room and a dude that can change the outlook of Tennessee’s defensive line if it all comes together.

r.schumpert

 

[BleedOrange16]

Boom
First!

Great job, Fingers.

 

[WillisWG]

As always thanks, Fingers

Stand by for heavy seas...


"here were the numbers from the five-ish minutes of routes on air that we watched. Jake Merklinger was nine-for-10, Joey Aguilar was seven-for-12 and George MacIntyre was nine-for-nine."

"Aguilar got off to a pretty brutal start, throwing all five of his incompletions in a row. There were bad drops from Radarious Jackson and Travis Smith Jr in there and another drop on a ball over the middle that was a bit behind Braylon Staley. While Aguilar didn’t get any help on a couple reps, he also misfired on a handful too."

JA with the go-pro today and I am blaming it for JA errant passes.

 

[Volbrando]

 

[WillisWG]

100 catches a today on the jug may not be enough for guys that don't have time enough be young. Get Velus and Jalin on conference call.

"Morris, along with Braylon Staley and Mike Matthews are probably the top-three returners as of now." No to having WRs as return guys this year.

 

[barrylee]

I can’t see Staley or Matthews returning punts unless they are told, under no circumstances do you go beyond fair catch.

Too thin at WR to risk injury, IMO..

 

[WillisWG]

I can’t see Staley or Matthews returning punts unless they are told, under no circumstances do you go beyond fair catch.

Too thin at WR to risk injury, IMO..

 

[VolFan_stuck_in_the_901]

AP said the injury to Matthews was minor and he should be back "early in the week.... probably the next time they practice" (which is Tuesday, and I'm guessing if he isn't a full participant on Tuesday then he will be on Wednesday.... Brazzell is also going to be back in practice this week)

This is just me speculating, but if there was a game this week then Matthews and Brazzell probably play. But we know how cautious our HC is about injuries

 

[ENGRVOL]

Our current state of affairs at wr makes Boo’s absence from the team this summer more perplexing after he pushed to get opportunity on both offense and defense

 

[BruiserVol]

“You can count the number of healthy scholarship players on one hand, and 4 of those 5 have never played a college snap.”

A very comforting statement. Kind of eye opening.

 

[knoxvol52]

17-0

 

[TheMookieMonster]

The WR depth is going to give me stomach aches all year long.

 

[WillisWG]

Our current state of affairs at wr makes Boo’s absence from the team this summer more perplexing after he pushed to get opportunity on both offense and defense

That still could happen for Boo but exactly when probably still up in the air. But I would be OK if it's the Georgia game.

 

[Voluble2]

The running game and defense it is then.

 

[WillisWG]

I see TEs targeting going up. Which RB has the best hands? Thomas?

 

[WillisWG]

nice breakdown

 

[RiseToTheTop]

Our current state of affairs at wr makes Boo’s absence from the team this summer more perplexing after he pushed to get opportunity on both offense and defense

makes it more confusing why they didnt grab another WR from the portal even if just a solid, experienced depth guy....didnt even have to be a star.

 

[LegionnaireOfTheMiserable]

100 catches a today on the jug may not be enough for guys that don't have time enough be young. Get Velus and Jalin on conference call.

"Morris, along with Braylon Staley and Mike Matthews are probably the top-three returners as of now." No to having WRs as return guys this year.

Hopefully when they get through whatever he has to get through, Boo Carter is the returner this year.

The fact that the receivers can’t catch a cold against air is extremely concerning though.

 

[LegionnaireOfTheMiserable]

That still could happen for Boo but exactly when probably still up in the air. But I would be OK if it's the Georgia game.

Would you be okay if it’s the Georgia game and we lost the Syracuse game? I don’t really want anyone shaking off rust and cobwebs against Georgia if we can help it. If you are going to let the guy play, play him game 1. Guys get less punishment for committing a crime.

 

[Proud Army Wife]

100 catches a today on the jug may not be enough for guys that don't have time enough be young. Get Velus and Jalin on conference call.

"Morris, along with Braylon Staley and Mike Matthews are probably the top-three returners as of now." No to having WRs as return guys this year.

Yeah I was hoping it would be Boo and Lewis

 

[WillisWG]

Hopefully when they get through whatever he has to get through, Boo Carter is the returner this year.

The fact that the receivers can’t catch a cold against air is extremely concerning though.

Who would have thought that in WK 1 of preseason camp a QB in a new system, a RSFR and a true FR would have had issues throwing to a bunch of FR WRs but I duly note your exaggeration.

 

[chuckiepoo]

Boo Carter is the returner this year.

Finally. Wading through, I found something with which I can wholeheartedly agree.

 

[zeppelin128]

Yesterday’s routes on air period was not the best, as we noted. Sunday’s start to this session wasn’t great either. Specifically, there was one short sequence where three balls were dropped in the span of about five throws. I think the period ended much better than it started, however.

 

[WillisWG]

Would you be okay if it’s the Georgia game and we lost the Syracuse game? I don’t really want anyone shaking off rust and cobwebs against Georgia if we can help it. If you are going to let the guy play, play him game 1. Guys get less punishment for committing a crime.

I don't play the IF game, so save them for someone else.

For Boo being on O, that happens when it happens. Adding an O wrinkle that includes Boo in the Georgia game would be fine "for me".

 

[WillisWG]

Yeah I was hoping it would be Boo and Lewis

I would be fine with that. Hunter Barnes could be an option