#VolReport: Back To Work

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Team 118 enjoyed a week of vacation last week but hit the ground running Tuesday with what head coach Butch Jones said was their most physical practice so far.

 

“We spoke prior to spring break that I thought the maturity of our football team would show coming back,” said Jones. “Overall I did like our mental approach but also it was very glaring that some individuals are more mature than others. Some individuals prepared more than individuals coming back but I thought it was a very productive practice and probably our most physical practice so far since we’ve been back.”

 

Not impressed with the effort and intensity in some parts of the first five practices, Jones said he was pleased with what he saw at practice six. The second year head coach of the Vols said that the mental aspect of the practice really stuck out to him as they installed more of their plays and schemes.

 

“I was not pleased with the first five practices especially the scrimmage in terms of our overall style of play in which we’re going to play football here at Tennessee but every opportunity is a teaching moment,” he said. “Today had many teaching moments. We concluded practice with a live team period and then we graded our position groups on the field if we had loafs and not playing our style.”

 

For the most part, Jones found that his team retained a lot of what they learned prior to the break. Now their focus shifts to fine tuning the smaller details of the game, playing more physically and conditioning themselves to compete for 60 minutes.

 

He also recognized that with such a young football team there will be a significant learning curve. Tennessee will replace major chunks of their offensive and defensive lines. The receiving corps remains young and no starting quarterback has yet to be decided – a battle that is expected to last throughout the summer.

 

With all the room to improve, Jones said practice will continue to demand more and more.

 

“Today I did like our approach,” he said. “I thought our practice was demanding and we’ll continue to demand and demand even more as spring ball progresses.”

 

A NEW END IN SIGHT?

 

Curt Maggitt has become a leader on and off the football field, so when Butch Jones and his assistants asked him to try playing at the defensive end position, Maggitt never questioned the idea.

 

The redshirt junior has been spending extra time watching film and meeting with coaches to better understand his new role as an end.

 

“It’s definitely a challenge,” said Maggitt. “You have some big guys in the SEC. You have to be able to hold your ground and do your job as well. It’s definitely a challenge, but I’m up for it.”

 

After missing the entire 2013 season because of injury, Maggitt stresses even more now how he wants to give his all for Tennessee and his teammates are noticing.

 

“Curt is definitely showing a lot on the line,” said defensive lineman Jordan Williams. “He has been playing end a lot. He’s doing really good. He has places where he needs to improve, but all you need is a motor. He has it.”

 

BULLOCK READY FOR AN OPPORTUNITY

 

While most of the focus has been on the turnover in the trenches or with the quarterback battle, the kicking position is also up for grabs after the graduation of long-time placekicker Michael Palardy. One candidate to take over that role is George Bullock.

 

The redshirt sophomore from West High School in Knoxville hasn’t recorded a regular season kick but could find his way into the starting role on Team 118.

 

“I’m just trying to work as hard as I can every day no matter who is here,” Bullock said. “I’m just trying to work as hard as I can each and every day. Having [Palardy] here was great. He’d help me out, coach me a little bit. Having him gone doesn’t make a difference what I do.”

 

Bullock said he’s been working to improve his mechanics in order to be more consistent, something he has struggled with.

 

“I’m trying to get a lot of work with my snapper and holder,” he said. “I’m trying to my timing down. I actually had a problem going too fast and that didn’t give me quite as much time to see the ball before I hit it so just trying to get consistency.”

 

In the past, Bullock has been able to lean on the more experienced Palardy for pointers. Now only redshirt Derrick Brodus has seen active game time.

 

“[Palardy] was pretty good about being consistent as we watched film,” Bullock said. “He would help me with my plant foot. I’ve had some issues with my plant foot being the wrong distance away from the ball and things like that so he was good at pointing that out and helping me in any way he can.”

 

SOUND BITES

Here are sound bites from Butch Jones and players after Tuesday’s practice.

 

HEAD COACH BUTCH JONES

 

»(On the style of play)

“Effort, intensity. It starts in the classroom, we talk about the mental effort, the mentality intensity by which it takes by which you approach your meetings, the notes, taking copious notes. Everything that goes into being a great football player.”

 

»(On the team’s speed)

“Work in progress. We have to get much faster as a defense and as a football program. We are not up to SEC speed. So it starts with recruiting, it starts with being bigger, stronger, faster. You have to play chess, you can’t play checkers, you to play chess. It is getting your players in the right spots and if they have value in one regard or another it is trying to extract as much value as you can in your football program.”

 

»(On if he liked the effort from the QBs today)

“I did. I sat in on all the quarterback meetings today. I liked their note taking, I checked all their notes, I liked that process. We are going to be patient, we are going to find out who we can win with. It is a long process, with spring football, summer and then into August and we are going to do our due diligence every day. But I did like the mentality of that group today and I liked their approach on Monday as well.”

 

RS SOPHOMORE WIDE RECEIVER JASON CROOM

 

»(On personal motivation)

“It gives you no reason to not go 100% because as soon as you get tired we have somebody else that’s just as equal to come in there and replace you, go fast, and then put you back in there when they’re tired.”

 

»(On learning multiple receiver positions)

“Just learning the concepts of the routes. You have to know why you have to be where you need to be and you have to know the ‘why’. Part of knowing the ‘why’ is knowing the other positions and other routes around you.”

 

SOPHOMORE LINEBACKER JALEN REEVES-MAYBIN

 

»(On his performance in the scrimmage)

“I feel like I made some plays. Still got some things to work on. I was satisfied with my performance, but always want to get better.”

 

»(On working next to A.J. Johnson and Curt Maggitt)

“I love playing next to those guys because most of the time I know they’re not going to mess up so it kind of holds me accountable. I don’t want to be the weak link out there.”

 

SENIOR DEFENSIVE LINEMAN JORDAN WILLIAMS

 

»(On first practice after spring break)

“He was hard on us, especially after the last scrimmage. I feel like the biggest thing we needed to work on was our effort and our focus and I feel like today, that’s what I was focused on the most and I feel like we definitely improved on it.”

 

»(On personal fitness)

“I think everybody was good about going home, working out and lifting a little bit, just maintaining. I feel like everybody was pretty good on that.

 

“Anything you do. If you run, get on the bike, something to get your blood flowing, get your arms moving, get your squats in. I just had a couple dumbbells, I was doing lunges. I ran around my neighborhood.

 

»(On watching film of first spring scrimmage)

“Yes. Scrimmages are more game-type situations and just getting that, coaches are off the field. It’s not like you’re stopping every other play. We’re rolling through. I feel like getting that, getting the plays in, getting lined up, it’s a lot different from practice. I feel like that’s good to build off of.”

 

RS JUNIOR OFFENSIVE LINEMAN MARCUS JACKSON

 

»(On energy and intensity level right after break)

“There was going to be better intensity today from the entire team. From everybody, we were getting intense, but like I said still our technique has to get better as far as everybody giving great effort to get better.”

 

»(On first group of offensive linemen starting to get know each other)

“As far as tendencies go, for the offensive line it is an ever growing process. There are things to always learn about somebody, but it is somewhat starting to come together, but it is still a long way to go.”