#VolReport: Eyes On Saturday

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The Vols began their final week of spring practice on Tuesday. Coach Butch Jones pointed out redshirt sophomore receiver Josh Smith for an outstanding performance in practice #13 of the spring.

“I thought a very productive day,” said Jones. “We had some individuals step up. I thought Josh Smith had his best practice that he has had all year, catching the football, route running, so that was great to see.”

Jones gave some insight as to the format for Saturday’s DISH Orange & White Game. “It will be very similar to what we have done in the past in spring games,” said Jones. “But it will be an event and by what I mean with that is there will be different things going on. Our fans love the one-on-one competitions, so we will have offensive line versus defensive line, we will have wide receivers versus DBs in the red zone.

“We will have a quarterback challenge also. We will do some kicking on air. Then we will go 11-on-11. Some of it may be thud because Jalen Hurd needs to get some repetitions and there there will be some live situations as well. Right now, the structure, right now we are thinking it will be two, the first half will be two 15 minute quarters with running clock, the second half will be two 12 minute quarters with running clock. Then we will sprinkle in some individual events for our fans to see some of our freshmen, some of our other players as well.”

The DISH Orange & White Game is set for Saturday, April 25 with a 4 p.m., start. The gates to Neyland Stadium will open at 12:30 p.m., with Fan Day getting underway at 1:30 p.m. The game will air on the SEC Network Alternate Channel and can be heard on the Vol Network. ORANGE & WHITE INFORMATION.

TUTTLE CONTINUES TO TURN HEADS

The rave reviews continue to pour in from the coaching staff and other players about freshman defensive lineman Shy Tuttle. The Midway, North Carolina, native is 13 spring practices into his Tennessee career, but he has already turned heads with his athleticism, instincts, and competitive drive.

An early enrollee and still only 19 years old, Tuttle made his mark in the third practice of the spring–the first of the year in full pads–when he tipped a pass and hauled in the interception. Head coach Butch Jones was among the impressed, stating at the time, “He came off the football and you could see the disruptive quickness, you could see the explosiveness.”

Ten practices later, Jones has not changed his tune. On Tuesday he described the experiences Tuttle has gained through his early arrival as “invaluable.” He continued, “Thank goodness he is here and he is learning our style of play. He is learning how to fight through mental fatigue, physical fatigue, the mental toughness, the mental conditioning that it is about … So the 13 practices have been very, very big for him. He is very intelligent. He knows what he needs to do to continue to get better.”

Those same sentiments came across in Tuttle’s own assessment of his play this spring. The 6-3, 309-pound defensive tackle was quick to identify the areas requiring improvement.

“Just working on hands, leverage,” Tuttle said. “Like I said, the little fine details that help improve your game.”

Tuttle also admitted that the transition to college football was rigorous thanks to the “style of play and the tradition, the standard of play that Tennessee has.”

In that transition. he has benefitted from some upperclassmen leadership, namely from redshirt junior Danny O’Brien. Limited due to injury this spring, O’Brien has been a persistent voice in Tuttle’s ear.

“OB has been watching me and correcting me,” Tuttle said. “He [gives me advice] about keeping my leverage down and coming in and watching film and doing extra stuff.”

With all the hype surrounding Tuttle’s ability and recent play, it is no surprise that some are already hoping he can make a similar impact in 2015 to that forged last season by sophomore defensive end Derek Barnett–a Freshman All-American and the UT record holder for most sacks in a season by a freshman.

“It gives me confidence (that I can make an immediate impact),” Tuttle said of seeing Barnett’s freshman successes. “But it still shows how hard I’ve got to work. He works hard.”

AFTER ATTACKING REHAB, SMITH BACK IN ACTION

It’s been a long journey of rehab for redshirt sophomore Josh Smith. Since undergoing ankle surgery on November 6, 2014, Smith has been working to get back to his old self. Thirteen practices into the spring, he’s finally feeling like himself. Smith suffered the injury at Oklahoma on Sept. 13 and has been working his way back ever since.

“It’s progressing a lot,” Smith said on his development. “I feel like today was one of my best days this spring, and I’m kind of starting to feel like my old self again. It actually feels good. I’m kind of excited and I’m glad I took that step forward. But yeah, I feel like I’m getting there.”

Smith credits the amount of conditioning that he’s had for his current state as well as the opportunity for more reps in practice.

“I think it’s the constant conditioning that we’ve had and all the reps I’ve had,” Smith said. “I’ve had a lot of reps. I’m starting to get my conditioning back, and today I felt like I was a lot faster and more crisp in my routes. I actually felt like it was back to normal, so it was comforting.”

Early on in practice, Smith was praised by head coach Butch Jone, which could be heard over the loud speaker. Those are words Smith hadn’t heard in a while, and it’s not a feeling he’s going to soon forget.

“It felt good because I haven’t heard that in a while,” Smith said. “I was working and conditioning a lot to finally get that respect back from [Coach Jones]. I know he always has my back, and I always have his back. That’s what I love about Coach Jones. I’d do anything for him, and he’d do anything for me. I’m going to do my job because I know he has my back, and I’m going to try my best to have his.”

When asked about Smith’s progression, Jones wasn’t hesitant to again compliment the wide receiver’s performance.

“He came out and he attacked things,” Jones said. “Obviously, he is in better football condition, I think that is a byproduct of overtime, of practice. He played with confidence, caught the football and he was able to advance the football. Just played aggressively. Played like he played at the beginning of last season. So that was great to see.”

McDOWELL & KENDRICK MAKING MOST OF OPPORTUNITIES

Sophomores Cortez McDowell and Brett Kendrick may play on opposite sides of the ball, but they both are working hard to make the leap and earn more playing time for the Vols in the upcoming season.

McDowell, recruited to Tennessee as a safety, appeared in all 13 games last year on special teams and picked up some reserve minutes as a WILL linebacker, a position at which he is working exclusively this spring. That transition from safety to linebacker with a strong freshman season on special teams may sound like a familiar path, as it’s nearly identical to the one taken by junior linebacker Jalen Reeves-Maybin. It’s a great example for McDowell to follow.

“I definitely in the offseason watched a lot of [Reeves-Maybin]’s film,” McDowell says. “His footwork, his eye discipline, and I just need to work with myself – and work with him as well – to be better at both of those to be like him in a different way. Just being around him and talking to him, it’ll help me out.”

McDowell has been working hard to improve, and the thirty pounds he’s gained since stepping on campus last summer is physical proof. He says he’s starting to settle in to that linebacker role.

“[I’m] definitely a lot more comfortable,” says McDowell. “Just making sure I perfect my craft each day, each week to be the best linebacker I can be.”

On the other side of the field, Brett Kendrick, a Knoxville native, is working at right tackle. Kendrick started two games last year, but says he feels more confident in himself now than he did last season.

“I lost my confidence sometimes last year, whether it was getting beat on a play or in practice, but I feel very, very confident right now in what I’m doing,” Kendrick says. “I’ve put the work in the weight room. Coach [Dave] Lawson did a great job.

Kendrick says it’s not just him that’s improved this offseason, but also the offensive line as a unit.

“Everybody’s starting to trust each other a lot. We’ve really improved on depth. People are stepping up. Dontavius Blair is stepping up. Having Coleman Thomas back, that always helps us to have a guy that played a lot last year, so I’d say our depth is getting a lot better and we’re just growing together.”​

MOSLEY GETS LOOK ON OFFENSE

Redshirt freshman Charles Mosley came to Tennessee with his position uncertain. Would he work on the offensive line or defensive line? As standout at Brighton High School in the Memphis area, Mosley starred on both sides of the ball.

The answer never came in his first college season as Mosley suffered a broken leg in a car accident prior to the start of training camp before the 2014 season.

Mosley returned to action on the defensive side this spring and practiced there for the first 12 sessions. But on Tuesday, he was wearing the white jersey of the offense.

“We moved Charles Mosley to the offensive line today from the defensive front just to see what Charles could give us,” said Jones. “(It was a) very, very productive day. He will play defensive line in the spring game but we wanted to get some stuff on video and continue to evaluate what is his best position. But just like Charles, every day, just wants to help the team win and play any position that he can possibly play.”

So Mosley’s final destination is still unknown, and it could be open the change several times during his career on Rocky Top.

SOUND BITES

Here are sound bites from #Team119:

HEAD COACH BUTCH JONES

»(On the wide receiver position group)

“Work in progress. They have taken an inordinate amount of reps this spring which is concerning but that is where we are at. Obviously, getting the individuals back from injuries is going to help us. But work in progress. To get Jason Croom back is going to be big for us. Getting Josh back into football shape. I thought Von Pearson had a very good day today. Explosive but limited in numbers.”

»(On Joe Stocstill)

“Joe Stocstill sets a mentality. He has the respect from his peers. He is very, very tough mentally and physically. He brings it everyday. He is a true team player. He is a great teammate. He is one of our leaders. Our players respect him. He brings a different dynamic. We are going to move him around. He is basically quote on quote what you would think of a H back. He can run flat routes. He can pass protect. He can run block. So we will move him in that type of position.”

»(On what stood out the most being the last week of spring practice)

“Our offensive line continues to grow and develop. We have competition there. The overall standard and expectations. I thought our quarterbacks got better. We felt we had to do it. You don’t want to do it this late but we made all but Joshua Dobbs live today. We felt they needed to understand that standing in the pocket is part of that development that we talked about it in our throw game to take a hit, learn how to get rid of the football and how to protect yourself. Also our defense needed it. They needed to hit a live quarterback. So we did some of that today. I was pleased with them as well.”

SOPHOMORE LINEBACKER CORTEZ McDOWELL

»(On Jalen Reeves-Maybin)

“Jalen [Reeves-Maybin] is definitely the mastermind in the room. He knows his craft so we definitely lean towards him a lot.”

»(On competition at linebacker)

“We feel like all the guys in the room can play. We love the competition of it. So however we can push each other – that way all of us can be all around better players – that’s what we look for.”

SOPHOMORE WIDE RECEIVER JOSH SMITH

»(On what he wants to achieve by the end of spring practices)

“I think our style of play, just lining up fast. Just getting the signals and lining up and going as fast as we can. I think we’re starting to get to that, but we just have to be consistent, and that starts with the offense, clicking on all cylinders. We’re starting to do that, and it’s kind of exciting to watch because I see a lot of people developing. It’s kind of encouraging to us going into the spring game feeling so comfortable. “

»(On what he thinks about when he hears `Wide Receiver U’)

“I think about all the tradition that has come through. I think about all the old guys that have come through and have spoken to us. It’s an honor to play here because this is my dream school. I grew up here and always came to games. Just to be able to say that I’m a part of Wide Receiver U is something special.”

SOPHOMORE OFFENSIVE LINEMAN BRETT KENDRICK

»(On Charles Mosley working at left guard today)

“He’s learning a lot. You could tell, even after just one day, how much he’s grown and how smart he really is. He’s moved over from defensive line so it’s going to take some adjusting to, but he’s a guy that I think can play like Jashon Robertson.”

»(On offensive coordinator Mike DeBord)

“Having coach DeBo around, an offensive line guy that really pays attention to everything we’re doing in the offensive line, has really helped. Just having an extra set of eyes on me and the rest of us, keeping your hats down, pad level, second step.”

SENIOR OFFENSIVE LINEMAN KYLER KERBYSON

»(On staying at left tackle this spring)

“It has done a lot for me. I can’t imagine having to switch positions during the spring. It is really great staying at left tackle from the season. The whole season got me better at that position. Now going through the whole spring it has gotten me even better. I feel really confident where I am.”

»(On the extra competition on the line this spring)

“It makes you better. I know when I was younger we always used to be like we are the competition for the older guys. It made them better. Now I feel like the competition coming up on my rear is making me better. I’m taking it in stride. I’m not not trying to teach (Dontavius) Blair because he is competing against me. I am trying to make him as good as he can be. I’m trying to coach him up and make him better than I am because I want that for him. It is a great atmosphere now that we have some depth.”

»(On sophomore offensive lineman Brett Kendrick)

“I have never seen anybody grow as much as Brett has this off-season. Last season working with him he was behind me at left. He got a few playing reps in games. His step up on the field is ridiculous. It really does astound me how different he is, how good his set is now, how good his hands are and how good his foot work is. It just shows that he works hard and he wants it.”