It doesnt feel kind of real yet, said Bates, who was ranked the nations No. 95 overall prospect and No. 7 outside linebacker in the 247Sports Composite for the 2014 class. I mean, Im sure once I get on campus, once I get in the dorms and Im finally on my own, itll kind of hit me and Ill be like, Wow. Its actually here.
The 6-foot-4, 230-pound Bates said he has been working out to prepare himself for his upcoming summer workouts with the Vols, and he has added a few pounds and kind of hit a growth spurt that helped him grow a half-inch or an inch taller.
Bates said he even has worked out with Tennessee freshman defensive end Jakob Johnson one of the early enrollees from UTs 2014 class who went through spring practice with the Vols since Johnson returned to the Jacksonville, Fla., area following the end of the spring semester.
Tennessee coach Butch Jones, linebackers coach Tommy Thigpen and defensive coordinator John Jancek have stayed in touch with Bates over the past few months, making it clear that the Vols will need his help once he arrives on campus.
Im keeping in touch with Coach Jones and Coach Thigpen mostly, Bates said. Im just talking to them, and theyre kind of giving me updates on what I should be working on to get me ready to get up there.
Coach Thigpen and Coach Jancek are going to have me at Will (linebacker), where (Jalen) Reeves-Maybin is at right now.
Vols linebacker signee Dillon Bates
Bates said hes heading into the summer looking to challenge for a starting job.
Ideally, you always want to go in competing for a starting job, he said. I talked to my dad about it, and he said youve always got to work for it and just go in with the mentality that its your spot to be taken and not stop working to achieve that.
Thats my mentality going in just trying to make the team better, make the defense better and hopefully get a starting position. Coach Jancek and Coach Thigpen have both told me that all the positions are wide open, that nobody really has a set spot right now, so anybody can come in and compete and win that starting job.
Theres a lot of great guys that are coming in this class that can definitely start as freshmen, and well see going into fall camp just who beats out who and who competes harder than the next guy.
Bates, who plans to wear jersey No. 17 at Tennessee, said hes even more excited about his future with the Vols after attending one of their spring scrimmages and returning to Knoxville last month for the spring-ending Orange and White Game.
This class is a great class, he said. Last year was a really young team. There were some key positions that had young guys. But having them mature in the offseason and in the spring will help a lot, and getting all these new athletes in and new players in will definitely help a lot.
Since committing to Tennessee in July, Bates has had plenty of time to consider what it might be like to follow in his father's footsteps by playing for Tennessee.
In a matter of days, it finally will be a reality.
Its something that, growing up, you always kind of think about, and its finally here, Bates said. Im just blessed to have the opportunity. But Im just excited and cant wait to play at Neyland (Stadium) and get to work.
