Tennessee Spring Practice #3

[Fingers]

Starting center Cooper Mays was going through some drills, but he also did a lot of watching and the expectation is the Vols are going to limit his workload to keep him right. He’s the ultimate “get him to Saturday” guy and that’s just how it’s going to be. The two-sided benefits are it keeps Mays healthier and it allows Tennessee to get his potential backups – both young players in redshirt freshman Vysen Lang and freshman William Satterwhite – as much work as possible because they will need it.

We didn’t include sophomore linebacker Arion Carter in the injury report because he’s simply too active to put him on there. You can tell the former Top247 prospect is chomping at the bit to be out there, because even though he’s not been cleared for full-contact, he is doing as much as he can without it. He usually has some of the most obvious energy on the practice field, but it seemed to be ratcheted up even more on Thursday morning.

One of the more active players in one group was freshman linebacker Edwin Spillman. The former four-star prospect out of Nashville’s Lipscomb Academy is still learning how to practice because on his first rep he put his facemask into a running back and knocked him to the ground. You like the physicality, explosiveness and attitude, but the technique needs some work and several coaches got on to him for perhaps pushing the envelope on the contact – you are trying to get to the passer after all and not just clear out a blocker. The freshman proved to be a quick learner as he used more nuance to win his next two reps. Spillman used his hands to gain ground on a walk-on tight end and then work inside to the quarterback after his blocker recovered. Then he used an inside swim move to glide past a walk-on running back and get to the quarterback easily.

Dylan Sampson did a nice job initially on Jeremiah Telander before the sophomore linebacker won the hand-fighting battle to get around Tennessee’s top running back.

Tight end Holden Staes ended up on his back after a collision with walk-on linebacker Eli Purcell, the Wofford transfer and former Farragut High School standout, and the Notre Dame transfer also had a good battle (that he might have edged) with redshirt freshman linebacker Jalen Smith.

Running backs DeSean Bishop and Cameron Seldon delivered good reps against safety Will Brooks and Smith, respectively.

Alabama transfer tight end Miles Kitselman had some good reps in this drill, winning against linebackers Telander and Kalib Perry.

Telander looked like the hardest linebacker to block for one group as he got around Seldon once, but Sampson looked great on a rep against Smith, and running back Khalifa Keith and tight end Ethan Davis both were able to withstand the initial pop from the 235-pound Purcell and not give much ground, staying anchored to keep the defender in front of them.

p.brown

Peyton Manning was also in town this morning and spoke to the team before practice. I know there’s a picture on Twitter floating around of him being here but his visit was somewhat under the radar. His message to the team this morning was supposedly really good and the players enjoyed it. He will stick around campus and teach his class later today.

As we knew coming into spring practice, wide receiver Bru McCoy, running back Peyton Lewis and linebacker Elijah Herring will not be going through contact this spring. Several others will be extremely limited the next few weeks as well and likely won’t see much contact either. This list includes wide receiver Nathan Leacock, offensive linemen Javontez Spraggins, Masai Reddick and Andrej Karic, linebacker Arion Carter and safety Christian Charles. Senior center Cooper Mays was at practice on Thursday but was not doing too much work. Offensive tackle Brian Grant remains limited with a foot injury.

Braylon Staley continues to look good. He’s an extremely detailed route runner for his age and has made some highlight catches in a short amount of time. A veteran who looked good this morning was wideout Dont’e Thornton. He was making everything routine and appeared to be carrying a lot of confidence while playing fast. He knows his potential replacement was brought in through the portal this offseason, so there’s some urgency there.

Having said that, one observation from the past few mornings is that Chris Brazzell doesn’t catch the ball as cleanly as you’d like. Catches were made but there’s some bobbles and sometimes appears that he is out of control. Maybe a week or two of continued progression in this offense could settle the nerves – if that’s it.

Quarterbacks were solid overall during the routes on air. Not a lot of drops during that period. Jake Merklinger had a better day and Nico Iamaleava looks good as usual.

The biggest observation I got today was how Arion Carter went through individual like the rest of his linebackers. Now, he very well could have been doing this the first two practices and I just missed it – I know he was running around and taking part in circuits at the beginning. But Carter was under the cage and going through bag drills and everything else [nothing contact wise] while we were out there.

I thought Jalen Smith looked good in individual as well. He was kind of the forgotten man but flashed towards the end of the year when he was given a few snaps on defense and special teams. He’s becoming more fluid now a year into the system.

Jakobe Thomas is a physical player and you can tell he is one of the stronger defensive backs on the team. That’s no surprise as he’s an older guy but he appears to be a contact guy as well. You’ve got to like that from a defensive back.

e.cain

Nico looked fine again

Joe Milton III was here ahead of Pro Day next week, was hanging out with the QB room

Dont'e Thornton working with the ones instead of Kaleb Webb

Pili is the definition of a senior leader

r.sylvia

A couple of Tennessee targets are in attendance for the Vols' practice this morning, along with one of their current commitments. Four-star Class of 2025 CB Dawayne Galloway of Columbus, Ohio, who's a top-100 prospect in the 247Sports Composite, is among Tennessee's visitors today. The Vols are also hosting four-star Class of 2025 DL Jarquez Carter of Newberry, Fla., along with Class of 2025 RB Kentrell Rinehart of Columbus, Ohio, who has yet to receive an offer from Tennessee.

Vols WR commitment Joakim Dodson of Collierville (Tenn.) High School also is back on campus for the first time since he announced his commitment to the Vols more than a month ago. Dodson is planning to transfer to Baylor School in Chattanooga, Tenn., after completing the spring semester at Collierville.

r.callahan

 

[volunteerlane]

My favorite part of the day.

 

[TennesseeTarheel]

Second.

 

[cachurch]

We don't deserve you @Fingers

 

[MemphisVol77]

Hopefully Arion Carter & Jeremiah Telander keep progressing. They got plenty of reps last season as true freshman & should be a nice duo the next few years.

 

[UTblood4life]

Fall needs to hurry

 

[VAVol85]

Enjoyed reading the comments about LB on RB battles. Sounds like our new coaches have some good groups to work with.

 

[BigOrangeTrain]

I am gonna say it now. Thorton is gonna surprise a ton of people this year.

 

[VOLfrombama]

I am gonna say it now. Thorton is gonna surprise a ton of people this year.

He def has the tools.

 

[Orangeblooded615]

Hopefully Arion Carter & Jeremiah Telander keep progressing. They got plenty of reps last season as true freshman & should be a nice duo the next few years.

Them and Spillman are gunna bring some juice these next couple years!

 

[ftsandersvol]

He def has the tools.

I believe he definitely has the tools. He just needs to develop the "I'm the man!" mentality.

 

[VOLfrombama]

Im sure Im making a big deal out of nothing here, but there is a large void where the OL update should be. Maybe the media wasn't allowed to watch? Was really hoping to hear they had a better day today.

 

[VOLfrombama]

I believe he definitely has the tools. He just needs to develop the "I'm the man!" mentality.

It sounds like having Brazzel breathing down his neck has created a sense of urgency. Maybe competition is what he really needed.

 

[ENGRVOL]

Staley is going to be one heck of a receiver

 

[BigALWiLson]

Strong hands. Prediction is he will play this year

 

[Hurley Mooncalf]

It's nice to see we are finally building some depth on this team. Still need O linemen to step up beyond the starters but seems like we were playing with 3 linebackers for 5 years.

 

[SayUWantAreVOLution]

It warms my heart to hear what I think was coach Garner with the old school f-bomb loud enough for the whole building to get the "we workin' here" message.

I wish I was 50 years younger.

 

[joevol33]

Thanks again Fingers!

 

[Dadof2Vols]

Enjoyed reading the comments about LB on RB battles. Sounds like our new coaches have some good groups to work with.

Not possible. Not enough stars.

 

[tennesseeduke]

p.brown









e.cain





r.sylvia



r.callahan

Spillman keep putting rbs D*^% in the dirt!
I would hate to be a db going against Seldon!

 

[njvols]

Them and Spillman are gunna bring some juice these next couple years!

Yep building talented depth on D will pay off

 

[GrizzlyVol]

Pili is a leader for sure, shared a flight with him last week, we talked for awhile he really is a good dude

 

[VOLINVONORE]

Staley is going to be one heck of a receiver

ball hit the ground so it was not a real catch, but he does have he does have good hands and runs crisp routes.

 

[VOLfrombama]

Kaleb Beasley out for spring with a fractured fibula. Should be back this summer according to AP.

 

[NEO]

I have always been a realist on here. Last year, I went on record in the beginning and said I thought Milton would struggle.

With that said, I think we seriously thump some teams this year. I think depth is still an issue and our d will struggle a bit but I think Nico is going to be a gunslinger. This guy gives me iceman vibes.