Vols Fall Practice #5

[Fingers]

When the team went outside, both Tamarion McDonald and Jourdan Thomas stayed inside to work with a training staffer. We also didn’t see Wesley Walker out there during drills. So the safety group with Tim Banks was a little less crowded than normal while we were out there.

Tennessee also is short a trio of guys as Bru McCoy, Squirrel White and Nathan Leacock all ran inside after the team headed outdoors. McCoy earlier had broken the team down between stretch and the start of individual work. The Vols have just eight scholarship wideouts so a couple of walk-ons are getting bumped up to the second team behind the leading trio of Ramel Keyton, Dont’e Thornton Jr. and Chas Nimrod.

Joe Milton III was excellent during this period and it’s a treat to watch him throw a football. His throws were on-time and accurate as the Vols worked some out-breaking routes and intermediate-level digs. The only pass we noticed him on the shorter stuff was when Ramel Keyton slipped coming out of his break – it might not have been intentional, but Milton still hit him right in the No. 9 on his jersey even when Keyton was on the ground trying to get back up.

We saw some go routes this morning and Milton was excellent as you might expect. Dont’e Thornton Jr. only had to break stride slightly, and Milton’s best throw was deep to Keyton, who had a really bad drop where from a distance it looked like he didn’t look it all the way in and it bounced off his hands. Milton mixed in a strike to Jacob Warren on a corner/flag route during this set of throws, too.

Freshman Nico Iamaleava was accurate on his quick outs and dig throws save for one that sailed past Jack Jancek, who worked second out of the slot behind Thornton. The deep balls from the five-star weren’t as picturesque in the air as Milton’s but that’s hardly a criticism because few are. Iamaleava’s first downfield shot was underthrown, hit second got to Jancek and his third was easily his best throw, hitting Kaleb Webb in stride in the end zone – Iamaleava also missed McCallan Castles during this set.

John Campbell Jr. continues to work ahead of Gerald Mincey at left tackle and it looked like Dayne Davis might have been working first up at right tackle. In some right-side tandem work, Davis went with Javontez Spraggins with Jeremiah Crawford working alongside Jackson Lampley. Campbell appears to be making the starting left tackle job his, but it’s hard to say too much is taking shape in the competition at those two spots, at least before Tennessee’s first scrimmage.

With Mays not present, Parker Ball was first up at center followed by Addison Nichols. Ball worked next to Ollie Lane and Nichols next to Andrej Karic in some left guard-center work. We said this on the board last week, but our bet is if there was a game tomorrow and Mays was unavailable or got hurt that the Vols would turn to Nichols.

Freshman Vysen Lang also slid over from left guard to center, where he worked extensively in the spring after enrolling in January, to make up for Mays not being there.

Freshman tight end Emmanuel Okoye, Tennessee’s international addition to complete its 2023 recruiting class, popped a couple of times this morning. On the corner route we mentioned earlier, you could see his athleticism running in the open field and his massive hands enveloped the football as he made a nice catch away from his body. The Vols certainly think they will have something there in time, and it’s easy to see why.

p.brown

Defensive backs Tamarion McDonald and Jourdan Thomas were dressed in shells but remained inside when the team went out for individual periods. Wide receiver Bru McCoy and offensive lineman Cooper Mays were also not present during individual periods while the media was present.

With Mays not out there on Monday, sophomore Addison Nichols was taking snaps with the first group at center. He had previously been taking reps with the third team, but if push comes to shove, Nichols would snap the football in place of Mays in a game setting. The starting five on the offensive line (outside of Mays) remained as it did last week (l-to-r) John Campbell, Ollie Lane, (Addison Nichols), JaVontez Spraggins, JJ Crawford.

During the routes on air period, we believe the receivers did a pretty good job catching the football on some balls that were a little erratic during the session. Chas Nimrod made a nice adjustment on a deep ball to the end zone that was a tad underthrown by Joe Milton. They were throwing to the end zone, so he couldn’t just let it go 80 yards down the field. Milton later connected on a nice deep ball to Dont’e Thornton in the end zone and Nico Iamaleava showed some great touch on a deep ball caught by Nimrod in the end zone on the far side line. Ramel Keyton did drop one deep ball that was a really good throw by Milton.

Some of the young backs like DeSean Bishop and Khalifa Keith were showing some great signs of seeking out contact. Veterans Jabari Small, Jaylen Wright and Dylan Sampson were all out on the practice field going through individuals and working on their first few steps before getting to the mesh point.

Defensive line coach Rodney Garner also had some words for one of his guys today. Elijah Simmons, who had an excellent spring and a strong start to fall camp, was off to the side talking with Garner today at practice. Garner asked him if he truly is the No. 10 (new number – new type of player) or No. 51 (old number, old type of player).

here’s some possibilities for Warren Burrell to get some work at STAR. Today, he likely got some of those reps. Jaylen McCollough was back practicing with the first group today while media was present.

e.cain

One person who I surprisingly didn’t see get any center reps in Mays’ absence is redshirt freshman Addison Nichols. Nichols repped exclusively at center in the spring but is in the competition for the starting left guard spot. The Georgia native could have repped at center but I didn’t see any in the limited time I watched the offensive line.

Receivers Bru McCoy, Squirrel White and freshman Nathan Leacock were all fully dressed out but stayed inside the Anderson Training Center for work once the team went outside to run routes on air. That created more opportunities for guys like Chas Nimrod, Kaleb Webb and Nathan Leacock.

Few balls hit the ground in routes on air today. The Vols worked on deep throws for the first time in the open portions of practice so far this camp. Joe Milton III had some slight under throws but nothing bad. His best deep ball of the open portion of practice was ironically a Ramel Keyton drop.

Freshman tight end Ethan Davis continues to impress with how crisp he is running routes as a freshman. Fellow freshman Emmanuel Okoye didn’t have any drops I noticed Monday after struggling a bit catching the football in the first week of fall.

STAR Tamarion McDonald and safety Wesley Walker were back dressed out and warming up after missing Saturday’s practice but neither went out to the Haslam Practice Field to participate in drills post warm ups.

One player that continues to intrigue me is BYU transfer corner Gabe Jeudy-Lally. His athleticism isn’t elite but his 6-foot-2, 190-pound frame gives him some leeway there and he still moves smoothly.

There’s tons of competition at cornerback and Doneiko Slaughter seems like the only starter penciled into a spot right now. Jeudy-Lally might not be the next guy on the list but I have a hard time thinking he won’t get plenty of chances early in the season.

r.schumpert

Javontez Spraggins is constant energy. Doesn't matter if it's early in the morning, he's always pumped.

Couldn't find Cooper Mays or Wesley Walker during practice.

Bru McCoy, Nathan Leacock and Squirrel White ran out with the team but instantly jogged back inside. Not sure what the reason was.

r.sylvia

 

[MemphisVol77]

1st

 

[TheVolsFrog]

2nd again

 

[WillisWG]

Thanks, Fingers.

 

[GoBigOrange_2309]

So you got a couple guys saying Nichols was with 1st team at center, then a dude saying he didn’t see him there at all

 

[VOLfrombama]

So you got a couple guys saying Nichols was with 1st team at center, then a dude saying he didn’t see him there at all

Its always amusing how many contradictory observations you get

 

[mrmax86]

WHAT

 

[volmandu]

So you got a couple guys saying Nichols was with 1st team at center, then a dude saying he didn’t see him there at all

Lol .. I had to re-read that to make sure as well

 

[JCVol00]

Its always amusing how many contradictory observations you get

They must have different time allotments or are placed on different sides of the practice field, cause it’s every day that there are 2-3 different reports about players absences and quality of the practice

 

[Joe Dirt]

So Nichols was either the starting center, the backup center, or not even a center? Good work, guys.

 

[Joe Dirt]

Also Nathan Leacock stayed inside with Squirrel and Bru which created more outside reps for…Nathan Leacock?

 

[TheVolsFrog]

That 6 second video of Joe throwing that ball.. Dang that spiral is a thing of beauty

 

[TennesseeTarheel]

Its always amusing how many contradictory observations you get

No it isn't.

 

[WillisWG]

Also Nathan Leacock stayed inside with Squirrel and Bru which created more outside reps for…Nathan Leacock?

Nathan Leacock - Football - University of Tennessee Athletics (utsports.com)

 

[Joe Dirt]

Nathan Leacock - Football - University of Tennessee Athletics (utsports.com)

“Receivers Bru McCoy, Squirrel White and freshman Nathan Leacock were all fully dressed out but stayed inside the Anderson Training Center for work once the team went outside to run routes on air. That created more opportunities for guys like Chas Nimrod, Kaleb Webb and Nathan Leacock.”

 

[gobravesvols16]

Everybody said that our O would take a step back after losing Hooker Hyatt and Tillman but if these reports coming out of fall practice are true then it sounds like we’ll be just as good if not better

 

[SayUWantAreVOLution]

With all the discrepancy in who was and wasn't on the field, it sounds like the training staff may have been doing some evals and then releasing guys to the field.

 

[PEPPERJAX]

With all the discrepancy in who was and wasn't on the field, it sounds like the training staff may have been doing some evals and then releasing guys to the field.

 

[marcusluvsvols]

Thanks Fingers!! GO VOLS

 

[I Love Lamp]

These positive reports coming out about Milton have me getting pretty freakin excited

 

[marcusluvsvols]

Wth is this lol? Bachelor: Malaysia ? Odds that this dude rode a 15hp chinese made scooter with a busted headlight to the studio are roughly 97/100.

 

[Eastknox865]

Everybody said that our O would take a step back after losing Hooker Hyatt and Tillman but if these reports coming out of fall practice are true then it sounds like we’ll be just as good if not better

They are practicing without pads

 

[PEPPERJAX]

Wth is this lol? Bachelor: Malaysia ? Odds that this dude rode a 15hp chinese made scooter with a busted headlight to the studio are roughly 97/100.

Looks like a smokescreen to me.

 

[perico]

That full five minute video at the top... it's really amazing just watching the difference between Joe throwing the football vs the other QBs (even Nico). His arm talent is really a thing to behold. While Gaston Moore looks like he's about to tear a rotator cuff on a few of those routes, Milton just tosses it with no effort.

 

[IndianaVol13]

September 2nd cannot come fast enough.