KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Following an off day Wednesday, the Tennessee football team was back on the practice field Thursday morning for its ninth practice of preseason camp, just three weeks away from the 2022 season opener against Ball State inside Neyland Stadium.
Prior to spring practices, Kelsey Pope was promoted wide receivers coach and quickly developed a tight bond with his group. With starting spots open at the position, developing a sense of urgency and competition has been paramount in his first fall camp.
“A lot of times with these guys, competition is the best influence,” Pope said, taking the podium in front of local media. “When you see a guy behind you like Squirrel White, Chas Nimrod or Kaleb Webb, ready to do anything they can to get on the field, you are going to get more sense of urgency when it is time to play. I think that is what creates competition, guys behind you being urgent and pushing you every day.”
Pope’s group is headed up by Cedric Tillman, who leads all returning SEC wide receivers with 1,081 yards and 12 TDs in 2021. Tillman was a breakout star a season ago, along with two NFL-departed receivers Velus Jones Jr., now with the Chicago Bears, and JaVonta Payton, who is an Arizona Cardinal. The three had combined for just 30 catches and 404 yards as Volunteers prior to the arrival of head coach Josh Heupel. In just one season, the trio posted 2,301 yards and 25 touchdowns, displaying how the offense is geared to put playmakers in positions to make plays.
“Our brand is offense,” Pope added. “Obviously, it’s the tempo. We’re high-powered. It’s receiver-friendly. Receivers from any form of life and any shape or size can come in this offense and be successful. I think, to your point, the more that you do that and the more you have prolific receivers, the more it just adds to your brand. It’s no different than what our head coach does. He’s always got a quarterback, no matter where he is. He’s done that consistently. His brand has been that because of his history. That’s what we’re trying to do at the wideout position.”
“When you’re looking for an offense to really be prolific in, you see Ced (Cedric Tillman) and Velus Jones Jr. and what they did before we got here and you see what they did when we got here. It’s like something off of a movie. It’s real. You see us at practice every day and it’s a different guy every day who’s able to get touches and show what they have. I think this offense – if you’re a receiver and you want to be productive, you want to get developed and you want to be a guy – I think this offense for sure is a receiver-friendly offense, no doubt.”
One of the guys looking to make a big jump is Jalin Hyatt, a junior from Irmo, S.C. In 2021, Hyatt logged 21 receptions for 226 yards a pair of touchdowns with his best game coming in the season opener where he posted 62 yards on four catches. Though his season may not be what he wanted last year, he has grown immensely and is primed for a big year with one goal in mind: being the best team possible.
“I think motivation-wise, I just want to make better decisions for me,” Hyatt said at the podium Thursday. “I felt like last season, that wasn’t what I do as far as when I play. Not only that, I want to do well for my teammates. They’re always there. I love every guy here. I think that’s one of the reasons why.”
Hyatt’s drive to perform for his team is a feeling that is common throughout the room. In-state receiver Walker Merrill is also primed to take a big jump in his second year on Rocky Top, and he is ready for whatever role that is needed for him.
“Really, I want to play anywhere that coach puts me. I’ll impact the team in any way I can,” Merrill commented. “I’m just trying to work hard because I’m tired of not playing. I want to play. I want to be on the field and help our team win in any way possible.”
Preseason camp continues tomorrow as the Volunteers hold their 10th practice of the fall. All practices are closed to the public.
Wide Receivers Coach Kelsey Pope
On which receivers have stepped up in fall camp…
“That’s been a long list this camp. We’ve been fortunate. Jalin Hyatt seems like a different guy mentally. Physically, he’s gained about eight to 10 pounds. The competitiveness that he showed last year, he’s channeling it in a different direction. You see him respond the right way. You see him coach guys up when he’s not in. He’s really taken on that accountability role for himself and also the group. Squirrel White has been phenomenal. Chas Nimrod has been a pleasant surprise, along with the guys that are already here. Ramel Keyton had a good camp. He made some really good plays today. The biggest thing with him is to emphasize him being consistent, not only on the underneath stuff, but also challenging him down the field to make those plays consistently. Jimmy Calloway has been another one that’s stood out this camp.”
On if Tennessee’s offense is receiver friendly…
“I think it’s absolutely that and it’s a message to the younger guys in high school. When you’re looking for an offense to really be prolific in, you see Ced (Cedric Tillman) and Velus (Jones Jr.) and what they did before we got here and you see what they did when we got here. It’s like something off of a movie. It’s real. You see us at practice every day and it’s a different guy every day who’s able to get touches and show what they have. I think this offense – if you’re a receiver and you want to be productive, you want to get developed and you want to be a guy – I think this offense for sure is a receiver-friendly offense, no doubt.”
On if any of the slot receivers are able to be moved to the outside…
“The first one that comes to mind is (Jalin) Hyatt, just because he played significant snaps in the slot last year. A lot of times when you have guys playing multiple positions, you want them to master one. Once they master that, then you can start to dive into other things. There are a couple of other guys who we can get to later on. I wouldn’t say ‘mastered the slot,’ but Hyatt’s the first to come to mind. We can definitely do that.”
On Squirrel White’s counter for defenses being physical with him…
“Don’t get touched. Now, obviously sometimes you have to be ready to play with your hands. With a guy like that, you have to play in your wheelhouse. Squirrel’s not the world’s strongest man. He probably never will be, he knows that. He could definitely be the world’s fastest man, so you play within your wheelhouse. That would be different than a guy like Ced Tillman. His strength is his physicality. You want to embrace that and play through that.”
On if being able to plug in productive wide receivers helps his recruiting message…
“Absolutely, it continues to help us create our brand. That’s it. Our brand is offense. Obviously, it’s the tempo. We’re high-powered. It’s receiver-friendly. Receivers from any form of life and any shape or size can come in this offense and be successful. I think, to your point, the more that you do that and the more you have prolific receivers, the more it just adds to your brand. It’s no different than what our head coach does. He’s always got a quarterback, no matter where he is. He’s done that consistently. His brand has been that because of his history. That’s what we’re trying to do at the wideout position.”
On his impressions of Bru McCoy during fall camp…
“Bru has been a pleasant surprise. He’s been really good. For a guy who hasn’t played in a season, he obviously has had to build stamina back up. But, when you talk about just a physical specimen, some things you can coach and some things you can’t. That guy has a lot of things that you just can’t coach. For him, it’s just honing in on the details and getting it polished up for him really to become a technician. He’s a big athlete. He’s physical, twitchy and he can run. For us, it’s just about being able to get his stamina up, get him back in shape and then polish up the little things with him.”
On how long it takes for a wide receiver to learn Tennessee’s offense…
“It varies. It depends on what kind of learner you are. Some guys are visual, some guys are kinesthetic, some guys can get on the board and write. I think for Bru, he’s a kinesthetic guy. He’s not a rep guy at all, but he’s a kinesthetic learner. In our walkthrough in the afternoon when he’s not in the game and when he’s watching the guy who’s in, he’s taking mental reps on the side and walking through reps. All of those things are extremely important for him, especially since we’ve got to catch up his stamina. He’s got to take advantage of the rest when he’s not physically going.”
On how he helps ensure that Jalin Hyatt’s improvement translates to games…
“That’s the biggest thing. You have to make sure they translate during the season. For me and for Jalin, even before I got promoted, when I was still the QC last year, any time I would talk to him or pass him in the hallway, I would remind him about putting those things on tape. That’s ultimately what you want. If we have 10 good practices and then on Saturday he doesn’t show up, you don’t like that result. Staying on him and not giving any leeway (is important). Sometimes, that gets annoying. Sometimes he’s tired of hearing me talk and he gets annoyed seeing my face, but you have to stay on him until he proves that he’s able to carry that on his own with his own individual habits.”
On preparing receivers for multiple roles and the consistency among the group…
“The way we train them is any time we are installing anything, it is full concept. Guys have to know the full concept. Even if you are the outside receiver, you should know what the slot receiver is doing because your job dictates his. When we are on the grass, you are learning one position initially, and as they master it, then we can move them inside. But as far as learning, everyone is learning full concept.”
“And the consistency piece, I think that was the biggest thing today. We are past the halfway point in camp. Guys’ bodies are starting to get tired, and it becomes more of a mental game. In order to be consistent, it is all details and execution. The first week, everyone is jacked up on Mountain Dew, fired up and ready to go. Now, when your body is tired, this separates the elite from the average guy. So, the details and execution are what is going to help you be consistent. Coach Heupel talks about competitive composure. In order to be competitive when you are tired, you have to stay composed when the bullets are flying, and that detail piece has to be incorporated. That is what has allowed us to be consistent over the last couple days. Scrimmage showed that we had some plays that we left on the field, but for the most part, I feel like we were really consistent with our tempo and operation. It was a solid day.”
On Walker Merrill’s performance in camp…
“Walker has had a really good camp. Last spring, he had a knee injury that he had to work through, so he was just working back at camp. He has been really good. He plays harder than anyone on the field, so he is always going to give himself a chance to be successful.”
On the competition between the receivers…
“I think we have done a good job of placing guys in different spots, placing guys with the ones or the twos to create competition in the room. A lot of times with these guys, competition is the best influence. When you see a guy behind you like Squirrel White, Chas Nimrod or Kaleb Webb, ready to do anything they can to get on the field, you are going to get more sense of urgency when it is time to play. I think that is what creates competition, guys behind you being urgent and pushing you every day.”
On the consistency of Jimmy Calloway…
“He has been better. Jimmy is a guy that has to have a routine. When he gets out of a routine, he can kind of become inconsistent. He has definitely been better, but I think that our environment has created that. Our head guy does a great job of creating an environment where guys can be successful. You need guys to be positive and energetic, and usually when you are in that environment you are going to be the best version of yourself. Coach Heupel does a great job of creating an environment where guys can be successful. There’s not a lot of long faces, not a lot of bad body language. He does a good job of creating environments where guys like Jimmy can become the best version of themselves.”
On how many receivers will get opportunities to start the season…
“We are going to play the guys that are ready to play. If we got two guys that are ready to play, we will play 12 personnel and play two receivers. If we got 10 that can play, we will roll in the platoon. I am not a believer in just throwing guys out there that do not know what they are doing. The guys that can play who have proved that and been consistent and showed that they are competitive enough that they can do that snap in and snap out, those are the guys that are going to play, whether it’s two or 20. Whoever is ready to play is going to be on the field.”
On the recruiting process that comes along with being an assistant coach…
“It was definitely a transition, but transitions have an ending point, and that goes back to the environment. If you are in an environment where you are expected to recruit and it is set aside daily for you to recruit, then that transition is going to be a lot shorter than if you are on your own and no one else is setting that expectation. That transition was seamless because Coach Heupel has things in our daily schedule that is pertaining directly to recruiting and recruiting only. So, you build habits naturally and you are able to be successful when transitioning into situations like that.”
On how younger receivers handle a lack of playing time…
“I think this game is really indicative about the way you live your life. There will be a bunch of times where you are bummed out or you are not satisfied, or something hurts your feelings. The way you respond to this game, that will be the way you respond in life when you are 40 or 50 years old, and you come home, and your kid is suspended. You cannot put your head down and mope around the house all day. Velus [Jones Jr.] didn’t play the first couple of games last season. He had that exact situation. What he decided to do was respond the right way. I had that exact conversation with him, and it changed the trajectory of his season and probably will change the trajectory of his life. He is in a position he always wanted to be in. He’s got the bull by the horns right now, and it is simply because of the way he responded in a time where he had unfortunate circumstances and was down. He responded the right way, and now he is where he is. The cool thing about that is, Jalin Hyatt saw that firsthand, and I am sure that is why he is urgent and mentally in a different space. Cedric Tillman saw it firsthand. I saw it firsthand, and it helped me personally in my own journey. When you have examples like that that you are able to live through, it changes you forever when you see those guys respond the right way.”
Junior WR Jalin Hyatt
On his mindset heading into this season…
“I think motivation-wise, I just want to make better decisions for me. I felt like last season, that wasn’t what I do as far as when I play. Not only that, I want to do well for my teammates. They’re always there. I love every guy here. I think that’s one of the reasons why.”
On which freshman wide receivers have stood out to him during fall camp…
“Squirrel White is great player, fast player. He kind of reminds me of myself when I came as a freshman, you know, kind of small. But one thing about him is that I love his mentality. I love how physical he can be, even with the small frame he has. Chas Nimrod is another great player. I felt like with him on the outside where Cedric Tillman is helping him out, he definitely responded well with Ced helping him and teaching him what to do with press or anything like that. We’re in the SEC. You’re going to see press about 90 percent of the time. Those outside guys have to be physical with that and I feel like Chas has done great and Squirrel has been great too.”
On how he will stays locked-in throughout the season…
“This is the SEC. We’re the University of Tennessee. We have great guys here, great receivers here. Last year, it taught me well, but if you don’t play to the standard where you need to be at, you’re going to be on the side, you’re not going to be playing. We’re here at the University of Tennessee. There are great athletes and great receivers here. The reason why I work so hard is I want to do it for these teammates. I want their respect. I feel like when I go out there, especially this year, I feel like I’m the best slot in the country. That’s what I want to do every day.”
Senior WR Ramel Keyton
On things he has improved on in the offseason…
“I think my release has gotten a little better, I’m still working on that. Top of route things, just fixing up that. My deep ball, catching them. I got a little better on that but I got to focus on attacking them more, being more consistent down the field, things like that. Making explosive plays. Blocking, that’s another thing, I got to be consistent on that. Then just playing fast, playing urgent. Getting my feet set, things like that, for tempo.”
On the differences in Hendon Hooker compared to last year…
“I think he stepped up as a better leader. He’s trying to get everybody focused on the details and not making the same mistake twice. That’s a real thing that he’s trying to focus on. Just getting the connection with everybody.
On his skillset in a fast tempo system…
“Really expanding the field. Pushing the tempo, pushing verticals, all the things like that. That’s going to help open up everything else. So, I think speed is good for that.”
Sophomore WR Walker Merrill
On how he feels compared to last year…
“Physically, I’d say I feel a lot better than I felt last year. I really took the weight room seriously and I can see changes in my body from this year to last year. I feel better running. Condition-wise, I feel better. I’d say that me taking the weight room seriously, that really impacted the way that camp is going right now.”
On if he plays better in the slot or as an outside receiver…
“Really, I want to play anywhere that coach puts me. I’ll impact the team in any way I can. I’m just trying to work hard because I’m tired of not playing. I want to play. I want to be on the field and help our team win in any way possible.”
On his performance so far during fall camp…
“I think I’ve made some plays, but I think our whole receiving corps has done a great job of also making plays. I’ve definitely made improvements. I’ve taken a step from freshman year to sophomore year. I think throughout the whole receiving group I feel like we’ve made a great stride of making plays, and that’s what we need to be doing to win games.”