Vols Thursday Practice Notes

I like to pass along a few tidbits from the day that stand out to me as newsworthy. Feel free to add your thoughts by clicking on “comments”.

–Adam Myers White has caught Coach Fulmer’s attention. According to Fulmer, “Adam has probably made more progress physically in one year than any of them.”

-Everybody still wants to know who the top receivers are going to be and if any of the newcomers are going to break into the rotation. Fulmer is not giving any hints on who the top three might be in Saturday’s scrimmage. “It just depends on the personnel and who we send out there first”.

–Quintin Hancock has officially been called out by Coach Trooper Taylor. Taylor went on record today describing Hancock’s play as “awful”.

-It’s not a big surprise this early in practice but according to Kurt Roper, of all the tailbacks fighting for that third string spot vacated by LaMarcus Coker, walk-on Roy Olasmibo has the best grasp of the offense.

Injuries:

–Elix Wilson has suffered a tear of his MCL in his knee and will be out for two to three weeks. He is expected to be available for the season opener if needed.

–Kenny O’Neal is still missing from practice with a hamstring injury. He impressed early on but it’s going to be difficult to work his way into the rotation from the sidelines. Fulmer offered no hint of a time frame for his return. “I’ll trust the trainers that they’ll get him back out there as soon as they can.”

Bruce Pearl:

-I’ve always said that Bruce Pearl is always selling. He always finds a way to put a great spin on everything. Not only is the basketball team’s trip to Europe going to better prepare us for the upcoming season, it’s also going to allow Pearl to better help his players after they graduate. “I don’t sell the NBA, because if you’re good enough to play there, you’ll probably get there with or without me,’’ Pearl said. “But throughout my career we’ve been successful at placing players in Europe because of our experiences at Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Southern Indiana.’’

Award Watch:

-Tennessee senior Erik Ainge is among the early quarterbacks to watch for the 2007 Manning Award, presented by the Allstate Sugar Bowl. The winner will be determined by a selected panel of national media covering college football, as well as each of the Mannings.