Jeremy Pruitt Says Harrison Bailey 'Really Shined' During Recent Practice

Harrison Bailey has only had a handful of practices since arriving at Tennesee in January.

Yesterday, Tennessee's Offensive Coordinator Jim Chaney said, "I think Harrison is going to be a solid football player for us here. He's learning. It's the same thing just like those young freshmen wideouts. They're all learning everything. Unfortunately, Harrison got here early but we only got two days of spring. It would have been really nice to have had him all spring and see where he would be at today," Chaney said during Thursday's media call.

Chaney went on to say of Bailey, "Yesterday, he threw some very nice balls for us. It's interesting to see how he continues to grow. It's obvious that some of the concepts he has a grasp on. He plays fast and makes good decisions and there's other ones that he's a little confused on and plays a little slower. He looks to me like every other freshman quarterback I've had to deal with. They are just learning, but once they know, they play quick and fine. I am pleased with Harrison as he continues to develop."

Today, Jeremy Pruitt said Bailey 'shined' during a recent portion of practice.

Pruitt elaborated by saying, “Harrison didn’t practice for the first couple of days, but at our last practice, I thought he had a period there, where he really kind of shined, taking care of the football, getting the ball out of his hands."

Pruitt continued by saying, "Just like any freshman, he needs tons of reps. He needs it at the speed that the game is in college, and the more reps he gets, the better he will get. Just like any other young player. So, he’s just got to continue to get opportunities.”

Bailey's opportunities will have to wait as Pruitt also announced the Vols will not hold practice today, in an attempt to mitigate the potential spread of COVID-19.

Pruitt said, "we had a few more positive tests, so I elected to shut practice down. We retested everybody again this morning to see where we’re at. Our number one priority here is to be able to protect everybody associated with our program, and that’s what we’re going to continue to do.”

The Vols still have time to get in all 25 practices, as Pruitt would not later in his press conference.