How Tennessee's Newcomers Fared in Open Practice Setting

Josh Heupel's team returned to Neyland Stadium on Saturday morning for a practice that was open to public viewing. It allowed fans and media alike the opportunity to watch a Heupel practice and get a glimpse of what things will look like in the future. It is important to remember that Tennessee is just eight practices into what is going to be a difficult rebuild, so there is no need for any snap judgments. However, the event was not only the first look at Heupel's plan, but it was the first look at several new faces that were not with the program last season.

Tennessee had eleven early enrollees come to campus in January, and Hendon Hooker transferred in,  making twelve newcomers in total. Those numbers dwindled due to Aaron Willis, Isaac Washington, and Kaidon Salter suspended indefinitely. For today's event, eight of Tennessee's newcomers were full participants, with Tiyon Evans, a limited participant. The VR2 on SI staff shares their newcomer report here.  

Byron Young

The former junior college standout continues to impress this spring. Young ran with the ones on Saturday for most of the outing, as Tyler Baron was a limited participant, and he seemed to make the most of his opportunity. He appears to be suited to play all three downs for the Vols.

Jaylen Wright

Wright had an impressive first scrimmage on Thursday, and he continued his hot streak today. Wright appears to be the Vols fastest back, as previously advertised. He is known for his world-class track speed, and he showed out at times today. He looked good in the open field and ran well in between the tackles. For a speed back, Wright was not easy for Tennessee's defense to bring down. With Jabari Small not present and Tiyon Evans limited in participation, Wright made the most of some extra carries.

Andison Coby

The former JUCO  wide receiver had a quiet day today. He made one nice, leaping catch in one-on-ones. However, he did not flash throughout the rest of the day. Physically, Coby looks the part and should contribute for Tennessee, even if on special teams this fall.

Walker Merrill

Merrill made a couple of really nice grabs throughout the day, and he had one drop on a ball he had to lay out for at the last second. Merrill is known for his work ethic and high football IQ, and that was apparent today. The freshman receiver seemed to be comfortable in Tennessee's offense, and he routinely worked his way open when the quarterbacks moved outside of the pocket.

William Parker

Parker looked the part at right tackle. He worked with the twos through most of the individual drills I was able to see, and he had a few snaps with the twos during the team setting. He split some time with RJ Perry and both looked like natural athletes. Parker was always quick to admit during his recruitment that he wanted to receive more coaching, and he seems to be liking what he is getting from Tennessee. He still has work to do, but he could see some time in the rotation this fall.

Miles Campbell

The tight ends spent most of their time on the far side of the will working different drills with Alex Golesh, and Campbell seems to be meshing well. He may have been nursing a minor ankle injury, as he looked to favor it a couple of times during routes on air. He has added good weight, and he showed natural hands a few times today. Alex Golesh is very hands-on with the group, and Campbell's game has continued to grow since the first time we saw him this spring.

Hendon Hooker

Hooker ran with the ones today, as per the rotation Tennessee has used this spring. His consistency remains a bit of an issue. However, he did show his ability to move outside the pocket and deliver on the run today. Hooker struggled with some red-zone throws into tight coverage at times. Still, he did deliver one nice ball during one on ones to where only Walker Merrill could grab it. His timing was off on some other throws allowing the defender to recover or make a play on the ball, but he did a solid job of protecting the ball most of the day.

Christian Charles

I have raved about Charles since he was in high school. He was a local kid, who Tennessee did an excellent job of keeping quiet. He has been limited for most of the spring, but his skill set was on full display today. He flew around the field and made a really nice play tracking down a Brian Maurer throw to make a one-handed interception. Charles will certainly impact for the Vols on special teams, but it is going to be hard to keep him out of the DB rotation. Tennessee's previous staff planned to use him as a cornerback, but he played safety today, and it seems to fit his skillset. It was a solid outing for the do-it-all athlete.