Josh Heupel Provides Update On Pair of Injured Starters Ahead of Alabama

Tennessee traveled to Baton Rouge on Saturday and took down LSU without two starters in wide receiver Cedric Tillman and left tackle Gerald Mincey. On Monday,

Tennessee traveled to Baton Rouge on Saturday and took down LSU without two starters in wide receiver Cedric Tillman and left tackle Gerald Mincey. On Monday, Heupel provided an update on each player. 

Coming into the game, it was no secret that Tillman would likely not make the trip to Baton Rouge, but there is a lot of optimism around his chances to play on Saturday, which Heupel also conveyed on Monday afternoon.

"Cedric is doing good," Heupel said of his star receiver. "Part of the reason he had the surgery was to try and be back for this one. He continued to progress over the weekend. We will monitor him as the week goes on. At the end of the day, our medical team will monitor him, they and Cedric will make the right decision for him, now and in the future too. "

However, Mincey was a late scratch that left Tennessee down an important piece of its offensive line. 

"He just wasn't available (against LSU)," Heupel said of Mincey. "We anticipate him being able to play in this one."

This caused Tennessee to lean on a rotation at the pivotal tackle spot. 

"Dayne (Davis), with (Gerald) Mincey not going, JJ playing, we had planned just, Coach (Glenn) Elarbee, there was going to be a rotation at that spot," Heupel said following the win over LSU. JJ wasn’t going to go the entire way the entire day. So it just kind of, within the flow of the game, an opportunity to get JJ some rest and get Dayne in the football game."

If Tennessee is able to get both of these guys back for Saturday's contest, the Vols will be as healthy as they have been all season long. 

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