Martinez Discusses Early Impact From Transfers Turrentine and Walker

Andre Turrentine and Wesley Walker both left the state of Tennessee coming out of high school. Turrentine opted for Ohio State and Walker opted for Georgia Tech, but in the end, they both took different routes to end up in Knoxville. 

Now, after joining the Vols in the summer, they are both already making an impact in Tennessee's secondary during fall camp. Defensive Backs coach Willie Martinez discussed what he has seen from the duo on Friday morning.

"Athleticism is the first thing that comes to mind," Martinez said of what he has seen in their development so far. "They give us the opportunity to be flexible in whom we want to move around. They are both athletic. Obviously, Wesley played more than Andre, and that shows. That is not a knock on Andre, because he has made some plays, and each day he looks more comfortable in knowing what to do."

However, the duo just aren't turning heads because of their overall skillset. They are taking all the right steps in approaching each day to work their way up in the rotation. 

"How competitive they are," Martinez said of what he has learned about the duo since they have arrived. "You see the skillsets and how tough a kid is on film, but the attention to detail in the meeting rooms, you can tell it is important to them. They do not want to go on the field not knowing what to do. They ask question after question prior to coming on the field, double-checking and triple-checking. You do not see that on video. They have done a nice job and given themselves a chance to know what to do in our system. That has been the impressive part." 

Both of the incoming transfers have moved around Tennessee's secondary during camp to this point.

"Wesley is. Andre has been bouncing from strong safety and free safety, but Wesley has been doing all three," Martinez said of them playing multiple positions. "He did that at the previous stop and did a really nice job. They have picked up and they understand the standards and expectations of this program. They fit really well in our room. They have leadership qualities. Andre is young. I know Wesley is a little bit older. They have done a great job."

Having the versatility of both of these guys in the secondary is key for what the Vols are trying to build with secondary depth. 

"We really want to play more guys," Martinez said. "We are trying to force ourselves in pushing the guys and obviously myself as a coach to continue to pour in as much as I can to make sure they understand what we're doing in our scheme. They got to prove it on the field. Ideally, we would like to play at least three to four corners, three to four safeties. If anything, it would be five. If you can get that four to five in those positions and obviously STAR is in there. I would say if we could do that it would give us a chance in this league. Obviously, if somebody gets hurt then somebody could just bounce back in there and it's next man mentality and they are ready to play."