Notes and Observations From Tennessee’s Tuesday Morning Practice
Tennessee returned to the practice field on Tuesday morning for practice No. 6 of fall camp. VR2 on SI’s Jake Nichols was in attendance for the outing, and we share the observations from today here.
Jimmy Holiday and Kaemen Marley both worked out on the side during the observation period. Linebacker William Mohan was back with the linebackers today after working out on the side yesterday during media observation period.
Quarterbacks
This group worked on bubble screens with the running backs and minus a miss from Brian Maurer, this was a pretty solid outing from the entire group. During routes on air, Milton and Bailey paced the way with each looking comfortable today as they worked throwing curls and comebacks to the sidelines. Each guy threw the ball well across the middle. Today was the most consistent day for the entire group as there were minimal misfires.
Running Backs
The running backs worked with the quarterbacks on a bubble route from the slot. There are some natural pass catchers in this group, and this is something you should expect this fall as Tennessee will get creative with ways to get these playmakers in space. Jabari Small continues to pace the way here.
Wide Receivers
Yesterday’s theme was deep balls and today’s was short, quick-hitters. The group looked more comfortable in and out of their breaks today and the amount of drops decreased today as well. Overall, today was the best we have seen from this group this fall. Velus Jones is the undoubted leader in this room. Walker Merrill continues to come on strong here.
Tight Ends
Miles Campbell returned to full strength today. Campbell appeared to be battling a stomach virus yesterday, but he was back working through drills today. He continues to impress with his technique. Julian Nixon continues to receive some more individual attention from Alex Golesh as he is struggling at times to grasp what the tight ends coach expects during drills.
Offensive Line
This group worked through foot work in their pass protection sets as Glen Elarbee watched closely. Their did not appear to be a change in the pecking order here. Cooper Mays continues to work exclusively at center with others around him taking reps. Cade Mays continues to be flexible in the positions he plays, and Darnell Wright continues to work at left tackle with Dayne Davis flexing to both tackle spots.
Defensive Line
This group worked on lateral movement, pad height, and punching the ball out during the observation period. It has been hard to identify a true pecking order here. Matthew Butler, Omari Thomas, and Da'Jon Terry continue to look crisp. Tyler Baron will play with his hand in the dirt some this fall. He looks comfortable. As the outside linebackers work with the defensive line during our viewing periods, Byron Young continues to receive plenty of praise during drills. He is going to be tough to keep off the field this fall.
Linebackers and Defensive Backs
Both of these group continues to work turnovers circuit early on. Juwan Mitchell continues to pass the eye test with his natural athleticism. He looks like the alpha in this room. Kamal Hadden was back with the defensive back groups for the second day, and he is physical and well put together. According to one source, Hadden has impressed during team drills with his ability to press and play physical on the outside. He had a strong spring at Auburn before transferring, and he continues to build on that this fall.
