Willie Martinez Shares Honest Ty Redmond and Colton Hood Statement

Willie Martinez shares an honest Ty Redmond and Colton Hood statement

Tennessee defensive back Colton Hood (8) during Tennessee football preseason practice, in Knoxville, Tennessee, Aug. 5, 2025. | Caitie McMekin/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Tennessee Volunteers have many different players who have been stepping up in a role that they weren't expected for them. The Vols expected to enter this season with one injury in the DB room at the cornerback position outside of Jourdan Thomas. That injury was the ACL injury that star cornerback Jermod McCoy had during the early months of this year. The Vols DB has been looking to get back in their stride, but that isn't the case.

McCoy has still failed to see the field for the Vols this season, and another Tennessee defensive back has been hurt since the beginning of the season, as he got hurt against the Syracuse Orange in the Vols very first game of the season.

The Vols needed the Tennessee defensive back group to step up. For the most part that is exactly what has happened with true freshman Ty Redmond and Colorado transfer Colton Hood. Hood has been a star for the Vols to the point that the Vols' CB has been considered as a possible first-round draft pick in this upcoming draft, following McCoy being selected.

Willie Martinez recently took the podium to talk about the Tennessee Vols DBs now that Rickey Gibson and Jermod McCoy have been out for quite some time, as he talks about Hood and Redmond, and how big of a role they have stepped up into.

What Willie Martinez Said

Willie Martinez coaches defensive backs at Tennessee Vols football first spring practice, Tuesday, March 22, 2022. Kns Vols Spring Parctice Cm | Caitie McMekin/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK

“They’re doing a really good job on the edges, really are. They’ve been very consistent. They’ve made a bunch of plays. And you can’t play defense if you don’t have those guys on the outside that can force the offense to go a different direction. And I think they’re doing a good job. To compare them to Mod (Jermod McCoy) and to Rickey (Gibson), I think it’s unfair a little bit because they’ve had their success at times this year. And obviously Ty being young, this is his first year, we’re really excited how he’s really continuing to grow each and every week.”

Many would agree that this group isn't to the level of Gibson and McCoy. Them two stepped up tremendously last year, but all four of them together would cause some issues for opposing offenses.

The Vols will be playing against the Alabama Crimson Tide this week in a game that they need to walk away with a win in order to push their playoff hopes up, but even with a loss they can still make it.

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