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A Quick Look: Players who would be affected the most by the cancellation of Spring Practice

A Quick Look: Players who would be affected the most by the cancellation of Spring Practice
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Sports are temporarily on hold amid the outbreak of the Corona Virus or Covid-19 pandemic. In the last week, the NCAA canceled Winter and Spring championships, in turn putting a temporary hold on spring football practice across the nation. Jeremy Pruitt’s team was just getting started in what was shaping up to be a pivotal Spring for many players in the 3rd year of his tenure. We take a look at the several players who would be affected the most if Tennessee does not get to finish with some semblance of the annual spring practices.

Jordan Allen

Allen has yet to find a consistent role in Tennessee's system since signing with the Vols in the 2018 class. When the initial Spring rosters were released, it was announced he would move tight end to start this campaign. Allen needed this time to try to make a move in a rotation expected to be filled with competition. Austin Pope was an unsung hero during the 2019 season for the Vols, but there is a big void to fill with Dominick Wood-Anderson graduating. Jackson Lowe, Sean Brown, and Jacob Warren all factor into this spot, so Allen cannot afford to lose any reps if he hopes to finally find the field.

Jaylen McCollough

The former four-star safety out of Hillgrove (GA) was one of the prized pieces of Jeremy Pruitt's 2019 signing class. McCollough started at safety in six games for the Vols in 2019, and he totaled 33 tackles while appearing in all thirteen games. McCollough is now tasked with taking over for multi-year starter Nigel Warrior, and this Spring is key in his growth as an on-field leader. McCollough is the guy dubbed to fill Warrior's shoes, as not only a high caliber player but as the vocal leader of the Tennessee secondary. Creating takeaways is key in Pruitt's defensive system, and having a competent vocal leader on the back end plays a big role in that. McCollough is a film room junkie, but there is no replacement for live reps. McCollough was a PFF all-freshman honorable mention, so he has some expectations ahead of his sophomore campaign.

Eric Gray

Gray started the year churning out yardage during the Vols ugly skid, but he hit a freshman wall during the midpoint of the season. Gray quickly made his presence felt during the late stretch when he exploded for a combined 366 total yards and four touchdowns against Vanderbilt and Indiana. Gray started to emerge as the feature back Tennessee fans have yearned for, but he needed to take over at the spot this Spring. The running back room is still crowded with Ty Chandler and Tim Jordan both looking for their fair share of carries, and freshmen Len'neth Whitehead and Tee Hodge coming in over the Summer. This Spring was the opportunity that Gray needed to take over the job, but we will now see if that happens. If spring practice does not happen, then touches during fall camp will surely be much more limited with more guys coming in, especially if Tennessee was to land five-star North Shore (TX) back, Zachary Evans.

The Entire receiver room

No, this is not a single player, but there are multiple prospects in this group that needed a big spring. Deangelo Gibbs has been taking scout team reps for over a year, and this spring was going to be his chance to showcase his skills while running with the 1's. Many expect Gibbs to be that physical presence that now needs to be filled with Jauan Jennings leaving. Velus Jones was already off to a solid start this spring, and he is looking to finish out his career with a bang on Rocky Top after a lackluster few years at Southern Cal. Jones is a guy that can be a game-breaker for the Vols, but now he could have to wait until the fall before he has a chance to prove it. Ramel Keyton and Cedric Tillman are two young guys that have an opportunity to grab playing time at the position. Keyton flashed his ability at times last season, but with his old high school quarterback, Harrison Bailey arriving on campus, Keyton was expected to turn some heads this spring. Brandon Johnson is the final guy in this room with something left to prove. He redshirted last season so that he could return for another year and see more action. This spring was his opportunity to begin his prove-it campaign. This room is going to be filled with competition all year long, but

JJ Peterson

This spring may have not been more pivotal for any player than JJ Peterson. Peterson is an athletic freak, but he has yet to make an impact on Rocky Top. He is finally healthy, and there is a limited number at the inside linebacker position right now. The only thing stopping Peterson from locking down the inside spot beside Henry To'oto'o was himself. Increased reps, more hands-on teaching, and newfound health looked like all of the opportunities that Peterson needed. The room suddenly gets crowded over the Summer when Bryson Eason, Martavius French, and Len'Neth Whitehead, who could play at the spot, all show up. Only time will tell if Peterson will get that opportunity.

Harrison Bailey and Jarrett Guarantano

Bailey has been prepping for this spring practice for months. He is fully aware of the lofty expectations ahead of him and more than ready to embrace them. However, it is always tough for a freshman to win the quarterback battle, let alone do it without spring practices. Bailey needed to string together impressive spring and fall camps to be the Week 1 starter for Tennessee, and cancelation of the entire spring would be detrimental to his efforts. You are probably saying why does Guarantano needs to be in this then. While missing out on the spring would seemingly help him hold onto his role as the starting quarterback, he needs every opportunity to prove to this staff and his teammates that he is the guy to get them over the hump. He will be the first to tell you that he needs all of the reps he can get.

There is still a glimmer of hope that teams across the country will get to hold some form of spring practice after all of the necessary prevention measures are taking to combat this virus.