The Vols held their annual student appreciation practice on Saturday afternoon at Neyland Stadium. Here are some notes and observations from the two-hour session:
Offense comes out on top: For the second week in a row, the offense came out on top in the situational scrimmage. The players on that side of the ball will get to continue to wear the Smokey gray helmets and orange jerseys in practice next week, just as they did over the past week.
Circle of Life drill: The Vols got practice started with the Circle of Life Drill, and perhaps the most intriguing matchup of the spring was big brother Ethan Wolf against little brother Eli Wolf, who has been a pleasant surprise for the Vols this spring. Believe it or not, it was the younger Wolf who not only hung with, but also ultimately got the best of big brother despite a size and age disadvantage. Eli Wolf might be working himself into the conversation for at least the third tight end spot this fall. Be sure to check out the video.
Kahlil McKenzie had a nice turn against projected starting center Coleman Thomas. Vincent Perry gave up several inches to fellow receiver Jeff George, but was still able to put George on his back in an impressive rep. As usual, Jauan Jennings got a little feisty during his rep against Marquill Osborne. Drew Richmond also had a pretty good rep against senior defensive end LaTroy Lewis.
Injury update: Colton Jumper was the only player who participated in the scrimmage in a green, non-contact uniform. Linebacker Elliott Berry and running back John Kelly, players who have been in green jerseys earlier this spring, were full-go on Saturday afternoon. Butch Jones confirmed that defensive end Darrell Taylor was among the players they held out on Saturday.
In attendance: In addition to the 1,000 or so students that showed up on Saturday for Student Appreciation Day, a few hundred family members of players were also present, in addition to VFLs Eric Berry, Ramon Foster and Inky Johnson.
Windy conditions: High winds made the vertical passing game difficult on Saturday, and Butch Jones noted that there needs to be more progress there. Kicker Aaron Medley fared well in the gusty conditions, however, hitting a simulated game-winning kick at one point with the students in addition providing some noise. Medley was on the mark for much of the day, from what I could tell.
Who stood out:
• RB Alvin Kamara: Hurd and Kamara haven’t done a ton of work this spring in scrimmage-like settings, but they both got some reps on Saturday. It was Kamara who turned in the biggest play of the day, racing down the right sideline for an 80-ish yard touchdown. He, as usual, made it look pretty easy, smiling as he made the final few strides into the end zone.
• DE Corey Vereen: The senior can be the forgotten with all the other talent at defensive end, but he’s a guy that continues to play well.
Others I thought did some good things: OL Brett Kendrick, DT Kahlil McKenzie, LB Elliott Berry, CB Marquill Osborne, WR Jauan Jennings, WR Vincent Perry
