In a sea of bad injury reports for Tennessee, the Vols got some good news on several players, including Jalen Hurd, who missed the Texas A&M game and a majority of the end of the Georgia game the week before as well.
Butch Jones said on the SEC teleconference that Hurd will be “ready to go” against No. 1 Alabama on Saturday (3:30 pm ET) as the Vols look to knock off the Tide for the first time since 2006.
Hurd will join a Tennessee backfield that is again well-stocked on depth after Alvin Kamara put up a school record of 312 all-purpose yards against the Aggies on Saturday. Sophomore John Kelly also had a career-best performance with 13 carries for 89 yards.
Jones also said during his local media session on Wednesday, that linebacker Jalen Reeves-Maybin remains out and there’s “no timetable” for his return. Multiple reports came out last week that Reeves-Maybin will be out for the season, but Jones denied that earlier in the week.
Linebacker Darrin Kirkland Jr. is a “game-time” decision, per Jones. Offensive lineman Dylan Wiesman is the only player Jones said he would classify as “highly questionable to doubtful,” though he stopped short of ruling him out. Coleman Thomas would likely get the start in Wiesman’s spot should he not be able to go.
All-in-all, the Vols came out decently well after an extremely tough week on the injury front. They’ll be without some key players, but Jones noted that this team has been resilient all season.
“I would say (this is) one of the most resilient teams just because of all the things they’ve been through in a relatively short time,” he said. “What I’ve seen is a never-quit mentality. They don’t blink, they don’t flinch.”
