Is The New Pitch Clock Silly?
Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel wasn’t shy about how impressed he has been with Tennessee’s 14 new early enrollees. From how they have started the grind in the weight room, to their mentality during film study, to the way they carry themselves in off-the-court activities like appearances at Tennessee basketball games, Heupel has taken note of his new players.
While speaking with VolQuest’s Brent Hubbs in a video posted to YouTube on Thursday, Heupel gave his first impressions of the new Tennessee early enrollees and what exactly they have done to make them stand out so distinctly.
“Man, 14 guys that have showed up on campus, have maybe had two things that they’ve missed in the entire lead up to spring ball,” Heupel said in the interview with VolQuest. “I have never been around a group that has acted this mature when first stepping on campus. Who they are and how they go about their business, they’ve bought into it right from the jump. They have developed and they are a real piece of this football team already.”
It’s not that the players are doing well, on their own, in a little newcomer bubble. It’s the fact that the newcomers are already weaving their way into the culture that has already been established into the building.
“They’re so inner woven into our locker room at this point,” Heupel said. “I think that’s really unique and guys that will be really strong leaders for us. Guys that have gotten up and spoken in team meetings already. That’s the rarest of rare. And do it in a way that veterans accept it and love it.”
There has been a substantial culture change in the locker room since Heupel and his staff took over just about 13 months ago. During training camp last fall, players constantly raved about how much fun it was to be in the building during the off-season because of the new vibes inside of the program. Now, that is the type of environment that Tennessee’s recruits will be stepping into on day one. A culture that is built on family values, trust, and competition.
“You know, our old guys have done a great job of spending extra time with them,” Josh Heupel said. “I mean we’re in the mornings now. They go to class from, let’s say, 12 to 4:30/5 o clock. And in the building at 6:30 at night, you’ll see the entire defensive line group working with each other, doing extra, wide receivers the same way. It’s the way it’s supposed to be and we’re starting to build that culture of doing extra and doing it together.”
Tennessee’s 14 early enrollees are as follows:
- IOL – Mo Clipper Jr.
- OT – Brian Grant
- LB – Elijah Herring
- QB – Tayven Jackson
- WR – Cam Miller
- OT – Gerald Mincey
- IOL – Addison Nichols
- WR – Chas Nimrod
- DL – Jordan Phillips
- WR – Kaleb Webb
- DL – Tyre West
- WR – Marquarius White
- CB – Dee Williams
- RB – Justin Williams
During the Vols’ home basketball game against Arkansas last weekend, Tennessee Football’s early enrollees were brought out onto the court during a timeout to a massive reaction from the crowd.
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“This young group has done a great job off of the field in who they are,” Josh Heupel said. “I love the talent and what they’ve done in the weight room, all of those things. I think as we go through spring ball we’re going to find some guys that will be ready to compete and help us next fall.”
New semester. New faces.
Meet our early enrollees ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/NxCZAd5X3X
— Tennessee Football (@Vol_Football) January 24, 2022
