Tennessee defensive coordinator Tim Banks and offensive coordinator Joey Halzle met with the local media on Tuesday afternoon the day before the Vols opened up fall practice.
Banks discussed building his defense from the front back, a number of young players stepping up into bigger roles and much more. Halzle discussed how Tennessee’s offense can improve from last season, his expectations for Nico Iamaleava and much more.
Here’s everything each said before Tennessee begins Josh Heupel’s fourth fall camp.
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Defensive Coordinator Tim Banks
On Arion Carter’s offseason and the expectations for him this fall
“We are really excited about AC (Arion Carter), he has had a really good camp and when I say camp you know in terms of strength and conditioning and obviously some things we will allow him to do. The biggest thing if I am being honest is just his growth mentally. He has always been a really good athlete, but he has worked really hard to help the game slow down so to speak. He will obviously have a big role coming out of camp when we decide exactly what that is, but we are really excited about it. He showed us enough last year as a freshman to get us going and obviously missed spring, but picking up after spring and in terms of the fall I think he will be ready to go.”
On his impression of Coach William Inge
“Coach Inge is just a great guy. I knew he was a really good football coach. I had a chance to coach against him at some other different places and I loved the way his linebackers worked, so he has not disappointed in terms of how he teaches, the way the kids have gravitated to him is kind of what I expected. I think the biggest thing that I really enjoyed is the way he mentors the kids. He is just a really good guy, I think our guys are really taken to him and I am really excited to see what the product looks like this season, but if the spring and early side of this summer is any indicator I think those linebackers will be ready to go because of his leadership.”
On the impact of Jermod McCoy, Jakobe Thomas, and others who are bringing a lot of experience
“I will start with McCoy [Jermod McCoy], he had a really good spring. The early summer feedback that I have gotten, he has done a really great job. He is not the most vocal guy but he is working toward it. So, I am excited about him. I think McMurray [Jalen McMurray] is another corner who transferred in. I think he has done a good job. He is really a smart kid who played inside a little bit at Temple. I know he has the ability to do that a little bit for us if we need to. From the corner perspective, super excited about those guys. Jakobe Thomas is kind of that bigger presence that we are looking for, very physical, he showed that in the spring. I think as the game starts to slow down for him a little bit with our playbook, I think you will be able to see some of the athleticism that we saw on tape at Middle Tennessee. We are excited about all those guys, we think we have a really good group of talent based on some of the younger guys and some of the transfers we have brought in. So, I am super excited to watch these guys grow up in camp. I think these guys got a chance to be really good for us.”
On the best thing he has done with his downtime recently
“My wife might say there has not been any downtime, but we had a chance to go to Puerto Rico, you know we enjoyed that. My cousin was renewing her vows, so that was good. You try and spend quality time with your family when you can, but football is never too far way. So, it’s a lot of film watching, a lot of preparation behind the scenes, but we did enjoy Puerto Rico.”
On what he has seen out of Boo Carter
“Yeah, Boo is great energy all the time. He is a guy that is always 100 miles per hour. I think as he continues to grow in our program, he will continue to get a little bit more mature. We definitely like what he brings from a football perspective. He is a kid that works hard and wants to do well. He has shown some maturity, but I think you will see more once he gets his feet wet a little bit.”
On what it means to have a young secondary group
“I think just the overall talent, I know we can run and we have some guys that can pick them up and put them down. I think the overall speed that we have in that room is exciting. I think any time you get the chance to develop, we are coaches, we are teachers first; so it is always great to be able to put your hands on them and watch those guys develop and grow. I think that is what I am most excited about to watch these kids reach their full potential and I think we have some toys and guys we can work with, I think we will see that this season.”
On what the impact of having James Pearce Jr. on this team is to him
“I think James (James Pearce Jr.) he made great strides from his freshman to his sophomore year and I expect him to make even better strides this year. Anytime you have a guy on the edge that can affect the game the way he does, he has a really good first step, he has put on good weight, he has gotten stronger. I tell the defense this in general, we are always trying to create one on ones when we can, and it is their job to win the one on ones. I know James will have the ability to win the one on ones, which obviously gives us great confidence as a defensive staff. I think the sky’s the limit for him. He is super smart, and he works at it. We are expecting him to have a really good year.”
On incoming freshman edge rusher Jordan Ross
“We are super excited about Jordan. The biggest thing to be honest with you is his size. You see those guys during the recruiting process, and I think our strength program has done a tremendous job of getting him stronger and getting him leaner. I just love his size. He is a kid that does not say a ton. It is nothing to walk through the football building to see him somewhere watching tape. I know he is a kid who wants to be great, and his work ethic aligns with that, we are excited for him. I think again as he continues to power through the playbook and take what he is learning from the playbook and apply it on the field. I think he has a chance to impact this program and help us in some way.”
On his thoughts of Jaxson Moi
“Jaxson (Moi) is another transfer that we got. The thing I like about Moi is his versatility. He is big enough to be able to play the nose for us, but he has enough twitch to be able to play the 3-technique. Really smart kid, football is extremely important to him. Our defensive line is extremely deep and I think he is going to be a guy that is going to put himself in a position to be able to help us this season as well.”
On the growth of the defensive line
“It’s everything. If you check my track record, we have always tried to build it from the front to the back. At Tennessee, it is no different. It is exciting. As you mentioned earlier, we did not have that luxury when we first got here in terms of our depth. But we have been very deliberate with our approach in terms of recruiting to make sure we have enough big guys up front. It is still a big guy league. You got to have guys up front that can help you stop the run but you also have to be athletic enough to be able to come off the edge. We have a lot of guys that if they continue to do what we think they can do that will fight for playing time. That is definitely a luxury, not just in this league but in any league. I am super excited for those guys. I love the talent. I love the depth. And I can’t wait to watch them perform this season.”
On evaluating the STAR position
“That’s another great question. Different places I have been, sometimes it has been more cornerish. Some places it has been more hybrid. I think here we have had the luxury to do a little bit of both. But that position is extremely important. We ask them to do a lot from a coverage perspective. But they also have to be great blitzers. They have to be able to get off blocks. We really worked hard between Jourdan Thomas and Christian Harrison and Boo Carter, but if I am being honest we have worked everybody at that position because it is super important. We lost two within the span of a week a year ago and we don’t ever want to be in that situation again. Those three guys I mentioned are very versatile in our defense. They are good athletes. They are tough guys. They also have some cover ability. It is probably one of the more challenging positions on our defense and I am super excited about the three guys I just mentioned.”
On sophomore linebacker Jeremiah Telander’s increased confidence
“You can see his confidence all over his play. He’s always been a smart kid, he has always been a hard working kid. We saw him make a lot of plays in the open field last year and playing our defense you’re going to be in those situations. He did a really good job of making the plays he needed to make this spring. I’ve always been a fan of him. He’s a coach’s kid, super smart and works at it. I’m really anxious to see how he picks up where he left off in the spring and takes it and puts it towards this fall camp. He has a chance to really help this defense and impact it in a positive way.”
On super senior inside linebacker Keenan Pili returning from injury
“Keenan Pili is really smart. He’s played a lot of football. He’s a tough kid and I’m pretty sure he’s healthy at this point and even if he wasn’t he wouldn’t tell us. He’s a kid that’s always trying to do things the right way. He’s worked on being more vocal, like I told him, everybody respects him. He’s a hard worker, it was tragic to miss him last year, but he worked really hard in the spring and had a lot of great tackle opportunities which is awesome for us. I know our trainers wouldn’t put him out there if he wasn’t healthy and he’s been out there a ton. We’re excited about him. Like I said, great leader and for a big guy – as I mentioned earlier – you have to play in space in our defense. He’s shown that he can make plays in space. We always knew he could quarterback the defense so we’re anxious to see him as well.”
On how Temple transfer Jalen McMurray fits in with the team
“I would echo that. He works really hard. He’s a really smart kid. I know he came from a good program and worked extremely hard as well. He fits our culture. Like I said, all the kids love him. We got a lot of competition in that room, but you would never know. Those guys are all buddies, they all hang out. That’s refreshing as a coach because we want guys to compete at a high level. We want guys to want to be the first one off the bus so to speak, but at the same time we want to have that brotherhood where everybody roots for each other and he fits that mold. He’s a heck of a worker and the kids love him.”
On versatile defensive back Christian Charles’ role in the defense
“Yeah he’s kind of an X-factor, I’m glad you asked that question, you know he’s just had what you may consider just some really bad luck since he’s been here, but you know he’s never had a bad day. He keeps his head up, he works, you know he’s always been a kid, he’s really smart and versatile, you know watching the tape against a couple of opponents and I forgot he played corner for us. So, you know we got him at safety right now. I think he can play any three of those spots. You know we mentioned the STAR position and being able to cover and be physical and tough and he fits that narrative as well but he’s definitely going to start off on the hash for us right now. We got a great room. You know guys are competing. I don’t think anybody feels like they’ve won a job to this point and he’ll have just as much of the right to earn the job as anybody. We’re excited for him. Knock on wood he will stay healthy this year and he’ll be able to reach his full potential as well.”
On the depth of the LEO position behind James Pearce
“Yeah, I feel really good about our LEOs. Josh Joseph, he’s rotated in with James a ton last year. Josh, I think some people forget, he started when I started, but he played a ton as a true freshman. Had a solid year last year, but I think he’ll be the first one to tell you, he knows there’s still meat on the bone. So, we’re excited about him. We mentioned Jordan already. That role, honestly, is really deep. There’ll be some situations where we’ll be able to get both of them on the field, no different than what we did last year and the year before that. But I think the competition in that role will continue to push greatness. I think it’ll give James a chance to continue to grow as Josh is with him, and obviously, we mentioned Jordan. So, we just got a lot of guys. I think as we continue to grow with those guys and work through it, I think even Caleb Herring was a guy that did a lot of really good things in the spring as well. We’re anxious to see his development. He did play a little bit for us as a freshman last year. So, it’s obviously the deepest LEO position we’ve had since we have been here, and it needs to be. We ask a lot of those guys, no different than when I was asked about the STAR. We ask those guys to be great coming off the edge, but those guys have to be able to drop, play man in certain situations. So, we think we’ve got the guys to do it. We’re expecting a lot of great production out of that room.”
On how the wide receiver room pushes the secondary in practice
“Iron definitely sharpens iron. Our guys recognize that in the recruiting process. We know we’ll have tremendous receivers year in and year out, you know, we feel like we’re building the backend the same way. So, the more those guys can challenge each other in practice, the better it will be for us in the long run. This is a league that has a ton of great wide receivers and the fact that we get a chance to go against some great ones in practice only helps us.”
On Telander’s position heading into the season
“That’s yet to be determined. Right now, he’s playing inside for us. Depending on the call within our scheme sometimes our linebackers need to play on edges. So, I think he has shown enough versatility in the spring that we have great confidence that he can but I think we’ll find out more as we get into this fall practice.”
Offensive Coordinator Joey Halzle
On his biggest area of personal growth during his first year as an offensive coordinator
“I’ve been talking through that a lot this offseason. For us, with what we are as a tempo team and using that as a weapon and short yardage, long yardage, red zone and all of that type of weapon for us to gain advantages, is making sure to not get handcuffed to it. If you don’t feel like you’re in the right call based on the look that you have, let’s get ourselves in the right call. Let’s move the bodies where we need them to go and try to use that as a weapon to stay on the field instead of always being straight handcuffed to the tempo, which is not something we’re ever going to go away from, but situationally when does it make sense to now move something, let’s get a different guy in the right spot, let’s get the right matchup and go to that one right there.”
On how important it is for younger running backs to develop to have depth behind Dylan Sampson and Cameron Seldon
“It’s huge for us. Dylan was one of our biggest weapons last year and he was the third back in the ballgame. We play a lot of backs here. You have to in this league, especially now going to 17 games if you go through them all. You’re not going to play one back 90 percent of the time and expect him to survive. They have to come along. They’re doing a great job and doing everything we need them to do, but now the pads are going to strap on here in a day or so and we’ll see what these young guys got. We’re expecting them to come out and challenge for time on the field.”
On what transfers have added to the offense
“First thing they add is they’re all great kids. That’s the first thing coming in, they’re great guys in the building. You stick them in day one, and whenever you bring in a transfer there’s always a chance that there is maybe some animosity on a team. We haven’t had any of that, so it’s a testament to them and who they are and then also the guys that we have in this building. We saw it right from the jump in spring ball. As you bring in good players, the level of competition jumps up and the level of play jumps up at every position. It doesn’t matter where, there is nothing that substitutes for competition in a football locker room. Those guys coming in, being the right type of guys, competitive, smart, athletic, it’s been a huge upgrade to our roster.”
On Lance Heard’s biggest adjustment to this offense and where he is going into fall camp
“He’s in a great spot. He does a great job. He’s a really hard worker and a really smart kid. I think for anybody, especially guys that are coming in from a different system, when we go fast it’s just different. It’s not better, it’s not worse, it’s just different. So just him going alright, ‘I’m going through winter. I’m learning all of it, I got this dialed in.’ And now on the first day, man, here it comes ripping 100 miles an hour and he’s like, ‘woah.’ But that’s the thing that also changes the quickest because it is just an adjustment. That’s all it is. He knows what to do, he knows where he’s supposed to go. That will be a huge part in camp is getting more comfortable within the system and the tempo that he just lets that skillset he has take over.”
On how Gaston Moore and Jake Merklinger fit into the offense
“Starting with Gaston, he’s a guy that has been within the system for five years. He’s a guy that knows it inside and out, from the run game, to the RPO game, to the shot game, to anything that we’re doing he can operate efficiently with the tempo. He’s a huge asset to us, which is when he got in the portal at UCF why we knew we wanted to bring him here. He gives that stability, that understanding, and he is a better athlete than people give him credit for. Arm strength-wise, he can make every throw on the field. The guy can drive the football. You guys saw it in the spring game, he is driving a 40 to 50-yard posts down the field right there. Athletically, he can handle it, but mentally, the guy is extremely sharp and understands everything we’re trying to accomplish. With Merk, he’s a kid coming in that one of my favorite things about him in the recruiting process was his competitive nature when you watch him play basketball or play football. That competitive nature accompanied with his intelligence allowed him to attack his offseason training on the board and in the playbook the same way he would attack the football field. He has set himself up to challenge for playing time, which is hard to do in any system, in any league, for a freshman quarterback for step up for you to feel like you can just roll him in there and he’s going to know how to call the play, he’s going to put his eyes in the right spot. Is he going to have some growing pains? Absolutely. He’s a guy that definitely has a chance to contribute as a freshman.”
On running backs coach De’Rail Sims
“Coach Sims is highly intelligent, especially when it comes to any kind of football scheme. If you have any kind of (question about), ‘hey, what about this type of free release stuff? What about this type of zone scheme? Outside? Inside?’ He’s like, ‘yeah, I ran that here, I know this,’ and he’s just going. From that running back position, his knowledge of football is incredible, and he’s going to be a great asset to those guys. He’s super high energy. We haven’t gotten to the season yet, but I’ve always seen him positive in the way he pushes through anything. He walks into my office every morning and he pops his head in. He’s a great energy in the building that goes along with that high-end football intelligence. You put those two things together and he’s been a huge asset for this group.”
On where Nico Iamaleava is in his development
“That’s always the thing when you have a freshman coming in like he was last year. Understanding that he was in that two-spot, it’s like how do we give this guy enough to go play well but not absolutely burden him to the point where he’s not playing fast or showing off his athleticism? He got that version of the offense last year and excelled at it in a high way. Just watching that kid in the spring scrimmages after he’d been here for two months and it’s like man this guy just gets it on the football side of the ball. Now, getting to take this whole offseason and really dive into the intricacies of understanding why are we calling certain things in certain situations? Why are we doing things a certain way? Why are we switching our protection? He is blossoming in that. I think we are going to see his play go to an even higher level, which is a scary thing to think about because just his natural ability to step on a football field and go play well is elite. Now, he’s got to go do it with live bullets for 17 straight games this year, but we’re really excited about where he’s at mentally in this process.”
On the development of the tight ends this offseason
“All three of those guys (Ethan Davis, Miles Kitselman, Holden Staes), and really with the entire room, Coach (Alec Abeln) has done a great job getting everybody where they need to go. I’m really excited for this fall camp. Holden and Miles had a great spring, but they had only been here for two months. I’m looking for them to make that jump to an even higher understanding, where they can even cut it loose to a higher degree. I’m really excited about what that tight end room holds, things we can do differently with them this year and getting to use that room as a weapon. I’m excited for that one to play out this fall camp.”
On transitioning from Joe Milton III to Nico Iamaleava at quarterback
“I guess we’ll kind of find out this season. For everything you think you know about a guy, until they have become the guy for an extended period of time, and they have one week to learn an install and go, you don’t really know them. I’m really excited about what he brings to the table. Joe had his own skillset, and we catered to that. Nico has his own, and we’re going to cater to that. Whatever that ends up looking like as we get rolling is going to be fun to watch. Really excited about what he can bring to the table this fall.”
On what he wants to work on in the offense during fall camp
“Our message to the guys, because there is competition at every position right now, is we just want to see everyone go out there and cut it loose. You have to cut it loose, that’s where the big plays come from. That’s what we lacked last year, was the big play. That’s going to be a part of what we do again this year. It’s not for lack of taking the shots, but we were just a step off for whatever reason. That has been our entire thing, is if you go out there, cut it loose. Whatever is your job on that particular play, let it rip at 100 miles an hour, and then positive things are going to happen. That is our message to our entire team.”
On the depth of the wide receiver room with the addition of Braylon Staley and Mike Matthews
“Two guys that can mentally handle it right from the beginning. You didn’t see a bunch of busts from those guys when they took the field in the spring. To them, they have been here for two months when they take that first step onto the field. Really excited that they can just operate, because that is what keeps most freshmen off the field. It is usually not talent. It is usually not their ability to make a catch, make somebody miss, go run. It’s can they actually handle and do the right thing at the right time. These guys have shown at this point that they can. You saw from the recruiting process what those guys are physically. They’re special players, so they have a chance to come in and keep pushing this thing, which is why I think everyone kept talking about how good the wide receiver room looked this spring, and it did. It is a testament to what Coach (Kelsey Pope) has built in there. Competition is the best thing we can do to drive everybody forward. When our guys know that at every class and every position, all these guys can play. Well, I better be making plays every time I step on the field.”
On what he feels like Nico Iamaleava has developed the most since the Citrus Bowl
“My favorite thing is, for all the accolades that he got after that game, he wins the MVP. He came out of it like, ‘Man, I left so much on the field.’ When you have a guy like that, that is fun to coach because you don’t have to worry about trying to keep a guy humble. That is just who he is. He came in as soon as the team came back, and was like, ‘Okay, I want to watch it. How do I get better? How do I do this?’ He has been working with our assistant coaches, as far as understanding what calls are the centers making on these runs versus these looks versus these fronts, so I can put my eyes in the right spot to be able to make my RPO game what it needs to be. He has absolutely attacked the knowledge side of this, which is not something that we force him to do. That is why it is really exciting moving forward, that he has that kind of appetite for wanting to learn what this game is.”
On where he has seen Dylan Sampson take the next step
“Yes, Dylan has done a great job of understanding what his role changes to year. He is a guy that was an explosive weapon for us. He was one of our biggest big-play guys. He understands that as the first guy on the field now, the rep count goes up. He has put on a bunch of weight this year in a positive way. Knowing the hits that he is going to take, and all of that is going to change. He is going to have more of them, and he has been preparing himself starting in January to make sure that next January, he is still healthy and ready to go play.”
On if the makeup in the wide receiver room translates to how good they can be this year
“That is the biggest part. Speed, athleticism and hands are all huge, but you have to be able to make those one-on-one competitive plays. In this league, everybody is good. You are going to have to go make those plays at the point of attack and believe that you can go do it. Believe that you are the best player on the field. It is a point that Coach (Kelsey Pope) drives home all the time, is just be a dog when you step on the field. For everything else it does not matter, go out there and take the ball away from people. He has built that into his room, and you can see it by the way they are going out and playing. So, I think all through camp we should see a bunch of fun things from these guys that should translate to a lot of big plays on Saturdays.”
On how he has seen Bru McCoy attack his recovery and managing him throughout fall camp
“It is absolutely insane what that kid did this offseason. For everything going on and as far as players people are excited about. That ankle injury, we all saw it. The fact that that kid is out there running full speed and making cuts and catches. He didn’t gain a bunch of weight, and he still looks like a superhero when he walks around out here. This guy is absolutely insane, the way he went through that. He was like, ‘Alright, what is my job? What am I supposed to do when I can’t run right now?’ And he did that. The training staff was actually saying, ‘Hey Bru, we actually have to pull you back a little bit right now.’ He is pushing it over and over and over to try and get there as quickly as possible. The guy is just an absolute animal in every aspect. Whether it is strength training, conditioning, rehab or his football knowledge. He attacks it all the same way, which is why he has made this comeback so quickly. I don’t know if everyone thought he was going to be able to. It is special to watch.
On how important it was for the offense to have John Campbell Jr. back on the offensive line
“It was huge for us. The biggest thing with college football is the timing. You don’t have long-term contracts like the NFL. The fact that we got to time up bringing in a new quarterback with four offensive linemen that are returning is huge. Because now everything is not on him (Nico Iamaleava). So, bringing all those guys back was huge for us. John coming back and being willing to play both sides is just a testament that he wants to go win a title. That is why he came back. He wants to go win a title. He is doing what he feels is best for the team for us to go win a title. Having those guys with who we have around them gives us a chance to go attack every Saturday.”
