Tennessee has the benefit of having several veteran offensive linemen return to Knoxville for the 2024 season: Cooper Mays is back at center, Javontez Spraggins is set at right guard, John Campbell Jr. is at right tackle, and Dayne Davis and Jackson Lampley are back as veteran rotational players with starting capabilities.
But there’s another former Vol who is back in Knoxville this season.
Parker Ball.
Ball joined the Tennessee football program as a walk-on freshman in 2019 and didn’t see any game-time action during his first two seasons. As a redshirt sophomore in Josh Heupel’s first season, though, Ball was called into action and played in all 13 games. Ball continued to be a valuable, versatile piece for offensive line coach Glen Elarbee in 2022 and 2023 until he wrapped up his career last season.
While Ball isn’t back on the playing roster, he is one of Tennessee’s graduate assistants this season. The graduate assistant can have a bevy of roles for the team during the season but ultimately player and coach support tops the list.
Having an assistant with immediate player-view knowledge of the system and scheme is a benefit in itself, but having a player with the overall football IQ that Ball has is a major plus for Elarbee and his group. The Vols’ fourth-year o-line coach raved about Ball while speaking to the media on Monday.
“Man, because he is the smartest guy in this building,” Elarbee said of why having Ball is important. “Last year, loved him as a player, he was already a coach in the making. He got with John every Friday and studied tips. And he’s just picked up where he’s left off. One, he’s been in it for three years so he knows it inside and out. And I mean the freakiest smartest human being walking the planet and keeps me correct.”
Elarbee also told of the “Parker noise” that he’ll usually hear when he slips up and misspeaks on something to his players. With Parker’s knowledge of the Tennessee offense and knowledge of the game, his value in the room is elevated from other grad assistants around the country.
“Like we’ll be sitting in the meeting room, I can just hear him (clear his throat, sniffles) … I just hear a Parker noise,” Elarbee continued on to say. “And I know I misspoke and I’ll correct it and then if I don’t, he’ll jump my butt and get me corrected. But he’s awesome, man. He’s going to be a way better coach than I ever could have been.”
Tennessee OL coach Glen Elarbee on the value of having former Vol walk-on turned grad assistant Parker Ball:
“He’s going to be a way better coach than I ever could have been.” pic.twitter.com/l2UavxHNl1
— Rocky Top Insider (@rockytopinsider) August 5, 2024
More from RTI: See Where Tennessee Football Landed In The Preseason Coaches Poll
Prior to his final season as a redshirt senior, the walk-on from Douglas County High School in Douglasville, GA, had his name etched into a short-list in Tennessee lore. In March 2023, Ball was awarded an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship to become just the eighth Volunteer in program history to receive the honor.
Tennessee boasts a very veteran group to protect rising second-year quarterback Nico Iamaleava. While Tennessee might not have the deepest group behind the starters and rotational players, the Vols will still present a force to be reckoned with this year. And having a former Vol in Parker Ball continuing his work with the group is only an addition to high expectations.
For more on Tennessee football fall camp, stay tuned to Rocky Top Insider.
