Tennessee football worked inside Neyland Stadium for the first time this fall Thursday as the Vols held their first fall scrimmage on an overcast Knoxville morning.
Afterwards Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel met with the media to discuss the scrimmage and the Vols first week and a half of fall camp.
Here’s four takeaways from what Heupel had to say.
More From RTI; Joe Milton Looking to Improve Situational Play As Vols Enter Season
Some Good, Some Bad Injury Notes
Thursday was the first time Heupel met with the media since the first day of fall camp. That made Thursday the media’s first chance to ask about injuries and players who have been limited through the first nine practices.
Let’s start with the bad news. Heupel announced that starting center Cooper Mays will be out a few weeks after undergoing a procedure Wednesday. Mays had missed much of the last week of practice.
“Coop had a minor procedure late yesterday,” Heupel said. “He’ll be back, he’ll be healthy as we get closer to kick-off. Anticipate that being a couple week deal.”
Getting Mays back by the season opener is the good news but the injury adds some urgency to an important position battle. Read more on the injury and what it means here.
The bad news is Mays procedure but the good news is the injuries that have limited Tamarion McDonald and Wesley Walker this camp don’t appear to be serious.
“Those guys are in a good spot,” Heupel said. “We’ve held them (out) here in the last couple of days, but nothing long term. It’s just based on loads and what they’ve been doing. I wanted to protect them today. Those guys will be with us here as we move forward.”
Happy With The Quarterback Play
Joe Milton III wasn’t perfect Thursday but Heupel was overall pleased with his quarterback’s performance and his ability to operate within the offense.
“Processing the offense, he’s operating and handling at a really high level right now,” Heupel said. “Decision making, understanding protections, how to get himself protected or throw hot, his eyes as far as what he’s seeing from the second level pre-snap and on the snap. He’s been really good at that part of it.”
That’s an important piece. Heupel puts a lot on his quarterbacks pre-snap. It’s one of the things that made Hendon Hooker so special. And much of the conversation around Milton is how effective he can do the little things. Operating the offense at a high level is the definition of that.
But as previously stated, Milton wasn’t perfect. Heupel noted he needs to be better in some situational work, specifically in four-minute offense.
“There was some situational stuff that we can be better, coming out in situation,” Heupel said. “We did some four-minute things at the end as well. It’s a great opportunity. Coaches are completely off the sidelines, coaches are up in the box. Guys have to learn how to operate between the white lines. There’s growth in that way for Joe.”
Heupel also praised freshman Nico Iamaleava, his growth and mental maturity in his first seven months on campus.
“He’s a different player,” Heupel said of Iamaleava. “He has great command and understanding of what we’re doing. He understands protections. He understands how he has to get us out of run-run checks, pass-run checks or whatever it might be. He hasn’t been perfect, but he’s grown. One of the things that we’ve talked about is not making the same mistake twice. He doesn’t make the same mistake twice. He learns from it.”
No one wants Iamaleava to push Milton this season but the former five-star recruit’s early growth bodes well for his ability to start behind center in 2024.
Strong Defensive Line Play … Or Poor Offensive Line Play?
Heupel was quick to compliment Tennessee’s defensive line and particularly its run defense early in Thursday’s scrimmage.
“I thought defensively, great energy and great effort, in particular really early in the scrimmage,” Heupel said during his opening statement. “They did a great job against the run early too and got off the field on some third downs.”
Despite a key June outgoing transfer (Da’Jon Terry), Tennessee’s defensive line depth is better than it’s been Heupel’s first two years. Heupel complimented that group’s growth and expressed optimism that the pass rush could improve like the run defense did a season ago.
“The competition on the practice field and the meeting rooms are a coach’s best friend and we have that,” Heupel said. “That’s in the interior, it’s out on the edges too. The athleticism, the ability to rush the passer and not just defend the run, it’s also showing up here in training camp, too. I like some of the strides that we’ve taken.”
The third year head coach’s optimistic comments about the pass rush are a good sign but are they just taking advantage of a weak offensive line? Tennessee is already vulnerable at both tackle spots and Mays injury gave the offensive lien another set back.
It’s one of the challenges with evaluating fall camp in general. If one position group is thriving it’s almost impossible to tell if it’s more about said group or the position group they are facing.
Tennessee Running Back Depth Keeps Looking Better
Tennessee returns its top three running backs from a season ago. Heupel complimented both Jaylen Wright and Dylan Sampson Thursday and along with Jabari Small they give the Vols a strong core for this season.
But the interesting part of Heupel discussing running backs was a comment he made unprompted about the Vols’ three freshman running backs. There was some real excitement in his voice discussing Cam Seldon, DeSean Bishop and Khalifa Keith.
“The young guys inside of our program, all three young guys have been really promising,” Heupel said. “Excited about that group. Coach (Jerry) Mack has done a great job with them.”
There may be an opportunity for one freshman to earn real playing time this season, but it’s unlikely multiple will. Still, the depth is important and it bodes well for the future of that position group.
