When Shy Tuttle came to Tennessee as part of the Vols’ heralded 2015 recruiting class, expectations were high for the massive defensive tackle out of Lexington, North Carolina. Tuttle was rated as high as a five-star by some recruiting services, and he had some superb athleticism to go along with his 6-foot-3, 320 pound frame.
But those expectations haven’t been reached by Tuttle during his Vol career. But that’s not all Tuttle’s fault.
Tuttle has never played a full season in his three years at Tennessee. A season-ending injury shut him down halfway through the 2015 season, and the same thing happened in 2016. Last year, Tuttle missed a couple games and was never truly recovered from his two previous years of season-ending ailments.
This offseason, however, has been an anomaly for Tuttle. For the first time since before his freshman season started, Tuttle is healthy. And he’s excited to be back on the field and showing Tennessee’s new coaching staff what he can do.
“This is as healthy as I’ve been since I’ve been here,” Tuttle said during media availability on Wednesday. “It feels good, knocking off some dust. My legs are starting to feel good and getting back under me and stuff.
“Now I just gotta get out there and get better as a football player.”
During spring practices last year, Tuttle was stuck on crutches. In fact, he wasn’t healthy during the spring of 2016 either. This marks the first spring for Tuttle that he’s actually been able to get on the field and show what he can do since he was an early enrollee in 2015.
Last season was the healthiest Tuttle had been while at Tennessee, but he still wasn’t a full go for the whole season. This spring is a much different story for the rising senior defensive lineman, though.
“During the season it’s hard for anyone to feel 100 percent,” Tuttle stated. “But I feel a lot better now.”
For Tuttle, getting healthy couldn’t have come at a better time. Tennessee’s defense is undergoing a big transition this offseason as new head coach Jeremy Pruitt and his defensive staff are implementing a new 3-4 scheme.
“We got a whole new lingo the coaches use that we gotta learn,” Tuttle said. “You just throw out what you learned in the past. (Tracy) Rocker (UT’s defensive line coach) will get what he wants out of you and more.”
Tuttle is in the best shape he’s been since he’s been at Tennessee. He said he’s down to 295 pounds, but he hasn’t lost any strength or tenacity from what we’ve been able to see at practice. And for the first time since the beginning of his freshman campaign back in 2015, Tuttle may actually be healthy enough for his offseason efforts to pay off.
