Tennessee got good news on the injury front Monday afternoon, with coach Butch Jones updating the status of tight end Ethan Wolf and receiver Von Pearson.
Jones listed Wolf as questionable for the Oklahoma game with a bruised knee and said that Von Pearson will miss this week’s game against the Sooners with a high ankle sprain, but added that he anticipates getting him back “hopefully very soon.”
Tennessee does have some depth at both spots. The Vols have several options at tight end, including freshman Daniel Helm, last year’s starter Brendan Downs, walk-on Alex Ellis and sophomore A.J. Branisel, should Wolf miss any time.
Jones said that several receivers will see additional reps at Oklahoma, mentioning true freshman Vic Wharton as one possibility to see more action, in addition to several others.
“The great thing is that’s [WR] one position where we have some depth,” Jones said. “But anytime you take an individual like Von Pearson out, that’s a setback. … It’s more reps for Josh Malone, Josh Smith, Jason Croom, Pig Howard. All these individuals, their reps are going to increase because of it.”
All-in-all, it’s good news for two players who walked off very gingerly on Saturday. Cornerback Cam Sutton said there was a sense of relief among the team upon hearing that both injuries don’t appear to be overly-serious at this point.
“Definitely,” Sutton said. “Those two guys are definitely a great part of our offense and just to hear that our brothers are ok that’s a sigh of relief for us.”
Jones also updated the status of a few other injured players. Defensive tackle Trevarris Saulsberry will remain out and UT’s “eyes are down the road” for his return, with Jones mentioning the Georgia or Florida games as possibilities. Freshman running back Derrell Scott, who has been in a walking boot and hasn’t played this season, is expected to return for the Georgia (9/27) game. Running back Treyvon Paulk is expected to take a redshirt this season, Jones said, though didn’t completely rule out the possibility of him playing in 2014.
