Them Vols offseason thread

I'm glad we landed sawyers if that is the case. Really hope 70/30 can get on the right track after the seemingly inevitable redshirt year.
 
Denver Broncos quarterback*Peyton Manning*says he's "a big Butch Jones fan" and believes the*Tennessee*football coach has his alma mater heading in the right direction.

Manning was in Knoxville Monday for his charity golf tournament to benefit East Tennessee Children's Hospital and his own PeyBack Foundation. Manning also plans to work out with Tennessee's football team and speak to the players during his visit.

"I think it's going in the right direction," said Manning, the 1997 Heisman Trophy runner-up. "I think Butch had a lot of work to do when he got here. He's put in that work. He's signing some of his players. Every coach wants to have their players. He's been patient. At the same time, he's been hard-working, as he was advertised to be. He's done that. I just see it continuing to get better. I really do."

Tennessee is trying to end a string of four consecutive losing seasons, something that hadn't happened to this program since 1903-06. The Volunteers went 5-7 last year in Jones' debut season as coach, but they have since added a recruiting class ranked among the top five in the nation by multiple services.

"I really like Butch," Manning said. "I'm a big Butch Jones fan."

Manning said he communicates with Jones "pretty often" and praised the coach's organizational skills. Manning noted the itinerary Jones had arranged for his visit to Tennessee's campus. The trip will include meeting the candidates in Tennessee's quarterback competition.

Senior*Justin Worley*and sophomoresJoshua Dobbs*and*Nathan Peterman*are competing for starting position. Jones hasn't named a leader.

"Talk about really feeling old here, some of these guys weren't even born when I played football here at Tennessee," Manning said. "But it's fun to communicate with the guys, try to help them out, answer a question if they have them. I look forward to visiting Coach Jones as well."

Manning also addressed his NFL future.

The 38-year-old quarterback had said last week that he planned to continue playing as long as he's still productive and loves the game.

"Especially after my injury, when you change teams, it's kind of been the second chapter of my football career, and I think a one-year-at-a-time basis is a good philosophy," Manning said Monday. "You want to really evaluate are you still helping a team. Is there any way that I'm hurting the team or slowing them down? Can I still help the team?"

Manning said everyone needs to do "a little self-check" about whether they enjoy playing — and not just the games.

"As long as I'm still looking forward and enjoying the preparation part of it, I'd like to still do it if I can still help a team and make an impact," Manning said. "I feel lucky to still be playing."
 
The first session of summer school is complete. With 31 of the 32-man signing class on campus, it was considered by those close to the program to be a successful month of June. Alton “Pig” Howard being back in the swing of things didn’t hurt. On the academic side, the summer months are an excellent opportunity to return to or stay on schedule to graduate. An academic workload beyond the minimum of 12 hours per semester isn’t often recommended for most athletes, although football is not as tough of a grind as others from a travel standpoint.


One of the physical specimens on the team is wide receiver Jason Croom, who was even featured in a tweet from strength and conditioning coach Dave Lawson. The rising redshirt sophomore has battled the injury bug in his early time on The Hill but showed signs of turning the corner last fall before another injury in the first half at Kentucky. A former and future teammate can’t wait to work out with Croom again starting in January.


“Every time I see him when he comes home, he’s always changing,” said Tennessee running back commit Alvin Kamara, who played with Croom in Norcross, Ga. “I’m like, ‘Damn! What are they doing to you?’ It’s going real good. He’s a real fit dude. I know when I get there, it’s going down because I’m in the weight room at night. When he’s still up and not doing nothing, we’re going to have to hit the curls or something.”


Question marks and rumors continue to circulate around former Scout four-star signee Christopher Weatherd. The Texan arrived in Knoxville last week, is in town currently and told InsideTennessee he intends to spend the duration of his summer on Rocky Top. He is not yet listed as an official student with the university.
 
Weatherd situation is weird. On the one hand, I wonder if he staff is dragging their feet and doesn't want to use the scholarship anymore. On the other, it's amazing to me that these kids can know the steps necessary and still not make it into schools.
 
Breaking a leg is never good, but especially for a guy nearly 400 pounds... Not good. Glad he came out ok besides that though
 
Breaking a leg is never good, but especially for a guy nearly 400 pounds... Not good. Glad he came out ok besides that though

I thought the same thing. He is really gonna have to watch what he eats and do some constant upper body work if he wants to keep the weight off. Hope he can do it though
 
Via scout: Met with Butch Jones earlier this morning and here are some notes.
Only team in the country that has to replace offensive and defensive lineMack Crowder has earned the right to come here, he is the leader of the offensive line.Great chance that Weatherd will qualify, will know in a couple of weeksLast year zero players could squat over 600 lbs, this year 9 can.No players on this squad have ever played in a bowl game.Some of the freshman have already gained over 25 lbs.Butch walked through the complex the other day an Albert Haynesworth was with the D line in the weight room holding court. Good to have former Vols like Haynesworth, Manning and Witten back on campus.Butch is already watching film on Utah State, can not underestimate them.Butch got a text from Archie Manning about how well Justin Worley did at the Manning Passing Academy.Alton Howard has done everything right to get back on the team, still not back, but has done everything right.
 
Unless you’ve been visiting another planet the past six months you’re acutely aware thatTennessee*will have five new starters in its offensive line this fall. You’re also acutely aware that this is causing much wailing and gnashing of teeth in Big Orange Country.

Quick reminder: Tennessee traveled this very road – a complete O-line makeover – just four years ago.

After losing four senior starters to graduation and redshirt freshman*Aaron Douglas*to transfer in 2009, the Vols’ 2010 blocking front faced the identical challenge that the 2014 line does: Blend five newcomers into a cohesive unit. Tennessee succeeded in 2010, posting comparable numbers to those posted in 2009 with a veteran line.

Check it out:

The 2010 Vols averaged 363.8 total yards per game, down just 20 yards from the 2009 norm of 383.5. The 2010 Vols averaged 27.0 points per game, a modest drop from the 29.3 mark of the previous season.

How was this accomplished? Simple. Tennessee built its 2010 offense around the strength of the O-line. The five newcomers were good pass protectors, so the Vols threw for 3,309 yards and rushed for just 1,420. The 2014 line, by comparison, appears better at run blocking than pass protecting, so this fall could see the Vols rely more heavily on the running back’s legs than the quarterback’s arm.

Although the 2010 and 2014 lines are similarly short on starting experience, the ’14 group is far more mature than the 2010 group was. Consider:

The 2010 line featured a true freshman (James Stone) at center. The 2014 line will feature a redshirt junior with one career start (Mack Crowder) at center.

The 2010 line featured a true freshman (Zach Fulton) at left guard. The 2014 line will feature a redshirt junior (Kyler Kerbyson) at left guard who was voted Most Improved Offensive Player of spring practice.

The 2010 line featured a senior who had been relegated to mostly mop-up duty (Jerod Shaw) at right guard. The 2014 line will feature a redshirt junior with five career starts (Marcus Jackson) at right guard.

The 2010 line featured a true freshman (Ja’Wuan James) at right tackle. The 2014 line also will feature a true freshman (Coleman Thomas) at right tackle.

The 2010 line featured a sophomore (Dallas Thomas) at left tackle. The 2014 line will feature either a fifth-year senior (Jacob Gilliam) or a junior (Dontavius Blair) at left tackle.

Here’s another point to ponder: The 2010 line was coached by Harry Hiestand, who was so at odds with his players that he was shown the door a year later. The 2014 line is coached by Don Mahoney, who is liked and respected by his troops.

Although experience is nice, it doesn’t guarantee success. Last fall’s offensive line entered the 2013 season with 118 career starts among James, Fulton, Stone,*Alex Bullard*and Tiny Richardson. Still, that veteran group was chastised throughout September, October and November for underachieving.

Whereas the 2013 O-line entered last fall with 118 career starts, the projected 2014 starting line enters this fall with just six career starts – five by Jackson, one by Crowder. Naturally, there will be a drop-off in efficiency. As happened from 2009 to 2010, however, the drop may not be nearly as steep as many observers expect.
 
Between 1989 and 2007*Tennessee*arguably boasted the finest quarterback play in college football.

Vastly underrated*Andy Kelly*posted a 24-5-2 record as the starting QB from 1989-91, including an impressive 10-3-2 mark in road and neutral-site games.

Dual-threat QB Heath Shuler led the Vols to a school-record 40 points per game in 1992, then was the Heisman runnerup in 1993 and the third player picked in the 1994 NFL Draft.

Peyton Manning*went 39-6 as the starting quarterback from 1994-97. He was the Heisman runnerup in 1997 and the first player picked in the ’98 NFL Draft.

Fleet-footed Tee Martin guided Tennessee to a 13-0 record and 1998 national title in his first year as a starter.

Casey Clausenled the Vols to 34 wins in 44 starts between 2000 and 2003, including an amazing 14-1 road record.

Erik Ainge*went 27-10 as a starter from 2004-07, helping Tennessee reach SEC Championship Games in Year 1 and Year 4.

That level of excellence couldn’t last forever, of course.*Jonathan Crompton*(2008-09) was wildly inconsistent until midway through his senior year, then*Tyler Bray*(2010-2012) put up big numbers but struggled as a closer.

That brings us to*Justin Worley, the Gatorade National Player of the Year as a high school senior in 2010. He started three games as the Vols’ emergency QB his freshman year, beating Middle Tennessee but mustering just 3 points in a loss to*South Carolina*and 7 points in a loss to*Arkansas. After riding the bench as a sophomore, he posted mediocre stats in eight games (seven starts) as a junior. He completed 55.6 percent of his passes for 1,239 yards, with 10 touchdowns, 8 interceptions and a 117.39 passer-efficiency rating that did not rank among the SEC’s top 15.

Heading into his senior year Worley’s record as a starter is 5-5, with four of the wins coming against Middle Tennessee, Austin Peay,*Western Kentucky*and*South Alabama. It would be easy to dismiss him as a journeyman except for one thing: Shortly before suffering a season-ending thumb injury last October he gave perhaps his two best performances as a Vol.

Worley completed 17 of 31 passes for 215 yards and a touchdown against No. 6Georgia*but saw the upset bid foiled when Pig Howard fumbled the ball inches from what probably would’ve been the winning TD in overtime. A week later Worley completed 19 of 34 passes for 179 yards and another TD in engineering a 23-21 upset of No. 11 South Carolina.

The key question: Can Worley replicate the form he showed against Georgia and South Carolina or will he be the guy who struggled against*Florida*(10 of 23, 149 yards, 2 interceptions) and South*Alabama*(20 of 36, 204 yards, 3 interceptions)?

Here’s another key question: If Worley struggles, can backup*Joshua Dobbs*do the job?

Apparently headed for a redshirt year in 2013, Dobbs was thrust into action when Worley suffered his season-ending thumb injury last October. With*Nathan Petermanand Riley Ferguson also hurt, Dobbs was the only healthy QB on scholarship.

Dobbs opening tests represented quite a gauntlet. He came off the bench to challenge top-ranked Alabama in his college debut, made his first start the following Saturday at No. 10*Missouri*and made his second start against No. 7*Auburn*(the eventual BCS runnerup) seven days later. He closed his baptism of fire with a home game againstVanderbilt*and a road game at*Kentucky.

Considering the level of opposition he had to face, Dobbs performed reasonably well, completing 59.5 percent of his passes for 695 yards and two touchdowns. The ugly stat was six interceptions. On a positive note, he averaged 5.0 yards per carry, which is exceptional for a quarterback. If you discount 70 yards he lost on seven sacks, he averaged a whopping 8.35 yards per carry. That’s outstanding.

Dobbs’ running ability makes him an ideal fit for a zone-read attack that functions best when the QB is a rushing threat. He most recently showcased his elusiveness in the Orange & White Game, keeping twice for 59 yards, including a nifty touchdown run.

Tennessee’s coaches insist that passing ability trumps rushing ability in their system, however, which is why Worley looms as the Game 1 starter behind center. He has more experience than Dobbs and more familiarity with the offense. If he plays the way he did against Georgia and South Carolina last October, Worley can be a solid SEC quarterback. If he doesn’t, look for Dobbs to take over the starting job by October.

Nathan Peterman provides depth. The redshirt sophomore made a disastrous start last September at Florida (4 for 11, 5 yards, 2 interceptions and a fumble) but performed adequately in backup appearances against Austin Peay (4 of 8, 26 yards) and*Oregon*(2 of 4, 12 yards).

For what it’s worth, all three scholarship quarterbacks threw well in the Orange & White Game. Worley was 11 of 13 passing for 151 yards and a touchdown. Dobbs was 6 of 9 for 199 yards and three TDs. Peterman was 8 of 11 for 81 yards and a touchdown. These numbers mean little, however, given how limited Tennessee’s defense was last spring.

So, what’s the outlook at quarterback for the 2014 Vols?

That depends. Whoever the QB is, he’ll be blessed with three quality receivers inMarquez North,*Von Pearson*and*Josh Malone. That’s three more than the Vols had last fall, when North was a gifted but raw freshman, Pearson was in junior college and Malone was finishing up high school. Honestly, Tennessee’s receivers were so bad in 2013 that even Peyton Manning would’ve struggled to look sharp throwing to them.

On the other hand, Tennessee will have five new starters in the offensive line this fall. Unless they develop quickly as pass protectors the 2014 quarterback — whoever it is — may spend more time running for his life than running the offense.

Bottom line: Tennessee’s quarterback play should be better in 2014 … largely because of the experience Worley and Dobbs gained in 2013 and the vast improvement in the receiving corps.
 
Tennessee’s greatest football teams of the past 20 years had at least one thing in common – big, strong, fast running backs.

Jay Graham, a 6-foot, 220-pounder with the burst to get outside, ran for 2,609 yards between 1993 and ‘96, despite playing for teams built around*Peyton Manningthrowing the football. Tennessee’s record during Graham’s four years was 39-9, with national finishes of No. 12, No. 22, No. 3 and No. 9.

Next came the dynamic duo of Jamal Lewis (6-feet, 230 pounds) and Travis Henry (5-feet-10, 220 pounds), who combined to hold the tailback position from 1997-2000. Lewis played less than 2½ seasons, missing most of 1998 with a torn ACL and skipping his senior year of 2000 to turn pro. Still, the burly bruiser ranks fifth on Tennessee’s all-time rushing list with 2,677 career yards.

Henry, though stuck behind Lewis for three of his four years on The Hill, is the school’s all-time rushing leader with 3,078 yards. The four years that the Vols had Lewis and/or Henry at tailback saw them go 11-2, 13-0, 9-3, 8-4 with two SEC titles, three BCS bowl bids, three top-10 finishes and a national championship.

For those keeping score at home, Tennessee’s record during the Big Back Era of Graham, Lewis and Henry was 80-18 with five top-10 finishes.

This is noteworthy for one reason: Tennessee will be relying on big backs in the season ahead. Senior*Marlin Lane*added 10 pounds since last fall and now packs 220 pounds on a 5-foot-11 frame. He’ll be sharing the carries with*Jalen Hurd, a 6-foot-3, 225-pound freshman. They give Tennessee’s ground game a downhill dimension in that they are capable of running over defenders, as well as running around them.

“I think that’s what we missed last year – a guy that had a physical presence back there,” running backs coach Robert Gillespie said recently.

Obviously, heft doesn’t ensure a great ground game or every college backfield would feature a corps of 220-pounders. Heft can be the difference between a 10-yard gain and a 40-yard gain, however. That’s why Gillespie thinks Hurd could pop some big runs this fall.

“In this league once you get to the second level you have to make defensive backs scared to tackle you,” the Vol aide said. “I think that’s what he’ll possess: I think he’ll be able to break tackles at the line of scrimmage with his 225 pounds. I think he’s going to get the pad level down and run over some linebackers because you’ve got to do that in this league.”

Hurd is similar in size to many of the linebackers he’ll be challenging and considerably bigger than most of the defensive backs hoping to knock him off his feet this fall.

“On the runs where we block it perfectly and he gets in the open field,” Gillespie said, “those cornerbacks are going to have a hard time bringing him down.”

Basically, Tennessee is borrowing a page from*Alabama, which has enjoyed incredible success in recent years with power runners hammering opposing defenses. The procession of bulky backs started with*Mark Ingram*(5-feet-9, 215 pounds), then continued with*Trent Richardson*(5-feet-9, 225 pounds),*Eddie Lacy*(6-feet, 230 pounds) and*T.J. Yeldon*(6-feet-2, 218 pounds).

Ingram won the 2009 Heisman Trophy. Richardson was the third player picked in the 2012 NFL Draft and Lacy was the 2013-14 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year. Yeldon rushed for more than 1,100 yards as a Tide freshman and more than 1,200 as a sophomore last fall.

Tennessee’s depth behind big backs Lane and Hurd is unproven. It currently consists of a senior change-of-pace back (5-foot-8, 178-pound*Devrin Young), a senior walk-on (5-9, 201-pound DeAnthonie Summerhill) and a junior transfer from*Maryland*(5-foot-10, 199-pound*Justus Pickett).

Two intriguing freshmen who join the mix in August could see the field in 2014 – four-star recruit*Derrell Scott*(5-feet-11, 179 pounds) and three-star*Treyvon Paulk*(5-feet-8, 195 pounds).

Tennessee lost all five starters from its 2013 offensive line, so the run blocking may be a bit spotty this fall. If the 1-2 punch of Lane and Hurd proves to be as powerful as it appears, however, the two of them may create some holes on their own.
 
BEAVERTON, Ore. —*Scrolling through the SPARQ times at The Opening, some of the nation’s premiere prep football players posted eye-popping 40-yard dash times.

Defensive backs, running backs and wide receivers load up the leaderboard. At the No. 10 spot it appear to be a typo with a “DL” listed. Only, that’s no mistake. That’s the freakish talent of the 6-foot-4 1/2, 240-pound*Josh Sweat.

Pack on 94 tackles and 22 sacks as a junior at Oscar Smith (Va.) High School and it becomes glaringly apparent why he is now Scout’s No. 1-ranked defensive end for the 2015 class and programs like*Tennesseesalivate over his upside.

The Big Orange has had Sweat on its recruiting radar “about a year, year and a half.”

Volunteers recruiting coordinator*Zach Azzanni*shifted up his regional focus after closing out the 2013 signing class, choosing to put more effort in Chesapeake Bay and Virginia Beach areas of the Old Dominion State.

“Excellent guy,” Sweat said with a laugh. “I’ve been talking to him a lot, pretty funny. We talk a lot. We both understand each other. So, that’s a good thing.”

Efforts to get Virginia’s best rising junior in orange and white got a boost when he made an unofficial visit this summer.

“It was pretty good,” Sweat told InsideTennessee at The Opening. “I knew what to expect with the coaches; they make me feel pretty comfortable. I mean, yeah, I liked it a lot. Of course they have a nice campus and stuff like that. I felt like they really do care about the players. So, I mean it was all around pretty good, nice facilities, nice dorms, everything was just nice.”

As a sign of how early he is into his recruitment education, the D-end hesitated to analyze the trip to Rock Top in terms of what really stuck out.

“I can’t really say where it is in terms of the top because I’ve only been to a couple of schools. Obviously the schools that I visited, I’m not going to say are in my top, but they’re the ones I’m more familiar with because I’ve been there. I really can’t say where they stand, but…”

Immediately after leaving Knoxville, the Scout five-star headed further south to check out the Georgia Bulldogs, admitting that the two programs are fairly even in certain aspects.

“That’s where most of the stuff gets kind of cluttered because you have a nice coaching staff of course, they both have nice facilities, they both have the top stuff like that. So, I’m going to have to look more in-depth to what’s going to separate the two. But, as far as comfort level, both are in a pretty good spot.

“I’ve got to see how it goes. I’ve got to evaluate it a little more.”

The end has roughly six months to find a way to separate schools like those Southeastern Conference Eastern Division rivals, as well as numerous others in hot pursuit. Sweat admits he’s “big on academics” and looking forward to graduating from Oscar Smith (Va.) High School early and enrolling in January.

Playing time is a factor, too.

“No one wants to come from high school and starting to having to sit out another year. Yeah, I would definitely love to be a true freshman (contributor).”

Sweat still has work to do to fully educate himself on the staffs and universities hoping to land him as a student-athlete. Official visits will likely have much to do with that thought process. However, no reservations have been made.

“I mean I’m not even sure (on where to officially visit),” Sweat said.. “If I decide to go back to the places that I’ve already visited or if I want to go to a west coast school or something like that, I’ll do it as an official. Right now, I’ve just got to go look at it.”

Azzanni, Butch Jones and the Tennessee staff will be on edge when Sweat makes his declaration but that moment doesn’t figure to come for months.

“I’ll try to do it during the season or after,” Sweat said. “I mean I wouldn’t say during. I dont’ know. It’s hard. So, I might say it’ll definitely be before it’s over.”
 
Buddy says Weatherd was in the facility yesterday and has been following the offseason workout plan. Looked prepared. "Excellent" chance he gets in.
 
Volunteers recruiting coordinator*Zach Azzanni*shifted up his regional focus after closing out the 2013 signing class, choosing to put more effort in Chesapeake Bay and Virginia Beach areas of the Old Dominion State.

They might want to just go ahead and rent an apartment for him around here because he should be spending quite a bit of time in the 757 over the next few years.
 
Few football coaches appreciate quality tight-end play more than Butch Jones, and with good reason.

As*Cincinnati’s head man in 2012 he saw tight end*Travis Kelce*lead the Bearcats in receptions (45), receiving yards (722) and receiving touchdowns (8). Kelce also posted the longest pass play of the season (83 yards), and his 16.0 yards-per-catch average was tops on the team among players with at least five receptions. His production was a key reason Cincinnati averaged 32 points per game en route to a 9-4 record.

Imagine how frustrated Jones must have been as*Tennessee’s head coach a year later, when all of the tight ends combined for just 15 receptions, 98 yards and three touchdowns in 2013. This glaring lack of production was a key reason Tennessee averaged a mere 23.8 points per game en route to a 5-7 record.

One of football’s oldest clichés holds that a quality tight end is a young quarterback’s best friend. That being the case,Joshua Dobbsmust have felt friendless when he was thrust into the Vols’ QB job last October because Big Orange tight ends did not make a single catch in his first three appearances – a 45-10 loss to No. 1*Alabama, a 31-3 loss at No. 10Missouri*and a 55-23 loss to No. 7*Auburn.

The fact Tennessee surrendered an average of 43.7 points in those three games indicates the defenders were far more responsible than the tight ends for those lopsided setbacks. Still, getting a few plays from the tight-end position might have kept the scores more respectable. In fact, the 5-7 record easily could’ve been 7-5 with a few more plays from tight ends*Brendan Downsand*A.J. Branisel.

Slowed by injuries, Downs caught just 12 passes for 70 yards and two touchdowns. The numbers are even worse when you look at SEC play – six catches, 28 yards, zero touchdowns. Branisel caught three passes for 28 yards. The 28 yards came on one catch against*Georgia. His other two receptions went for a two-yard gain againstSouth Alabama*and a two-yard loss against Austin Peay.

With Downs back for his senior year and Branisel returning for his sophomore year, you wonder: Will the tight end position be any more productive in 2014 than it was in 2013? The answer: Yes. Downs and Branisel should be a year better but the biggest key is the addition of*Ethan Wolf*and*Daniel Helm. Both were listed among America’s top five tight-end prospects by Scout last fall. Both enrolled at mid-term and participated in spring practice. Both got plenty of practice reps with Downs and Branisel sidelined all spring. Both showed great potential.

Wolf, a 6-foot-5, 243-pounder, already has the heft to play major-college football.

"Ethan is really a complete tight end,” position coach Mark Elder said. “He's got the ability to be physical, block at the point of attack and handle a defensive end one-on-one. And we think he's a threat in the pass game.”

Helm, a 6-foot-4, 232-pounder, could use more bulk to withstand the rigors of SEC football.

“He's gone out and made some plays in the passing game, and he'll fight you as far as blocking,” Elder said. “He just needs to be a little more physical at the point of attack.”

Ideally, Wolf would play a backup role in 2014 and Helm would redshirt while adding weight and strength. Tennessee’s glaring need at the tight end position won’t permit either of those scenarios, however. Most likely, both will be seeing a lot of action this fall … just as they did last spring.

“We're throwing those guys in the fire,” Elder said, “and they're going to learn by executing, not by sitting back and watching it.”

The tight end has a much tougher job than most fans probably realize. He must block like an offensive tackle in the ground game but run routes and catch like a receiver in the pass game. He must be capable of splitting out wide and sometimes lining up at fullback. He must be strong enough to block 260-pound defensive ends, agile enough to track down 230-pound linebackers and quick enough to beat 190-pound safeties one on one.

Expecting Ethan Wolf and Daniel Helm to fill all of these roles as mere freshmen is asking a lot. If Tennessee’s offense is to be truly versatile, however, it’s a challenge they must meet.
 

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