The praise came instantly for the Vols’ pair of new tight ends. As soon as Ethan Wolf and Daniel Helm took the gridiron for spring practice, Tennessee offensive coordinator Mike Bajakian called the duo “something special” and wideouts coach Zach Azzanni said the staff “hit the jackpot” in landing them.
But it wasn’t always smooth sailing for the rookie tight ends this spring, especially Wolf.
Wolf struggled with drops throughout allotted practices. He accounted for five drops alone in the Vols’ second scrimmage of spring. But Bajakian isn’t worried yet. Not even close.
“I have so much confidence in Wolf,” Bajakian said. “I think he will develop into something really, really special when his time here is done. We need him right away, and I think he’ll be able to help us a lot next fall.”
Bajakian urges fans and media members alike not to read into Wolf’s many drops this spring, saying if anything the former Scout four-star learned from his brief struggles.
“For Wolf, It was a case of not letting the mind tie up the feet. That’s very easy to correct,” Bajakian said. “He’s so new to the playbook, he’s questioning some of his routes and thinking a little too much. That will change with time. He has the skills to be great, and he’s already shown flashes. He’ll be fine.”
Tight ends coach Mark Elder gave both of the new tight ends “A-plus” grades for their spring performances, adding that he was pleasantly surprised by Helm’s willingness to get physical so fast.
“That was my big concern with (Helm)… could he stick his nose in there and be about to compete physically and block at this level,” Elder told IT. “I didn’t know the answer. But now I do. He did a great job and really went above my expectations. Can he be better? Yes. But he’s off to a really good start.”
A pair of Dobyns-Bennett (Tenn.) High School products impressed throughout the entirety of spring.
With the additions of newcomers D’Andre Payne, Emmanuel Moseley combining with Tennessee’s secondary returning all of its starters, sophomore defensive backs Malik Foreman and Devaun Swafford are easy to overlook. But secondary coach Willie Martinez would urge that to stop.
Martinez told IT he has been “incredibly” pleased with both Foreman and Swafford, saying both took “great strides.”
Swafford is adjusting to the move to safety and Martinez calls him a “serious contender” to battle for the job along side Brian Randolph.
“(Swafford’s) entire attitude is just different,” Martinez told IT. “…I like the speed he brings back there (at safety). He’s really played with an edge for us. He’s getting to know the schemes better and is just really growing every day.”
While Foreman didn’t see many first team reps during the spring, as he often rotated with Justin Coleman at nickelback and with Moseley at corner, Martinez isn’t counting Foreman out of the race to crack the starting lineup either.
“Look, (Foreman) is seasoned. He knows what he’s doing. He’s still raw, but he’s more physical than an (Moseley) or really any newcomer,” Martinez said. “We’re relying on him.”
In his own words, Tennessee defensive line coach Steve Stripling is “giddy” over the additions of newcomers Dimarya Mixon and Owen Williams to his defensive line. Williams was praised throughout spring for his strength and immediate impact skills. While Mixon was less discussed, Stripling sees the freshman competing right away and cracking the two deep.
“Mixon is a little undersized (to be playing defensive tackle). But I know he’ll be able to make an impact there,” Stripling told IT. “He just has that edge about him.”
Of any player in his defensive-line meeting room, Stripling said Mixon is the most eager to learn and the “most coachable.”
“He’s a kid that comes in every day and wants it,” Stripling said. “Those are the kind of kids that see the field no matter how big or small they are.”
Tennessee linebackers coach Tommy Thigpen once told IT that Kenny Bynum was a “long, long” way from cracking the two-deep let alone making an impact. He’d like to take that statement back.
Thigpen said Bynum, a redshirt sophomore, was one of the biggest surprises this spring. While Bynum wasn’t featured much during first-team defensive drills, Thigpen said he “patched up” many rough stops this spring that leads Thigpen to believe he could contribute down the road.
“He really did a good job,” Thigpen said. “I think he looked at himself with honestly and said ‘OK, this is where I need to get better if I want to do something with my career.’ Then, he did it. I was really happy with him, for sure.”
