Fall Practice Updates:

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Devrin
 
KNOXVILLE — The Tennessee football team just finished practice No. 2 at Haslam Field.

Full coverage of the Saturday session is on the way. But first, some updates:

* Minutes into the start of Saturday’s session, UT coach Butch Jones encouraged his players to “Take a bite out of the elephant.” Was it an Alabama barb? Maybe Jones will say when he meets the media.

* Jones paid special attention to his unproven offensive line during a portion of individual drills.

“You get to prove people wrong,” he barked into his microphone. “That should motivate you every day to come out here.”

*Charles Moseley was spotted on the far sideline of the field. The freshman defensive lineman recently returned to Knoxville after he broke his leg in a car accident this summer. Mosely wore a cast. A crutch was spotted nearby. The 6-foot-5, 374-pound defensive lineman is a likely redshirt candidate.

*Injury Updates: Two defensive lineman were attended to. A trainer put a sleeve around the left calf of Dewayne Hendrix. Danny O’Brien took a break to get his left ankle taped.

* UT’s second-string offensive line appears to consist of: Dontavius Blair (left tackle), Austin Sanders (left guard), Ray Raulerson (center), Marques Pair (right guard) and Brett Kendrick (right tackle).

* There may come a time when freshman defensive end Derek Barnett shifts inside to a tackle position, especially as his 6-foot-3, 267-pound frame grows. But Barnett joined the defensive end group for individual drills. Former linebacker Curt Maggitt joined the group, along with Dewayne Hendrix.
 
TEAM

Wide receiver Cody Blanc is out and injured. He was as he left the field Friday night...on crutches. Coach Butch Jones says he has not seen MRI results on Blanc.Defensive tackle Charles Mosley has bee with the team since report date. However, the former Scout four-star will not play in any game in the 2014 season, per Jones.Running back Treyvon Paulk, tight end A.J. Branisel and tight end Brendan Downs all wore braces on their left knee. Defensive end Corey Vereen donned a right-knee brace. Defensive end/linebacker Curt Maggitt and safety Brian Randolph have no braces on either their upper or lower body.Defensive back RaShaan Gaulden worked out in "The Hole." Offensive linemen Dylan Weisman and Dellen Hash accompanied Gaulden and did not stretch with the team.Recruits on campus are Ugo Amadi, Austin Kendall and Joejuan Williams.

OFFENSE

First-team offensive line consistent of Jacob Gilliam, Marcus Jackson, Mack Crowder, Kyler Kerbyson, Coleman Thomas.Senior running back Devrin Young made perhaps the most spectacular catch of camp thus far early in Saturday’s workout. The 5-foot-8, 173-pounder leaped high for a deep pass over the middle, reeled in the ball with one hand, then did two somersaults before coming up with the ball still clutched in his right hand. Instead of congratulations, all he got from head coach Butch Jones was the comment: “Two hands, Devrin. Two hands!” Tough room.Freshman running back Jalen Hurd felt the sting of the head man’s tongue, as well. When Hurd’s energy lagged a bit during a kicking drill, Jones shouted: “Last time I checked both of Alabama’s running backs started on special teams. Did you know that, Jalen Hurd?”Drae Bowles failed to make a catch as a freshman last fall but he recorded a couple of dandy grabs during the media portion of Saturday’s drill. He made a nifty adjustment and an impressive sliding catch of a deep ball thrown to his right by Joshua Dobbs. Moments later he leaped high to pull down a bullet over the middle.Senior Brendan Downs, the 2013 starter at tight end, heard from his teammates after dropping a pass that hit him right in the hands. Downs is trying to fight off mid-term freshmen Ethan Wolf and Daniel Helm after missing spring practiced due to injury.Sophomore quarterback Joshua Dobbs appears to have a quicker release and more velocity than he did as a freshman last fall. That could be significant, since he threw six interceptions and just two touchdowns in 2013.Freshman running back Derrell Scott has bulked up from 180 to 194 pounds since signing in February but he looked plenty nifty in a cutback drill. So did fellow rookie Trayvon Paulk, who is listed as 5-feet-8 and 200 pounds. Both are battling Devrin Young, junior Justus Pickett and senior DeAnthonie Summerhill for the No. 3 running back spot behind senior Marlin Lane and mid-term freshman Jalen Hurd.

DEFENSE

First-team Nickel defense was Devaun Swafford, Brian Randolph, Justin Coleman, Emmanuel Moseley, Cameron Sutton, A.J. Johnson, Jalen Reeves-Maybin, Corey Vereen, Curt Maggitt, Danny O'Brien and Jordan Williams.Senior Justin Coleman says freshman Elliott Berry keeps a notebook full of information and is coming along quickly from a mental standpoint.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Field punts were Jacob Carter, Cameron Sutton and Vic Wharton.Fielding kickoffs simultaneously were Alton "Pig" Howard, Josh Malone, Von Pearson and Devrin Young.Returnmen struggled initially before rebounding later in a drill receiving kicks/punts from the JUGS gun with towels under their arms and tennis balls in their hands, working on cradling the ball into their chest.After looking remarkably sure-handed in Friday’s opening practice, Tennessee’s punt-return men had a horrible day on Saturday. Senior Devrin Young, who handled the return duties in 2013, began the drill by dropping the first JUGS gun punt. Alton Howard followed with a second drop, then junior college transfer Von Pearson made it three in a row by also putting the ball on the ground.Freshmen Vic Wharton, Josh Malone and Evan Berry restored order by making routine catches on punts 4, 5 and 6. Berry lost points moments later, however, by allowing a punt to hit the ground in front of him. Given a do-over, Berry then dropped the next punt. Pearson also was guilty of misjudging a punt and allowing it to hit the ground in front of him. Senior Jacob Carter was another Vol to drop a punt. In addition to the rash of muffed punts, Vol return men bobbled another half-dozen or so. Through two days of work freshman Wharton seems the most comfortable fielding the ball, routinely making the catch with his hands and then cradling the ball to his body.
 
Here are some of the best post-workout quotes from Saturday's Practice No. 2:

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Freshman running back Jalen Hurd on whether he pays attention to the lofty expectations for him: “I don’t. I love Tennessee and I love the fans. I grew up here (Hendersonville), and I just want to give everybody what they expect me to do.”

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Hurd on the taxing summer conditioning program: “It was kind of unexpected but I enjoyed it. I worked hard and I definitely like where I am right now.”

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Junior wideout Von Pearson on the talent level of the Vols’ receiver corps: “I’m surprised we’re not ranked at the top (of the SEC) right now. We’ve got all the new people, plus Vic (Wharton), and Pig (Howard) is back, so everybody’s going to be bringing something to the table we’re going to enjoy seeing. I think it’s going to be nice.”

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Pearson, responding to a loaded question about which quarterback is looking the best so far: “All of ‘em. They’re all doing a good job. I can’t wait to see who’s going to be the quarterback.”

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Senior offensive tackle Jacob Gilliam on enduring four years as a walk-on: “I had my family behind me and all my friends. My dad helped me get up every summer (day) at 5 a.m. and drive here my first year. He’s kept me going through all of this…. Obviously, nobody tells you what it’s really like or you probably wouldn’t do it. It’s been challenging at times but I just put my head down and try to go to work every day. I got bigger and eventually I got a chance.

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Gilliam on the biggest challenge of the walk-on experience: You sit behind those scholarship guys. They’re going to get more shots than you every single time. I had to re-prove myself to three different offensive line coaches and two different head coaches. You just have to sit back and wait for your chance. You might get one of them your whole career, so you’ve got to make the most of it.”

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Senior Justin Coleman on the difference between his old position (cornerback) and his new position (nickel back): “There’s not really a difference except you have to be in the box and make a lot more tackles.”

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Coleman on Tennessee’s defense being quicker this season: “There are a couple of people who already know everything about our defense. When you know things you tend to move faster and play faster.”

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Head coach Butch Jones on urging the team to “take another bite of the elephant” at the start of practice: “You’re going through a long training camp, and it’s on the Power of One … one day at a time. Quite simply, how do you eat an elephant? One (bite) at a time. It’s kind of a visual for them. You’ve got to focus on that visual when taking a bite out of training camp.”

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Jones on young players who are catching his eye: “I’ve been really pleased with (mid-term freshman tight end) Ethan Wolf. He continues to get better and better and better. And there are two individuals out on the perimeter. (Freshman) Vic Wharton continues to do things with the ball in his hands … (sophomore) Josh Smith as well. Josh Smith looks healthy, he looks fast, he looks elusive. I’ve been very pleased with those three individuals.”

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Jones on having more playmakers than last season: “It’s invaluable. You really find out about it when you don’t have enough of them. In the world of college football it’s all about big plays … impact plays … how can you impact the game? Whether it’s a big run, a key block or turning a five-yard reception into a 35-yard reception, going up and making a play on the ball when it’s at its highest point.

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“If you look at the South Carolina game last fall, we made a play on third and nine with about three minutes to go. Justin (Worley) did a great job of hanging in the pocket, throwing the ball to a spot where only one person could catch it, and Marquez North comes down with it.” (Tennessee kicked the game-winning field goal a few plays to upset the No. 11 Gamecocks.)
 
Got this today:


Jalen Hurd is the real deal

Watched the running backs almost exclusively today. If he stays healthy he will be the best RB here in 10+ years. Guy I was watching practice with today agreed. Just looks and moves totally different from anything else they've had at that position in a long time.
 
Please be true

I want him to have the best season of all the freshmen. We need a really good running back in the worst way. I can't remember the last time I was looking forward to a Tennessee RB getting a handoff.
 
I want him to have the best season of all the freshmen. We need a really good running back in the worst way. I can't remember the last time I was looking forward to a Tennessee RB getting a handoff.

Hardesty for me.
 
Hurd will ruin a defensive back at least once in the first two games.
 
Re: Lane

Looked solid. Was obviously running with the 1s during team.

During individual periods Gillespie was using Lane as the example of how to do the drills that Scott and Paulk needed more instruction on. In the past Lane has been a guy that sometimes lacked focus/attention to detail so that's a good sign.
 
Reports on Lane's attitude and work ethic are awesome. Of course we wish he had been in this mode his entire career, but embracing the leadership role and gearing up for a big senior season is quite nice.
 
I assume the practice reports/tweets will start coming in soon from the media.

Butch was in a bad mood today due to the team coming out flat. Their stretching period went 20 minutes long because he kept making them restart. Was calling players out because they weren't clapping, didn't have their chin strip buckled, etc. Rashaan Gaulden was the main culprit. Got so fed up that he sent the player staff to the pit as punishment for the rest of the team's **** ups. They were down there for probably 15 minutes.

Almost kicked Devaun Swafford out of practice because he was walking too much. Called Von Pearson out as well. "You had 15 stories written about you yesterday so you decided to take today off." "Von Pearson decided to take the day off."
 
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