Tennessee football will have a new face in its secondary during fall camp.
Out of Colorado, cornerback Colton Hood picked the Vols in the spring window. He also has experience as a true freshman with Auburn.
He will have three years of eligibility with Tennessee.
To figure out what Hood is bringing to Knoxville, I spoke with CUSportsReport reporter Nicolette Edwards to get a better idea.
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Q: What do you think is the best part of Hood's game?
A: Colton Hood really developed his game last season with the Buffs. Behind starting corners Travis Hunter and DJ McKinney, Hood was the go-to guy when Hunter was injured for the Kansas State and Arizona games last season. His ability to shutdown wide receivers one-on-one is certainly a highlight of his game as he has a patient, yet quick, ability to strike and offset receivers in man coverage. While working one-on-one, he’s also able to produce takeaways as he produced an interception in both the Arizona and Kansas State game and he returned them for 105 yards.
Q: Do you feel like he is someone that could instantly contribute or will he need more time to develop?
A: Hood took a significant step forward last season and he will likely make an impact on the Vols defense this season. Securing a starting role with the Vols' talented secondary may be a bit of a stretch, but with a productive offseason, I can anticipate Hood stepping into a similar role to what he contributed to Colorado last season. He has all the tools to produce game-changing plays as he finished with 24 tackles, one tackle for loss and six pass breakups in all 13 games. With some fine tuning this offseason and more reps, he’ll certainly make a name for himself at Tennessee.
Q: What do you think his ceiling is? Floor?
A: Hood is on the precipice of a breakout season, but his impact will be determined on how much the Vols want to utilize him. An ideal season for him would constitute a continuation on his contributions from last season which would include some takeaways, collecting 7 or more pass break ups and holding his one-on-one matchups scoreless as he did last season with the Buffs. Also, he could potentially solidify his role on kickoff and punt returns at Tennessee as it is an element of his game that he is very much capable of.
For his floor, there were times last season where wide receivers were able to break away from his coverage. Certain routes and footwork found him about a couple yards or more from his assignment. With the variety of receiver talent in the SEC, there will likely be instances where gets beat and he’ll have to adjust accordingly. If he elevates his game this offseason, he’ll help out the Vols going in and out of the rotation. His floor would be a situation where he falls in the depth chart. Hood is still learning and adjusting as he goes through collegiate ball, but all-around he’s a great piece to bring a dependable presence in place of a starter.
Q: Was there any common thread of what coaches and players would say about him?
A: Hood was a Buff that not many of us had our eyes on as a redshirt freshman, but when he came in for Hunter and generated an interception in a tight game against Kansas State, he turned a lot of heads. Hood was consistently trending upwards as the season progressed and the staff and Buffs recognized that. Even though he wasn’t a Buffs starter, when he did come in, he was a reliable corner that could get an offense off the field on third and long or give CU’s offense a short field.
“He can be a great player,” defensive coordinator Robert Livingston said on Oct. 30. “He’s just gotta continue to work and learn the game.”
Q: Do you feel there's any benefit of playing DB under Deion Sanders and with Travis Hunter?
A: Certainly! I think everyone in the corner room was able to take a page out of Hunter’s playbook and absorb the way in which he played the game at an elite level. Hood was praised for his ability to learn and translate his teachings on to the field — a true student of the game. Sanders frequently monitors the secondary during practice, and he took players aside to provide specific tips to improve their skill set. Learning from some of the best to ever do it isn’t a common opportunity and Hood is bringing a plethora of knowledge from Sanders and Hunter to Tennessee this year.
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