Tuesday morning players shuffled from one station to the next, from inside to outside, and from one drill to the next drill without hesitation and without confusion.

It was a million miles from where things were a year ago when the Vols started spring practice. As year two of the Josh Heupel era got started on Tuesday it did so with confidence and belief following a solid year one and the emergence of playmakers and leaders like Hendon Hooker, Cedric Tillman, Jeremy Banks and others who are back for another year.

“There’s a lot of understanding of who we are and how we are going to function and operate. Kids are able to focus on the details of what we are asking them to do. The coaching staff is in sync and on the same page. It should help propel us for a great amount of growth here. The difference in year one and year two is light years. There’s so much familiarity and understanding in what we are doing coaches and players alike.”

“There’s so much known versus a year ago with all the unknowns of the first day. How things were going to be handled. How it was going to operate. How coaches were going to handle themselves and communicate. Just a year further in the growth, development, trust and communication between players and coaches. You could see that today. A ton of great teaching out on the practice field from coaches to players but you saw a lot more player to player coaching too.”

THE SECONDARY CHALLENGE/CROSS TRAINING

This spring secondary coach Willie Martinez is without three cornerbacks in Brandon Turnage, Kamal Hadden, and De’Shawn Rucker. Veteran Warren Burrell is also greatly limited this spring. All four are recovering from off-season procedures. The result is a challenge just in raw numbers at the position to compete daily against the fast paced offense. Heupel said he will mindful of the reps those guys take as spring progresses but right now it’s full speed ahead.

“You monitor the players loads on those guys every single day,” Heupel said. “You track what they are doing. You make sure if guys are having to double back on reps you are giving them the proper time to rest in between so they can go out and compete. At this point we aren’t worried about cutting any of the reps that we normally would have. I feel like at this point we are in a position to continue to get the reps that we want.”

The second year coach also said there was plenty of benefit to safeties and nickel guys getting work at corner.

“At this point where we are at in our off-season, I think there are a ton of advantages to those guys moving around and naturally finding a home,” Heupel said. “That’s something that we did a year ago when we had more guys at the position. I think it paid dividends for us in finding a guy’s natural home. As injuries happen being able to get the best five guys on the field and being able to put them in a position for success. The more you know, the more you understand, the more you are able to play full speed and are able to have a global view of what’s happening. I think that helps you at whatever position you are playing as well. I think those reps at this point in who we are and what we are doing are only going to serve us as we go down the road.”

Cross training to other positions in the spring is not an uncommon practice and for the offensive line is something that really happens year round as tackles work at guard, guards at center and guys work right side and left side.

Tuesday Darnell Wright got reps at right tackle where he played two years ago instead of left tackle where he started every game last year. Wright actually prefers right tackle in terms of his position choice but is comfortable with either. Offensive line coach Glen Elarbee and Heupel are just using the spring to create depth and to start to determine their best combinations.

“Some of that is just trying to create competition. Some of it is based on open opportunity. Some of it is giving us the flexibility as we go to play guys at a different position. As you try to create competition, you find out who your best guys are and whatever that number is at that position. It only makes you better as you get closer to the season,” Heupel said.

CONTINUED PRAISE FOR THE NEWBIES

In our pre-spring podcast with Heupel, the Vols head man heaped praise on his 14 newcomers for their maturity and ability to fit right in with the returning team. Tuesday, Heupel was asked his opinion of his newcomers after day one and will he wasn’t interested in singling anyone out, Heupel was once again quick to praise the group.

“I think it would be really hard and almost unfair for that group to start singling out any individuals as far as leadership. For new guys coming into the building they are as mature and have handled themselves from day one about as well as any group I have ever been around. They have done a great job competiting. They have done a great job helping each other out. They have a really good understanding of what we are doing. I am really proud of what they were able to do today blending into what we are doing offense, defense, and special teams. It shows the purpose in which they worked here leading up to today. It’s a group that we feel physicality is talented and has a chance to grow and develop this spring. Then with a great off-season have a chance to compete during training camp for playing time.”

RUNNING BACK ROOM TAKING ON A DIFFERENT SHAPE

A season ago, the Vol offense set a record for points scored. They broke several other offensive records as well. In the run game, the Vols averaged 217.8 yards a game on the ground which was good for 3rd in the SEC behind Arkansas and Georgia.

But the feeling is that the run game should have been more productive than it was in the first year in Heupel’s system. On Tuesday the head coach said he was pleased with how different his running backs look as they head into year two, a year where he expects improvement in the ground game.

“I think that group has dramatically changed their bodies. The size of what they look like lean muscle mass. They have done a really nice job as an entire group this offense from Jabari to Jaylen to Len’Neth. Adding Justin (Williams-Thomas) inside that room has been a real positive. He’s a fierce competitor. I love the way he approached the off-season. That group is only going to continue to get better. We need them to continue to get better that’s in understanding our run schemes, being able to get pad under pad in short yardage situations and also becoming better pass blockers too. I think that’s an area that group can take a huge stride in this spring.”