Mostly pleased with his team's work in its first day of spring football practice, coach Butch Jones said the Vols met virtually all of the coaching staff's expectations Tuesday afternoon on Haslam Field.

Maybe even surpassed some.

After Josh Dobbs told VolQuest.com that the goal of the team was to open Jones' third spring camp ahead of where the Vols were in the fall and last spring, Jones indicated it was a first step forward.

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"They did" open ahead of last spring, Jones told VolQuest.com. "I thought our tempo was very, very good for the most part. Our habits, obviously we have a long way to go --- it's only Day 1 --- but I did like our approach. Our players knew where they were going and understood the expectations when they stepped on the football field.

"I thought they coached each other, and that's a big thing too. Them taking ownership in the development of all their peers. I thought they coached each other, and I thought they were glued in to the coaching. You could see the mental effort and mental intensity that we also demand throughout the course of practice."

Sophomore tight end Ethan Wolf echoed the sentiments of both Dobbs and Jones in how far along the Vols are just one session into their 15-practice camp.

"Absolutely I would say," Wolf explained. "Granted there's different guys and there are some young guys here that we have to account for, but personally I think from a perspective of our tight end position group we did really well compared to last year with some new guys coming into the position and trying to have to learn it and all that. I think from a tight end standpoint, and we worked today with the offensive line and the quarterbacks, I think we had a pretty solid first day. Far ahead of where we were last spring, I believe."

Added Dobbs, "It was definitely a good day. We got a lot accomplished. A lot of install. ... It was very good. A lot of the guys were ready to get back out there."

While last spring was the Vols' second camp under then-offensive coordinator Mike Bajakian, Tuesday marked their debut under the offensive direction of new coordinator Mike DeBord.

Jones didn't see a blip.

"We were (seamless). It was, again, practice as usual," Jones said. "Our coaches did a great job of the little nuances of managing and conducting the practice, but also our players. Our players, that's when I talked about the retention of practice, our style of play, retention of habits."

Wolf said the Vols' preparations in the weeks since DeBord's arrival set the stage for immediate success as camp began.

"I think it went really well. We've been doing a lot of meetings and stuff to try and acquaint ourselves with him," said Wolf, who quickly earned a starting job at tight end last year and has not relinquished that hold. "Obviously he coached with these guys before, so the terminology is kind of the same in their minds. Everything went smooth and we anticipate it to get even smoother throughout the practices. For the first day, I think we were pleased. Coach Jones mentioned we need to clean up some little things and we do, but he was pleased with how the first day went and how we transitioned our habits from last year to this year. We'll see what kind of identity we have as a team after 15 practices."

But both Dobbs and Wolf said the Vols believe this offense can begin carving an identity now as an explosive unit in the fall.

"Overall, Coach DeBord and our offense is the same. Same lingo," Dobbs told reporters. "Our goal is to move fast and just pump it down defenses throats through the air and on the ground."

Wolf said it's a no-limits-approach.

"The ceiling is as high as we want to make it," he said. "We're going to push every day, whether it's non-practice days in the weight room and film room or on the field. We're trying to do everything we can now to get those wins on the field next fall."

While Dobbs has praised DeBord since his arrival, Jones on Tuesday said DeBord also has aided in the transition at the offensive coordinator position.

"Having Josh (Dobbs) there as well, being in our program and having been through (spring camp), I think Coach DeBord benefited from that as well," Jones said.

"Coach DeBord, me and him have a great relationship and it's definitely growing," Dobbs said.

Wolf praised Dobbs, who finds himself in control of the offense --- no injuries, no one looking over his shoulders --- for the first time entering his third season.

"Josh has done a great job as a leader," Wolf said. "He did that last year and he's carried it into this season, knowing that he's our quarterback.

" ... He's definitely taken a leadership role and doing a good job that, when he's on the field, he's commanding everyone and taking precedent of what's going on, controlling the situation."