Tennessee will kickoff its highly anticipated 2023 campaign in Nashville against Virginia in 12 days, signaling an end to fall camp and the shift towards game preparation.

The Vols held their 15th practice at Haslam Field on Monday morning, providing the coaching staff with a measuring stick of where the team is at as the regular season approaches.

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Head coach Josh Heupel met with the media following practice, updating the health status of the team, where position groups stand and more.

Here are the key takeaways.

Tennessee is still shoring up the offensive line three weeks into fall camp.

With Cooper Mays having missed the last two weeks of practice with an injury, the coaching staff has been forced to shuffle players at center and guard. At right tackle where the Vols are tasked with replacing first round NFL Draft selection Darnell Wright.

WATCH ON VOLREPORT: Tennessee football coach Josh Heupel speaks with media during fall camp

"(The right tackle position) will continue to unfold here until we get up to kickoff," Heupel said. "Anticipate still seeing multiple guys play and that's true at the right tackle position, but true across the board."

The next week leading into official game preparation will see other position battles being ironed out as well as game-like situations that will be the focus over the next week.

"We finish up (Monday) with some things we're intentional about, some situational work in our walk through, but after that it will start feeling a lot more like game week," Heupel said. "There's still a lot of good-on-good we're going to continue to sharpen and grow before we get to kickoff, but absolutely, our players can sense that we're at the end of training camp and kickoff is just around the corner."

Tennessee has made it through much of fall camp relatively healthy, though freshman running back DeSean Bishop will miss an extended period of time with an injury and freshman defensive lineman Tyree Weathersby is expected to miss the entire season.

Players who are expected to be immediate contributors that have been banged up are expected to be at full health by the Virginia game with Mays' status still uncertain but not expected to be a lengthy absence.

WATCH ON VOLREPORT: Tennessee football coach Josh Heupel previews season after fall camp

"For the guys that were nicked up early in camp, we've gotten most of those guys back," Heupel said. "We've got a couple guys that I think as we finish up today and tomorrow and get back into practice mode, we should be pretty close to being completely healthy when we get close to kickoff."

Full health in the secondary where Tennessee has struggled with depth over the last two seasons means that the coaching staff has had to figure out a rotation there, which they feel they've decided in camp.

"The guys that we've gotten back that were out early in training camp, the last three or four days, those guys have continued to increase their loads," Heupel said. "We've got a lot of work with those guys. We have a pretty clear understanding of who those guys are and how they'll play and compete. We will play a lot of guys on the back-end, so we feel like we're in a good spot and over the next 12 days be ready to roll."

Tennessee quarterback Joe Milton III has looked the part of a seasoned veteran in his third fall camp, particularly in the situational portions of practice.

The Vols' starting signal caller lacked situational skills at times in his first season in 2021 but has improved his awareness as the staff has put an emphasis on uncomfortable, late-game situations.

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"You put quarterbacks in tough situations and in some situations during practice you put them in the hardest spots that they can be in," Heupel said. "(Milton) has continued to grow in his understanding of football 101 and understanding when can I hang in the pocket? Make sure in a certain situation whether we're backed up or in field goal where you've got three (points) and you're trying to seven points.

"Understanding the timing and how to play smart football in those situations. He's continued to grow and I love what he's done."

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