Mega Monday notebook

Some members of Tennessee’s offensive line have flipped the script the traditional anonymity enjoyed by the big guys up front and gained a little notoriety in recent months.

Most anyone following the Vols closely is probably aware of the ‘Life in the Shadows’ twitter feed (@OLPshadows) that was created by junior walk-on Thomas Edwards.

The humorous feed is mostly used to make some comedy capital out of the vast difference in visibility enjoyed (or endured) by quarterback Josh Dobbs compared with all those guys who are charged with keeping him upright on Saturday afternoons.

The feed typically consists of photos that show Dobbs in some kind of spotlight with fans while members of the offensive front take selfies from the foreground.

“It’s already settled down a lot,” Brett Kendrick joked about any new found fame he and the other ‘big uglies’ might be enjoying after this weekend’s ESPN attention. “We all went out last night to eat and everybody was back to wanting to take pictures with Dobbs. Apparently Sportscenter wasn’t enough for me."

Kendrick went on to good-naturedly take Dobbs to task for hogging the spotlight while protesting that he would rather go unnoticed himself.

“He’s selfish, he really doesn’t like us that much. I think he gets tired of us because we’re his roommates. He takes all the fame he can get he acts like he doesn’t like it but he loves it,” Kendrick said with a smile.

“I guess Dobbs technically gets all the credit, without him there wouldn’t be any shadows for us to live in. It’s been awesome. The Sportscenter interview was incredible. We have a lot of fun with it.”

Every member of this Tennessee football team is well aware of the hype the Vols are entering the 2016 season with. The latest bit of hyperbole came this weekend with the release of the AP preseason poll, which pegged the Vols No. 9.

No player has been caught publicly stepping out too far to embrace that hype. The Vols aren’t shying away from the expectations, but everyone seems to be following the lead set by Butch Jones, which is to note that this team hasn’t accomplished anything yet.

Kendrick stuck to that script when asked about being part of a team starting the year with enormous expectations.

“We haven’t put anything on the field yet so all this is just hype right now. We’re excited for the season right now, but we’re just working everyday to being as good as we can. I think we can be really good,” he said of the hype swirling around Team 120.

“That’s (the ranking) a huge deal but we haven’t started the season yet. Later on in the season we’ll look up and see where we’re ranked then, but right now we’re just trying to make every day count.”

For a local product like Kendrick though, there has to be a certain sense of pride of being a part of the group that has hauled Tennessee back to the point in the college football world to where big things are now expected of the Vols.

“This feels like like it did when I was growing up,” Kendrick said of the expectations. “Obviously, we had some down years when I was younger, especially when I was in high school. Since I got here though coach Jones has really turned this program around. It’s starting to feel like Tennessee football again.”

After closing out the 2015 season with several strong performances, junior Josh Malone is poised to have a big year this fall. He didn't participate in spring practice in an effort to get healthy and that decision is paying dividends. The Middle Tennessee native is locked, loaded and ready for Appalachian State.

"Most definitely feel a lot better at any point since I've been in college," Malone said. "How my body has felt going into a season and I just feel like I've been doing a great job of taking care of my body. Just doing little things like stretching, staying hydrated and putting good food in my body. Just being really cautious with what I put in my body."

Feeling fresh, Malone is ready to play a lot and even said he is good to play as much as he is needed in the much talked about wide receiver rotation. And Frankly, Malone feels like he could play every snap.

"I wouldn't say it would be difficult, but it would be challenging," Malone said. "Especially with the tempo we play with in our style of play. Just how much we move with three wide receivers, you would be able to see signs of fatigue by the end of the game. But it's possible.

"I feel like since I have experience of playing the whole entire game without a sub, now I could do it every play. A couple of plays wouldn't be explosive as others, but it could be done.”

Freshman quarterback Jarrett Guarantano has impressed in his first fall camp. Coaches and players have all praised him over the course of camp and to this point he hasn't hit a wall.

"I'm still very impressed,"Malone said. "How he has handled the offense and how he is learning and progressing in the offense. It's going to take time, but he's making strides and he's going to be a really good player in the future.

"His arm (laughs) is impressive. The kid has a cannon. We always get on him because he's always trying to throw bullets. He's trying to throw the ball right through you. He's going to be a very good quarterback in the future. He just has to stay the course, stay focused, stay out of trouble and cancel out all the distractions. Just hone his craft and he's going to be a great player."

Guarantano isn't just impressing the guys catching the passes that he throws. He's also played well during 11-on-11 periods in practice and made his fair share of plays against the defense.

“I like Jarrett," Jalen Reeves-Maybin said. "Alvin and I mess with him all the time just because he's a quarterback and he's going to need a lot of confidence when it's time to take the team. I think he has performed well. He's still learning a lot. It's a lot for a freshman playing quarterback. I think he's progressing well and I think he will be a great player here.”