PC Highlights - Vols begin fall camp

Despite several players still not 100 percent entering fall camp, Tennessee head coach Butch Jones said the Vols will have everyone present on Hallam Field Monday afternoon when the Vols kick off spring practice.

“Everyone will be on the field today. We have different stages of recovery going on but everyone will be present and everyone will participate in practice in some levels today, some more than others,” Jones explained.

Shy Tuttle continues to recover from a leg fracture suffered last season and wide receiver Jauan Jennings has been healing a knee injury suffered during spring practice. Jones expects both to be somewhat available during camp, but understands both will be limited in some capacity at the beginning.

“First off, as we know, Shy will be very, very limited. We’ll build our way up with Jauan Jennings, he’s progressing,” Jones said. “We expect him to be full go shortly. Like I said, they’re in different stages, but they will participate in different things. I think a lot of it is going to be after Day 2 when they put the shells on and we see how their body responds."

Jones added there is no update with Alexis Johnson's status on the team as he continues to be suspended.

Junior safety Todd Kelly Jr. will wear No. 24 this season in honor of Fulton High School football player Zaevion Dobson who was murdered in December protecting two friends.

"That's something TK and I talked long and hard about. He wanted to represent him and his family and this great community. I think it speaks volume of TK."

Any coach will tell you every fall camp is different. For Butch Jones, the August 2016 pre-season is unlike any camp he's had with the Vols. Tennessee returns 18 starters from the 2015 season that ended with a 45-6 drumming of Northwestern sending expectations to a fever pitch. Jones acknowledged on Monday that he will manage this veteran team different than he first three.

“It's team 120 and every team is different. We have a more veteran group but we still only have 11 seniors in our football program,” Jones aid. “You have to challenge your team. It's not only the physical toughness of training camp but the mental toughness of camp as well. Today will be a great test for our football team. We started the morning off with 7:30 team meetings on special teams. They have a full day of academics in summer school. Then they will come back with two more position meetings then we practice this evening.

"That will be a great test of the mental toughness of our team. That daily grind will occur this week. But yes, there are some individuals who are proven. We don't need to be game ready right now. We need to be game ready right now. We just need to build up. Some individuals will get more reps than others. We may manufacture some different situations where guys are earning there role and that's what training camp is all about.

“You can't assume anything even having individuals in your program now that have been in the program for a number of years. I believe you have to start at ground zero. You have to start from scratch and build up. I have been impressed with the retention which you expect. You have to go through every single deal from fundamentals to situational football to how you practice. You start from ground zero but I do think it lends itself to go at a quicker pace.”

With a cast of veterans running the team side of the program, Jones doesn't have to worry as much about the new crop of Vols practicing for the first time later today. The head coach isn't going to give any of the players to0 much hype heading into fall camp. With that said, the head coach does like the make-up of this new class and was proud of their summer GPA that was above 3.0.

"It's tOo early to put any expectations on any true freshmen," Jones said. "We haven't seen them play football here. They haven't taken one snap. It's unfair to say this individual or that individual. I will tell you this, I really like this freshmen class and like our newcomers. I think they are different in terms of their mentality. I think it's a bi-product of our older players and really setting the standard and expectations."

The hype has been unavoidable for Junior College transfer and five-star defensive lineman Jonathan Kongbo. The physically impressive Kongbo is up to 282 pounds and appears to have a chance to help on the edge and in the interior. The challenge for Jones and the defensive staff is to keep him grounded. After all, Kongbo has been active on twitter since signing with the Vols in February and isn't short on confidence.

"I talk to him all the time," Jones said. "Jonathan is a very prideful young man and he's really competitive and wants to do well. For him, we have to be careful we don't to much pressure on him. There is no pressure. You just have to get better each day. Last year we talked about becoming 1% better and if he can do that then everything will take care of itself.

"We have to let him develop at his own pace and be patient. The good thing is our older players will bring him along with coach Strip and coach Shoop. Sometimes we have to slow him down, but he will be fine."