As Tennessee enters the final week of spring practice, Vol head coach Jeremy Pruitt met the media Tuesday afternoon to discuss his team’s second scrimmage of the spring and offered a few observations.
OFFENSE AHEAD OF SCHEDULE
Pruitt said quarterback Jarrett Guarantano didn’t have his best day on Saturday, but for 12 practices this spring, the offense, led by Guarantano, has been solid. Monday night on VolCalls, Pruitt said that heading into this week the offense was ahead of schedule.
“We have been more consistent running the football. We have less mental errors than we had last spring. I think we are bigger and stronger and can push a little more. We need to get more consistent in doing that I think especially with the 1s,” he furthered explained Tuesday.
“Jarrett has experience Saturday wasn’t his best practice. It might have been his worst practice for the spring. We need a little more consistency there, but we have guys with play making ability on the offensive side. In putting in a new system, I think it’s been relatively easy for the guys. Just watching from a far, you couldn’t tell it’s a new system.”
As for the scrimmage on Saturday, the offensive limited some mistakes and did some things well, but the head coach is still looking for more.
“Offensively, there were a few things that I thought we done well. We eliminated penalties, converted third downs, handled the four minute situation. We still occasionally have a bad snap or two. Offensively you can’t start a play unless you can get the ball from center. We really have to improve from that stand point. We can’t have any issues there. We didn’t create enough explosive plays and had too many negative plays. We have to be able to finish better.”
BENNETT TURNING HEADS
Senior Darrell Taylor has been the best defensive player this spring in the Vols’ front-seven — maybe the best of the whole defense. Taylor has been a one-man wrecking crew this spring. In the first scrimmage, he was really the only defensive pass rusher to show up. In the second scrimmage though, Taylor again showed well, but he also got some help from outside linebacker Kivon Bennett.
“I thought this past scrimmage that Kivon Bennett had a good scrimmage,” Pruitt said.
“He’s a guy that we moved last year from d-line to outside linebacker. We were fortunate enough to be able to redshirt him last year. He’s gained some experience He still makes a few mental errors here and there, but I think he plays hard. It gives him a chance to have success at a position that his body type fits more than defensive tackle.”
For the Vols, finding pass rushing help off the edge to go with Taylor is a must.
GIBBS SHOWS UP, STAR COMPETITION HEATING UP
Tennessee is still awaiting word on the eligibility of transfers Aubrey Solomon and DeAngelo Gibbs. Solomon has shown he can help on the defensive line from Day 1, while Gibbs, who played sparingly on defense at Georgia, worked nine practices on offense before moving to defense last week. Evidently, he’s quickly made an impression back at his old spot.
"DeAngelo has done really well at star (nickel),” Pruitt said. “We have played him just at star because that’s what he has played before and that’s more what he knows. After you have practiced nine times on offense and you move him to defense you want to see what his skill set is. He is a big guy who is a good blitzer. He plays well against the run. He has really soft hands. He picked off a pass the other day in the scrimmage. That’s one of things you need to have in the back end.
“When the offense makes a mistake you have to make them pay. He’s a guy that can do that. There’s probably lots of little things he needs to clean up because he didn’t practice the first nine days of defense. We are going to leave him on the defensive side of the ball for three more practices. That will give him six on defense and be able to kind make a decision on where he needs to go from there.”
With Bryce Thompson and Alontae Taylor pretty much set at the corner spots, the interior of the secondary is less settled with competition at safety and at the nickel position. Pruitt said most of his defensive backs can play several spots, which is creating depth and some competition, particularly at the important nickel/STAR spot.
“We teach everything conceptually,” Pruitt said. “Most every single guy in our secondary can play multiple spots. For the last six or seven practices, we have worked Nigel Warrior there, Shawn Shamburger and Baylen (Buchannan) can play there. There’s lots of guys that play there or “money” (position). Bryce has moved in and out. So all of our guys can play multiple spots just based off concepts. We are creating depth there which is good. We also have competition.”
