Tennessee football using bowl preparation to benefit young players

While some freshmen and redshirt freshmen have earned time on the field due to improved play or injury, the majority of starters have plenty of experience at the college level.

With nearly a month until the Vols wrap up the season in the Citrus Bowl against Iowa, Tennessee is taking the extra bowl practices to give these young players the opportunity to gain experience.

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Head coach Josh Heupel has made sure to emphasize the development of young players since the regular season concluded. While veterans worked out individually, the younger members of the team got more attention.

Heupel plans to continue this once the staff is back in Knoxville after leaving town to recruit. However, this time, it'll include a handful of players who will be on campus early to get a head start on their college career following the completion of their high school campaigns.

"We had a couple of young-guy emphasis practices last week as we were conducting our exit interviews before everyone got out on the recruiting trail," said Heupel. "Our older guys were there for some of the individual, just getting movement, knowing that we were going to be gone for an extended period of time before we got back, before this weekend.

"Our young guys were able to get good intentional work. Some of our group settings and all of the team stuff was designed for them. We'll continue that as we get back off the road this weekend and we'll always be extremely intentional and continue to build those guys. In some ways, it's an extra spring ball for those guys. We'll have some high school, mid-year guys that will show up in the middle of December, as well, that will get their first exposure to college football."

One of the positions that has been manned by a veteran with a talented freshman in the reserve slot is quarterback.

Joe Milton III has started each of the 12 games for the Vols, so far, and has played every snap at the position in eight of the games.

Behind him, five-star freshman Nico Iamaleava has appeared in four matches.

Now, Heupel has to make the choice of continuing to work the proven senior, going all in on Iamaleava's development or — most likely — finding somewhere in the middle.

"There's no perfect science, no equation that gives you a percentage of what you should be weighing," said Heupel on the quarterback room. "In general, though, whether it's the quarterback position or other things, the things that you're seeing in practices are inevitably going to show up during the course of the ball game, too. Positive and negative.

"As a coach, whether it's quarterbacks, whether it's the offensive line, DBs, whatever it might be, you're going to put the guys out on the football field that you feel gives you the best opportunity to go win a football game. All of the little things add up to the big things that everybody sees as you go in and play in a football game."

What could open the door for some young players to see the field more than they typically would is if there are opt outs for the NFL Draft or players enter the transfer portal.

Many players choose to play in the bowl game and still enter their name into the draft, but others will skip the game to get a head start on the draft process. More openings will arise with others entering the portal and creating space.

Heupel says these conversations typically take place closer to the actual game.

"I think that's something that typically happens as they get closer to finalizing their decision," said Heupel. "Last year, we had a good bulk of guys that were going to be in the (NFL) draft that participated in the Orange Bowl. This is a great game against a great opponent. We certainly hope we get a bulk of our guys that are going to help us go be ready to play on January 1. But, as those guys continue to have those conversations as they inch closer towards a decision whether they're coming back for a year or going into the NFL Draft, those are things that you continue to talk about with them at that time."

Kick-off is set in Orlando at 1 p.m. ET airing on ABC.

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