HOOVER, Ala. — Jeremy Pruitt had barely started his speech on the main podium when he explained he wasn’t much of a fan of SEC Media Days.

Could’ve fooled me.

Pruitt delivered a 22-minute opening salvo, going over his his coaching staff, Tennessee’s band of Hoover High alums, the entire roster and his appreciation for athletics director Phillip Fulmer.

Somehow, the only coach to not get a shoutout was former Heisman Trophy Winner Chris Weinke.

In his second appearance at SEC Media Days, Pruitt walked and talked like a wily vet. He was comfortable, confident and smooth.

Tennessee has plenty of questions to answer in 2019, but after the Vols’ appearance in Hoover on Tuesday, it’s clear both their head coach and the rest of the team has turned the page on last season. From their quarterback to their defensive leaders.

Here’s a look at the noteworthy nuts and bolts from Tennessee on Tuesday…

Not quite, but Pruitt did say that the former freshman All-American “wants to play football” and is “in the process of figuring out a plan so he can be able to do that.”

Smith is still officially sidelined from any contact due to blood clots, but the 6-foot-5, 330-pound junior has participated all summer in offseason workouts.

Senior linebacker Daniel Bituli called Smith’s vigor to return to field “inspiring.” Quarterback Jarrett Guarantano echoed a similar sentiment and said he just wants Smith to be “100 percent healthy” and not “rush into things.”

“I really care about him as a person. If he’s able to play, he’s able to play,” Guarantano said.

“If he’s not, then I’m completely happy with that.”

It’s clear that Smith has made steady progress since his 2018 season was cut short after seven games. Still, to make his plan a reality he must clear that final hurdle with doctors between now and August 31.

Tennessee continues to wait on the NCAA to rule on the eligibility statuses of transfers Aubrey Solomon and Deangelo Gibbs.

While there was some social media scuttle earlier this week that former 5-star Michigan defensive tackle had received good news from the NCAA, Pruitt dismissed such a notion Tuesday, saying, “We’ve yet to get a ruling on that.”

The Vols filed the appeals for both transfers earlier this summer. Fans and players have become agitated with the long waiting game, especially after the NCAA ruled so quickly on quarterbacks Justin Fields and Tate Martell, but Pruitt said the lack of news has “not changed our approach.”

“It’s not frustrating to me. It might be to them, but it isn’t to me.”

A year after deftly giving shoutouts to future Vols like Wanya Morris, Quavaris Crouch and Darnell Wright, Pruitt used his national platform again to provide a few sales pitches to prospective recruits.

Tennessee’s head coach specifically noted that the Vols were set to graduate four senior receivers after the season and available playing time was up for grabs. Due to NCAA rules, Pruitt couldn’t actually name targets like 5-star Rakim Jarrett, Theiu Jones-Bell and Jaylin Hyatt but he coyly delivered his message by saying, “If I was a wide receiver in high school, Tennessee would be a great landing spot in the near future.”

Later in his position-by-position breakdown of the roster, Pruitt explained that the Vols simply don’t have enough bodies at outside linebacker, and threw up another wanted ad.

"We only have five guys on the team at that position on scholarship. And everywhere else I've ever been, we've carried eight or nine, what we call DPR, designated pass rushers. We only have five, Pruitt said, “So if you want to be able to rush the quarterback, there's an opportunity at Tennessee, just by sheer numbers.”