Kelly exhorts teammates to protect Guarantano
KNOXVILLE — Tennessee’s football coaches had finished their remarks to the team, bringing an end to Monday’s practice, when a handful of players were summoned by a teammate for one more chat.
Junior running back John Kelly gathered the running backs and offensive linemen together to share a message about redshirt freshman quarterback Jarrett Guarantano.
“We definitely, as a whole on offense, have to make sure we take away from the hits he’s taking,” Kelly said to reporters after the meeting. “That’s something I addressed after practice today with the offensive line and the running backs, was just that we can’t allow that to happen anymore.”
Guarantano was sacked four times and hit hard on several other occasions in Tennessee’s 45-7 loss at Alabama last Saturday. Kelly referred to Guarantano as “a soldier.”
This week’s game at Kentucky should bring at least some reprieve from the hits Guarantano received against the Crimson Tide. Kentucky ranks 12th in the Southeastern Conference with 12 sacks this season.
“We’ve got to do a better job of making sure we protect him,” Kelly said. “And when he’s down, we’ve got to make sure we’re rushing to go get him up.
“I just felt like it was something that needed to be said.”
Dormady available
After junior quarterback Quinten Dormady was replaced by Guarantano, Volquest.com reported that Dormady missed multiple days of practice last week and got his shoulder examined.
Dormady was at the game in Tuscaloosa, and coach Butch Jones said Monday that he would’ve been available if needed.
“He’s still ongoing,” Jones said. “Some discussions right now. We’re making sure he’s OK.
I’ll know a little bit more later in the week. We do expect him to practice tomorrow. But again, there are a lot of things we’re looking at.”
Behind Guarantano and Dormady, freshman Will McBride is the only other scholarship quarterback on the roster.
“Will has gained valuable repetitions throughout the course of the season, and that won’t be any different moving forward this week,” Jones said.
Injury report
The Volunteers had multiple players leave the game with apparent injuries Saturday against the Tide, including twice when more than one were hurt on the same play.
Senior offensive lineman Jashon Robertson was injured in the game, but Jones said he is expected to be available against Kentucky.
After practicing last week, safety and kick returner Evan Berry still did not play Saturday. He remains questionable for this week but will continue to practice.
“He continues to progress. It’s really a day-by-day, weekby-week type process for him,” Jones said. “He’s working very hard, and he wants to get back out on the field. So again, this will be another big week for him, and we’ll probably know a bit more at where he’s at in the middle of the week. But he is taking tremendous strides in getting back.”
Defensive end Darrell Taylor remains suspended. Jones said he planned to meet with him Monday to decide how they move forward with Taylor’s situation.
Contact David Cobb at dcobb@timesfreepress.com.