Kirkland likely OK to play on Saturday
KNOXVILLE — A key defensive player received a positive prognosis from Tennessee football coach Jeremy Pruitt on Wednesday ahead of the season opener.
Pruitt said middle linebacker Darrin Kirkland Jr. could probably play from 70 to 90 snaps when the Volunteers take on West Virginia at 3:30 p.m. Saturday at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina.
West Virginia ran an average of 72.5 offensive plays per game last season on the way to a 7-6 record.
Tennessee’s staff took a cautious approach with Kirkland’s return from a knee injury during preseason practices, and the redshirt junior was seen wearing a knee brace and pedaling a stationary under the direction of the conditioning staff Tuesday during a period of practice open to media.
As Pruitt noted during Wednesday’s Southeastern Conference coaches teleconference, “precautionary measures” have been part of Kirkland’s re-entry to the sport.
“He’s built his stamina up to that,” Pruitt said. “I think he’s in a good place.”
Kirkland is one of three junior inside linebackers expected to be vital cogs in Tennessee’s defense this season, along with Daniel Bituli and Quart’e Sapp. The Vols’ 3-4 system calls for two of them to be on the field simultaneously. Bituli is listed as a starter on this week’s depth chart, while Kirkland and Sapp are listed as co-starters.
More linebacker talk
Another inside linebacker expected to contribute this season when he signed with the Vols in February remains “in a holding pattern.” Freshman J.J. Peterson, the highest-rated player in Pruitt’s 2018 signing class, is awaiting NCAA clearance to join the team.
“His stuff is, I’m sure, about to get ruled on,” Pruitt said on the teleconference. “As soon as we know, everybody else will know.”
Graduate transfer Chryst is ‘sharp’
Asked on the teleconference about the difficulties of acclimating a graduate transfer quarterback to a new program, Pruitt said the Vols’ Keller Chryst is “a pretty sharp guy.” Chryst, who came from Stanford, is listed as a co-starter at quarterback along with redshirt sophomore Jarrett Guarantano.
Most expect Guarantano to take the first offensive snaps on Saturday, though Chryst boasts an 11-2 career record as a collegiate starter.
“He’s a coach’s son,” Pruitt said. “It’s been a pretty easy transition for him. He’s started in a lot of games. He has a lot of experience. He’s kind of a natural leader. He has good arm talent. Our kids really like him, and I think him and Jarrett have built a really good relationship along with everybody else in the quarterback room. It’s been really good for our team.”
Offensive line options
The depth chart Tennessee released Monday included a whopping nine players listed in bold as starters on the offensive line. The Vols can only start five, of course, but Pruitt said Wednesday that more than that will rotate onto the field.
“I’m sure we’ll play more than five guys,” he said. “I think we probably need to, and I think we’ve got guys that have earned the right to play.”
Contact David Cobb at dcobb@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @DavidWCobb and on Facebook at facebook.com/volsupdate.