Storylines
breaking down Wednesday’s intrasquad scrimmage.
Carter mostly plays Star position, what UT calls its nickelback. Jourdan Thomas is the presumed starter there, and his advantage is that he played 219 defensive snaps last season. Carter has also gotten reps at safety.
Defensive coordinator Tim Banks and secondary coach Willie Martinez prefer playing experienced players over talented freshmen.
But if there was ever a time to break that habit, it would be now. The Vols lost 10 defensive backs this offseason, including seven to the transfer portal and three declaring for the NFL Draft. So they’re retooling the entire unit.
Don’t pick a freshman frontrunner receiver yet
Freshman Braylon Staley, a former four-star prospect, impressed early in spring practice at slot receiver. But freshman Mike Matthews, a former five-star prospect, has garnered a fair share of attention lately, and he caught a long touchdown pass in the scrimmage.
Those fluctuations are typical for freshman skill players in spring.
They flash their natural ability when practicing in shorts and shoulder pads. Then a deeper dive into the playbook slows their progress. By the end of spring, the best usually rise to the top.
For now, count Matthews and Staley in the receiver competition. But it’ll take until the fall to determine if either can crack the rotation.
There’s no drama between offensive tackles
LSU transfer Lance Heard, a former five-star prospect, was immediately put at left tackle. That meant John Campbell, the 2023 starting left tackle, moved to right tackle.
Left tackle is a coveted position, so there could’ve been friction between the players. After all, Gerald Mincey didn’t welcome the same move from left tackle to right tackle a year ago when Campbell transferred from Miami.
But this has been a smooth transition.
“I’m a team guy, and I just do whatever for the team,” Campbell said. “Anything I can do, I’m here to help. So it’s fine with me. I love practicing with Lance. That’s my boy.”
Notably, UT’s Darnell Wright was the No. 10 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft as a right tackle.
Heard said he’s focused on building a relationship with Campbell and learning from him. So it’s been a good start to a partnership that doesn’t always work out.
Nico Iamaleava leads in a different way
There are different methods to leading, and quarterback Nico Iamaleava appears to have settled into his as the starter.
It’s sort of a combination of his predecessors. Hendon Hooker was serious and reserved on the field and respected like a coach.
Joe Milton was looser and more animated, and he took a particular interest in building bonds with teammates away from the field.
Iamaleava is humble, quiet and personable. He doesn’t shout at teammates. But he often jogs over to them between reps, puts his arm on their shoulder and talks one-on-one about the previous play.
The approach has won over teammates, who talk about Iamaleava as if he’s a veteran quarterback.
“When he talks, guys listen,” offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Joey Halzle said. “That’s the best compliment you can say about somebody.”
Defensive line is even deeper than we thought
There’s a logjam on the defensive line, and that’s a good thing for the Vols.
The combination of returning veterans, talented young players, others coming off injuries and the arrival of Stanford transfer Jaxson Moi has swelled the competition.
There are at least 13 players with a legitimate shot to make the regular-season rotation.
And that’s not counting five-star prospect Jordan Ross, the No. 1 edge rusher in the 2024 class, who arrives this summer.
It will work itself out. But defensive line coach Rodney Garner undoubtedly has some very good options in trying to
turn that into a dominant unit.
Vols probably need a running back in the portal
Dylan Sampson looks ready to become the No. 1 running back. But behind him are injured and inexperienced players.
No. 2 running back Cam Seldon is out after undergoing shoulder surgery early in spring practice. Freshman Peyton Lewis also had shoulder surgery that will keep him off the field until preseason practice.
DeSean Bishop is returning after missing last season due to an injury. Khalifa Keith, who had only 11 carries as a freshman last season, is Sampson’s backup until Seldon returns.
It’s possible Seldon and Lewis could recover and give UT a young but talented backfield. But it’s just as plausible that there could be major depth issues there during the season.
Coach Josh Heupel didn’t dismiss the possibility of adding a running back from the portal after spring, at least as an insurance policy.
Tight end competition is more than a two-man race
UT utilizes two tight ends in its offense. In 2021-22, it was Princeton Fant and Jacob Warren. In 2023, it was Warren and McCallan Castles.
It was assumed that Notre Dame transfer Holden Staes and redshirt freshman Ethan Davis would fill those roles in 2024. But don’t count out Alabama transfer Miles Kitselman.
Kitselman was mostly a blocking tight end at Alabama. He played 65 offensive snaps and made only two receptions over the past two seasons. But he’s demonstrated receiving skills in UT practices.
Don’t be surprised if the Vols experiment with a trio of tight ends in preseason practice.
Offensive line is determined to not repeat 2023 mistakes
Right guard Javontez Spraggins is rehabbing an injury during spring. Center Cooper Mays has been limited for a couple of practices. And left guard is an open competition.
UT has taken advantage by loading up reserve linemen with first-team reps against experienced defensive linemen, moving tackles Dayne Davis and Shamurad Umarov to guard and switching Trevor Duncan from defensive line to offensive tackle.
Last season, UT never developed depth at center or guard, and it impacted key games. In spring, the Vols have been focused on preventing that problem from happening again.
Adam Sparks is the Tennessee football beat reporter. Email adam.sparks@knoxnews.com . X, formerly known as Twitter @AdamSparks . Support strong local journalism by subscribing at knoxnews.com/subscribe.