These 3 Vols will attend media days
KNOXVILLE — Wide receiver Marquez Callaway, defensive end Kyle Phillips and tight end Eli Wolf will be Tennessee’s three representatives at SEC Media Days, the conference announced Wednesday.
It will mark their first time participating in the extravagant preseason event, which this year is shifting to the Omni Hotel in Atlanta from Hoover, Ala.
Tennessee takes its turn Wednesday. The four-day event begins Monday.
The players and coach Jeremy Pruitt will navigate a series of interviews in rooms designated for television, radio and online media, along with interviews in the main ballroom featuring hundreds of reporters.
Here’s a look at the three players Pruitt picked to bring with him to Atlanta.
WR Marquez Callaway
The skinny: Callaway was one of UT’s top receiving threats last season, when he had a team-high five touchdowns as part of his 24 receptions for 406 yards.
But the Vols will need to get him even more involved this year to help boost an offense that was stagnant a year ago. Callaway has playmaker potential. A member of the department-wide VOLeaders Academy, a collection of 19 athletes from 15 sports selected for a yearlong leadership program, Callaway was a natural choice to represent UT on the big stage.
DE Kyle Phillips
The skinny: Phillips will be a cog of UT’s defense as someone who can play end when the Vols are aligned in a 3-4 and either end or tackle when lined up in a 4-3.
He had 35 tackles and two sacks a year ago, and bigger things could be in store for his senior season. Phillips earned the Andy Spiva Award as the most improved defensive player of the spring.
Pruitt was stingy with compliments during the spring, but he had one for Phillips after the spring game.
“(Phillips) has bought in to doing what we want him to do, and he has done his best every day,” Pruitt said. “If we can get everybody to do their best, we’ll be fine.”
TE Eli Wolf
The skinny: A former walk-on, Wolf should contend for a starting job this season following the departure of his older brother, Ethan Wolf, and Jakob Johnson. Wolf made three catches last season for 48 yards, and he earned the Harvey Robinson Award for most improved offensive player of the spring. Wolf helped his stock in the spring game by making a game-high five receptions for 63 yards with a touchdown. “He, again, has went out there and strained and competed and fought every day,” Pruitt said of Wolf after the spring game.