Tennessee junior defensive back Cameron Sutton will wear the No. 7 jersey of teammate Rashaan Gaulden this season. Gaulden will miss the season due to a foot injury. Sutton wore No. 23 in his two previous seasons with the Vols.
photo by Tennessee Athletics
With exactly two weeks to go until Tennessee's season opener against Bowling Green, the Vols are transitioning from training camp to in-season game prep.
The focus shifts from getting acclimated to practice to preparing for an opponent and mastering assigned roles.
"It's been a very, very short camp, one of the shortest camps we've ever been a part of," coach Butch Jones said.
"I thought our players really handled the transition well from going to training camp into an in-season schedule, in-school schedule. I think they've done a very good job."
Jones said that the team is still in training camp mode in some ways, but Saturday's focus was on situation football, game management and improvement from scrimmage to scrimmage.
"It's a different feel once you get into season," redshirt senior linebacker Curt Maggitt said. "It's a little more serious. During camp you try out new things, you switch people around, if you get a holding call it's not that big of a deal. But once the season comes around, it's a pretty big deal when you're front of 100,000. So you've really got to lock in."
Numerical Tribute
A pair of Vols are honoring their teammates who are lost for the season due to injury by changing their uniform numbers to their injured mates' numerals. Sophomore offensive lineman Jashon Robertson wore Marcus Jackson's No. 75 for the first time on Saturday as a tribute, which Jones had mentioned earlier in camp. Jackson suffered a biceps injury early in training camp and will be forced to miss his entire senior season. Robertson wore No. 73 during his freshman season with the Vols.
Junior defensive back Cameron Sutton was decked out in No. 7 on Saturday as he honored sophomore Rashaaan Gaulden, who will miss the season with a foot injury. Sutton wore No. 23 during his first two seasons with the Vols.
"Cam Sutton has requested to wear number 7 for the season so he'll do that just like Jashon will wear be wearing 75 for Marcus (Jackson)," Jones said.
Jones went on to say Sutton immediately wanted to wear No. 7 to honor his injured teammate.
"Right when he found out about the extent of the injury," Jones said, "he called me, it was probably about 11:30-12 o'clock at night and said, `Hey, I want to represent Rashaan in a game.' We talk about being nine strong and power of the position and these kids have done a good job with that. They take pride in their performance every time they step on the football field and they support one another."
In another sign of Gaulden's importance to his teammates, Maggitt said various members of the Vols defense wanted to wear No. 7 as well.
"That just shows how our defense is, and honestly there are guys on the D-Line that would have worn 7, guys at linebacker that would have worn 7," said Maggitt. "It just shows how much respect the guys have for RG, and how far he has come. He's probably one of my favorite people on the team. I care about him a lot as a person as well."
CEO Dobbs
After two years on Rocky Top, quarterback incumbent Joshua Dobbs can finally call the offensive unit his own. And to hear Jones and offensive lineman Kyler Kerbyson tell it, Dobbs has shown no qualms in making his voice heard.
"[Dobbs] has been a CEO of this camp and I've been very proud of him," Jones said. "He's been much more vocal than he's been in the past. He's holding individuals accountable. I see him interacting with the other side of the ball ... with the defensive players as well."
Kerbyson has witnessed Dobbs' chatter in a different way--often from a gaze just inches from his own.
"He's always positive out there, but if he needs to get in someone's face he will," said Kerbyson about the junior signal-caller. "If the protection isn't good he'll go up to the tackles, the guards and be like, `Hey, what are you doing? You need to protect me,' which is great out of a leader.
"I'm proud of Dobbs and everything he's done and how he's taken over that role as a starting quarterback."
Kerbyson Instilling Confidence Along OL
In a culture so often focusing on the early bloomers and impact freshmen, Jones points to fifth-year Kerbyson as the poster child for the benefits of steady player development.
"I can't say enough about Kyler and how far he's come in the development in our football program," Jones said. "In a world of instant gratification, he's paid his dues. He spoke about never playing for a few years. He talked about being a back-up. A tribute to him, when he gained his opportunity he stepped up and he took the most of it."
Part of that development has come from a leadership perspective as the Knoxville native has embraced the role his seniority and experience have provided. That leadership focus could be invaluable for an OL unit seemingly in constant personnel flux.
"When new guys have to step in I have to make them feel confident," Kerbyson said. "If they don't feel confident and they don't feel like they can make the right blocks, they're not going to do it. You've got to envision yourself doing before you actually go out there.
"I just try to say, `Come on, dude. We've got this. You're doing a good job, just make sure you stay low, use good hands,' right before every snap. I'm just giving them confidence, no matter who it is. That way we go out there and play better."
(E-mail Larry Fleming at larryfleming44@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter @larryfleming44)