Vols went through their 11th preseason practice on Friday at Haslam Field in Knoxville. Quarterback Jarrett Guarantano missed the workouts due to a death in the family.
photo by UT Athletics
Eleven days into August, Tennessee's emerging standouts are showing flashes of promise on Haslam Field. Coach Butch Jones spoke to reporters after Friday's practice and discussed some of the young men who are stepping up.
Missing in Action
Quarterback Jarett Guarantano, a redshirt freshman from Lodi, New Jersey, missed Friday’s workout due to a death in his family.
Guarantano is battling junior Quinten Dormady for the starting job.
Stripes Are Gone
Two freshmen took big strides in their preseason progress at Friday’s drills.
Theo Jackson and tight end LaTrell Bumphus earned the removal of their black helmet stripes, a rite of passage that Jones started back in 2013. First-year players must wear a black stripe on their practice helmets until they prove themselves to their position group teammates.
"You're always kind of interested to see who will have them removed first, but they're very deserving," Jones said. "They come and they work hard every day and it's all about earning the respect of your peers and they have [their stripes] as evidence today."
Vols' Coaching Bonds Are Strong
While there are several new faces on the Tennessee football coaching staff this season, the strong relationships Jones has with his new assistant coaches were forged by years of communication and camaraderie.
"It's all about relationships," Jones said. "We talk about obviously our players and being a family but it's the same as coaches. These individuals go back a very, very long period of time, and you know I still remember making many trips as a young coach to the University of South Florida when they were in the trailers and spending time with Mike Canales and then obviously Larry Scott as well and talking a lot of football."
He even recalled going to the same coaching conventions as Canales and drawing up football plays and schemes on hotel room mirrors.
"[Canales and Scott] work well together and I think any time you can add individuals that have been coordinators in your room and they get along as they do, they respect each other, I think that really helps," he said. "Then obviously when you throw in the expertise of Robert Gillespie and Walt Wells, who's also been an offensive coordinator, that really helps."
(Contact Larry Fleming at larryfleming44@gmail.com and on Twitter @larryfleming44)