KNOXVILLE – Cade Mays took to social media Wednesday night to say thank you. Tennessee’s offensive lineman needed more than 100 words to convey the sentiment. That’s a lot of gratitude.
He was responding to the SEC clearing the way for him to play this season. The final impediment had loomed like Gibraltar before the 6-foot-6, 320-pound junior, but the conference relinquished its stubborn adherence to the rule about intraconference transfers having to sit out a season before playing.
The league finally bowed to “the unique circumstances present” with the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mays began his post as if he had already lowered himself into a three-point stance for Saturday’s game against Missouri at Neyland Stadium (TV: SEC Network, noon) saying: “Let’s ride.” He then thanked everyone from Tennessee coach Jeremy Pruitt and the university’s hierarchy to UT’s fan base.
A lot of voices joined in creating what Mays described as “a powerful message for all to hear.”
Now it’s time for Mays to be heard and the transfer from Georgia is capable of causing a ruckus regardless of where he’s deployed. Pruitt said Wednesday night that Mays has been prepped to play different spots.
“He’s a smart guy that can play multiple positions,” Pruitt said. “He can play guard, tackle, center, tight end. We’ve repped him all the way through camp with the twos at different positions just in case it did happen we would be ready.”
Along with the versatility, Tennessee stands to benefit from Mays’ single-mindedness. He’s been a physical, ornery player since his Knoxville Catholic High School days and the competitive trait has been enhanced by two seasons of SEC football.
“He’s a guy that’s been through the wars a little bit,” Pruitt said.
The numbers from last Saturday’s 31-27 victory at South Carolina suggest UT could use a little more nastiness up front. Although the Vols rushed for 133 yards and averaged four yards per carry, the running game lacked consistency.
They got no traction in the first half, rushing for a net total of 10 yards. The first drive of the second half was more encouraging. Ty Chandler, who rushed for 86 yards and averaged 6.6 yards per carry, ripped off runs of eight, six and four yards to begin the march to South Carolina’s end zone. All but 10 yards of the 74-yard drive came via land routes.
But just when the Vols looked like they were rolling downhill, two consecutive running plays on the next drive netted one yard total when they needed just one more to gain a first down.
“We need more consistency out of the tackle position, especially in the run game,” Pruitt said Monday. “In the passing game, we’ve got to have a little firmer pocket, I think that contributed some to our missed throws.
“I do think as a unit, there was improvement there from last year, but it’s not where we want to be at.”
Wherever they’re going, Mays now is along for the ride, and he’s bound to make a difference.
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Dan Fleser is a 1980 graduate of the University of Missouri, who covered University of Tennessee athletics from 1988-2019. He can be reached at danfleser3@gmail.com.