Vols Hold Final Practice Before Orange And White Game (UT Athletics)
Tennessee football held its final full pads practice of the spring with a two-hour workout inside Anderson Training Center on Thursday due to inclement weather.
New running backs coach De'Rail Sims, outside linebackers coach and special teams coordinator Mike Ekeler, along with running backs Dylan Sampson, Khalifa Keith and punter Jackson Ross addressed the media following the final full practice before Saturday's Orange & White Game.
Sims took over a room led by Sampson, who enters his third season after rushing for 604 yards on 106 carries and a team-high seven touchdowns. He averaged 5.7 yards per carry last fall, which ranked eighth in the SEC. Sampson has served as one of the Vols' most valuable leaders in the locker room.
"He's taken a really good step in terms of bringing them along, being a leader in the room," Sims said. "I think holistically in his game, being detailed. He's a lot further along from a detail standpoint right now than he was at the beginning of spring, including starting off in winter workouts. He's taken a huge step forward in that aspect."
Special teams has proved to be one of Tennessee's strengths since Ekeler's arrival in 2021. He welcomes back Ross at punter, who was the driving force behind a unit that allowed only four total punt return yards in 2023, which ranked fifth nationally.
"You look at it, and it was his first year of football," Ekeler said of Ross' development. "He's never played other than Aussie rules football. So, Jackson, right now, we've developed a system around his skillset. He's probably the only guy in the country who can kick it equally well with his right and left foot."
The Vols will hold a "Fast Friday" practice before turning their attention to the Orange & White Game. Start time is 1 p.m. in a limited capacity Neyland Stadium.
The second annual Vol Village Music Festival outside of Neyland Stadium in Lot 9 begins at 11:15 a.m. Vol Village opens at 10:30 a.m. with free admission.