Vol Receivers Prepping For First Game (UT Athletics)
Tennessee football completed its seventh practice of preseason training camp on Thursday at Haslam Field, gearing up for Friday's closed scrimmage in Neyland Stadium that will conclude the second week of fall camp.
Wide receivers coach Kelsey Pope was available to media after Thursday's practice. The third-year assistant discussed his room's increased depth and how that has translated to holistic growth on the practice field.
"I think it's a huge testament to what we're doing in recruiting, what the personnel department is doing to bring talent in here," Pope said. "It's also affecting our room in a positive way. Guys are competitive on and off the field and it's helped us grow, helped those guys individually grow in a lot so far in camp."
The Vols will compete under the lights of Neyland Stadium on Friday night in their first scrimmage of fall camp. Pope laid out some expectations and keys he will be watching for as his receivers take the grass at Shields-Watkins Field.
"I want to see those guys compete in every facet," Pope explained. "I want to see them compete in the run game, get nasty and block their butts off. Obviously, when we have the ability to go make plays down the field, I want to see us do that.
"I think a lot of times, we think about those plays down field as a wideout, but the things that makes receivers good are those details on third down and being able to move those chains. It's being able to play a game within a game and understand how to influence my opponent in the run game as well as in the pass game or help myself with my split. So, those little things are the things I want to see us compete in, not just the big plays when the ball is in the air. I want to see us compete in those small facets that kind of make up the game."
Friday's scrimmage in Neyland Stadium is closed to media and the public.