Brent's thoughts:
Shoulder pads went on for the first time for the Vols and it was time for the young defensive linemen to shine. It his first work against pass pro Kahlil McKenzie pancaked Austin Sanders prompting an ut-oh from the head coach on the mic, but the best rep goes to Shy Tuttle who put Marcus Jackson on his backside.
Both were impressive for young tackles. In the one on one goal line work, the quarterbacks didn't give the receivers a chance to make a play but it appears that Jajuan Jennings, Marquez North and Josh Malone all were open or would have had a chance to make a play on a decently thrown ball.
On the routes versus air work, the receivers and the quarterbacks did throw it better.
Jennings still continues to impress with his raw ability as he learns the position. Back on defense, Kyle Phillips continues to show a burst off the edge as well.
Tommy Townsend appeared to have another solid day punting ball. On the offensive line side of things, Jack Jones had a win in one on one's. Jones continues to perform well. Drew Richmond and Chance Hall continue to show positive signs as well.
At linebacker, I continue to like Darrin Kirkland, Jr. and some of the things he's doing early on at the middle linebacker position.
Rain did force the Vols inside, but overall, it looked to be another solid day as the line of scrimmage got it's first chance to shine.
JOHN'S TAKE:
Not surprisingly, the Vols seemed eager for the opportunity to bang heads against each other. Against fellow freshmen, Kahlil McKenzie and Shy Tuttle were just overpowering.
But more telling, those two maintained leverage and the upper hand even against their older brethren. What Tuttle did to Marcus Jackson, who once ranked among the Vols' strongest players, was simply hard to fathom on first viewing. It was a swift and decisive overpowering play.
Dimarya Mixon had a "don't-forget-about-me" moment when he ran roughshod through Chance Hall.
We heard coaches and others in the program say they wanted more consistency from the "throw game" earlier this week, and we caught a glimpse as to why. Balls weren't placed with great accuracy by the QBs in early sessions, and the receivers also had a couple drops.
Punting was better today, with Tommy Townsend booming a kick.
Paul's take:
It was fun to finally see the pads on and the players start hitting one another. And let's just get this out of the way: Jauan Jennings impressed again today, especially in the circle of life drill when he quickly took Justin Martin to the ground and made sure he stayed there a few extra seconds. He continues to make great catches and while he's still learning the fundamentals of the position, he just keeps showing up.
Elsewhere, freshmen Kahlil McKenzie and Shy Tuttle showed up in the one-on-one drills. Both are known for their strength, and particularly Tuttle's rep against Marcus Jackson where he pushed him back with ease.
Offensively, some freshmen linemen made some plays again as Chance Hall, Jack Jones and Drew Richmond all looked good.
In watching some of the punting work I think it's easy to say that job is still wide open. All three punters showed some promise but also looking like they needed some work with consistency.
Shoulder pads went on for the first time for the Vols and it was time for the young defensive linemen to shine. It his first work against pass pro Kahlil McKenzie pancaked Austin Sanders prompting an ut-oh from the head coach on the mic, but the best rep goes to Shy Tuttle who put Marcus Jackson on his backside.
Both were impressive for young tackles. In the one on one goal line work, the quarterbacks didn't give the receivers a chance to make a play but it appears that Jajuan Jennings, Marquez North and Josh Malone all were open or would have had a chance to make a play on a decently thrown ball.
On the routes versus air work, the receivers and the quarterbacks did throw it better.
Jennings still continues to impress with his raw ability as he learns the position. Back on defense, Kyle Phillips continues to show a burst off the edge as well.
Tommy Townsend appeared to have another solid day punting ball. On the offensive line side of things, Jack Jones had a win in one on one's. Jones continues to perform well. Drew Richmond and Chance Hall continue to show positive signs as well.
At linebacker, I continue to like Darrin Kirkland, Jr. and some of the things he's doing early on at the middle linebacker position.
Rain did force the Vols inside, but overall, it looked to be another solid day as the line of scrimmage got it's first chance to shine.
JOHN'S TAKE:
Not surprisingly, the Vols seemed eager for the opportunity to bang heads against each other. Against fellow freshmen, Kahlil McKenzie and Shy Tuttle were just overpowering.
But more telling, those two maintained leverage and the upper hand even against their older brethren. What Tuttle did to Marcus Jackson, who once ranked among the Vols' strongest players, was simply hard to fathom on first viewing. It was a swift and decisive overpowering play.
Dimarya Mixon had a "don't-forget-about-me" moment when he ran roughshod through Chance Hall.
We heard coaches and others in the program say they wanted more consistency from the "throw game" earlier this week, and we caught a glimpse as to why. Balls weren't placed with great accuracy by the QBs in early sessions, and the receivers also had a couple drops.
Punting was better today, with Tommy Townsend booming a kick.
Paul's take:
It was fun to finally see the pads on and the players start hitting one another. And let's just get this out of the way: Jauan Jennings impressed again today, especially in the circle of life drill when he quickly took Justin Martin to the ground and made sure he stayed there a few extra seconds. He continues to make great catches and while he's still learning the fundamentals of the position, he just keeps showing up.
Elsewhere, freshmen Kahlil McKenzie and Shy Tuttle showed up in the one-on-one drills. Both are known for their strength, and particularly Tuttle's rep against Marcus Jackson where he pushed him back with ease.
Offensively, some freshmen linemen made some plays again as Chance Hall, Jack Jones and Drew Richmond all looked good.
In watching some of the punting work I think it's easy to say that job is still wide open. All three punters showed some promise but also looking like they needed some work with consistency.
