We begin this edition of the War Room in a different way. The War Room is a collective effort of notes and news gathered throughout the week by Brent, Rob, Austin and Jesse that is located only on the General's Quarters. Summer drills continue but there is some off time next week. The football dead period nears, but there's nothing quiet about recruiting in July. Fall camp starts in two weeks and hoops recruiting is in full swing. Now, it's on with the news.
Jeremy Pruitt seemingly pushed all the right buttons Atlanta on Wednesday at SEC Media Days. Pruitt understood the importance of the event and was clearly prepared for it. And that's a sign that Pruitt is grasping all the requirements for a head coach beyond football. Now for Pruitt, the next 14 days are about finishing recruiting in July and finalizing all the plans for fall camp.
As for his team, he will get them back bigger and stronger then they were when they finished spring practice and a team that has more healthy bodies. We documented the significant changes earlier this week.
There were plenty of noteworthy changes with the roster, but one of the most noticeable was Jordan Allen getting to 242 pounds. Coming from junior college, having a training table and a nutritionist has been huge for him. Allen has gained 30+ pounds since arriving in January. Allen was a guy everyone was interested in seeing in the spring. However, he struggled getting off blocks and holding up in the perimeter run game. It will be interesting to see how much the added size changes his game.
Pruitt's comments on Trey Smith in Atlanta were certainly comforting for the Big Orange Nation. Pruitt skirted the question of whether or not Smith had been cleared for contact. Smith has traveled to see different doctors/specialist around the country and has continued to get good news. He's not been limited in summer workouts. He will have a couple more doctor visits before the pads go on as a final check on things, but the optimism on Smith is higher than it's been in several months.
Pruitt clearly has optimism and believes that JJ Peterson will be on the practice field with his team in a couple of weeks. Peterson is finishing up a couple of class things with the plan to be at Tennessee for practice. As for Brandt Lawless, that one is kind of interesting. A week ago, there seemed to be little optimism regarding Lawless making it. This week multiple sources told Volquest not to rule Lawless out. The situation remains fluid, though, as one person also said not to rule out Lawless still exploring other options.
On the quarterback front, a source on campus said it best this week: Neither Jarrett Guarantano nor Keller Chryst have done anything to lose the job this summer. And the truth is no one was going to win it in June or July, but one could have let the other distance themselves in the race. That hasn't happened. Both have thrown the ball well. Chryst is smart and has grasped the system quickly. Guarantano has shown improvement and a really good worth ethic. Both have positioned themselves to win the job based on how they perform in fall camp.
Jeremy Pruitt seemingly pushed all the right buttons Atlanta on Wednesday at SEC Media Days. Pruitt understood the importance of the event and was clearly prepared for it. And that's a sign that Pruitt is grasping all the requirements for a head coach beyond football. Now for Pruitt, the next 14 days are about finishing recruiting in July and finalizing all the plans for fall camp.
As for his team, he will get them back bigger and stronger then they were when they finished spring practice and a team that has more healthy bodies. We documented the significant changes earlier this week.
There were plenty of noteworthy changes with the roster, but one of the most noticeable was Jordan Allen getting to 242 pounds. Coming from junior college, having a training table and a nutritionist has been huge for him. Allen has gained 30+ pounds since arriving in January. Allen was a guy everyone was interested in seeing in the spring. However, he struggled getting off blocks and holding up in the perimeter run game. It will be interesting to see how much the added size changes his game.
Pruitt's comments on Trey Smith in Atlanta were certainly comforting for the Big Orange Nation. Pruitt skirted the question of whether or not Smith had been cleared for contact. Smith has traveled to see different doctors/specialist around the country and has continued to get good news. He's not been limited in summer workouts. He will have a couple more doctor visits before the pads go on as a final check on things, but the optimism on Smith is higher than it's been in several months.
Pruitt clearly has optimism and believes that JJ Peterson will be on the practice field with his team in a couple of weeks. Peterson is finishing up a couple of class things with the plan to be at Tennessee for practice. As for Brandt Lawless, that one is kind of interesting. A week ago, there seemed to be little optimism regarding Lawless making it. This week multiple sources told Volquest not to rule Lawless out. The situation remains fluid, though, as one person also said not to rule out Lawless still exploring other options.
On the quarterback front, a source on campus said it best this week: Neither Jarrett Guarantano nor Keller Chryst have done anything to lose the job this summer. And the truth is no one was going to win it in June or July, but one could have let the other distance themselves in the race. That hasn't happened. Both have thrown the ball well. Chryst is smart and has grasped the system quickly. Guarantano has shown improvement and a really good worth ethic. Both have positioned themselves to win the job based on how they perform in fall camp.
