Fall training camp: Derrick Ansley details Tennessee’s defensive backfield
Understanding Jeremy Pruitt’s split safety coverage
KNOXVILLE — Tennessee is in its second week of fall training camp.
Defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach Derrick Ansley enters his second season with the Vols. Ansley met with media following Tennessee’s sixth practice of camp and discussed how “the secondary is a lot like basketball” in terms of having a lot of options to defend a variety of offensive schemes.
Ansley discussed juniors Bryce Thompson and Alontae Taylor returning with a lot of game experience at cornerback.
“The way we want to play football is that we want to play tight man-to-man,” Ansley said on a Zoom call with reporters. “We want to deny the football, we want to affect the quarterback with four rushers and play split safety defense as much as we can.
“To do that, you need good corners outside that can hold up and win the one-on-one’s deep down the field at a consistent level. Bryce and Alontae, both being true juniors now, basically being full-time starters, that is a luxury to have experience at the corner position. We have other guys that have a lot of talent and a lot of play time, as well. Kenny George, he has started four or five games last year and he is having a really good camp so far. So is Warren Burrell. We have four really good options at that position, and all of those guys are battling right now.”
Freshman Keshawn Lawrence is one of the young guys that can play a factor in Tennessee’s split safety coverage under Jeremy Pruitt and Ansley.
“Key Lawrence is very talented, he is playing some safety position right now for us,” Ansley said. “We expect him to make a push at safety and compete and see what he can get done in this camp.”
Experienced players within the Vols’ defensive backfield have been leaders, taking on a role to help younger players like Lawrence get accustomed to Pruitt and Ansley’s system.
“Trevon Flowers, Alontae Taylor, Bryce Thompson, Theo Jackson, all of those guys on the backend, have really taken it upon themselves to bring on guys like Keshawn Lawrence and Doneiko Slaughter, guys that have talent and are counting on to add depth to our backend,” Ansley said. “If we get everyone doing things the right way, we have a chance to be okay.”
Ansley also mentioned that Flowers is playing strong safety and Jaylen McCollough is at free safety.
Understanding Jeremy Pruitt’s split safety coverage: CONNIE
Understanding Jeremy Pruitt’s split safety coverage: STUBBIE
