fall training camp – Syndication Server

Vols hold ‘clean’ second scrimmage ahead of opening game

Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel discusses the Vols’ clean scrimmage at Neyland Stadium.

Tennessee is approaching game week to open the 2024 season under fourth-year head coach Josh Heupel.

The Vols held a second scrimmage during fall training camp on Thursday. Heupel said the scrimmage was clean for his team at Neyland Stadium.

“From an operation side of it, I’m just talking sideline communication, we tried to take TV timeouts, be intentional working iPad usage, finish it with a mock halftime for the coaches and players,” Heupel said. “Organizationally, I thought it was really clean. We played clean football. Had a crew out at the scrimmage and did not have really many penalties at all over the course of it, so I really liked that. Both sides of the football, guys made some plays.”

Tennessee will host Chattanooga on Aug. 31 to kick off the upcoming campaign (12:45 p.m. EDT, SEC Network).

READ: Everything Josh Heupel said after Tennessee’s second fall camp scrimmage

Chris Brazzell II tests Vols’ defensive backs ‘every day’ in fall camp

Tennessee wide receiver Chris Brazzell II is testing the Vols’ defensive backs every day in fall training camp.

Tennessee’s football season is approaching. The Vols have 17 days until holding its first game of the season on Aug. 31 versus Chattanooga at Neyland Stadium (12:45 p.m. EDT, SEC Network).

Tulane transfer and redshirt sophomore wide receiver Chris Brazzell II is taking part in his first fall training camp with the Vols.

Tennessee secondary coach Willie Martinez discussed how Brazzell II tests his defensive backs in practice.

“Every day, his speed and his competitiveness,” Martinez said. “Brazzell is very competitive and plays with a lot of fire and energy. We better do that on our side of the ball. You have to have great energy and stuff like that. He’s very competitive and a high-level player, so that’s only going to make us better.

“We have a great group of wide receivers that, again, are going to be playing on Sunday, so it’s easy for my job to tell the kids, ‘hey man, you want a great resume? Put it on video. Put it on video against these guys that are going to be playing on Sunday.’ Brazzell is one of those guys. He’s a highly competitive and physical player. He’s not very quiet, which is kind of cool. That’s kind of like, we like it, but he’s making us better.”

Chris Brazzell II. Photo by Dan Harralson, Vols Wire

Willie Martinez details Will Brooks’ offseason allowing for more playing time

Tennessee secondary coach Willie Martinez details Will Brooks’ offseason, allowing for more playing time in 2024.

Redshirt senior defensive back Will Brooks enters his fifth season at Tennessee.

The 6-foot-1, 206 pound Brooks appeared in 36 games from 2020-23 for the Vols, recording 23 tackles, one tackle for a loss, one pass deflection and one fumble recovery.

Following Tennessee’s tenth practice during fall camp ahead of the 2024 season, secondary coach Willie Martinez met with media. He discussed what Brooks has done during the offseason to allow him an opportunity for more playing time.

“His preparation, he’s an everyday, consistent player who is very detailed,” Martinez said. “Whether that is in meetings, off the field or whether we are taking a day off, he’s somebody that we are leaning on for leadership because he’s been here for a long time and has done it the right way.

“His teammates respect him tremendously. He’s been very consistent. That’s the best thing I can say about Will. There’s no up-and-down. The players are being led the right way.”

Willie Martinez discusses Tennessee’s competition at star position in fall camp

Tennessee secondary coach Willie Martinez breaks down Tennessee’s competition at the star position in fall camp.

Tennessee practiced for a tenth time during fall training camp on Monday.

Following practice, Tennessee secondary coach Willie Martinez met with media. He discussed the Vols’ competition at the star position ahead of the upcoming season.

“Christian Harrison and Boo Carter are taking the bulk of the reps,” Martinez said. “We know in the back of our minds that we have others who have played the position whether it’s Will Brooks or Andre Turrentine, we have the versatility. The two guys that are competing are Christian and Boo. They’re doing a really good job.”

The 5-foot-11, 195-pound Carter enters his first season with the Vols as a freshman in 2024.

Harrison appeared in 13 games from 2022-23 at Tennessee, recording 11 tackles and 0.5 tackle for a loss.

Boo Carter. Photo by Dan Harralson, Vols Wire

Josh Heupel discusses who stood out offensively in first fall camp scrimmage

Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel discusses which offensive players stood out during the Vols’ first scrimmage in fall camp.

Tennessee scrimmaged at Neyland Stadium on Friday after seven practices in fall camp.

Head coach Josh Heupel discussed who stood out offensively during Tennessee’s first fall training camp scrimmage.

“I thought DeSean Bishop had a really nice night,” Heupel said. “Efficient, effective, ran hard. I thought he did a really nice job.

“I thought our wideouts did a nice job of operation. Chris Brazzell and, obviously, Squirrel (White), but also seeing Chas (Nimrod) and Kaleb (Webb) out there competing and playing extremely well. I thought the quarterbacks operated really well for almost the entire night. It was good work.”

READ: Josh Heupel recaps Tennessee’s fall camp scrimmage

Squirrel White. Photo by Dan Harralson, Vols Wire

Gaston Moore, Jake Merklinger ‘did a great job operating the offense’ in scrimmage

Josh Heupel discusses how quarterbacks Gaston Moore and Jake Merklinger did a great job operating the Vols’ offense in Friday’s scrimmage.

Redshirt freshman Nico Iamaleava enters his second season at Tennessee and his first as the Vols’ starting quarterback in 2024.

The Vols scrimmaged for the first time in fall camp on Friday at Neyland Stadium. Following the scrimmage, Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel discussed how his backup quarterbacks, redshirt senior Gaston Moore and freshman Jake Merklinger, performed.

“Both of them did a great job operating the offense, but they really have all training camp,” Heupel said. “Merklinger is a young guy that continues to get better every single day. He has great confidence and works extremely hard at it. He has a really good energy in the huddle. His demeanor is really positive.

“Gaston, has done a really fantastic job. Tonight he made some really nice throws out on the run. He has done that all of training camp. He has taken pretty good care of the football throughout the course of training camp too, so pleased with the development of both of those guys.”

READ: Josh Heupel recaps Tennessee’s fall camp scrimmage

Jake Merklinger. Photo by Dan Harralson, Vols Wire

Ethan Davis discusses strength and conditioning ahead of 2024 season

Tennessee tight end Ethan Davis discusses strength and conditioning ahead of the 2024 football season.

Tennessee will kick off it 2024 football season in 22 days. The Vols practiced for a seventh time during fall training camp on Thursday.

Redshirt freshman tight end Ethan Davis enters his second season at Tennessee. The 6-foot-5, 246-pound tight end gained 14 pounds from last year to this season.

Davis discussed how he feels after adding weight in strength and conditioning.

“I feel like I really haven’t missed a beat, and that’s credit to our strength staff,” Davis said. “I mean, I put the weight on and they do the rest. They mold me like, ‘okay, this is your body fat now, so now we are going to get it down to here, if we are going to get this stronger, we are going to get this stronger.’ They have done a really good job with taking care of me in that field.”

Davis appeared in three games for the Vols in 2023, recording two receptions for 33 yards.

Arion Carter details accountability within linebacker unit

Sophomore linebacker Arion Carter discusses fall camp after Tennessee’s third practice.

Sophomore linebacker Arion Carter enters his second season at Tennessee in 2024.

The 6-foot-1, 234-pound sophomore appeared in eight games and missed the final five games of the season after shoulder surgery. He recorded 17 tackles, one tackle for a loss and one pass deflection last season.

Carter met with media following Tennessee’s third practice during fall training camp on Saturday. He discussed the unit under first-year linebackers coach William Inge.

“I think it starts with him holding us accountable,” Carter said. “He is a great coach. He wants to see us be the best every single day, day in and day out. I took that to heart as far as being accountable, holding other guys accountable and then holding us accountable as a team and as a group.

“You know we have to drive the bus on defense and the team in general. I feel like just us doing (that), our IQ has skyrocketed from last year to this year. I feel like we are just taking different steps along the way. The only way from here is up.”

Carter went to Tennessee from Smyrna High School in Smyrna, Tennessee.

Ethan Davis’ growth and development detailed entering second season

Tennessee redshirt freshman tight end Ethan Davis’ growth and development detailed entering his second season with Vols.

Alec Abeln enters his second season as Tennessee’s tight ends coach.

The Vols practiced for a second time in fall training camp on Thursday at Haslam Field.

Following practice, Abeln discussed redshirt freshman tight end Ethan Davis’ growth and development entering his second season with the Vols.

“I mean, physically he is 245 pounds right now, which was the biggest thing for him last year, just getting his body ready to survive in this league,” Abeln said. “Mentally, it’s really cool to see last year to this year and really this spring from last spring, just how far he’s come mentally where he’s able to just go play free and do the stuff we all know he’s capable of doing.”

Davis appeared in three games for Tennessee as a freshman in 2023. He recorded two receptions for 33 yards.

Peyton Lewis details process for fall camp after missing spring practices

Tennessee freshman running back Peyton Lewis details process for fall camp after missing spring practices.

Running back Peyton Lewis enters his first season with the Vols. The 6-foot-1, 210-pound freshman enrolled at Tennessee in January.

Lewis did not take part in spring practices due to a shoulder injury.

Following Tennessee’s second practice during fall training camp, he met with media and discussed his process in preparing for the upcoming season.

“I would say it’s day-by-day,” Lewis said. “Everything takes a process. Mistakes happen in order for you to learn. I think that’s been a big part of me, especially being a young guy, but I’m also trying my best not to be a young guy.

“I feel like during the spring is really the time, like a mental block for me. I can take everything mental in and not do everything as physical, and now that I’m here in fall camp, I’ve got a lot of the mental stuff down and I’m able to do a lot of physical stuff. I guess it’s putting everything together, everything is moving smoothly.”

PHOTOS: Tennessee running backs through the years