fall training camp – Page 2 – Syndication Server

Alec Abeln details Vols’ leadership in tight end unit

Tennessee assistant coach Alec Abeln details the Vols’ leadership in tight end unit.

Tennessee football practiced for a second time during fall training camp on Thursday.

Following practice, tight ends coach Alec Abeln met with media. He discussed leadership within the Vols’ unit.

“Every guy in our room has a leadership quality that’s been really good,” Abeln said.

He mentioned Alabama transfer Miles Kitselman “comes to work every day and attacks stuff.”

“He’s a little bit more vocal, little bit more blue collar if you will,” he continued.

Holden Staes also transferred to Tennessee after playing at Notre Dame. Abeln discussed Staes ahead of the season, as well as returning redshirt freshman Ethan Davis.

“Shows up with great energy and great attention to detail every day,” Abeln said of Staes. “He’s a positive influence. E (Ethan Davis), man, when his energy is the right way, there’s nobody that’s got a better personality, better energy for our group. When he shows up with that type of energy it’s contagious for all of us, but really all of those guys have stepped up in a big way.”

Alec Abeln. Photo by Dan Harralson, Vols Wire

Josh Heupel details Chas Nimrod’s body transformation

Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel details Chas Nimrod’s body transformation ahead of the 2024 football season.

Redshirt sophomore wide receiver Chas Nimrod enters his third season at Tennessee in 2024. The 6-foot-3, 200-pound receiver appeared in 15 games from 2022-23, recording 19 receptions, 194 receiving yards and one touchdown.

Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel met with media after the Vols’ first practice in fall training camp on Wednesday. He discussed Nimrod ahead of the 2024 campaign.

“He’s done an unbelievable job,” Heupel said. “One of the guys that we recognized during the course of our meetings yesterday. The summer that he’s had, how he’s transformed his body. It’s his body composition, it’s his muscle mass, it’s what he did in the weight room hitting PRs. He is a guy going into year three, his understanding of what we’re doing offensively and his ability to play inside or outside, play with speed and be decisive, be on the same page with the quarterback and have coverage recognition.

“Really excited about his growth and development in our program. Excited about what he did here on day one.”

Nimrod was listed as 6-foot-3, 196 pounds last season. He was 6-foot-3, 192 pounds as freshman in 2022.

READ: Tennessee’s projected 2024 offensive starting lineup

Carson Gentle recaps first practice at Tennessee

Freshman defensive lineman Carson Gentle recaps first practice at Tennessee.

Tennessee will open its 2024 football season on Aug. 31 versus Chattanooga. The Vols kicked off fall training camp on Wednesday with 31 days until facing the Moccasins.

Freshman defensive lineman Carson Gentle took part in his first practice with the Vols on Wednesday. He enrolled at Tennessee during the summer.

Gentle met with media and discussed his impressions of Tennessee’s first practice.

“It was very awesome,” he said. “It was a long time coming. I have been committed for a long time, so excited to get up here this summer. I have definitely been prepared for it. You know the offense is really fast-paced. I realized that today, but it was a great time.”

READ: Tennessee’s projected 2024 defensive starting lineup

Freshman Jordan Ross debuts for Tennessee football in fall camp

Tennessee freshman defensive lineman Jordan Ross discusses taking part in first fall camp practice with the Vols.

Defensive lineman Jordan Ross enrolled at Tennessee in June after signing with the Vols on Dec. 20, 2023.

The 6-foot-5, 245-pound lineman took part in Tennessee’s first fall training camp practice on Wednesday at Anderson Training Center.

Ross met with media following practice and discussed his one takeaway from the first day.

“Getting all the plays down in time,” Ross said. “It’s going so fast that you have to look at them and understand what you are doing in all the play calls and formations. It was pretty solid, though, and I liked it.”

READ: Tennessee’s projected 2024 defensive starting lineup

Fourth-year head coach Josh Heupel also met with media after the Vols’ first practice in fall training camp. He discussed what he wants Ross to learn from veterans in the defensive line room.

“Learn what it takes to be a high-level college athlete,” Heupel said. “How you take care of your body, how you do extra inside of our building. That can be in our meeting room, it can be fundamental development on your own during the summer months. It’s what it looks like to be the consummate pro.

“We’re fortunate that as we’ve built this thing, we have guys who have the right accountability to the daily task. Guys that understand what it takes to do your plus one, meaning everybody in the country is lifting a certain amount of hours, a certain amount of practice hours during the week during the season. How do prepare yourself? What’s your plus one to gain an edge? That’s in your position room as we’re competing for playing time, but it’s also against your opponents that you’re playing.”

Vols are off to ‘good start’ in fall camp

Fourth-year Tennessee football head coach Josh Heupel recaps the Vols’ first fall training camp practice.

Tennessee football kicked off fall training camp on Wednesday. The Vols practiced indoors at Anderson Training Center due weather conditions at Haslam Field.

Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel begins his fourth season at Tennessee after being hired in 2021.

He met with media following practice.

“Good start, day one,” Heupel said. “A lot of good, a lot of things to clean up too, but all in all, organizationally really good. Good start to the training camp.”

Tennessee will kick off its 2024 season on Aug. 31 versus Chattanooga. The in-state contest is slated for 12:45 p.m. EDT and will be televised by SEC Network.

Omari Thomas discusses ‘love’ for playing on special teams

Tennessee defensive lineman Omari Thomas discusses his love for playing on special teams.

Tennessee will kick off fall training camp at Haslam Field on Wednesday.

The Vols held local media day at Anderson Training Center on Tuesday ahead of the upcoming season.

Defensive lineman Omari Thomas enters his senior season at Tennessee and took part in local media day.

The 6-foot-4, 325-pound lineman has appeared in 48 games from 2020-23, recording 92 tackles, 11 tackles for a loss, four sacks, nine pass deflections, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.

Thomas is not only a presence on Tennessee’s defensive line, but also on special teams. He can be seen with an appearance of a natural left tackle on the Vols’ left side of the line for extra points.

Thomas discussed his love for playing on special teams.

“In high school I played offensive and defensive line,” Thomas told Vols Wire. “I love special teams. I was just talking with coach Eck (Mike Ekeler) earlier about how I used to be on punt shields. Here I was on punt shields and I want to go back to that. I love special teams.”

READ: Tennessee’s projected 2024 offensive starting lineup

READ: Tennessee’s projected 2024 defensive starting lineup

Josh Heupel’s press conference ahead of fall camp

Watch Josh Heupel’s press conference ahead of the Vols’ 2024 fall camp.

Tennessee held its annual preseason fall training camp media day on Tuesday at Anderson Training Center. The Vols’ first practice is slated for Wednesday.

Tennessee will kick off its 2024 football season on Aug. 31. The Vols will host Chattanooga at Neyland Stadium. Kickoff is slated for 12:45 p.m. EDT and will be televised by SEC Network.

Tennessee’s home schedule in 2024 for SEC games are against Florida, Alabama, Kentucky and Mississippi State.

The Vols’ road SEC schedule features contests at Oklahoma, Arkansas, Georgia and Vanderbilt.

READ: Tennessee’s projected 2024 offensive starting lineup

READ: Tennessee’s projected 2024 defensive starting lineup

Fourth-year Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel met with media and previewed the Vols ahead of camp. His press conference can be watched below.

Joey Halzle discusses first fall camp as offensive coordinator

Joey Halzle discusses his first fall camp as Tennessee’s offensive coordinator.

Joey Halzle enters his third season at Tennessee.

Halzle served as quarterbacks coach from 2021-22 for the Vols. He is offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in 2023.

Halzle met with media on Thursday and discussed his first fall training camp as offensive coordinator.

“As far as the game planning, I said it when I first took this role, we’ve all done that all together,” Halzle said. “That’s never just been one person’s show who says this is how we’re doing it. It’s extremely communal. The staff has been awesome around me. It’s been a great transition. It hasn’t been like drinking through a fire hose. There are more (responsibilities), as far as going into meeting time. I have to have everything prepped on the front end. I can’t just show up and take my notes, can’t just stare at my quarterback as we’re watching tape and seeing how that’s going. You got to see how everybody’s doing and make sure the whole thing hangs together perfectly.

“As far as an adjustment, also you got to talk a whole lot more. You got to talk the whole meeting. I’m kind of done talking during the day. I’m not a big talker. That’s the main part of it, the front end everything is on you to make sure it’s prepared so everybody else can have a smooth transition through their day.”

PHOTOS: 2023 Tennessee football fall training camp

Watch: Joe Milton previews 2023 season

Watch: Tennessee quarterback Joe Milton III previews 2023 season

Tennessee will kick off its 2023 football season in nine days.

The Vols will play Virginia on Sept. 2 at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee (noon EDT, ABC).

Redshirt senior quarterback Joe Milton III enters his sixth collegiate season and third at Tennessee in 2023.

Milton III has appeared in 17 games, including four starts, at Tennessee. He has completed 85-of-144 passing attempts, 1,346 passing yards, 12 passing touchdowns and zero interceptions, while totaling 206 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns on 46 attempts with the Vols.

Milton III met with media on Thursday. His media availability can be watched below.

PHOTOS: A look at Tennessee starting quarterbacks through the years

Watch: Squirrel White previews 2023 season

Watch: Tennessee wide receiver Squirrel White previews 2023 season

Tennessee will kick off its 2023 football season in nine days.

The Vols will play Virginia on Sept. 2 at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee (noon EDT, ABC).

Sophomore wide receiver Squirrel White enters his second season at Tennessee in 2023.

The 5-foot-10, 165-pound White appeared in 12 games with the Vols in 2022. He recorded 30 receptions, 481 receiving yards, two receiving touchdowns, five rushing yards and 43 punt return yards last season.

He was clocked at 23.4 miles per hour on the Catapult system.

White met with media on Thursday. His media availability can be watched below.

PHOTOS: A look at Tennessee’s wide receivers through the years