Jaylen McCollough breaks Tennessee career record for starts.
No. 23 Tennessee (9-4, 4-4 SEC) defeated No. 17 Iowa (10-4, 7-2 Big Ten), 35-0, Monday in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida.
Senior defensive back Jaylen McCollough made his 51st career start in Tennessee’s win against Iowa. That sets Tennessee’s career record for starts, passing defensive back Jonathan Hefney, who started 50 games for the Vols from 2004-07.
The 6-foot, 206-pound McCollough recorded four tackles and one pass deflection against the Hawkeyes.
“We are proud of him,” Tennessee defensive coordinator Tim Banks said of McCollough ahead of the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl. “I think it says a lot about him as a man and his durability and being able to fight through some bumps and bruises. We are excited for him. Not only has he been a tremendous player on the field, but, definitely, a great locker room teammate and a guy that we have enjoyed coaching through this ride.”
It was a homecoming victory for the Vols. who led, 35-3 at halftime.
Tennessee led, 7-0, on its second offensive play as Jaylen Wright scored on an 82-yard run.
After the Huskies kicked a field goal, the Vols scored 28 unanswered points before halftime. Joe Milton III completed a 60-yard touchdown pass to Ramel Keyton and scored on a six-yard touchdown run.
Later in the second quarter, Milton III completed an 82-yard touchdown pass to Squirrel White with 4 minutes, 34 seconds left until halftime. Tennessee’s defense scored before the end of the first half as Tyler Baron returned a UConn fumble to the end zone.
In the third quarter, Jaylen McCollough and Aaron Beasley had interception returns for scores to give Tennessee a 42-3 advantage.
Nico Iamaleava entered the game at quarterback for Tennessee and completed a 19-yard touchdown pass to McCallan Castles.
Milton III completed 11-of-14 passing attempts for 254 passing yards and two passing touchdowns. He also recorded seven rushing yards and one rushing touchdown.
Wright had eight rushing attempts and totaled 113 yards and one touchdown.
White recorded two receptions for 94 receiving yards and one touchdown.
Banks discussed the depth of Tennessee’s safety position ahead of playing Virginia.
“I think it starts with Tank (Jaylen McCollough),” Banks said. “He’s obviously played a lot of football for us around here. Wesley Walker played a ton of snaps last year, as well for us, at some STAR and some safety. Jourdan Thomas was also a special teams guy who did a tremendous job for us last season that we think will be able to help us. Christian Charles is rotating in from corner, to safety, to STAR, so we feel like we have some guys. Andre Turrentine, we feel like he’s got a chance to be able to help the team.
“I think we have really good depth there, obviously we don’t have the guys that have played as many snaps as (Trevon) Flowers played the year before outside of Tank, but we think collectively, we have a good group of guys to work with. We are excited to watch those guys play and perform.”
McCollough enters his fifth season at Tennessee in 2023. He appeared in 47 games for the Vols from 2019-22, recording 183 tackles, 13 tackles for a loss, two sacks, three interceptions, 14 pass deflections and one forced fumble.
Jeremy Pruitt discusses Vols’ secondary group ahead of Missouri game.
KNOXVILLE — Tennessee (1-0, 1-0 SEC) will host Missouri (0-1, 0-1 SEC) in Week 2 of the 2020 season Saturday at Neyland Stadium (noon EDT, SEC Network).
In the Vols’ 31-27 victory at South Carolina in Week 1, Tennessee saw its starting STAR defender Shawn Shamburger out, while cornerback Warren Burrell and safety Jaylen McCollough were limited.
“We had three guys that were out for most of our preparation last week, we’ve got two of them back, so that will be a positive in having Jaylen and Warren Burrell back,” Tennessee head coach Jeremy Pruitt said ahead of playing Missouri. “It gets guys used to where they’re playing some of the same spots.
“Until you play in live settings, which Tank (McCollough) got to do and Warren did a little bit last week, got to be in tackling space, got to play the ball, got to be able to play man-to-man, got to be able to make calls as they give you different formations and stuff. I’m sure these guys, like I, hope the rest of the secondary does, I hope we continue to work hard and improve — and as the game goes Saturday, we get better as the game goes.”
Pruitt also mentioned that “if everything works out” someone like Shamburger could be “back very soon.”
Last week, Bryce Thompson started at safety and played the Vols’ robber position.
“Bryce is a guy that has been in our system for a couple of years,” Pruitt said. “From a conceptual standpoint, we just felt like that was the best thing to do.”
Theo Jackson details playing alongside Trevon Flowers, Jaylen McCollough.
KNOXVILLE — Theo Jackson enters his senior season at Tennessee in 2020.
The 6-foot-2, 203-pound safety is from Overton High School in Nashville, Tennessee. The in-state prospect has appeared in 34 games for the Vols since 2017.
He has totaled 81 tackles, one interception, five pass deflections and forced one fumble while at Tennessee.
Photo by Dan Harralson, Vols Wire
Jackson is accompanied by strong safety Trevon Flowers and free safety Jaylen McCollough this season in the defensive backfield.
The in-state senior met with media during Tennessee’s third week of fall training camp and discussed the safety position and how comfortable he is playing alongside Flowers and McCollough in Jeremy Pruitt and Derrick Ansley’s defensive system.
“I feel very comfortable, same as they feel,” Jackson said on a Zoom call. “Us three, especially, are very close because we play the same positions — we play left and right safety.
“I feel with us three being close and being the quarterbacks of the defense, we are really good. All three of us are really close to Coach Ansley, so he guides us through it when we have trouble.”
Photo by Dan Harralson, Vols Wire
Jackson also mentioned he feels that the defensive backs “will be a strength of the team” due to experience.
“I feel like we will be a strength of the team because we have the most experience in the back end,” Jackson said of the defensive back unit. “Most of us have been playing since freshman year and we’ve all built up that camaraderie together.
“I just feel like with us being that close and listening to Coach Ansley, we can be a really good defensive backs unit.”
Tennessee defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach Derrick Ansley discussed the coverage during the second week of fall training camp.
“We want to play football, tight close 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.”
Cornerbacks that can play tight man coverage, to go along with a strong rush allows for the free and strong safeties to make a play on the ball, while providing difficulties for the quarterback to have any window in completing a pass.
Photo by Dan Harralson, Vols Wire
Safety play for Tennessee in 2020 is headlined by Trevon Flowers and Jaylen McCollough.
“We moved Trevon from the free safety position to the strong safety, just kind of experimenting with that and trying to replace Nigel Warrior’s production there, I think that’s a good position for him,” Ansley said. “Tank (Jaylen McCollough) is still playing free safety and he’s also capable of playing the strong and the STAR.
“Theo Jackson is rotating in back there, as are Keshawn Lawrence, Cheyenne Labruzza and Tyus Fields. We have six or seven guys that are rotating back there and we’re going to need them all. We coach every guys like they’re the starters because you never know when you’re going to need that quality depth.”
Jaylen McCollough looking to become ‘more of a playmaker, eraser in back end’
KNOXVILLE — Tennessee has concluded its second week of practice during fall training camp.
In Week No. 2 of camp, third-year Tennessee head coach Jeremy Pruitt discussed what safety Jaylen McCollough brings to the Vols’ defense in his second season within UT’s program.
“He’s a guy that’s smart, he’s tough,” Pruitt said of McCollough on a Zoom call with reporters. “He’s had a little bit of experience in this league now. He’ll be the first to tell you that he’s got to continue to improve. He’s got to improve on his man-to-man.
“He’s got to be more of a playmaker and eraser in the back end. He’s got to be more consistent day to day. He’s a guy that goes out there and works hard to do that every single day.”
KNOXVILLE, TN – AUGUST 17, 2020 – Defensive back Jaylen McCollough #22 of the Tennessee Volunteers during 2020 Fall Camp practice on Haslam Field in Knoxville, TN. Photo By Andrew Ferguson/Tennessee Athletics
McCollough started the final six games at safety for the Vols last season. He totaled 33 tackles, three TFLs, one sack and two pass deflections.
Tennessee will kick off the 2020 season Sept. 26 at South Carolina.
Tennessee travels to Georgia on Oct. 10, a week before the Bulldogs play at Alabama.
Georgia enters the season as the three-time defending SEC East champions.
During the offseason, Kirby Smart hired Todd Monken as the Bulldogs’ offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. Monken is bringing an Air Raid attack to Smart’s program.
Dec 30, 2018; Tampa, FL, USA;Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Todd Monken prior to the game at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Georgia’s change will create an interesting matchup between Monken’s Air Raid offense and Jeremy Pruitt’s predominantly split safety coverage defensive scheme, whether it be Cover-4, Cover-2, or any variation in between.
Vertical attacks and post routes are two areas that give Pruitt’s split safety coverage looks in CONNIE calls a difficult time to defend.
In Cover-4, both safeties in a split safety look are tasked with keying the inside receiver, while still being responsible for their deep quadrant of the field (along with the two corners). Many spread concepts, such as Monken’s, look to attack the safeties in that very predicament by putting the inside receiver on a route in front of them while sending and outside receiver on a post route behind them to exploit the coverage.
In a Cover-2 look, there are five defenders covering the field underneath, with only two safeties being responsible for an entire half of the football field, generally, which leaves three holes for the offense to exploit on the deep left — between the corner and safety — middle between the safeties and the linebackers, and deep right between the corner and the safety.
Part of the Air Raid offense is the 6 concept where all four wide receivers are going downfield. The point of the Air Raid 6 is to go get six points where all four wide receivers stretch the field, while exploiting the weaknesses of the split safety looks described above.
The 6 concept, also known as 4 verticals, has both outside receivers — the X and Z — running vertical go routes, while taking an outside release to stretch the defense, yet still leaving space between their bodies and the sideline to shield a defender in the event they need to make an over the shoulder catch with room to spare. The inside receivers are taught to take their vertical release and end up at their landmark, which is typically two yards outside of the college hash marks. If the defense moves to a 1-high safety look, the inside receivers will remain +2 yards outside the hash to make that safety cover more ground. However, if the defense is in the split safety, a 2-high look that Pruitt runs, the inside receivers will bend their route inside of the safety in front of them.
Against a Cover-4 look, the purpose is to act as a decoy where they attract the safety down and open the post route behind them for a home run shot. Quarterbacks will give a hand-signal on 4-verticals to the outside receiver to change their route to a post when they see a defense in a pre-snap Cover-4 look.
Against a Cover-2 look, the bend by the inside receiver becomes a primary, unless the safety decides to not split the inside and outside receiver on their half of the field, the bend route typically gets the ball. Lastly, the running back will check down in front of the linebackers to prevent them from dropping so deep in a split safety look that they can cover the inside receivers. In all of these scenarios, the 6 concept puts a defense in a bind.
Safety play is critical against the Air Raid 6 as the quarterback (right-handed) reads the defense pre-snap to select which side of the defense he will attack. Quarterbacks are taught to attack the lower of the two safeties in a Cover-4 look, in hopes of hitting the post over the top, and versus a Cover-2 look the quarterback attacks either the widest safety pre-snap in hopes of hitting the inside receiver streaking down the middle or they will choose his best matchup. There are several other factors that go into the totality of selecting a side to work, such as knowing tendencies of your opponents or the specific chemistry you have with certain receivers. With four receivers running the defense deep, check downs often become a great option, as well.
A quarterback’s progression can change if a tag is made, for instance, if the X-receiver has a cornerback that is playing off the ball and not in tight coverage. If a quarterback tags SMASH on the weak-side, the tag being on the right-side, a tag trumps the progression because the quarterback’s goal is to take the easy 6 yard completion.
The option route is another area of the Air Raid 6.
In an option route, each wide receiver will have landmarks to dictate their way into getting open. The X-receiver will continue with a go-route. The H will run 8-10 yards, the Y-receiver will go 12-14 yards, while the Z-receiver will be 16-18 yards in their route. Different landmarks provide each receiver to be on different levels. The progression coincides with the break in the receivers, creating space to get open. A quarterback would typically scan the full field from a go-route, usually deciding pre-snap if he has a chance, to the H’s option, the Y’s option and then outside to the Z’s route.
Safety play is again critical as they determine if it is needed to come over the top, crashes or plays down. In the Air Raid, wide receivers have the ability to post in a direction that they feel a safety is not headed. There is a lot of freedom within the Air Raid offense to make these decisions. There is a large burden on defenders as they need to be able to cover in open space.
Photo by Dan Harralson, Vols Wire
For Tennessee’s sake, the WILL in Henry To’o To’o can cover the H if he stays short, and cornerback Bryce Thompson can play tight coverage on the X-receiver, providing Trevon Flowers and Jaylen McCollough to play the ball deep against other receivers in essentially a no-fly zone.
The 5-foot-11, 195-pound Flowers has the ball skills to defend Georgia’s new offensive attack. Flowers’ high school head coach Lamar Bryan says Tennessee’s strong safety has “great ball skills” playing against the Air Raid offense.
“He does a great job,” Bryan told Vols Wire of Flowers. “He can really run and covers ground well. He has tremendous ball skills, so he does really well in those situations.”
Allan Bridgford played for Monken at Southern Miss in 2013. Bridgford understands what Monken will bring to Georgia’s offense this season as the Bulldogs are all-in to revolutionize its offense and attack split safety coverage schemes.
With spring practices being canceled in March due to the coronavirus pandemic, Georgia did not have the traditional amount of time to implement the Air Raid offense during the offseason.
“Team’s may start out a little slower, maybe the older teams will benefit more,” Bridgford told Vols Wire. “I think towards the end of their SEC season, football is going to be a lot better due to live reps, just like any other season.
“What makes the Air Raid is how simple you keep it and how well you do it. There are half field reads where you are looking pre-snap at what the coverage is and what side of the field you are going to work. Let’s say you have a two-high beater to the left and a one-high beater to the right, there is a certain look you could get and you choose that side. Then you have full field scans where you are basically just counting numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, to the running back for a checkdown. Monken is just really good at teaching progressions and what you are looking for. He is really good at disecting defensive tendencies and how to identify them — he helps you play fast.”
Bridgford also discussed Georgia attacking Tennessee’s split safety coverage.
“You have to take the top off these coverages and work underneath,” he said. “The Air Raid has an answer to everything. There are so many nuances and only a handful of plays.
“You can have four verticals where there are two different types of four vertical calls. You have all-go, which is just 4-verticals, where the inside guys bend versus 2-high and the quarterback has the ability to put an outside receiver on a deep post versus Cover-4. Then you also have a streak variation, where if the chemistry between the quarterback and inside receivers is there, the inside receivers can either hook up, run inside, run outside, continue straight and basically just find the open hole in the defense based off their defender’s leverage. That takes chemistry, reps and practice. Every quarterback Monken has coached for an extended period of time has had that with his receivers.”
The matchup between Georgia and Tennessee will come before the Bulldogs’ much anticipated contest against the Crimson Tide, and will be one that is somewhat of a different ideology with Saban favoring a STUBBIE call within a split safety coverage compared to Pruitt.
Saban is known to not want to play STUMP because cornerbacks play a lot press coverage, causing him to think his players do not execute when playing off coverage. Saban likes to play STUBBIE to play tighter coverage.
This makes for the Tennessee-Georgia matchup being one of the most anticipated games within the 2020 SEC schedule.
Nicknamed “Tank”, McCollough burst onto the scene as a true freshman for Tennessee in 2019, starting the final six games of the season. He appeared in all 13 games and ended the year with 33 tackles, three TFLs, one sack and a pair of pass breakups.
Expected to step right in for outgoing senior Nigel Warrior, McCollough plays safety like a linebacker, often close to the line of scrimmage. The former 4-star will be a big piece of Tennessee’s secondary moving forward.
