Tag: Joe Osovet

Joe Osovet a ‘father figure’ for Vols’ tight ends

Joe Osovet a ‘father figure’ for Vols’ tight ends.

KNOXVILLE — Junior tight end Jacob Warren met with media Wednesday and discussed his position coach Joe Osovet.

Warren said Osovet “is going to try to be the best at everything he does.”

Osovet is in his first season overseeing the Vols’ tight ends.

“If it’s something he doesn’t necessarily know, he’s willing to listen to any of us,” Warren said of Osovet.

KNOXVILLE, TN – SEPTEMBER 15, 2020 – Tight end Jacob Warren #87 of the Tennessee Volunteers during 2020 Fall Camp practice on Haslam Field in Knoxville, TN. Photo By Caleb Jones/Tennessee Athletics

Osovet came to Tennessee in Feb. 2018 from ASA College where he served as head coach. He held a position of Player Development for Tennessee in 2018 during Jeremy Pruitt’s first season as the Vols’ head coach. Last season, Osovet served as Director of Programming for Football.

During his first season working with Tennessee’s tight ends, Osovet has been a father figure for the unit.

“I’m super appreciative of Coach Oz and everything he has done,” Warren said. “Just kind of the role he has taken in my life and my football career.

“He has really become a good father figure to us as the tight ends. It’s obvious he cares for us and is willing to do whatever it takes to make us comfortable and to teach us the right ways.”

Osovet is known as the RPO innovator.

In 2001, he started running an offensive scheme called a manipulation.

19 years later, the scheme used to manipulate defenders is the face of offenses throughout the sport of football, as they are now referenced as RPOs.

Tennessee in top 6 for elite 2021 defensive tackle

The Vols have a chance to sign this elite prospect from the northeast.

Tennessee is still in the conversation to land Tywone Malone, a 2021 defensive tackle prospect from Oradell, New Jersey.

Malone is not only a blue-chip interior defensive lineman, but also a high-level baseball player.

The Vols are included with USC, Rutgers, Ole Miss, Florida State and Texas A&M in Malone’s final decision.

A 6-foot-3.5, 300-pound lineman, Malone is rated a 4-star prospect, and the No. 5 defensive tackle in his class per the 247Sports Composite. A strong, powerful defender, Malone is also the top prospect in New Jersey.

The Vols have a few connections that could help bring Malone to Knoxville.

Tight ends coach Joe Osovet is listed as his primary recruiter, a coach who is familiar with the northeast, having spent much of his career coaching JUCO football in New York.

Malone also attends Bergen Catholic High School in New Jersey, the alma mater of current Tennessee quarterback Jarrett Guarantano. A burgeoning baseball program at UT under Tony Vitello could also help in the effort for Malone’s signature.

The Vols’ 2021 recruiting class currently sits at No. 6 in the country, and No. 3 in the SEC. Tennessee currently has two defensive tackle commits, including 4-star prospect KaTron Evans.

Jeremy Pruitt addresses Vols’ tight end unit

Jeremy Pruitt addresses Vols’ tight end unit.

KNOXVILLE — Game week ahead of the Sept. 26 season opener is approaching for Tennessee.

Tennessee practiced for the 16th time Thursday during fall training camp. Following practice, Jeremy Pruitt addressed the Vols’ tight end unit. It is a unit that saw redshirt freshman Jackson Lowe enter the transfer portal this week.

“The tight end position we are working several guys there,” Pruitt said on a Zoom call with reporters. “It is a competitive spot. There’s not much difference in the guys. How they go about their business every day, how they practice, how they compete, what kind of habits they’ve created. They control it. We want to play the best players, and we’ve got some guys who are competing hard there to do that.”

Photo by Dan Harralson, Vols Wire

The tight end group is coached by Joe Osovet this season. The unit consists of Austin Pope, Princeton Fant, Sean Brown, Jordan Allen and Jacob Warren.

Pope underwent back surgery in July. Pruitt mentioned that Pope “is not going to play right now.”

“We’re working Princeton Fant, Sean Brown, Jordan Allen, Jacob Warren, so we’ve got a lot of guys that are getting reps in there,” Pruitt said. “Most of those guys have played very little football for us, so they’ve got to work on their consistency, they’ve got to be able to block the C-area, they’ve got to play fast, they’ve got to be good communicators.

“That’s one position that you really need to be instinctive to have a feel because we ask the tight ends to do a lot. It’s a position where there’s lots of competition. I have confidence in all of those guys, but somebody’s got to separate themselves.”

KNOXVILLE, TN – SEPTEMBER 15, 2020 – Tight end Jacob Warren #87 of the Tennessee Volunteers during 2020 Fall Camp practice on Haslam Field in Knoxville, TN. Photo By Caleb Jones/Tennessee Athletics

Tennessee coaches dominating SEC recruiter rankings

Tennessee coaches dominating SEC recruiter rankings.

KNOXVILLE — Tennessee has taken full advantage of the college football dead period caused by the coronavirus pandemic, having hauled in a number of blue-chip prospects to vaunt its 2021 recruiting class to No. 2 in the country, according to 247Sports.

The Vols are doing so behind a coaching staff filled with experienced and obsessive recruiters, whose prowess has been on full display for the last month. 247Sports rates individual recruiters just as it does recruiting classes, and UT currently occupies the top five spots in the 2021 SEC recruiter rankings.

Defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach Derrick Ansley leads the way at the No. 1 spot, and he has been the most successful recruiter of this cycle. Ansley has been the primary recruiter in landing 4-star Alabama linebacker Dylan Brooks, 4-star Florida safety Kamar Wilcoxson, 3-star Florida safety De’Shawn Rucker and 3-star Alabama cornerback Jay Jones.

Behind Ansley at No. 2 is recently named running backs coach Jay Graham, who has landed two 4-star running backs in Cody Brown and Tiyon Evans for his alma mater.

Another former Tennessee star in wide receivers coach Tee Martin sits at No. 3 in the SEC after helping land three wideouts so far in the 2021 class, including Alabama 4-star Jordan Mosley.

Tight ends coach Joe Osovet is No. 4, and has been instrumental in recruiting north, earning commitments from two 4-star Baltimore products in defensive tackle KaTron Evans and outside linebacker Aaron Willis.

Finally, inside linebackers coach Brian Niedermeyer rounds out the top five. The former 247Sports National Recruiter of the Year helped the Vols land 5-star outside linebacker Terrence Williams.

Before this stretch of commitments for the 2021 class began, Tennessee fans knew what kind of recruiters it had on its staff. In head coach Jeremy Pruitt, Martin and Niedermeyer, the Vols have three former 247Sports National Recruiter of the Year recipients.

Now with Ansley, Osovet and Graham developing crucial relationships as well, the sky is the limit for what type of players Tennessee can bring to Knoxville, and it is showing so far in the 2021 class.

Vols’ 2021 commitment tracker

Ryan Barnes discusses Tennessee visit

Ryan Barnes discusses Tennessee visit.

KNOXVILLE — Tennessee held its final on-campus recruiting day Thursday amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The coronavirus pandemic has forced the Southeastern Conference to implement a halt in recruiting until at least April 15.

Ryan Barnes visited Tennessee on the final recruiting day before on and off-campus activity takes a hiatus until at least one month from now.

Barnes is a 6-foot-2, 180-pound cornerback from Quince Orchard High School in Gaithersburg, Md.

Jeremy Pruitt
Tennessee’s first 2020 spring practice on March 10. Photo by Dan Harralson, Vols Wire

The 2021 prospect discussed his UT visit and time with Jeremy Pruitt and Derrick Ansley with Vols Wire.

“I thought they were great,” Barnes said of Pruitt and Ansley. “I got a chance to sit in on a team meeting with the defense and then watched them execute Coach Ansley’s plan on the practice field. It was also cool seeing Coach Pruitt work with the defensive backs at practice.

“It was awesome seeing practice because I know there is a lot of expertise on the staff from the head coach, defensive coordinator and defensive backs coaches. I also knew Coach Pruitt was a defensive back when he played.”

Joe Osovet
Tennessee’s first 2020 spring practice on March 10. Photo by Dan Harralson, Vols Wire

Barnes was initially offered by the Vols on Nov. 25, 2019. Newly-promoted tight ends coach Joe Osovet played a role in offering Barnes.

“Coach Oz has been like family from the first time I spoke with him,” Barnes said of Osovet. “He has a great sense of humor and has been very direct and informative about Tennessee with myself and my family.”

 

Tennessee offers JUCO prospect connected to tight ends coach Joe Osovet

Tennessee offers JUCO prospect connected to tight ends coach Joe Osovet.

Tennessee has offered junior college product Dejon Robinson, a defensive tackle out of ASA College in New York.

Robinson’s primary recruiter is recently named tight ends coach Joe Osovet, who served as ASA College’s head coach from 2016-17. Osovet came to Tennessee in 2018 for an off-field role in player development, and took over as tight ends coach when Brian Niedermeyer was moved to inside linebackers following Kevin Sherrer’s departure to the New York Giants.

Osovet is regarded as an innovative offensive mind, and is being aided in Robinson’s recruitment by recently hired defensive line coach Jimmy Brumbaugh.

Robinson weighs in at 6-foot-3, 288-pounds and holds offers from Georgia Tech and Maryland, as well as Tennessee.

Tennessee offers 2021 Colorado tight end

Tennessee offers 2021 Colorado tight end.

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KNOXVILLE — Tennessee has extended an offer to 6-foot-6, 220-pound tight end Gunnar Helm from Englewood, Colo.

Recently named tight ends coach Joe Osovet is Helm’s primary recruiter.

Helm is rated a 3-star tight end on 247Sports and the No. 41 player at his position in the class of 2021. Auburn joins Tennessee as the only other SEC school to have offered Helm.

Arizona, Arizona State, USC, Colorado and Utah are also in the running with offers on the table.

Helm was a 2019 Colorado 5A state champion with Cherry Creek High School in 2019, and also a lacrosse state champion in his high school career.

Joe Osovet named Vols’ tight ends coach, will bring ‘unreal football mind’ to staff

Tennessee promotes Joe Osovet to tight ends coach.

KNOXVILLE — Joe Osovet, Tennessee’s Director of Programming for Football, has been promoted to tight ends coach for the Volunteers.

Vols Wire was informed of Osovet’s promotion by someone close to the situation Friday morning.

Osovet came to Tennessee in Feb. 2018 from ASA College where he served as head coach. He held a position of Player Development for Tennessee in 2018 during Jeremy Pruitt’s first season as the Vols’ head coach.

Photo by Dan Harralson, Vols Wire

Osovet’s agent, Bryan Blair, also discussed his client’s promotion, to now coaching on-field for Tennessee, with Vols Wire.

“This is the opportunity Joe has been grinding for,” Blair told Vols Wire. “Now that he has the opportunity, the sky is the limit.

“He is one of the best recruiters and coaches I have ever seen because of his energy and authenticity. Joe is a tireless worker and an unreal football mind. I am excited for his future.”

NEXT: Joe Osovet — The RPO innovator

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Joe Osovet set to hit recruiting trail for Tennessee

Joe Osovet set to hit recruiting trail for Tennessee.

KNOXVILLE — Tennessee running backs coach David Johsnon left UT to take a job in the same capacity at Florida State.

The Vols still have an on-field position coach opening for Jeremy Pruitt’s staff that has yet to be filled following Johnson’s departure.

With the opening on UT’s staff, Joe Osovet, Tennessee’s Director of Programming for Football, has been elevated to be able to recruit in Johnson’s absence.

The recruiting dead period ends Thursday night and coaches will be able to hit the road beginning Friday.

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Photo by Dan Harralson, Vols Wire

Vols Wire attended the American Football Coaches Association’s annual convention in Nashville, Tenn. at Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center from Jan. 12-14.

Numerous coaches mentioned to Vols Wire that Pruitt will take his time with a hire to replace Johnson who left Tennessee Jan. 4.