Tag: Mike Ekeler

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

Photo by Dan Harralson, Vols Wire

Mike Ekeler discusses Dee Williams’ ability in Vols’ return game

Mike Ekeler discusses Dee Williams’ ability in Tennessee’s return game.

Tennessee practiced for the 14th time during fall training camp on Saturday at Haslam Field.

Third-year special teams coordinator and outside linebackers coach Mike Ekeler met with media following practice. Ekeler discussed Dee Williams’ ability in Tennessee’s return game.

“He is confident,” Ekeler said. “He understands his role. He is going to have the opportunity to be the best return guy in the country. He has earned that, and he has the instincts, he has the ability, and it’s like an offense. When you have a great running back, your offensive line blocks a little bit harder. They know all they have to do is just give you a crease, and that’s what those guys understand on our return units. All they have to do is just get it started and he will do the rest.

“The guy is a real one, but we have a bunch of them too now. Squirrel White, he is real. Cam Seldon, he is real. (Dylan) Sampson, he is real. We have a bunch of those guys, which we should.”

Williams enters his second season at Tennessee in 2023. The 5-foot-11, 194-pound senior appeared in nine games for the Vols in 2023, recording 281 punt return yards, one punt return touchdown and 17 kick return yards.

Williams transferred to Tennessee from East Central Community College.

Photo by Dan Harralson, Vols Wire

Mike Ekeler evaluates Vols’ special teams during fall camp

Mike Ekeler evaluates Tennessee’s special teams during fall camp.

Tennessee practiced for the 14th time during fall training camp on Saturday at Haslam Field.

Third-year special teams coordinator and outside linebackers coach Mike Ekeler met with media following practice. Ekeler discussed his evaluation of Tennessee’s special teams and kickoff units.

“We have some great competition right now,” Ekeler said. “Special teams as a whole, this is year three. Our guys understand the techniques, they understand the teaching progression, so where we are at is where we should be in year three, but it is an endless pursuit of perfection, and we are not there yet. We will never be there, but I love our group. We have great speed, we got guys that will put their face on you, we got guys that understand the importance of it.

“The culture that everyone has created in this building, it has been phenomenal on teams, and we are only going to continue to be better. The standard, I have said it before, I’ll say it again, the standard is to be the best. We are never stopping. It’s always looking for things to tweak. The kickoff job, we got three guys that are neck and neck right now. You have Charles (Campbell), you have Max (Gilbert), and you have Josh Turbyville. Those guys all have really strong legs. We have great competition now, and it is not settled at this point.”

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Mike Ekeler details which freshmen that could make an impact on special teams

Mike Ekeler details which freshmen that could make an impact on special teams for Tennessee.

Tennessee practiced for the fourteenth time during fall training camp Wednesday at Haslam Field ahead of the 2022 season.

Following the Vols’ fourteenth practice during fall training camp, outside linebackers coach and special teams coordinator Mike Ekeler met with media.

Ekeler discussed which freshmen that could make an impact on special teams in 2022 for Tennessee.

“You got Elijah Herring, you got Kalib Perry, you got Dylan Sampson who is tearing it up, doing a great job,” Ekeler said. “Squirrel White is doing a nice job. Jourdan Thomas and Chas Nimrod. I’m leaving out a bunch, trust me.

“Then you got Dee Williams, not a freshman, but just got here. He’s electric. There’s a ton of guys. We got a chance to be special.”

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Mike Ekeler discusses fall camp following fourteenth practice

Mike Ekeler discusses Tennessee’s fall camp following fourteenth practice.

Tennessee practiced for the fourteenth time during fall training camp Wednesday at Haslam Field ahead of the 2022 season.

The Vols will open its season against Ball State at Neyland Stadium Sept. 1. Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m. EDT and SEC Network will televise the season-opening matchup.

The meeting is the first between the two schools.

Tennessee will play in the second Johnny Majors Classic Sept. 10 at Pittsburgh, followed by hosting Akron Sept. 17 and Florida Sept. 24 during the season’s opening month.

Following the Vols’ fourteenth practice during fall training camp, outside linebackers coach and special teams coordinator Mike Ekeler met with media. Ekeler’s media availability can be watched below.

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Mike Ekeler details Vols’ special teams following third fall camp practice

Mike Ekeler details Tennessee’s special teams following third fall camp practice.

Tennessee concluded its third practice during fall training camp Friday at Hallam Field.

Special teams coordinator and outside linebackers coach Mike Ekeler met with media following Friday’s practice.

Below are comments from Ekeler discussing the Vols’ special teams unit during fall training camp.

Spring practices: Byron Young providing speed off the edge

2021 Tennessee Vols’ spring football practices.

Tennessee has practiced 10 times this spring under first-year head coach Josh Heupel.

Following the Vols’ tenth spring practice, special teams coordinator and outside linebackers coach Mike Ekeler met with media. He discussed JUCO transfer linebacker Byron Young.

Ekeler mentioned Young has made “a ton of improvement” and has “speed off the edge that you’re looking for.”

“With his skill set, he’s got unbelievable speed,” Ekeler said of Young. “The guy is extremely fast and he bends really well, so he can hit that corner and dip, rip, rub and beat them to the edge.

“He’s really doing a good job working on his counter moves, and I’m really excited about him. That guy, he really, truly, every single day, just coming out and competing. I love the guy.”

Photo by Dan Harralson, Vols Wire

The 6-foot-3, 240-pound junior transferred to Tennessee from Georgia Military College.

Young totaled 31 tackles and seven sacks in 11 games during the 2019 season at Georgia Military College.

Tennessee’s 2022 football commitment tracker

Josh Heupel introduces Tennessee’s defensive coaching staff

First-year Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel introduced his defensive staff.

First-year Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel introduced his defensive staff on Monday.

“I’m excited to be able to introduce our defensive staff, a group of men that I’m really excited about,” Heupel said. “They’ve hit the ground running here this past week and a half with our players and are already getting some things implemented in getting ourselves prepared for spring ball.

“I’m excited about this group of men and who they are, and how they’re going to impact our players in a positive way off the field. A group of high energy men that have a ton of experience. Four out of the five have coordinator experience. Four out of the five have SEC ties and have been inside of this league before. They are a group of elite recruiters that can help us recruit the biggest and the best here to Knoxville, Tennessee.”

KNOXVILLE, TN – March 08, 2021 – Head Coach Josh Heupel of the Tennessee Volunteers of the Tennessee Volunteers during a press conference in the Ray and Lucy Hand Digital Studio in Knoxville, TN. Photo By Caleb Jones/Tennessee Athletics (Tennessee Athletic Communications)

“They’re a group of guys that collectively have experience, have a wealth of knowledge, invest in their players, are going to be great recruiters for us, and I’m excited about having these guys here on the defensive side of the football.” — Josh Heupel on his defensive coaching staff

NEXT: Josh Heupel discusses defensive coordonator Tim Banks

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Josh Heupel details how Mike Ekeler will bring energy to Vols’ program

Mike Ekeler has been hired as Tennessee’s outside linebackers coach and special teams coordinator on Josh Heupel’s staff.

Mike Ekeler has been hired as Tennessee’s outside linebackers coach and special teams coordinator on Josh Heupel’s staff.

Ekeler comes to Tennessee from North Texas where he served as the Mean Green’s special teams coordinator in 2020.

“Mike is one of the most engaging and charismatic leaders I know,” Heupel said in a UT press release. “The energy he will bring to our football team, in addition to his track record of guiding successful special teams and defensive units will enhance our program.

“We are excited to welcome Coach Ekeler and his family to our Tennessee football family and look forward to watching him make a difference in the lives of our student-athletes.”

Ekeler reunites with Heupel after serving as a graduate assistant at Oklahoma from 2003-04. Heupel also was a graduate assistant in 2004 at Oklahoma.

Georgia assistant coach Mike Ekeler, reacts in the second half of an NCAA college football game against Missouri Saturday, Oct. 17, 2015, in Athens, Ga. Georgia won 9-6. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

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Tennessee ‘in good hands’ with Mike Ekeler hiring

Josh Heupel continues to fill his coaching staff at Tennessee.

Josh Heupel continues to fill his coaching staff at Tennessee.

Mike Ekeler is set to oversee Tennessee’s special teams and work within the Vols’ defensive staff.

Ekeler comes to Tennessee from North Texas where he served as the Mean Green’s special teams coordinator in 2020. It was his second stint with North Texas after previously serving as defensive coordinator in 2016.

Prior to North Texas, Ekeler served as special teams coordinator and inside linebackers coach at Kansas (2018-19). He oversaw linebackers at North Carolina from 2017-18.

From 2014-15, Ekeler was inside linebackers coach and co-special teams coordinator at Georgia.

Georgia assistant coach Mike Ekeler, reacts in the second half of an NCAA college football game against Missouri Saturday, Oct. 17, 2015, in Athens, Ga. Georgia won 9-6. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

Linebacker Jake Ganus played for Ekeler at Georgia in 2015.

“Proud of you coach,” Ganus said on Twitter about Ekeler being hired by Tennessee. “SEC special teams better be on alert. Red Bull’s gonna be flowing in the streets. Vol football is in good hands.”

Ganus totaled 101 tackles, one sack and two interceptions in 2015.

He transferred from UAB after the Blazers shutdown its football program following the 2014 season. Ganus totaled 327 tackles, seven sacks and four interceptions during his collegiate career at UAB and Georgia (2012-15).

Ekeler served as a graduate assistant at Oklahoma from 2003-04. Heupel also was a graduate assistant in 2004 at Oklahoma.

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