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Rodney Garner previews Tennessee-Missouri game

Defensive line coach Rodney Garner previews the Tennessee-Missouri football game.

No. 12 Tennessee (7-2, 3-2 SEC) will play at No. 15 Missouri (7-2, 3-2 SEC) on Saturday in Week 11.

Rankings reflect the US LBM Coaches Poll.

Kickoff between the Vols and Tigers is slated for 3:30 p.m. EST. CBS will televise the Southeastern Conference East matchup at Memorial Stadium in Columbia, Missouri.

Tennessee enters the contest after defeating UConn, 59-3, while the Tigers lost at No. 1 Georgia, 30-21, in Week 10.

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Ahead of Saturday’s SEC East matchup, Vols’ defensive line coach Rodney Garner met with media. Everything Garner said previewing the Tennessee-Missouri game is listed below.

Rodney Garner previews Tennessee-South Carolina game

Vols’ defensive line coach Rodney Garner previews the Tennessee-South Carolina football game.

No. 19 Tennessee (3-1, 0-1 SEC) will play its first Southeastern Conference home game of the 2023 campaign on Saturday.

Rankings reflect the US LBM Coaches Poll.

Kickoff between the Vols and Gamecocks is slated for 7:30 p.m. EDT at Neyland Stadium.

SEC Network will televise the East divisional matchup. Tom Hart (play-by-play), Jordan Rodgers (analyst) and Cole Cubelic (sideline) will be on the call.

Saturday’s contest will be the third matchup between head coaches Shane Beamer and Josh Heupel.

Tennessee defensive line coach Rodney Garner met with media on Tuesday. Everything Garner said previewing the Tennessee-South Carolina game during his media availability is listed below.

Vols’ defensive line holding each other accountable entering 2023 season

Tennessee’s defensive line holding each other accountable entering 2023 season.

Tennessee practiced for the sixth time during fall training camp on Tuesday.

Third-year defensive line coach Rodney Garner met with media following practice. He discussed the growth of the Vols’ defensive line group since arriving at Tennessee.

“Along the lines of changing the culture of the room, I do feel like we are moving the room in the right direction,” Garner said. “Now, we have peers holding each other accountable. That’s what you want. If you’re ever going to have a championship caliber program, you have to have the leadership coming from within.

“Now, you’re seeing guys starting to hold each other more accountable. It’s not just the coaches where they’re sitting there saying, ‘That’s not our standard, that’s not how we do things.’ I think if we can keep moving in that direction, then we’ll be able to achieve better results.”

Omarr Norman-Lott ‘an upgrade’ for Tennessee in 2023

Arizona State defensive line transfer Omarr Norman-Lott is an upgrade for Tennessee in 2023.

Junior defensive lineman Omarr Norman-Lott transferred to Tennessee from Arizona State on Jan. 9.

He appeared in 21 games at Arizona State, recording 45 tackles, seven tackles for a loss, four sacks and two pass deflections.

Third-year Tennessee defensive line coach Rodney Garner discussed Norman-Lott following the Vols’ sixth practice during fall camp on Tuesday.

“I definitely think Omarr is an upgrade for us,” Garner said. “He’s a young man that has a body of work, even though it was in a different conference. He has a little bit more maturity to him. When you sit there and look at this kid, he has a skillset. He has power, initial quickness. He knows how to maneuver his body, slip and naturally make some plays. He can really run.

“Initially coming into camp, I thought he was just a tad bit too heavy. I think that now, he’s starting to trim down, and his athleticism is starting to show even more. As he continues to really get himself into better shape, I think we will see a much better product than what he’s shown thus far.”

Rodney Garner recaps Vols’ first practice in pads during fall camp

Tennessee defensive line coach Rodney Garner recaps the Vols’ first practice in pads during fall camp.

Tennessee practiced for the sixth time during fall training camp on Tuesday.

Third-year defensive line coach Rodney Garner met with media following practice. He discussed the physicality of the defensive line group in the first day of pads.

“I thought with today being the sixth day, that they looked like it was the sixth day,” Garner said. “Early on, I really like the energy and the way the guys have approached practice. Today, it started wearing on them a little bit. We have to continue to push the needle, continue to get mentally and physically tougher and be able to fight through those situations.

“Overall, I thought it was good. We did have a couple of guys get banged up, so some guys got more reps. When we started to limit some guys with reps, then other guys can increase their reps. That’s a game situation, so they have to learn how to fight through and be able to push themselves when they think they can.”

Rodney Garner discusses fall camp following seventh practice

Rodney Garner discusses fall camp following Tennessee’s seventh practice.

Tennessee practiced for the seventh time during fall training camp Monday 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.

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Following the Vols’ seventh practice during fall training camp, defensive line coach Rodney Garner met with media. Garner’s media availability can be watched below.

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Rodney Garner details Tyler Baron during fall camp

Rodney Garner details Tyler Baron during Tennessee’s fall camp.

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

Following practice, defensive line coach Rodney Garner discussed junior defensive lineman and linebacker Tyler Baron.

“I do think Tyler has gotten better,” Garner said. “He’s been more consistent. I would say starting this spring, he’s practiced more than he’s ever practiced before, and so, you would think by being out there on the field and working every day, then that you’re going to improve, and we’ve seen improvement from him.

“He has to continue to improve on the little things. When we’re sitting there watching the film, if you’re going to be a true edge rusher, you can’t put two hands on the tackle. I mean, he’s got to learn to rush with one hand, be able to flip his hips and be able to turn the corner. He has to stop making himself short by turning and putting two hands on the guy, now he’s not creating any pass rush, so he has to work on the little things to get better and to take his game to that next level. He is buying into it, he’s being more coachable. I’m looking forward to him continuing to improve.”

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Rodney Garner details Bryson Eason during fall camp

Rodney Garner details Bryson Eason during fall training camp.

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

Following practice, defensive line coach Rodney Garner discussed redshirt sophomore defensive lineman Bryson Eason.

“Eason has a lot of talent,” Garner said. “He’s a very gifted guy. He came here as a linebacker, and then I think they moved him. I don’t know if it was freshman year that they moved him to defensive line or not, but I know last year, we put him at defensive end, and now obviously he’s moved closer to the ball. He’s a big man. He’s an athletic big man, but he has to embrace that role. Obviously the closer you get to the ball, the more physical, demanding it is to play in there. I think he’s adapting to it. It’s something that we just have to keep force feeding him right now, but hopefully he sees that he can be “a guy,” I mean he really could be “a guy.”

“When you start looking at the intangible things that you look at from that position, he has the body type, he has the initial quickness, he has short handed quickness, he has balance and body control, he’s explosive, he has all the tools. Now, he has to embrace it from a mentality standpoint and from a heart standpoint, and be willing to strain to put himself in position to be a great player.”

The 6-foot-3, 300-pound Eason has appeared in nine games for the Vols from 2020-21, totaling five tackles and two tackles for a loss.

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Rodney Garner pleased with Tyler Baron through four spring practices

Rodney Garner pleased with junior Tyler Baron through four spring practices.

Tennessee kicked off spring practices March 22.

Following Tennessee’s fourth practice on Monday, defensive line coach Rodney Garner discussed junior Tyler Baron.

“I have been pleased with Tyler thus far this spring,” Garner said. “He’s been more in line with what we want to do. He’s practicing harder. He’s been competing. I think he’s trying — he’s straining, just like all the guys.

“We just have to continue to raise our standards and we have to expect more from each other. They have to expect more from me and I’ve got to expect more from them.”

The 6-foot-5, 260-pound defensive lineman and linebacker has appeared in 23 games for Tennessee from 2020-21. He has totaled 51 tackles, 10 tackles for a loss, five sacks and two pass deflections.

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Spring practices: Rodney Garner details Elijah Simmons entering fourth season

Spring practices: Rodney Garner details defensive lineman Elijah Simmons entering his fourth season at Tennessee

Tennessee practiced for the fourth time this spring Monday at Haslam Field.

Following practice, Tennessee defensive line coach Rodney Garner discussed redshirt junior defensive lineman Elijah Simmons.

“I think Elijah definitely has done a good job losing some weight that he had gained,” Garner said. “I think he’s probably down 20 pounds, 25 pounds. Now we have to get his motor to mirror the weight loss. The motor is still running at that same weight, so that’s the next thing is to get him to move like he’s lighter than what he was and what he was doing before.

“It is good to see that he did have the discipline to do what they’ve asked him to do in the training room, weight room, conditioning, nutritionist, and all that. Now we just have to keep moving the needle in the right direction.”

The 6-foot-2, 340-pound Simmons has appeared in 20 games for the Vols from 2019-21. He has totaled 21 tackles, 1.5 tackles for a loss and two pass deflections.

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