Tag: Volunteers

Vols’ recruiting weekend highlights

Vols’ recruiting weekend highlights.

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KNOXVILLE — National Signing Day is approaching on Feb. 5 to cap off the Vols’ 2020 recruiting class.

The dead period ended Jan. 16 and the current recruiting contact period began Jan. 17 and runs through Feb. 1. Per the NCAA, a contact period is when it is permissible for authorized athletics department staff members to make in-person, off-campus recruiting contacts and evaluations.

Tennessee is also focusing on its 2021 recruiting class and beyond. Many prospects visited the University of Tennessee over the weekend and here are highlights from campus.

NEXT: Highlights from Tennessee’s recruiting weekend

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5, Page 6, Page 7

PHOTOS: 2019 Tennessee football highlights

PHOTOS: 2019 Tennessee football highlights

KNOXVILLE — Tennessee finished the 2019 season by winning six consecutive games and seven of its last eight contests.

The turnaround followed a 1-4 start and losing the first two games of the 2019 campaign to Georgia State and BYU.

The Vols concluded 2019 with a 23-22 victory over Indiana in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl played in Jacksonville, Fla.

UT currently holds the nation’s second-longest FBS win-streak of six games, and optimism and excitement surrounds the Tennessee football program heading into the 2020 campaign — Jeremy Pruitt’s third year as the Vols’ head coach.

Tennessee will kickoff the 2020 season on Sept. 5 by hosting Charlotte at Neyland Stadium.

Below are photos from Tennessee’s 2019 season.

Inside the Tennessee-Vanderbilt basketball series

Tennessee-Vanderbilt basketball series.

NASHVILLE — Tennessee will travel 181 miles to Memorial Gymnasium in Nashville, Tenn. and take on in-state Southeastern Conference foe Vanderbilt Saturday.

Tipoff is slated for 6 p.m. ET and will be televised on the SEC Network. Kevin Fitzgerald and former Vol Dane Bradshaw will have the call.

Tennessee leads Vanderbilt in the all-time series, 122-75. The series dates back to 1922 and Saturday’s matchup is the 198th meeting.

The Commodres lead the series over UT, 54-42, in games played in the Music City. Tennessee has won six of the last seven contests in the series, including four consecutive wins.

The Vols have won eight of its last nine games against in-state opponents and are 15-5 against Volunteer State schools during Rick Barnes’ tenure at UT.

Tennessee adds graduate transfer wide receiver from USC

Tennessee adds graduate transfer wide receiver from USC.

KNOXVILLE — Only one week removed from a Gator Bowl victory over Indiana, it has already been a productive offseason for Tennessee football.

The Vols added another piece to their team on Thursday, as former USC wide receiver Velus Jones Jr. announced on his Twitter account that he will transfer to Tennessee to play out his final season of eligibility.

A native of Saraland, Ala., Jones was recruited heavily by Butch Jones and his staff to Tennessee, but elected to go to the west coast and play for USC. Current Tennessee wide receivers coach Tee Martin recruited Jones to Los Angeles as part of the 2016 recruiting class when Martin was on Clay Helton’s offensive staff.

As a three-star prospect on the 247 Sports Composite, Jones was rated the No. 79 wide receiver in his class, and held offers from schools such as Georgia, Michigan, Oklahoma and Florida.

Jones had a limited role in USC’s offense, catching just 36 passes for 347 yards and one touchdown through three seasons, as well as an eight-yard touchdown run against Arizona State. The Trojans often utilized his speed, however, particularly in the kick return game. He nearly reached 2,000 kick return yards with a 24-yard average and one kick return for a touchdown.

Jones comes to Tennessee in a week where the Vols welcome early enrollees on campus, bringing in offensive lineman Cade Mays as a transfer from Georgia and announce that offensive lineman Trey Smith will return for his senior season.

The new Volunteer also joins former Nebraska wideout Miles Jones as Tennessee transfers. Both players enter a wide receiver room that loses its top two players to the NFL Draft in Jauan Jennings and Marquez Callaway.

Trey Smith set to announce 2020 decision

Trey Smith set to announce 2020 decision.

KNOXVILLE — Junior offensive lineman Trey Smith is set to make a decision regarding his 2020 senior season.

Smith will hold a press conference Thursday at 1 p.m. ET to announce whether he will return to Tennessee in 2020 or declare for the NFL Draft.

The 6-foot-6, 325-pound Jackson, Tenn. native has played in 32 games for the Vols since 2017.

University of Tennessee statement:

Tennessee football offensive lineman Trey Smith will hold a press conference to announce a decision on his future on Thursday at 1 p.m. at the Ray & Lucy Hand Digital Studio. Tennessee football head coach Jeremy Pruitt will also participate in the press conference.

Jeremy Pruitt on 2020s: ‘The decade of the Vols’

Jeremy Pruitt on 2020s: ‘The decade of the Vols’

KNOXVILLE — Tennessee ended the 2019 season with six consecutive wins to finish with an 8-5 overall record (5-3 SEC).

Winning six consecutive games has provided momentum for Tennessee’s football program heading into Jeremy Pruitt’s third season at UT in 2020.

Following the Vols’ 23-22 victory over Indiana in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl, Pruitt discussed with his team about the win streak and UT’s program going forward.

“In six straight games, you found a way,” Pruitt said in a video on Tennessee’s Twitter account. “This decade is going to be the decade of the Vols. You got me?”

The entire video can be watched below.

Final game participation totals for Tennessee players in 2019

2019 Tennessee football.

KNOXVILLE — Tennessee (8-5, 5-3 SEC) finished the 2019 season with a 23-22 victory over Indiana in the 2020 TaxSlayer Gator Bowl.

Below are final game participation totals for Tennessee players for the 2019 season.

Akporoghene, Chris 2
Banks, Jeremy 4
Beasley, Aaron 9
Bennett, Kivon 13
Bituli, Daniel 11
Blakely, Ja’Quain 13
Brooks, Paxton 13
Brown, Sean 2
Bumphus, LaTrell 10
Burrell, Warren 9
Butler, Matthew 13
Byrd, Tyler 13
Calbert, K’Rojhn 13
Callaway, Marquez 13
Carvin, Jerome 12
Chandler, Ty 13
Christian, James 1
Cimaglia, Brent 13
Craig, Andrew 12
Crouch, Quavaris 13
Davis, Brandon 1
Dobrucky, Tanner 8
Doyle, Joe 12
Edwards, Romello 1
Emerson, Greg 13
Fant, Princeton 8
Fields, Tyus 4
Fils-aime, Carlin 4
Flowers, Trevon 6
Frerking, Grant 2
Gaddy, Nyles 1
Garland, Kurott 13
Garland, Kwauze 2
George Jr., Kenneth 12
Gray, Eric 13
Guarantano, Jarrett 13
Harris, Kingston 2
Harrison, Roman 11
Jackson, Theo 12
Jennings, Jauan 13
Johnson, Brandon 4
Johnson, Deandre 13
Johnson, Jahmir 6
Johnson, Ryan 12
Jordan, Tim 12
Kennedy, Brandon 13
Keyton, Ramel 12
Knoll, Landon 5
Labruzza, Cheyenne 9
Lampley, Jackson 2
Lane, Ollie 3
Locklear, Riley 11
Lovingood, Riley 13
Maurer, Brian 8
McCollough, Jaylen 13
Means, Jerrod 5
Middleton, Darel 13
Mincey, John 9
Montgomery, Isaiah 2
Morris, Wanya 13
Omer, Chip 2
Orr, Fred 3
Page III, Solon 4
Palmer, Josh 13
Peterson, J.J. 13
Pope, Austin 13
Salmon, Hunter 1
Shamburger, Shawn 13
Shrout, J.T. 5
Siekerman, J.T. 1
Simmons, Elijah 3
Smith, Trey 13
Solomon, Aubrey 12
Solomon, Kenney 10
Tatum, Marcus 12
Taylor, Alontae 13
Taylor, Darrell 13
Thompson, Bryce 10
Tillman, Cedric 11
To’o To’o, Henry 12
Warren, Jacob 5
Warrior, Nigel 13
Williams, Savion 7
Wood-Anderson, Dominick   13
Wright, Darnell 11

*Per UTSports.com

Gator Bowl: Tennessee Volunteers vs. Indiana Hoosiers odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Thursday’s Gator Bowl betting odds and lines between the Tennessee Volunteers and Indiana Hoosiers, with NCAA football betting odds, picks and best bets.

The Indiana Hoosiers (8-4) and Tennessee Volunteers (7-5) meet in Thursday’s Gator Bowl in Jacksonville, Fla., at TIAA Bank Field for a 7 p.m. ET kickoff (on ESPN). We analyze the Indiana-Tennessee odds and betting lines, while providing college football betting tips and advice on this matchup.

Indiana-Tennessee: Three things you need to know

  1. This tilt in Jacksonville features two evenly matched third-tier power-5 teams. Statistically, Indiana carries in the better offense (32.6 PPG, 6.1 YPP), and Tennessee brings the better defense (21.7 PPG, 5.0 YPP). The Hoosiers have become mostly relevant in the blue-chip Big Ten East, and the Volunteers are a former powerhouse with some upswing momentum.
  1. The Vols are getting credit for a win streak – Tennessee comes in having won five in a row – but the credit is perhaps too watered down. The string of foes (South Carolina, UAB, Kentucky, Missouri, Vanderbilt) doesn’t jump off the page, but in a couple of the games UT was statistically dominant without a scoreboard match. An offense that averages 5.8 YPP was over 7.0 in three of those wins. The 5.0-YPP Vols defense was better than that mark in all five wins.
  1. Various computer rankings tab Mississippi State and Kentucky as top-50 teams. Tennessee’s ability to not only hang tough with MSU and UK (as with Indiana hanging with Michigan State and Penn State) but defeat them is compelling when assembling some comps for the Vols and Hoosiers. Tennessee has the more talented roster, but it isn’t yet ready for power-5 primetime. However, they are perhaps a touchdown more ready than the Hoosiers.

Get some action on this game or others by placing a bet at BetMGM!

Indiana-Tennessee: Odds, betting lines and picks

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Tuesday at 7 p.m. ET.

Prediction

Tennessee 27, Indiana 24

Moneyline (ML)

PASS on Tennessee (-121) in favor of the multi-point win at a better price. Indiana is +100.

New to sports betting? A $10 wager on Tennessee returns a profit of $8.26.

Against the Spread (ATS)

This is an intriguing matchup and should be an entertaining watch. It sets up as a profitable one, too. Back TENNESSEE -1.5 (-110).

The Vols’ pass defense can contain the high-octane Hoosiers just enough. A bigger, more veteran and more talented Tennessee two-deep can provide enough game control and efficiency to prevail and take a six-game win streak into 2020 … and be overvalued in a half-dozen early games.

Over/Under (O/U)

The cross talents of each team make for a tough read on any sort of projectable game flow. A couple market and analytic signals point to an OVER 52.5, but that market may already be a bit overripe. Line-watch, and look for 50.5 as a trigger.

Want some action in this one? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting picks and tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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Tennessee at Cincinnati odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Wednesday’s Tennessee Volunteers at Cincinnati Bearcats betting odds and lines, with NCAA basketball betting picks and bets.

The Tennessee Volunteers (7-2, 0-0 SEC) and the Cincinnati Bearcats (6-4, 0-0 AAC) square off Wednesday at 7 p.m. ET at Fifth Third Arena. We analyze the Tennessee-Cincinnati odds and betting lines, while providing college basketball betting tips and advice on this matchup.

Tennessee at Cincinnati: Three things you need to know

1. The Bearcats are looking to bounce back after a stunning 67-66 loss at home to Colgate. G Jarron Cumberland fired up a 3-pointer with about five seconds left, as Colgate came down with it and ended up at the free-throw line to win it.

2. The Volunteers are coming off a 51-47 loss against Memphis last time out. That’s the bad news. The good news is the defense hasn’t allowed 70 or more points all season.

3. Both teams are a disaster against the number, as the Vols are 1-4 against the spread in the past five overall and 2-5 ATS in the past seven on the road, while the Bearcats are 8-23 ATS in the past 31 overall dating back to last season.

Get some action on this game or others by placing a bet at BetMGM!

Tennessee at Cincinnati: Odds, betting lines and picks

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated at 8:10 a.m. ET.

Prediction

Tennessee 69, Cincinnati 55

Moneyline (ML)

TENNESSEE (-125) is worth a considerable bet on the road, as the ranked Volunteers face a Cincinnati (+105) side that can’t seem to get out of its own way lately.

A $10 bet on the Vols to win outright would return a profit of $8.

Against the Spread (ATS)

TENNESSEE (-1.5, -110) is expected to win, and all it has to do is win by a bucket to cover. The Volunteers are a better value against the spread. While they have struggled on the road against the number, the Bearcats (+1.5, -110) are coming off a home loss to Colgate, they have dropped two in a row, and they have won just once in regulation over their past four home games. They’re not playing good ball right now.

Over/Under (O/U)

UNDER 129.5 (-106) is worth a small-unit play, although confidence is not high. Tennessee’s defense has been strong this season, however, and that’s not what Cincinnati needs as it looks to bounce back.

Want some action in this one? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting picks and tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @JoeWilliamsVI and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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Vols men’s basketball falter vs FSU

NICEVILLE – The Tennessee Volunteers men’s basketball team’s season-opening winning streak has finally come to an end, losing a tough game in the final minutes on the road to the Florida State Seminoles, 60-57, in the Emerald Coast Classic. The Vols …

NICEVILLE — The Tennessee Volunteers men’s basketball team’s season-opening winning streak has finally come to an end, losing a tough game in the final minutes on the road to the Florida State Seminoles, 60-57, in the Emerald Coast Classic.

The Vols were led by Lamonte Turner, who scored 20 points, but only shot 4-14 from the field and did most of his damage at the charity stripe, going 11-14; he also gave away 8 turnovers. Yves Pons brought the double-double trouble scoring 13 points, grabbing 10 boards and swatting three shots, representing the Vols’ best performance on the evening. Jordan Bowden was the only other UT player to reach double digit points, adding 11 of his own to go along with five rebounds.

Despite the close finish, Tennessee never led in this game. It was a furious comeback in the last two minutes that produced the final margin of defeat, with the Vols falling short in the end. Their largest deficit of 13 came at 10:42 in the second half, and the Volunteers just were not able to dig themselves out of that hole. FSU made three of four free throw attempts in the final seconds to seal the loss despite a last-second trey by Turner.

Overall, the Vols only shot 33 percent from the field and a putrid 23 percent from behind the arc. Their 89 percent mark from the free throw line on 29 attempts is very encouraging, as was their team total of seven blocks, but it is hard to win games against quality opponents when you cough up the ball 21 times.

The match was the first between the two teams in three decades, with the all-time record in the series now standing at 5-4 in favor of Tennessee. The loss ended a five-game winning streak to open the year for the Vols, though there remain plenty more games to be played.

The Volunteers next face either Purdue or VCU on Saturday at 4 or 7 p.m. ET, depending on game results, and will be broadcasted on the CBS Sports Network.