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Vinson, Langley to miss University of Tennessee opener

By: Wes Rucker
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Donald Langley

KNOXVILLE — Two prominent Tennessee reserves will not travel for next Monday’s football season opener at UCLA, and a third is still in eligibility limbo.

Sophomore cornerback Brent Vinson and redshirt freshman defensive tackle Donald Langley must serve one-game suspensions for violation of the athletic department’s class-attendance policy, Volunteers coach Phillip Fulmer said Monday night.

Fulmer added that junior college middle linebacker transfer Gerald Williams has not been cleared by the NCAA, but he’s “hopeful” the player’s four-year saga won’t much last longer.

“It gets concerning,” Fulmer said. “Every day a guy misses, you just have to treat it as an injury and just kind of go about your business. Hopefully we’ll hear something here real soon. That’s our hope.

“If he clears and everything, we’ll take him on the trip and see what he’s ready to do, and then obviously get him ready with the open date next week.”

Williams hasn’t dressed for practice since last week. By that point, he had already shown coaches he had more than adequate speed to play linebacker even with a 6-foot-4, 260-pound frame. If he’s cleared by Friday, he can fly Saturday.

“He’s just a big, physical presence in the middle there,” Fulmer said. “When he tackles you, you go down. He could definitely impact our football team, and I’m hopeful that all works out.”

Fulmer said Vinson and Langley could play in the team’s second game, a Sept. 13 home opener against UAB. Langley is a talented player at one of the team’s thinnest spots, while Vinson — one of last year’s most ballyhooed recruits — started most of his freshman season despite a repeatedly separating shoulder that required offseason surgery.

Walker returns

Every Vol who’s expected to play at UCLA returned to the field Monday, including sophomore defensive end Chris Walker.

Walker missed most of the past two weeks with a groin injury.

“Chris has really had a great fall camp,” Fulmer said. “We really did miss him when he wasn’t here. We’re expecting really good things from Chris. He picked up right where he left off.”

Walker and fellow 6-foot-3 sophomore Ben Martin are expected to bolster a pass rush that was inconsistent and occasionally non-existent last season. Neither player is stronger than starters Robert Ayers and Wes Brown against the run yet, but they could be pleasant additions.

“I do think that we closed in on where we want to be,” Fulmer said. “I think we’re getting more push out of our three (top) defensive tackles right now than we probably did at any time last year, and that just helps the ends, because it makes the quarterback have to move around one way or the other toward them.

“We also have a bit more quickness right now with our defensive ends than we had last year. Ben Martin and Chris Walker have grown up considerably, and Robert and Wes have played well.”

Walker said he could have practiced last week, but trainers held him out for precautionary reasons.

“I’ve been itching to practice,” he said. “I feel close to 100 percent. I was out there running around, and it felt really good. I’ll be ready for the game.”

Fulmer said Florida State tight end transfer Brandon Warren could still help at defensive end, but he still wants the former Alcoa High School star to focus on offense.

“He’s got his plate full right now,” Fulmer said. “We’re trying to figure that out right now. That might be something now, might be something later. Right now, we’re just trying to figure out how to get him the ball and get him on the field.”

Depth from Douglas?

Fulmer said 6-7, 250-pound freshman tight end Aaron Douglas might be able to add depth until junior Jeff Cottam returns from back surgery in six to eight weeks.

Of course, Douglas wasn’t cleared for contact until last week after offseason shoulder surgery.

“(Douglas) is fighting his own challenges with his shoulder, but I’m hopeful,” Fulmer said.

Fulmer said freshmen Ben Bartholomew and Austin Johnson will help the team at H-back, but he doesn’t expect any newcomer to replace Cottam’s presence in the running game.

“At least from a numbers standpoint, we’ve got some guys there,” Fulmer said. “You’d like to have that veteran in Jeff Cottam back there, because then you’d really look good at tight end. But that’s not where we are.”

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