KNOXVILLE -- Tennessee will begin preseason football practice tonight with a bit of a shortage at wide receiver.
With the uncertain statuses of two wideouts, the Volunteers have moved one player and will consider moving another from other positions to bolster their receiving corps.
Von Pearson remains suspended as the investigation into his alleged rape involvement in April continues into its fourth month and freshman Preston Williams won't practice due to an NCAA eligibility issue, so Tennessee will move freshman Jauan Jennings from quarterback to receiver and may do the same with cornerback Malik Foreman.
University of Tennessee football coach Butch Jones addresses the media during a preseason luncheon Monday, Aug. 3, 2015, in Knoxville. The teams first NCAA college football practice of the season is Tuesday.
Tennessee receiver Von Pearson catches a pass during the Volunteers' practice on April 18, 2015, at Neyland Stadium.
Tennessee defensive back Malik Foreman (22) bobbles a pass during spring practice at Haslam Field on March 26, 2015, in Knoxville.Including Jennings, Tennessee is down to eight scholarship receivers, plus walk-on blueshirt Vincent Perry, who may go on scholarship in January.
"That's one of the areas we're concerned with," Vols coach Butch Jones said Monday. "Not only with those two, but Jason Croom and Josh Smith, we have to do a great job of really managing them and making sure they don't do too much early.
"Both those individuals are very prideful. They're going to want to compete in every single period and go there. We have to do a great job as coaches, which we will, of managing them.
"That's why Jauan Jennings comes into play, and that's why Malik Foreman is still in the consideration of playing that position as well."
Pearson, a difference-maker who caught 38 passes for 393 yards and a team-leading five touchdowns in 2014, was suspended the day before Tennessee's spring game in April after he was named a suspect in a Knoxville Police Department investigation into an alleged rape.
He hasn't been charged in connection to the incident, but Pearson hasn't been enrolled at Tennessee during the summer sessions while he's under what Jones characterized as both a team and university suspension.
There's been optimism from the football side of things that Pearson would be cleared, but Jones shot down the notion that Pearson, who does have a redshirt year if he needs it, would be available for an immediate return if he is cleared of any wrongdoing in the investigation.
"That's all speculation," he said. "Nothing has changed, and we'll continue to address the situation as there are changes."
Williams was ahead of schedule in his recovery from a torn ACL suffered late in his senior season and having a good summer, but he will have to retake his standardized test at an unspecified date to play this season.
The NCAA Eligibility Center reportedly flagged Williams' score after it made a significant jump. He has been studying for the test and continuing his rehab since Tennessee found out about the situation last month. No date has been set for him to retake it, though.
"We await NCAA certification on him," Jones said. "That'll be an ongoing process with the NCAA. I have no time frame for him in moving forward in terms of practice."
The Vols feel comfortable about their backup quarterback situation with the duo of Quinten Dormady and Sheriron Jones, so a switch to receiver made sense for the 6-foot-4, 200-pound Jennings, who will continue to get some reps at quarterback.
He played safety at Blackman High School in Murfreesboro, but the Vols appear set there with a couple of veterans and three promising younger players in Todd Kelly, Evan Berry and Stephen Griffin, and Jennings' athletic ability could translate well to wide receiver.
Foreman was unable to crack the starting lineup on defense in his first two seasons at Tennessee, though he split kickoff-return duties with Berry last season.
The plan for one of Tennessee's fastest players is to start preseason practice at defensive back and go from there.
"He'll be evaluated each and every day," Coach Jones said. "Whatever he can do that best fits him, but also helps our football team win - that'll be an ongoing decision. To Malik's credit, we met yesterday and he's like, 'Coach, I'll do whatever it takes to help the football team win.'"
Tennessee tidbits
* Jones on redshirt freshman offensive lineman Charles Mosley's DUI arrest last month: "All discipline will be done internally."
* Offensive lineman Zach Stewart will delay his enrollment at Tennessee, likely until January, as he and his family continue to deal with the loss of his mother, Laura, in late May.
* Defensive end LaTroy Lewis (knee surgery) is expected to miss the first two or three weeks of practice, though he's expected to be available for the season opener against Bowling Green.
Contact Patrick Brown at pbrown@timesfreepress.com.