KNOXVILLE -- Jalen Reeves-Maybin may have led Tennessee in tackles in 2014, but there was at least one stop the rising junior linebacker didn't make when the Volunteers practiced for the first time in full pads Saturday.
The one that got away was Alvin Kamara.
"I got past him today," the junior college transfer running back said. "He was like, 'Dang, I didn't know you were that fast.' I was like, 'Yeah.' When those pads come, I ain't trying to get hit."
The one-time Alabama freshman continues to earn praise from coaches and teammates as he settles into life at his second Southeastern Conference stop.
Not all of those positive reviews have to do with how Kamara made an impressive cut or sped away from a defender.
"During our standard periods, I was paired up with Alvin," Reeves-Maybin said. "We've been going at it for the last two or three weeks, and a guy like him, you don't really have to teach him the standard. He kind of picked up and he knew what the standard was as soon as he got here, and he's been great."
Matured by his time with the Crimson Tide and the year he spent at Hutchinson Community College in Kansas, Kamara came in right away and assumed a leadership role, helping quarterback Josh Dobbs arrange most of the offseason workouts for the skill-position players on Tennessee's offense.
Tennessee offered Kamara a fresh start, and he seems intent on making the most of it.
"It definitely has put a little fire underneath me, just having to come in here and contribute, contribute right off the rip," he said. "Guys like Jalen (Hurd), we're in the room working, and we're pushing each other every day. That's one of the things I pride myself on. I'm pushing him, he's pushing me and we're taking it in the right way, not getting offended."
On the field, Kamara said he's trying to adapt to the tempo of Tennessee's practices, but that doesn't seem to be slowing him too much.
"Sometimes the mind is still tying the feet up a little bit with pass protections and different run schemes and route running as well, but you can see the natural instincts," Vols coach Butch Jones said. "You can see the toughness, the way he runs the football and the ability to (make defenders) miss. ... You see where he has a lot of potential."
Bryant's big hit
According to Reeves-Maybin, linebacker Gavin Bryant's collision with center Ray Raulerson was the biggest hit of the first practice in full pads.
Both redshirt freshmen, Bryant is listed a 6-foot and 236 pounds, while Raulerson is 6-5 and 278.
"Gavin's probably one of the hardest hitters on this team," Reeves-Maybin said. "If somebody's in his way when he's running, it's not a good place to be. (Raulerson) was trying to block him, and it didn't go good for him."
Jones said the Vols need to become much more physical, particularly along the offensive and defensive lines, but he gave some praise to Bryant.
"Gavin stood out a little bit today," he said. "When Gavin knows his assignments and he knows what he's doing, and when he plays with confidence, he attacks things downhill. Gavin's a very explosive football player, and I liked some of the things I saw from him today."
Sutton's switch
Cam Sutton has started all 25 games of his Vols career at cornerback, but he is getting some looks at the nickel cornerback position as the coaches look to replace the departed Justin Coleman.
Jones cautioned that Tennessee needed to avoid wearing out Sutton mentally and physically with too many practice reps at too many positions, but the Vols also need to find a reliable replacement at a valuable position.
"We were a much better defense last year because we had the luxury of moving Justin Coleman to nickel," Jones said. "Nickel is a critical, critical position in your defense. It's one of the most important positions on your defense, but it's also one of the most challenging, because what you ask of that nickel.
"He's got to be able to play zone coverage. He has to be able to play man coverage and usually lock up on the fastest receiver that's in the slot, but he also has to have the physicality to set the edge of your defense, be able to win at the junction point and get off blocks. It takes a little bit different player to play at the nickel position."
Tennessee tidbits
Cornerback Emmanuel Moseley missed practice and is "undergoing further examination" and may have mononucleosis, Jones said. ... Haslam Field was more crowded Saturday as the Vols hosted more than 170 university faculty members in addition to a handful of recruits. ... Transferring defensive end Dewayne Hendrix reportedly visited Pittsburgh this weekend.
Contact Patrick Brown at pbrown@timesfreepress.com.