KNOXVILLE - A University of Tennessee video crew will be in Philadelphia on Thursday to document Derek Barnett's night at the NFL draft.
The standout defensive end could become the earliest Tennessee player selected in the draft since the Kansas City Chiefs picked Eric Berry fifth overall in 2010, and the school wants to provide a behind-the-scenes look at the beginning of a potentially monumental weekend for its football program.
"You look how far we've come and, you know, draft weekend is going to be very special here at Tennessee," Volunteers coach Butch Jones said after Saturday's Orange and White spring game at Neyland Stadium.
The Vols have five players nearly assured of being drafted and could have six chosen for the first time since 2010. The egress of talent from Knoxville to the NFL is good publicity, but it's also a primary source of the uncertainty surrounding the 2017 Vols.
Will a roster mostly void of established stars - such as Barnett, Joshua Dobbs, Alvin Kamara, Josh Malone, Jalen Reeves-Maybin and Cameron Sutton - be able to further the progression made in four seasons under Jones?
"Well, I think however you want to describe it, the word would be opportunity," Jones said after Saturday's Orange and White Game. "It's a great opportunity for a lot of players that maybe haven't had the opportunity in the past. That's the great thing about college football - a third of your roster turns over every single year."
Inclement weather shortened the spring game to one half, concluding a five-week, Tuesday-Thursday-Saturday practice regimen that gave Jones a first glimpse of next season's team. But many players participated sparingly or sat out spring practices completely while rehabbing injuries, and several freshmen won't arrive until this summer.
Still, based on the sessions, Jones offered a hopeful view of the players he will rely on to seize the opportunities created by the departures of their NFL-bound former teammates.
"This is a football team that works," Jones said. "They don't consider outside noises and what people think. They just come to work every single day. And again, we're going to need that mentality and we're going to need that focus. Obviously we lost a lot of production, but I'm proud of these seniors who have left the program, and their lives are about to change in another week."
Darrell Taylor, expected to help replace Barnett's production at defensive end, noted that although the talent level may be changing, the expectations at Tennessee remain the same.
"You have got to bring the same energy, same intensity, all of that, but I think we have a lot of good talent," said Taylor, a redshirt sophomore. "We will do a lot of good things this year."
Tyler Byrd figures to be a frequent target of the quarterback who wins the battle to replace Dobbs. As for the team, Byrd said he prefers an underdog role over higher expectations such as those that accompanied last year's Vols in the preseason.
The sophomore receiver also has a good idea about the origin of the current team's focused approach.
"I think the mentality comes from Coach Jones himself," Byrd said. "He harps on it. You have to have a sense of player-led leadership, really. The older guys saying, 'This is what we need to do. This is how we have to work,' and setting the expectation and tone for when younger guys come in that they know the tone, too, and the standard the University of Tennessee plays."
Tennessee's draft prospects may be done contributing on the field for the Vols, but many were common sights on campus during spring practices, and Jones has not hesitated to point to them as examples of what his program can produce.
The coach gave Barnett a framed No. 9 jersey during a ceremony after the first quarter of Saturday's scrimmage. Barnett received thunderous cheers as he emerged from the tunnel onto the field.
The moment gave linebacker Austin Smith goosebumps, the redshirt sophomore said afterward.
"Just seeing that if you work hard, stay dedicated and have fun, your time will come," Smith said. "It's dedication and saying yes and no to the things that will help you get on the field and off-the-field distractions. Watching him, Corey Vereen, Jalen Reeves-Maybin - they are perfect examples of doing the right things and being able to say no to the bad distractions.
"We have great examples. It's up to you just to do it."
Contact staff writer David Cobb at dcobb@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6249.