KNOXVILLE - Coach Butch Jones acknowledges that some position battles beyond the quarterback competition are still in progress as Tennessee inches closer to its Sept. 4 season opener against Georgia Tech at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
Just don't classify them as battles for starting positions.
"The term 'starters' or 'starting' is kind of a thing that really has gone out about 10 years ago," Jones said. "The way I look at it, you need a number of starters. We don't have two starting safeties. We have three to four starting safeties."
The same goes at cornerback, where Jones said "we need three to four starting corners."
DB Todd Kelly Jr. tries to fire up the crowd. The Florida Gators visited the Tennessee Volunteers in a important SEC football contest at Neyland Stadium on September 24, 2016.
Carlin Fils-aime (27) stiff arms Nigel Warrior (18). The annual Spring Orange and White Football game was held at Neyland Stadium on April 22, 2017.
In reality, only two safeties and two corners will begin the season on the field for the Volunteers, but Jones' concept of developing multiple "starters" resonates with senior cornerback Justin Martin.
"I think the best thing that proves that is you can be starting one day, and if you don't have a good practice and someone else has a good practice, the next day they could be starting," Martin said. "I feel like competition is fair, and everyone likes that."
Competition is continuing on the offensive line, too, where a sense of urgency has developed in finding five healthy players capable of jelling together to protect a new starting quarterback.
Numerous injuries, including the loss of junior tackle Chance Hall for the season, have forced Jones and offensive line coach Walt Wells to shuffle players in and out of the lineup and at different positions during preseason practice.
"I really think that has set our overall development back there," Jones said. "It's not a matter of want-to, it's just a matter of practice opportunities."
While Jones' philosophy of having multiple starters also applies to the offensive line, he highlighted the importance of identifying a first-team unit as the Vols began to hone in on preparing for Georgia Tech.
"The next week, we need to have five individuals working together as one and then the next five working together as one," Jones said. "Just the consistency at that position is greatly needed."
Tennessee took Tuesday off after four straight days of practice. The Vols also are off today, which is the first day of the fall semester.
The down time could be beneficial in getting the offensive line and graduate transfer cornerback Shaq Wiggins, who has been slowed with a hip injury, closer to full strength in areas of the roster where the position battles are coming down to the wire.
"All you're doing is rotating," Jones said. "It's not who takes the first snap. It's about repetition in the game of football. Everything is about being fresh, but the other thing is it's a long football season as well."
Contact David Cobb at dcobb@timesfreepress.com.