KNOXVILLE - Haslam Field, the site of Tennessee's football practices, has a different look about it these days, and it's not because of the orange temporary fencing hinting at the coming expansion to that space at the heart of campus.
The new look is because such household names as Josh Dobbs, Jalen Reeves-Maybin, Derek Barnett and Cameron Sutton have moved on, leaving the new-look Volunteers searching for new mainstays.
There are some veteran holdovers, however, and the primary one on defense is linebacker Darrin Kirkland Jr., the former freshman phenom whose promising second season never got off the ground due to a significant ankle injury.
For the most part, the heart-and-soul players he watched and played alongside the first two years of his career are gone, and Kirkland has taken the responsibility to fill the void upon himself.
"Like I was telling my father, it's my third spring now," Kirkland said after Thursday's second spring practice. "It's a lot different, because I've always been a good player surrounded by great players. Now I'm kind of the last Mohican now, so I find myself being the main guy, the leader of the defense, and I've embraced that role.
"I know I have to bring it at another level every day."
Tennessee played nearly all of last season without Reeves-Maybin and most of it without Sutton as injuries ruined both of their senior seasons while also prepping some of their potential replacements, though the Vols badly missed their talents and their intangible value.
In their absence Barnett took on the alpha dog role during his All-America junior season, but he's headed to the NFL.
The departures leave Tennessee with a dearth of proven veterans capable of becoming team leaders, and among them Kirkland undeniably may be the only one with the kind of personality it takes to match what those other stars did.
Kirkland said he's received simple advice from those larger-than-life players.
"They just really said embrace it," he said. "We always talked about next up and it's your time, and it's my time. I have to embrace that role and be the leader and be that alpha male that we've always talked about, guys I've seen play - like Curt (Maggitt), Jalen Reeves-Maybin and Cam Sutton and all those guys on defense - and be able to be great leaders.
"It's my time to embrace that role now."
Kirkland is trying to be more vocal during practice. He's also openly trying to push his teammates as hard as he pushes himself and knows the defense will look to him to provide energy as they go through spring drills. The 6-foot-1, 230-pounder realizes he has to elevate his performance to elicit the same from his defensive teammates.
"I really just want to develop myself every day really to grow into the leader and become an All-SEC player," Kirkland said. "That's my goal. My dream is to be one of the best linebackers in this conference, so I have to prepare like it every day."
Quick hitters
> Amid reports he's transferring, linebacker Gavin Bryant again was not at practice after also being absent Tuesday, and the third-year player is no longer listed on the roster on Tennessee's official website.
> Defensive end Kyle Phillips, one of the players mentioned by head coach Butch Jones as out for spring, participated in drills during Thursday's practice in helmets and shorts. Offensive tackle Chance Hall did not practice, and linebacker Quart'e Sapp was among those working out on the side. Defensive end Mykelle McDaniel rode a stationary bike early in practice.
> Drew Richmond, the returning starter at left tackle, gave prized freshman Trey Smith plenty of one-on-one attention during offensive line drills. It was almost like a tutoring session on how to get into the proper pass set. Smith looks the part, but there will be a learning curve.
> Walk-on tight end Andrew Craig made the play of the day with a one-handed snag of a pass thrown behind him during a routes-on-air period.
> Tennessee's defense used one period to practice stripping the football and recovering fumbles with the linemen and secondary swapping stations.
Contact Patrick Brown at pbrown@timesfreepress.com.