Tennessee offensive lineman Trey Smith stands on the sideline during the Orange and White spring game on April 21 at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville.
Tennessee football coach Jeremy Pruitt, shown during SEC Media Days last month in Atlanta, said he sees redshirt junior linebacker Darrin Kirkland Jr. making progress every day in preseason practices. Kirkland missed all of last season due to a knee injury.Jeremy Pruitt begins his SEC Media Days debut here in Atlanta pic.twitter.com/KNd0lqkKR5
— David Cobb (@DavidWCobb) July 18, 2018
ATLANTA – Tennessee football coach Jeremy Pruitt brought relief to Volunteers fans Wednesday at SEC Media Days when he gave encouraging reports on two players who could figure prominently into his effort to revitalize the program.
Pruitt said highly touted freshman linebacker JJ Peterson is “absolutely” expected to be enrolled for the beginning of preseason practice. Pruitt also shared that star sophomore offensive lineman Trey Smith “is going to be back this fall” after missing spring practices with an undisclosed health condition.
“We’re excited to have him back,” Pruitt said. “We can’t wait to get him back, and he’s excited about coming back. He keeps talking to me about, ‘Man, I missed all of those reps in the spring.’ I said, ‘I promise you, you’ll be fine.'”
Sports Illustrated recently named Smith one of the nation’s top 100 college football players after he started every game for Tennessee as a true freshman in 2017.