KNOXVILLE — The most injury-ravaged team in the SEC could be getting two key players back for the stretch run of the season.
Tennessee coach Butch Jones on Wednesday said running back Alvin Kamara and cornerback Cameron Sutton — two of the Volunteers’ team captains — will be game-time decision for Saturday’s key SEC East clash with Kentucky.
Kamara missed the past two games after hurting his knee against Alabama, while Sutton hasn’t played since suffering an ankle injury against Ohio in mid-September.
Both have practiced this week and were in green noncontact jerseys on Tuesday, and the Vols will get an even better gauge of their statuses after today’s practice.
Earlier in the week Jones indicated Kamara was ahead of Sutton in terms of likelihood of returning against the Wildcats, and that’s an accurate assessment based on how both looked on Tuesday.
“Having playmakers back on the field, that’s going to do do nothing but make us better,” tight end Jason Croom said. “We’re happy to have them back. It was good seeing them out at practice.”
Prior to Tuesday’s practice, left tackle Brett Kendrick said Kamara looked “like he always does, explosive and fast,” during Monday’s practice.
“Obviously A.K. is a dynamic player,” Kendrick said, “and he’s huge for our offense. We’re real excited to get Alvin back.”
Sutton has been sorely missed in a struggling secondary plagued by missed tackles and the inability to defend deep passes in one-on-one coverage.
“Definitely in the leadership department, he’s our captain,” linebacker Darrin Kirkland Jr. said. “It definitely speaks volumes with that, to have your captain back on the field. In our back end it brings veteran leadership, a guy who’s been trough all scenarios his four years since he’s been here.
“I’m really looking forward to his leadership throughout the rest of the week in practice and this Saturday in the game.”
Sutton could have been excused for turning his focus toward the NFL after his injury, but it’s a credit to him and shows the kind of teammate and player he is that he’s worked this hard to come back and help the Vols.
“Me and Cam spent significant time in May. We working three times a day while everyone was back home,” defensive end LaTroy Lewis said, “so I know the work that Cam put into this. I would love to see him reap what he sows.”
Kamara’s return to pair with John Kelly would be a reunion of the backfield tandem that helped Tennessee produce nearly 700 yards of offense at Texas A&M last month.
“It’ll be exciting,” quarterback Josh Dobbs said Tuesday. “We saw what they can do together in the Texas A&M game. We’ve seen Alvin perform for the past two years, and J.K. is emerging and making plays. It’s definitely exciting.
“Obviously we’re going to take it one day at a time to get him back and make sure he’s healthy by Saturday, but it’s definitely exciting to see him back out on the field, running around practicing and coming back and making plays for us.”
Jones said the status of starting right tackle Chance Hall (knee) remains up in the air but defensive tackle Kyle Phillips (shoulder) should be “ready to go.”
Contact Patrick Brown at pbrown@timesfreepress.com.