Tennessee’s Malik Jackson (center) pressures UAB quarterback, Bryan Ellis, while being blocked by Darion Smith (75).KNOXVILLE-The University of Tennessee football team had two returning starters in its front seven in May.
The Volunteers will be down to zero for the next two weeks of preseason camp.
Defensive lineman Malik Jackson, the Vols’ best returning lineman, will miss the next two weeks of practice after spraining his right knee during Friday afternoon’s practice. Jackson, who walked off the field in a brace and seemingly good spirits, is on the shelf with Herman Lathers, the linebacker who fractured his ankle in June and remains out indefinitely.
“We are now zero out of seven, that’s right, but we weren’t very good in the front seven last year, so some people would say that’s the best news we’ve had all season,” coach Derek Dooley said. “You’ve heard that saying, ‘The good news is we’ve got everybody back. The bad news is we’ve got everybody back.’ The bad news is we’ve got zero out of seven; the good news is we’ve got zero out of seven.’
“No, we want Malik back, and we want Herman back. We want two out of seven.”