KNOXVILLE — There have been times during Tennessee’s spring practices the past four weeks in which Shy Tuttle looked very much like your typical freshman defensive tackle.
Other times have given the touted freshman’s coaches and teammates reason to think he could be more.
In all likelihood, the number of plays this spring where Tuttle either played too high or let fatigue get to him have outnumbered the times he’s disrupted a running play, pushed the pocket or batted down a pass at the line of scrimmage.
That only makes him a typical first-year defensive-line player.
“He’s that, with talent,” Steve Stripling, the Volunteers’ veteran defensive line coach, said earlier this month. “I think size-wise and quickness-wise and all those things, he’s on track to have a really good career. What you don’t know about freshmen, as in a case like (Derek) Barnett, is how are they going to handle the grind? How are they going to handle the pressure?
“He’s doing great. He’s very resilient. He has a personality that causes the older players gravitate to him. When I was on the road recruiting in January after he got here, the older kids were calling me, ‘I love this kid, Shy.’ He’s got that attitude and that magnetism to him. I think he’s got a lot of positive things going.”
In Tennessee’s first spring practice in full pads, Tuttle, the 6-foot-3, 315-pound former four-star recruit who enrolled at Tennessee in January, stood out with a tipped pass he intercepted.
Since being singled out by head coach Butch Jones for post-practice compliments that afternoon in late March, Tuttle largely has been quiet, with fellow tackle Kendal Vickers earning the most props from Jones and other coaches. That probably only means he’s going through the usual adjustment period needed for the freshmen defensive linemen who aren’t physical freaks like Barnett, who blew up for 20.5 tackles for loss and 10 sacks last season.
With likely starter Danny O’Brien out and returning contributor Owen Williams limited this spring, Tuttle has gotten plenty of first-team work this spring, which should help expedite his development.
“Certainly he’s got some talent, he’s got some size and moves well,” defensive coordinator John Jancek said. “If Shy just stays focused and keeps working hard, I think he’s got a shot to be a good player. You can see glimpses of his ability.”
Perhaps the best assessment of Tuttle’s spring came from Kyler Kerbyson, Tennessee’s first-team left tackle.
“Shy’s a heavy boy,” the rising fifth-year senior said after the Vols’ second spring scrimmage. “He’s really strong and he gets low when he wants to. He still needs to work on his conditioning a little bit. He gets tired after a few plays, but I think he can be a real asset for us if he can get his conditioning under control.
“I’ve had to come down on him (with blocks), and he is heavy and strong, but it starts to get a little easierrther into drives on him. I’m just being real. I want him to hear it and get better as much as possible. I’m really counting on that guy in the fall. He’s going to be good.”
Tennessee’s limited health on the defensive line this spring provided Stripling the opportunity to get in-depth in coaching newcomers like Tuttle, fellow freshman Andrew Butcher and redshirt freshman Charles Mosley, who’s practicing for the first time after missing all of last season due to injury.
“They’ve been able to get away with things their whole life because they were better than everybody,” Stripling said. “They’re now in a situation where they’re not better than everybody. So (they have) to be able to play with better technique, better effort, do things right.”
After surviving last season with primarily a three-man defensive tackle rotation and losing one of them, the Vols are hopeful they can solidify that spot in the heart of their defense. O’Brien and Williams are returning contributors. Vickers’ play this spring is encouraging.
Tennessee will need Tuttle and Kahlil McKenzie, the incoming five-star recruit who probably won’t be your typical freshman defensive tackle, to further bolster the position.
“Shy actually put it together for some reps where he had quick hands and had some leverage,” Stripling said after Thursday’s practice. “It’s a learning process. I think Shy, like Charles, like Andrew Butcher — they’re true freshmen — they’re getting every rep. It’s a huge benefit to them that they’re getting all that playing time.
“Part of that is mental toughness. Today we did some nine-play drives where they had to be in there and be mentally tough. It’s a growing process for Shy, but he’s an outstanding young man.”
Contact Patrick Brown at pbrown@timesfreepress.com.