KNOXVILLE — Tennessee kicked off spring practice on a beautiful, warm Tuesday afternoon in Knoxville and did so with some level of rust.
The Volunteers worked out in just helmets at Haslam Field, which meant plenty of fundamental work, individual drills and install periods.
Back on the field for the first time since ending a 7-6 season in 2014 with a win against Iowa in the TaxSlayer Bowl, Tennessee needed a little bit of time to shake out the kinks.
Secondary coach Willie Martinez at one point stopped a ball-stripping drill and made his defensive backs do up-downs. Later, coaches made Tennessee’s second-team defense run on the field again because they didn’t like how the players did it the first time. Dropped passes still carry a 10-pushup penalty for the wide receivers.
Here are some other notes and observations from Tuesday’s practice:
> Redshirt freshman Charles Mosley, who missed all of last season after suffering a broken leg in a car accident last July, was working with the defensive line. There was some uncertainty about where the big 6-foot-5, 370-pounder would play. At one point last season it looked like he would play offensive line.
With Tennessee’s low numbers of healthy bodies on the defensive line, perhaps it’s not a surprise.
Tennessee quarterback Jauan Jennings (15) and running back Alvin Kamara (6) go through zone-read handoff drills during the Vols’ first spring practice on March 24, 2015.> Speaking of defensive linemen, Corey Vereen and Owen Williams were practicing. Both will be limited this spring, but with the Vols going in helmets on Tuesday, they were able to get out there and run around.
Williams was with the first-team defensive line along with ends LaTroy Lewis and Dimarya Mixon and tackle Kendal Vickers.
> Running back Jalen Hurd and receiver Marquez North wore green jerseys, meaning they would be non-contact if Tennessee wasn’t practicing in just helmets. Expect that to continue. Tennessee wants to manage Hurd this spring, and North is coming off shoulder surgery last November.
> With Marcus Jackson out, Dylan Wiesman, who started two games at center last season, was in at left guard on Tennessee’s first group on the offensive line. Kyler Kerbyson was at left tackle and Coleman Thomas was at right tackle. Freshman Jack Jones and Chance Hall were at right tackle and right guard with the second group.
> Linebacker Jalen Reeves-Maybin is now wearing No. 21. He wore No. 34 his first two years at Tennessee, but switched numbers to allow freshman linebacker Darrin Kirkland, who’s out this spring, to wear No. 34.