Curt Maggitt (56) plays defense for the Volunteers. The Tennessee Volunteers hosted the Bowling Green Falcons at Nissan Stadium in Nashville Sept. 5, 2015.KNOXVILLE — Tennessee defensive end/linebacker Curt Maggitt will miss an extended period of time with a hip injury, Volunteers head coach Butch Jones said Monday.
The fifth-year senior left Tennessee’s double overtime loss to Oklahoma on Saturday in the second quarter and did not return.
“I still don’t know the extent of how long it will be,” Jones said. “He’s in the process right now of going through the evaluation process. I should know a little bit more probably by the end of the week.
“He will be out for an indefinite period of time.”
The loss of one its leaders and best players for a key stretch of the schedule — the Vols jump into SEC play with a three-week run of Florida, Arkansas and Georgia after this week’s game against Western Carolina — is a big one for Tennessee.
Maggitt suffered the non-contact injury when the Vols were in a punt safe after he had three tackles and two for loss in the early going against the Sooners.
“Not having him out there, that was a great loss for us,” safety Brian Randolph said. “He’s a great motivator. He still motivated us on the sideline, but just his presence out there, we definitely missed that toward the end of the game.”
Maggitt missed the entire 2013 season — Jones’s first at Tennessee — after tearing his ACL late in 2012.
“It’s probably the most freakish injury I’ve ever been a part of,” Jones said. “He just went to avoid a guy, and he hurt his hip. That’s unfortunate. We all know what Curt means to us.”
Corey Vereen played extensively in Maggitt’s absence against Oklahoma, and Jones said freshman Kyle Phillips will see an increase in opportunity this week leading into the game against Western Carolina.
The freshman drew rave reviews for his play during the preseason, but the former five-star recruit didn’t play until the very end of the season-opening win against Bowling Green and didn’t play against Oklahoma.
LaTroy Lewis and Dimarya Mixon also should get increased snaps with Maggitt sidelined.
UT’s Todd Kelly Jr. (6) approaches as Oklahoma’s Sterling Shepard (3) is tackled by UT’s Colton Jumper (53) during the first half of play Saturday. The Volunteers played the Sooner’s at home on September 12, 2015 at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tennessee. Middle men
Jones said Tennessee would continue to evaluate and promote competition at its middle linebacker position. After starter Colton Jumper and freshman Darrin Kirkland split series in the opener, Jumper played most of the way against Oklahoma.
The walk-on was called for two third-down holding penalties on the first of Oklahoma’s two fourth-quarter touchdown drives.
“He’s done some very good things, but we continue to need productivity from our Mike linebacker,” Jones said. “Just like every week, they’re going to have to compete for the position.”
UT’s Alvin Kamara (6) dives over Oklahoma’s Zack Sanchez (15) for yardage while in overtime play Saturday. The Volunteers lost to the Sooner’s at home with a final score of 24-31 on September 12, 2015 at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tennessee. Where’s Alvin?
Running back Alvin Kamara got just four carries and caught one pass in Saturday’s win, and Jones said the low usage had nothing to do with his health.
“We would’ve liked to given him the ball more,” Jones said. “We had some designed throws to get him the football, not only in the run game, but the passing game as well. Sometimes the defensive front or the pressure looks dictated whether or not he was getting the football.”
Jalen Hurd picked up 106 yards on 24 carries in what Jones described as “his style of game,” but the coach also said Kamara hasn’t brought up his lack of carries since the game.
“Alvin’s very, very important to our offense as we all know,” Jones said. “We will have more plays for him.”
‘Overblown’ reaction
Oklahoma linebacker Eric Striker, who made some comments last week that the Vols posted around their complex, told reporters after Saturday’s game that Jones went up to him amid the Sooners’ celebrations and told him he was a great player who needed to show more class.
Video footage from Knoxville TV station WATE showed Striker taunting Tennessee fans and recruits with vulgarities after Oklahoma’s dramatic win.
Jones said Monday the exchange was overblown.
“I have a tremendous amount of respect for Eric Striker,” he said. “I think he’s one of the best college football players in all of college football, and he plays on great emotion. It was a compliment to him.
“I don’t know, really, where any negativity came from that. I told him he’s a heck of a player and leave this place with class. To me, I would respect that if an opposing coach said that to our players.”
Freshmen focus
Freshman defensive tackle Shy Tuttle had an encouraging performance in his first significant action.
“I really liked what he brought to the table,” Jones said. “His playing time will increase at D-tackle.”
Kahlil McKenzie also saw a few second-half snaps against the Sooners, and his role should begin to increase moving forward as well.
Tennessee tidbits
> Jones said safety LaDarrell McNeil (neck) has been cleared to play on Saturday.
> Defensive tackle Danny O’Brien remains suspended.
> Safety Max Arnold (knee) and running back/return man Ralph David Abernathy IV (ankle) missed the Oklahoma game and won’t play against Western Carolina.
Contact Patrick Brown at pbrown@timesfreepress.com.