Evan Berry is among the players who could contribute at safety this season for Tennessee.
Rashaan Gaulden is among the players who could contribute at safety this season for Tennessee.
Nigel Warrior is among the players who could contribute at safety this season for Tennessee.KNOXVILLE – Bob Shoop specializes in coaching safeties, and Tennessee’s first-year defensive coordinator spent plenty of time working with players through three preseason practices.
He likes what he sees.
Shoop, who held the title of safeties coach while coordinating the defenses at Penn State and Vanderbilt in his previous two jobs, has a checklist for what’s required, and the Volunteers have multiple players who fit the bill.
“You’ve got to have linebacker toughness, because you have to do things in the box that require you to support the run, to be a good tackler, to be physical,” Shoop said before Wednesday’s practice. “They require a cornerback’s skill set, because more and more nowadays you have to cover slot receivers and fast guys in open space. And you’ve got to have a quarterback’s mentality.
Shoop believes Tennessee has six solid options.
Rashaan Gaulden and Todd Kelly Jr. are likely starters, but Micah Abernathy and Evan Berry continue to impress their new coordinator. The Vols always have liked sophomore Stephen Griffin’s upside, but injuries hampered him last season. Freshman Nigel Warrior is the real deal physically.
QB chatter
Josh Dobbs has established himself as one of the best quarterbacks in the Southeastern Conference, but the Vols also have three promising young players behind him.
Unofficially, the backup job is Quinten Dormady’s to lose. However, competition to replace Dobbs after this season might as well be underway already between the sophomore, redshirt freshman Sheriron Jones and freshman Jarrett Guarantano.
Offensive coordinator Mike DeBord likes what he’s seen so far from all four of Tennessee’s quarterbacks.
“I think Josh Dobbs has started strong, and he’s doing some really good things out there,” he said. “I really see him improving his leadership as well. I like his start.”
LB separation
As Tennessee’s search for reliable backups behind linebackers Jalen Reeves-Maybin and Darrin Kirkland Jr. heats up, Shoop said three players already have separated themselves in the race.
Former Baylor School standout Colton Jumper, who started three of the first games in 2015, appears to be the clear-cut backup to Kirkland in the middle, while special teams ace Cortez McDowell and spring practice standout Quart’e Sapp are battling for the No. 2 spot behind Reeves-Maybin.
“He’s got a high football IQ, he plays hard and he always plays with a chip on his shoulder,” Shoop said of Jumper.
Practice report
Daniel Bituli was the big winner as Tennessee’s patented “Circle of Life” one-on-one drill debuted for the 2016 season on Wednesday. The freshman linebacker annihilated freshman tight end Austin Pope, much to the joy of teammates. Most of Tennessee’s defensive players enthusiastically congratulated Bituli, who wound up near the sideline, flexing for cameras. Freshman receiver Latrell Williams is dealing with a hamstring problem, defensive tackle Shy Tuttle continues to be very limited and Reeves-Maybin, defensive end Austin Smith and receiver Jauan Jennings remain in noncontact jerseys. The offensive line was fired up for the season’s first practice in shoulder pads, and in multiple instances players were coaching each other during drills.
Contact Patrick Brown at pbrown@timesfreepress.com.