KNOXVILLE – Bob Shoop is electing not to lament the absence of a handful of his key players.
Instead, Tennessee’s first-year defensive coordinator is looking at the glass as half full as the Volunteers continue their offseason preparations sans stars Derek Barnett and Jalen Reeves-Maybin and a few more important pieces.
Shoop in particular is intrigued to see how some of Tennessee’s unproven linebackers handle more first-team opportunities in Reeves-Maybin’s absence.
“I’m a very optimistic person,” he said after Thursday’s practice. “Clearly you lose his leadership, and we feel like he and Darrin Kirkland give us as good a set of linebackers as there are in the SEC. But looking at the positive side, it’s a great opportunity for some guys to get some extra reps and step up.
“At the middle linebacker, watching Colton Jumper and Gavin Bryant today was very positive. At the Will, it’s a great opportunity for Cortez McDowell and Quart’e Sapp, because obviously Dillon Bates is down as well.