KNOXVILLE – Butch Jones was still catching his breath when he walked to the side of Tennessee’s primary practice field to talk to reporters Friday after his team’s 10th preseason practice.
The fifth-year Volunteers coach had just spent several minutes running around the field while vigorously imploring his defensive line through a conditioning drill.
There are just three weeks remaining before the Vols open the season against Georgia Tech at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, and the intensity is picking up accordingly.
“The next few days, I think, are going to tell us a lot about the makeup of our football team,” Jones said.
Summer classes concluded Friday, freeing players from academic obligations until a new semester begins Aug. 23. The team will spend the next week in a local hotel, commuting to campus for practices as part of an effort to create “a training camp-type environment,” Jones said.