KNOXVILLE – In Jeremy Pruitt’s ideal world, fluctuation in Tennessee’s rotation of defensive backs would be minimal during games.
“Secondary is one of those positions that if you have guys that can play, you aren’t wanting to take them out of the game, because it only takes them one time to mess up and the other team could score points,” the first-year coach said midway through the Volunteers’ preseason practice schedule.
Through three games, Pruitt has been forced to work around that preference.
Seven Tennessee defensive backs recorded tackles in the first half of last week’s 24-0 victory over the University of Texas at El Paso. The committee approach to the back end of the defense reflected a tweaked strategy Pruitt articulated before the game.
“I think that each week there’ll be different guys that play in the secondary,” he said. “We’ve got to get everybody to play at a high level, and I think the way you go about your business in practice is very important.”