Spring football practice was a rush job for Tennessee freshman linebacker Edwin Spillman.
Summer was everything that spring wasn’t.
“Summer workouts were a great time for me to chill and learn the playbook and pick up on the little things that the older guys know and get ahead of the game that way,” Spillman said earlier this month in a news conference. “This summer was definitely a very helpful time for me.”
Spillman arrived in March from Nashville’s Lipscomb Academy along with former Mustangs teammate Kaleb Beasley, a defensive back who fractured his fibula during the third spring workout. For Spillman, the 15 practices were chaotic but set a foundation he has built upon this month.
Tennessee first-year linebackers coach William Inge liked what he saw from Spillman four months ago and loves what he is seeing now.
“From a physicality standpoint, he is exactly what you want,” Inge said. “To see him growing and developing each day is so gratifying and satisfying as a coach. One of the things that’s unique is that we have some examples in our room of what the gold standard of linebacker play is. When you think about that with the history and tradition of this place, you think about Al Wilson.
“To have Al Wilson at practice (earlier this month) really brought some elements to the guys in the room. Edwin was one of them, because he is walking in the footsteps of someone like that for sure.”
Spillman racked up 188 tackles and 41.5 tackles for loss during his final two seasons at Lipscomb Academy, earning solid four-star status in the 2024 signing cycle. He has been practicing with and learning under Keenan Pili, Arion Carter, Jeremiah Telander and Kaleb Perry, getting bigger and stronger and more confident by the day.
The 6-foot-1, 215-pounder who showed up in March is now 6-1 and 234 pounds.
“You just feel a lot stronger when you’re going against the O-linemen and the tight ends and running backs,” Spillman said of his bigger frame. “It’s been good to have that extra strength and power and speed also.”
Tennessee returned to practice Wednesday and is scheduled to work each day through Saturday before taking Sunday off.
Vols vs. Hurricanes in hoops
Tennessee will take on Miami in the 2024 Jimmy V Classic men’s basketball showcase inside New York City’s famed Madison Square Garden.
The Volunteers and Hurricanes are scheduled to vie at 6:30 p.m. on Dec. 10, with ESPN set to televise the game. That will serve as the first contest of a doubleheader, with Arkansas and Michigan playing at 9.
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com.