There are apparently multiple ways to arrive as freshmen within Tennessee’s football program.
The early birds showed up in December and went through workouts for the Citrus Bowl, with that 12-player contingent containing the Bradley Central defensive back duo of Boo Carter and Marcus Goree Jr. There are some who are living out their high school experiences, with McCallie defensive end and state champion wrestler Carson Gentle and Birmingham five-star edge rusher Jordan Ross among the seven Volunteers signees in the 2024 class who are choosing that route.
Then there is the Lipscomb Academy tandem of defensive back Kaleb Beasley and linebacker Edwin Spillman, who enrolled at Tennessee on Monday just in time to start spring practice.
“It’s been awesome getting to learn how college works from the football aspect of it and from the classroom,” Spillman said Tuesday in a news conference. “It’s definitely been a learning process, but it’s been good so far.”
Tennessee is two practices into the 15 that are allotted each spring by the NCAA. The Vols were off Wednesday and will practice again Thursday.