Tennessee senior quarterback Keller Chryst passes Friday at Haslam Field in Knoxville during Tennessee's first practice of the 2018 preseason.KNOXVILLE - The whistle seemed to screech every few seconds Friday as Tennessee offensive line coach Will Friend directed his replenished group of players through drills.
Even a few veterans appeared visibly winded early as the temperature neared 90 degrees and the pace picked up during an opening workout that seemed to have the speed of a midseason practice.
Trainers were nearby with water bottles as at least one returning starter spent time on one knee while the whistles and stern verbal commands offered a reminder of the urgency required for Tennessee to maximize its practice time. The Volunteers open their season Sept. 1 against West Virginia in Charlotte, North Carolina.
For a host of newcomers dotting an expanded Haslam Field practice complex, the transition to Southeastern Conference football in August may have been even more daunting.
"The one thing that you can't do during the summer is you can't match the intensity that you have when practice starts, when coaches are out there, the tempo," head coach Jeremy Pruitt said after practice. "The players can't get that done on their own during the summer. Obviously, it was a shock to guys that it was the first time they've been out there."
New all around
Tennessee players wore new practice jerseys - white with orange numbers outlined in black for the offense and orange with white numbers for the defense - as they made use of three full outdoor practice fields. A recently completed expansion project added the third field and catapulted the Vols' practice space into the SEC's top half in terms of size.
The defense had an entire field to itself during positional drills open to the media, and the offense used two fields while split into position groups.
"It was good to get out there on the grass today," Pruitt said. "Probably one of the big things I was excited about was the extra practice field that we had. A lot easier to practice. The way we went through our drills, I think it helped our football team."
QB report
Each of Tennessee's quarterbacks accumulated dozens of throws to uncovered receivers and tight ends during the portion of practice open to media. Redshirt sophomore Jarrett Guarantano appeared to be the first quarterback up during drills, with graduate transfer Keller Chryst second, sophomore Will McBride third and freshman J.T. Shrout fourth.
Shrout displayed his upside on a few occasions. During one repetition, he rolled to his right and fired a perfect spiral 30 yards down field, hitting a receiver in stride along the sideline.
Pruitt's duties
Pruitt spent the open portion of practice working with the cornerbacks on the far corner of the defensive field. Sweat was still on his brow as he briefed reporters after practice.
"You look, and some of these guys, I think they thought we were halfway through practice and we hadn't even made it through flex," Pruitt said. "That's always the case when you get these young guys. Usually a lot of nerves, a lot of anxiety. But I thought it was a good day.
"Anybody can look good with headgear and shorts on. To me, right now it's kind of about learning what to do, how to do it. When we get closer to putting on the pads, I think that tells a little more about who you are."
Contact David Cobb at dcobb@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @DavidWCobb and on Facebook at facebook.com/volsupdate.