An active weekend in Knoxville began Friday night with an Elton John concert inside Thompson-Boling Arena and Tennessee's 8-3 victory over Missouri, which resulted in the top-ranked Volunteers becoming the first Southeastern Conference baseball program to start 10-0 in league play since the 1994 Florida Gators.
On Saturday afternoon, the football Vols took center stage with their second spring scrimmage on Haslam Field.
"There is a great energy on campus with everything that's going on," Tennessee second-year coach Josh Heupel told reporters afterward. "There are so many positive things happening in our athletic department. Obviously we're not inside Neyland Stadium, and we miss our fans.
"We would love to have the opportunity to be in front of them, but we are excited about the renovations and what's going on and the future of Tennessee football."
Saturday's scrimmage was part of an "All Vol Weekend" that includes not only the three-game baseball series with Mizzou but home competitions for the men's and women's track, women's tennis and women's soccer teams.
Fifth-year senior receiver Cedric Tillman, junior running back Jabari Small and junior center Cooper Mays were held out of the scrimmage, while sixth-year senior quarterback Hendon Hooker played just two series. Hooker completed all seven passes on the afternoon's first possession and capped the drive with a touchdown pass to fifth-year senior tight end Jacob Warren.
"It was strictly play count and how we tried to manage each set for all of our guys," Heupel said when asked about Hooker's brief day. "He just happened to get a lot of work on the first drive."
The absence of Mays resulted in a lot of action for four-star freshman Addison Nichols, who never played center while at Greater Atlanta Christian and could branch out to guard or even tackle later this year. There were times Saturday when Nichols and the line struggled, but Heupel said, "Addison is going to be a great player here. Not a good player. A great player."
Redshirt sophomore receiver Jimmy Calloway provided the scrimmage's top highlight by taking a swing pass from Joe Milton and turning it into a winding touchdown from more than 90 yards out. Calloway had a disappointing 2021 season with just three appearances after getting in eight games as a freshman.
"That was a great play by him," Heupel said. "He obviously has some athletic skills and traits, and today was probably his best day on the grass."
Heupel was pleased with the defensive play at the end of the scrimmage, which included a fumble return for a touchdown by junior defensive tackle Omari Thomas and an interception for a score by freshman linebacker Elijah Herring. When asked how it's been this spring with a lack of bodies at cornerback due to injuries, Heupel said, "It's been difficult, but we really haven't had to change the rep count."
Brown to Golden Eagles
Former Tennessee running back Bryce Brown was announced this weekend as the new running backs coach at Tennessee Tech.
Brown was Rivals.com's No. 1 national prospect in the 2009 signing class and rushed for 460 yards and 4.6 yards per carry before leaving the Vols after just one season. He played 42 career NFL games, including 32 with the Philadelphia Eagles during the 2012-13 seasons.
For the past two years, Brown has been receivers coach at Butler (Kansas) Community College.
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524. Follow him on Twitter @DavidSPaschall.