Tag Archives: Derek Barnett

Gameday Today: CBS thinks the Vols are a good (over/under) bet in 2017

All’s fair in love and officials, CBSSports thinks Tennessee is a good bet, and Derek Barnett’s got good bend. This and more in today’s Vols link roundup.

Hoops

Tennessee basketball leads off today because Rick Barnes is apparently a stickler for honesty — except when it comes to officials. So I guess we can trust him when he tells us fans that power forward Derrick Walker arrived on campus in “better shape than we thought he would be.”

Football

CBSSports’ Tom Fornelli thinks that Tennessee is the best over/under value play for 2017.

Class of 2018 3-star cornerback Jaylon Reed has decommitted from the Vols. 247Sports has a list of Tennessee’s best remaining options at the position. Bob Shoop is excited about his new batch of recruits for this year, at least.

Tennessee has offered a scholarship to Class of 2020 defensive end Samuel Anaele, from Miami, Florida.

Saturday Down South asks whether Tennessee’s passing game could be better in 2017. I’m pretty tired this morning — I’m catching #Predneck fever — so I didn’t actually see an answer, but I do like the question.

All for Tennessee waters the seed, saying that Tennessee’s defensive line is better than people think. The best evidence for this opinion is a junior class that includes Shy Tuttle, Jonathan Kongbo, Kahlil McKenzie, and Kyle Phillips.

And John Adams says that Tennessee shouldn’t have to play Alabama every year. He actually makes some valid points, namely that it makes things much more difficult for Tennessee, but you don’t chuck a 100+-year tradition because of one bad decade.

 

VFLs

Eagles defensive coordinator is loving Derek Barnett’s bend. So what you’re saying is that being able to maintain your balance around a tight corner is maybe more important for a defensive end than a 40-time or a vertical leap? Huh. Who knew?

The Detroit Free Press has a nice feature on VFL Jalen Reeves-Maybin, who’s happy to be injury-free and back on the field.

Miscellaneous fun stuff

Breaking: Lane Kiffin speaks non-inflammatory words, saying there was no reason not to let Tennessee coaches come to his camp.

The headline says that former players (plural) are complaining about the way Tennessee treats them, but the article focuses on a single tweet by a single player. Maybe it’s overblown, but if Penn State does something better than Tennessee, we should fix that, stat.

Tennessee golfers Nolan Ray and Hunter Wolcott qualified for the 111th Southern Amateur Championship, while former Vol AJ Newell tied for fourth place by shooting a six-under 207 through three rounds of the Symetra Tour’s Fuccillo Kia Classic this weekend. 

Tennessee track and field is sending 14 athletes to the NCAA Outdoor Championship from June 7-10 in Eugene, Oregon.

Gameday Today: Public relations is apparently important on Rocky Top

Gameday Today welcomes a public relations expert to Rocky Top, weighs in on redshirts and graduate transfers, and marvels at what Derek Barnett can do with a cheap pen. All this and more in today’s Vols link roundup.

Football

Tennessee has hired Zach Stipe as Director of Football Communications, which I’m guessing is fancypants language for public relations specialist. Stipe will ” work closely with head coach Butch Jones to implement and execute communications strategies aimed at promoting and publicizing Volunteers football.” The jokes here sort of write themselves, but I’m going to refrain from making any of them because I think this is a great addition to the staff. Stipe, who spent three years on the Tennessee media relations staff from 2008-11, returns to Rocky Top off a stint at Florida State, where he had worked since 2010 and had supervised the promotion of Seminoles football since 2013. He also got promoted to Director of Football Communications in 2015, so he’s an up-and-comer. Tennessee hasn’t exactly been Champions of PR, but now they can at least compete. Okay, so I won’t refrain from every joke.

You have to love incoming linebacker Will Ignont’s confidence:  “I want to come in and not have a freshman mindset,” Ignont told GoVols247 this week. “I want to come in like I’m already a Tennessee Vol. Because I know I can play.” I like this guy already.

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Former Vols QB Sheriron Jones has decided on the community college route and will transfer to Independence Community College in Kansas. He’ll need to play there a year before returning to another FBS program, at which point he’ll have two more years to play. Best of luck, young man.

Oddsmaker Danny Sheridan is predicting that Tennessee will lose to Kentucky this year. I don’t know whether he’s putting pennies or dollars or kneecaps on the line, so I don’t really know what to make of this. The Wildcats are going to be better this year than they were last, but I still like the Vols in the matchup. 

247Sports is playing the What If Game, Josh Dobbs edition, asking what historical dominoes might have fallen if Dobbs had not changed his mind about Arizona State and come to Rocky Top. Just thinking of the last few years without Dobbs makes me pouty.

SEC coaches are apparently “positively inclined” toward allowing players to participate in up to four games without burning their redshirts. Currently, players lose their redshirt seasons with the first snap they take unless they are injured in the first four games of the season, in which case the medical redshirt rule kicks in to save the day. This proposed new rule would apply the same four-game rule to all players regardless of injury. It would allow coaches to get players experience while still preserving eligibility, and to the extent it matters (which is NONE), I am positively inclined to support the rule change as well.

I have a rule against allowing Paul Finebaum’s face on the TV at the store, but this is a good discussion of graduate transfers, and so we’ll hold our noses and wash our hands afterwards. Tennessee was in a bit of a dilemma here, as the proper stance was to support the relaxation of the rule so the SEC is on a level playing field with other conferences, but doing so right now (which is what they reportedly did yesterday) is likely going to result in former Notre Dame quarterback Malik Zaire playing for the Florida Gators this fall. Boo. I like Florida teams without good quarterbacks.

Gridiron Now has ranked every conference by their respective wide receiving units. The SEC ranked second to the Pac-12, and the site put Tennessee’s Jajuan Jennings in the “2nd tier, now or potential” category The headliners of the conference are Texas A&M’s Christian Kirk, Alabama’s Calvin Ridley, Florida’s Antonio Callaway, South Carolina’s Deebo Samuel, and Missouri’s J’Mon Moore. Go get ’em, Jennings.

Hoops

Rick Barnes says that Tennessee has added confidence and competition to the roster with the transfers this season. Good news.

VFLs

NFL.com has ranked the best Tennessee draft picks since 2000 and put Jason Witten at the top of the list. Eric Berry is second. Peyton Manning was before 2000, in case you’re flipping out.

And Derek Barnett’s deal with the Philadelphia Eagles is officially official:

That is a man with a pen, right there. More specifically, it’s a man signing a piece of paper worth $12,850,772 with a ten cent Bic. Woo.

 

 

Gameday Today: Butch Jones, “classic over-explainer”

Gameday Today nods its head at the suggestion that Butch Jones is a “classic over-explainer,” loves new punters and old defensive ends, and wonders how many coaches will carry bullhorns on the sidelines this fall.

Butch Jones, Pitchforks, and Kum Ba Yah: An epilogue

Another national columnist weighs in, as USA Today’s Dan Wolken discusses Jones and his somewhat fragile relationship with a portion of the Tennessee fan base. Particularly interesting is Wolken’s suggestion that “you’re losing if you’re explaining, no matter how much you’re winning,” and his description of Jones as a “classic over-explainer.” It would seem that one of new athletic director John Currie’s main priorities is going to be managing “the disconnect between the real progress Tennessee has made under Jones and the toxic assessment of him that swirls around the social media sphere.” Well, that and deciding how best to undo the Lady Vols brand mess.

Local guy Mike Griffith says in a bit of a throwaway comment that UT is actively limiting access to Jones and encouraging less discussion about football, presumably as part of a strategy to give Jones the time he needs this fall to let his performance speak for itself.

In not unrelated news, Jones and his staff will be in Chattanooga this Saturday to attend the Big Orange Caravan, which has been remade into a “low-cost, family-friendly deal, where if your kid runs around a little bit, you don’t have to keep them quiet the whole time.” That sounds like more of a tailgate party than a star chamber for the head coach, and I’m all for it. As long as they actually make it to the Tri Cities.

Recruiting

Tennessee got a commitment yesterday from the nation’s top-ranked punter, Skyler DeLong. Tennessee’s class currently ranks ninth in the nation, according to 247Sports.

Congrats to Tennessee quarterback commit Adrian Martinez, who was recently named an Under Armour All-American.

Tennessee extended several new offers to recruits yesterday, including linebacker Caleb Kelly, defensive end/linebacker Andrew Johnson, Top 50 defensive end Nathan Pickering, and offensive lineman Harry Miller. 

VFLs

Congratulations to VFL Derek Barnett for signing a four-year contract with the Philadelphia Eagles. No word on the details yet, but Spotrac had projected it to be nearly $13M.

Miscellaneous fun stuff

SEC head of football officials Steve Shaw has apparently said (via quote on Twitter, thus the crazy grammar) that “coaches coming onto the field to argue calls will get automatic 15-yard unsportsmanlike penalty.” Who’s your pick for the first coach to start carrying a bullhorn on the sideline?

Tennessee barely snuck in to the Sporting News’ Preseason Top 25, at the 25th spot. SEC East teams ahead of them are Georgia (No. 10) and Florida (No. 15). So, Tennessee just has to beat them, and they’ll be in the Top 10, no problem.

RTT suggests that the mere presence of Chip Kelly is going to give athletic directors all over the country itchy trigger fingers this fall. That’s probably right.

If you can’t wait for the new roster to be updated, 247Sports has a 28-click list of jersey numbers for the Vols’ newcomers.

Tennessee’s 2017 NFL Draft Presence a Return to Normalcy

In every season but two between 1939 and 2014, the Tennessee Volunteers had at least one football player taken in the NFL Draft.

The Vols dubiously doubled that number in the past two years, as zero players were taken by NFL teams. Again, we should take this opportunity to thank Derek Dooley for the 47,457th time.

So, when six Vols were plucked in the 2017 NFL Draft that just ended this afternoon, it felt like everything was right with the world. Led by living legend Derek Barnett—who was taken 14th overall by the Philadelphia Eagles—and highlighted by a fourth round that saw three Vols taken Saturday, it was a glorious showing for head coach Butch Jones and a testament to the turnaround in Knoxville.

You may (rightfully) be bristling at how things turned out on the field during a frustrating 9-4 2016 season, but there’s no question Jones’ recruiting is putting Tennessee in position to be successful once again.

Jones told GoVols247’s Wes Rucker in part on Saturday afternoon:

I know today is all about their players and their families, but I’d be remiss if I didn’t take a moment and just kind of reflect and talk about this being a great weekend for Tennessee football. It’s a great weekend for all of our players. They’ve done such a great job of not only representing their personal brands, but also the great brand of Tennessee. Obviously we’re very proud and excited for them—and not only them, but their families, as well.

There are plenty of reasons for Tennessee to be concerned after moving on from such a vaunted group of guys, but given that this is really Jones’ first class of NFL recruits, it’s also a reason to be excited about the future. Obviously, Jones and his staff is doing a good job evaluating players, and though the past couple of classes haven’t been as highly rated as the first two, there are plenty of prospects brewing in Knoxville.

Guys such as receiver Jauan Jennings, running back John Kelly, linebacker Darrin Kirkland Jr. and defensive end Jonathan Kongbo look like quality NFL prospects. The quarterback duo of Jarrett Guarantano and Quinten Dormady could evolve, too, and though the Vols don’t look to have a class as highly regarded as this year’s on the horizon any time soon, they have a smattering of talented players who could turn into elite pro players.

The most worrisome thing for Tennessee is next year doesn’t look like a big one on the prospects horizon. FOXSports.com’s way-too-early look at a 2018 mock draft features no Vols [unless you count Memphis quarterback Riley Ferguson]… The Vols need players to develop and emerge who can keep this momentum going and keep having this pro angle selling point for prospects.

If Tennessee can just tread water in what should be a transition year in 2017—think eight or nine wins—the ’18 and ’19 classes are already off to exceptional starts, and this newly refurbished coaching staff looks like it can do some damage on the trail.

Plus, a showing like the past three days can play extremely well in living rooms. This is how Tennessee football is supposed to represent on draft day. And this isn’t just frilly window dressing, either. These are ideal situations for all players who were taken.

  • When you’re taken in the first round, 14th overall, you aren’t expected to ride the bench. Barnett won’t, and he is primed to have a great career in a city that fits his personality. We all remember the Nashville native abusing tackles, getting in extra pushes and slings on quarterbacks after the whistle and playing with a chip on his shoulder. For a gritty, abrasive fan base in Philly, Eagles fans will absolutely adore him. Barnett is big, mean and [most importantly] a really, really good football player. He’s an ideal fit in the NFC East and especially in the blue-collar city of Philadelphia.
  • Though the New Orleans Saints signed Adrian Peterson to go along with All-Pro running back Mark Ingram, who is just now coming into his own in the Big Easy, Alvin Kamara is the future at the position. It isn’t an ideal depth chart situation, but from a situational standpoint, there are fewer great fits than Kamara’s game and head coach Sean Payton’s scheme. This is, after all, the coach who helped turn Darren Sproles into a star, and Kamara’s game fits here. He’ll catch passes out of the backfield, probably play some special teams and gradually ease into some touches for the Saints. Eventually, it’ll be his backfield.
  • When it comes to NFL franchises, few [if any] are better-run than the Pittsburgh Steelers, and so for Cameron Sutton to land there is terrific. He could win that starting nickelback role as a rookie, and that’s a really good spot for the former UT shutdown cornerback. He may not have the speed to play boundary corner in the NFL, but going to a Steelers franchise that always puts a quality product on the field will be a great deal for Sutton. He will play a lot as a first-year player and could wind up a star in the Steel City.
  • The Detroit Lions desperately needed linebackers entering the draft and went a long way toward addressing those needs with the second-round pick of Florida’s Jarrad Davis then coming right back with Jalen Reeves-Maybin in the fourth round. JRM dealt with significant injuries in Knoxville, as we all know, but he was wildly productive when he was healthy. He isn’t the same kind of linebacker as Davis, but the duo are complimentary of each other. He’ll contribute right away, and his ability to help on special teams will be a big deal on the next level, too. JRM has an ideal opportunity to step right into the rotation as a rookie.
  • Josh Malone was taken in the fourth round by the Cincinnati Bengals, and he will provide some much-needed speed and playmaking ability to a team needing difference-makers on offense. Cincy plucked Washington speedster John Ross in the first round and added controversial Oklahoma running back Joe Mixon, whose pick prompted a Cincy television station to call for a Bengals boycott. Those two picks proved the Bengals need speed on that side of the ball, and so does the Malone pick. Along with A.J. Green and Brandon LaFell, Ross and Malone should slide in and get immediate reps. There’s, again, opportunity to play.
  • The most ideal situation for perhaps any Vol not named Barnett in the draft came when quarterback Joshua Dobbs was taken by the Steelers with the 135th overall selection, the same spot where the Cowboys took Dak Prescott last year, a player to which Dobbs has been often compared. With Ben Roethlisberger getting up in age and with backup signal-caller Landry Jones’ inefficiencies, Dobbs has a golden opportunity to step right in and slide into the No. 2 quarterback role. If that happens, he’ll almost certainly get some game reps, because Big Ben gets hurt every year due to his reckless play. If Dobbs progresses the way he could, that could be his job in two or three years, and the Steelers are always set up to win big right now. It’s just that type of franchise. Also, having a familiar face like Sutton around won’t hurt, and Pittsburgh head coach Mike Tomlin has been around UT’s program a few times in the past couple of years.

So, not only was this weekend big for the Vols, it has the opportunity to keep paying dividends over the next few years as Jones begins his next round of pitches to prospects saying, “You could be the next Dobbs” or “We plan to use you like Alvin Kamara.” He’s already made that pitch this year to running back commitment Jashaun Corbin, and it will only continue.

Jones is right. The past few days were great to be a Tennessee Vol, and it will breed new Vols in the future. Now, if UT can only break through with some more prominent steps on the football field in the wake of Jones’ first strong NFL Draft class, the program can keep this momentum going.

That may be a big “if,” but this first group certainly did their part on the field, and they were rewarded handsomely in the draft.

Vols defensive end Derek Barnett goes 14th overall to the Philadelphia Eagles in 2017 NFL Draft (with highlights)

VFL Derek Barnett was the first Tennessee player to hear his name called at the 2017 NFL Draft. In front of a raucous home crowd, Barnett was just selected by the Philadelphia Eagles with the draft’s 14th overall pick. He’s the first Tennessee player to be selected in the draft since Ja’Wuan James, Zach Fulton, and Daniel McCullers were taken back in 2014.  It’s been an embarrassing stretch in the desert, but it’s over now.

Barnett left Rocky Top early for the NFL on the heels of a three-year Tennessee career during which he set a new all-time career sack record with 33, overtaking Reggie White’s previous mark of 32. Barnett needed only three years to do it, getting 10 as a true freshman in 2014, another 10 the following year, and 13 this past season. He’s also had 52 tackles for loss in his career.

Barnett had more sacks (13) this year than Myles Garrett (8.5), who was this year’s first overall pick, and he also had more in his career (33) than Garrett had in his (32.5). I don’t point that out to discredit Garrett at all. He’s fantastic. It’s just that Barnett is just as good. The only reason Barnett went later in the draft than Garrett is because of stupid Combine and Pro-Day scores that measure things that defensive linemen don’t have to do. As I said earlier, it ain’t 40 yards to the quarterback, y’all. And he’s not straight up in the air, either.

Barnett and head coach Butch Jones were at the draft to enjoy the moment. 

Congrats to Barnett and his family. He’s made us Vols fans proud for three years now, and we’re happy to see him reap his rewards.

 

 

Gameday Today: Vols in the NFL Draft, Orange and White Game debriefings, and recruiting offers

NFL Draft

Will at Rocky Top Talk is celebrating Derek Barnett by reliving some of his best moments at Tennessee. Barnett didn’t just rack up the sack totals; he picked it up at the right time.
 
The Josh Dobbs bandwagon is getting quite cozy with another ESPN analyst suddenly realizing that Dobbs is better than everybody thinks. What’s fueling the bandwagon? Work ethic, attitude, and intelligence, says Mel Kiper. I don’t know, maybe he’s just now seeing that NCAA Student Athlete PSA.
 
And don’t forget Josh Malone, who Kiper says could go in the third round, which would be good news to his grandma, who told me in the Ingles parking lot the other day that she’d wanted him to stay in school. Oh, but the brain lasts longer than the body. 
 
Can you remember the last Vol who was taken in the NFL Draft? Me, neither. Answer at the bottom of the post.

Football

The Orange and White Game debriefing is nearly complete. So what have we learned?
 
The running back depth is a serious issue that I will not joke about until the new recruits arrive on campus this summer.
 
Defensive back Justin Martin is a new man.
 
And a whole bunch of guys got a whole bunch of reps due to a whole bunch of injuries, including receiver Marquez Callaway, who apparently had more reps than anyone else on the team during spring.

Recruiting

Tennessee’s made a bunch of offers to 2019 prospects in the wake of the Orange and White Game, including one each to top-50 wide receivers Arjei Henderson and Trejan Bridges and one to defensive tackle DeWayne Carter.
 

By my count, that’s 21 offers already by Tennessee, all spent on two guys. I don’t know who the recruiting coordinator over there is, but he sounds like a spendthrift. 
 

Answer to the NFL Draft question

Yeah, I couldn’t remember the last Vol drafted, either. It was apparently Daniel McCullers.

Gameday Today: On players becoming bullies and Caravans becoming Corollas

Football

That quarterback competition between Quinten Dormady and Jarrett Guarantano? It’s still a competition and probably will be for much longer than you want it to be. Meanwhile, Trey Smith is looking like he’s well on his way to becoming only the fifth true freshman to start a season opener on the Tennessee offensive line, which by the way, is intentionally conditioning itself to be a bully this season. I am generally anti-bullying thanks to a guy named Brad Smith (maybe not his real name) who will forever be an extremely huge and mean sixth-grader in my mind, but I like my offensive linemen to push people around, and if a little attitude helps them in that task, I am all for it.
 
Oh, look. The Big Orange Caravan is apparently downsizing to a couple of Corollas with car magnets and car flags road tripping to Nashville, Memphis, and Chattanooga with an old school foldable paper map. Tri Cities, y’all are out of luck, and they don’t care how much money you spend at the Strawberry Plains exit every Football Saturday.
 
A bit of good news, that game that Tennessee is supposed to play against Georgia Tech at the new Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta to open the season? It’s going to be held at Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta. And the odds of the retractable roof just outright falling off and squishing both teams in the middle of the second quarter diminishes just a little more every day!
 

NFL Draft

Yeah, Jon Gruden says that Josh Dobbs is a “great sleeper” in this year’s NFL Draft. I don’t think he means that he has great sleep technique, which is something Derek Dooley might have meant. And speaking of Dobbs, Todd McShay thinks he could even sneak into the first round of the NFL Draft. That thing I said about McShay over-thinking things? Never mind. Oh, and Tennessee defensive end Darrell Taylor is getting all crunk just watching all of the attention Derek Barnett is getting.
 

Recruiting

Two of Tennessee’s commitments for the 2018 recruiting class are in the ESPN 300: 4-star offensive tackle Cade Mays and 4-star receiver Alontae Taylor. And in hoops recruiting, wing Yves Pons and power forward Derrick Walker both got bumps in the final Top 247 rankings for the Class of 2017.
 
And finally, the Vols have offered 4-star defensive end Cameron Latu from Salt Lake City.

NFL Draft analysts are overthinking Derek Barnett

Listening to NFL Draft experts discuss former Tennessee Vol defensive end Derek Barnett is like taking a college seminar entitled “Case Studies in Overthinking Things.” No offense to Todd McShay — because he’s saying great things about Barnett — but he’s also a pretty good example of the overthinking on Barnett. In one breath, he notes that Barnett had 52 tackles for loss and 33 sacks, one more than Reggie White’s record of 32. In the next, he’s fretting over Barnett’s NFL Combine and Tennessee Pro Day results, troubled over not being able to reconcile the two sets of data.

Dude, you’re thinking too much. The Combine and Pro Days are meant to help teams gather data to allow them to form an educated opinion about what a player might be able to do. It’s not a perfect metaphor, but let’s think about it in legal terms and call it circumstantial evidence. You look at the data and you think, “Yeah, I think this guy is X.” Or, “All of this stuff makes it look like this guy is X.” Or even, “I know beyond a reasonable doubt that this guy is X.” You can make a decision on circumstantial evidence; we do it all of the time. If the data makes you believe enough to act, then go ahead and act.

But if you actually see the guy do X, well, then you have absolute proof. A smoking gun, you might say. Actual knowledge. And it should go without saying, but actual knowledge is better than circumstantial evidence. If you know something to be true, and if the circumstantial evidence confuses you because it leads to a different conclusion, then there’s something wrong with your circumstantial evidence, not with your knowledge.

 

And yeah, I know that they use the Combine and Pro Days to help determine whether college production will translate to the NFL. I get it.

But I’ll take 33 sacks over a 40 time or a vertical leap any day. It ain’t 40 yards to the quarterback, folks, and he’s not straight up in the air, either. Those things are designed to tell you whether your guy can sack the quarterback. So let me save you the trouble: Derek Barnett can sack the quarterback. I’ve seen it. And so have you.

 

Gameday Today: Everybody’s becoming something, and somebody somewhere is (maybe?) throwing shade

FOOTBALL

Nigel Warrior is apparently turning into the player coaches (and everybody else) thought he could be. Meanwhile, Darrin Kirkland Jr. is apparently becoming Jalen Reeves-Maybin, and injured receiver Brandon Johnson is becoming so bored that he’s sneaking into practice reps. And the nickel is becoming the 4-3: Word is that Tennessee is playing around with more standard 4-3 defensive alignments instead of the mostly nickel packages they ran last year. So who’s in line for that third LB spot? It’s looking like Austin Smith, Colton Jumper, and Quart’e Sapp. 
 
And finally, the Orange and White Game: Where everything’s made up and the points don’t matter.

NFL DRAFT

Another NFL draft analyst has VFL Derek Barnett going to the Baltimore Ravens as the 16th pick in this year’s draft. Most of the rest of that article talks about how that’s in contrast to Barnett’s somewhat disappointing metrics from the NFL Combine and Pro Day. Aren’t the numbers supposed to help you predict what you don’t know? And isn’t what someone actually did better evidence than an educated guess at what you think they might do in the future? But what do I know?
 

RECRUITING

BONUS

The headline for this piece says that Kansas State head coach Bill Snyder has thrown shade at new Tennessee athletic director John Currie. Listen, Snyder is even older than I am, and he has no idea what “throw shade” means, and anyway, since when does singing faint praise for your incoming boss necessarily indicate an insult at your old boss?

Derek Barnett and Butch Jones to attend the first round of the NFL Draft

Derek Barnett and Butch Jones will both be in attendance at the first round of the NFL Draft on April 27. In all, 22 top prospects and 13 coaches will be in attendance.

ESPN has projected Barnett as high as the eighth pick overall in this year’s draft, and having his college coach beside him will definitely be a very good thing for the Tennessee program.