More thoughts on The Papa, football keeps grinding, and updates on the Rocky Top League. This and more in today’s Vols link roundup.
Football
- Yay! CBS Sports is going with the over, saying Tennessee will win at least eight games this fall.
- Boo! CBS Sports also ranks the Tennessee coaching job a mere fifth in the SEC, behind Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and LSU.
- Evan Berry is an Athlon second-team preseason All-American as kick returner. I don’t know or care who’s first, but I know I wouldn’t trade Berry for whoever it is.
- Vince Ferrara continues his look at Tennessee, now with tight ends and the offensive line.
The Tennessee offense is gearing up for the fall:
And apparently, Butch Jones is taking the whole “pace” thing to an extreme this offseason:
💪 Only the strong survive #GBO 🍊 https://t.co/qJMIvv0qS8
— Tennessee Football (@Vol_Football) June 21, 2017
What does Butch Jones think about Fulmer’s return to Rocky Top? Good question!
“It’s an exciting time for the entire Tennessee family to have Coach Fulmer and his expertise and the ability to build relationships that he brings,” Jones told SEC Country on Wednesday. “I consider Coach a mentor and a great friend, and I think this is healthy for everyone involved, not just football, but the entire Tennessee community.”
Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad to hear all of that, but really, what else is he going to say?
And what does Wes Rucker think about Fulmer’s return to Rocky Top? Good question!
So pretty much everybody but one person likes this move.
Speaking of Fulmer, The Papa is really happy that the talent pool in the state of Tennessee is improving, and he says having local Tennessee kids matters:
“It means more in the fourth quarter against Alabama, it just does,” Fulmer said. “You have to go back home and live it.”
And in case you missed it, you’ll want to check out the latest Vols hype video and the details of the Big Orange Caravan’s Tri Cities stop.
Hoops
- Admiral Schofield is now embracing his role on the team, which is primarily to play defense and get rebounds.
- Transfer guard Chris Darrington is humbly confident and yet still driven by a chip on his shoulder that makes him want to prove others wrong. And he’s reportedly doing quite well in the Pilot Rocky Top League, thank you very much.
- Speaking of confidence, transfer guard James Daniel is now on record as saying the Vols now have a chance to win the national title.
- Newcomer Zach Kent is making a positive impression on local media, earning descriptions such as humble, self-aware, self-deprecating, hilarious, and confident. Looking forward to more details on the “hilarious” comment.
- Guard Jalen Johnson has added weight since last season and is ready to get going this fall. For anyone who cares about a status update about me, I have also added weight, but am not really ready to play this fall and probably won’t be.
Recruiting
New offers:
- Class of 2018 3-star defensive end Gregory Rousseau (a Miami commit)
VFLs
- Nobody here is going to be surprised to hear that Josh Dobbs has already displayed a real knack for learning what he needs to know as a quarterback with the Pittsburgh Steelers, but you may be surprised to hear that he’d already learned a bunch of pro knowledge while at Tennessee running Butch Jones’ system.
- If this keeps up, we’re going to need a whole new blog just for Eric Berry:
Legend, Inspiration, #VFL Eric Berry stands tall as one of the @NFL's greatest in its 2017 Top 100! 🍊🍊🍊
🎥 https://t.co/EHsBL1HKZ6 pic.twitter.com/luU6U0nxCP— Tennessee Football (@Vol_Football) June 21, 2017
Seriously, follow that link and watch that video.
- Bummer. The Los Angeles Rams waived VFL Brian Randolph.
Other Vols news
- This is heartbreaking. Tyler Summit feels like he disappointed his mother: “There (have been) moments that were really hard on a lot of levels because I felt like I let mom down,” he said. “That was probably the biggest thing. I felt like I let her down in 10 different ways.”
- Baseball’s Jordan Rodgers was named to the ABCA/Rawlings Gold Glove Team, and Connor Darling is currently leading the ABL (a summer league) in strikeouts.
- Ten current and former track and field Vols are going to compete at the 2017 USATF Championships today through Sunday. The list includes Christian Coleman and Justin Gatlin.
- Anna Newell is competing in the U.S. Open qualifier.
- Tennessee Swimming and Diving earns national academic honors.