Gameday Today is awestruck at all of the sensible things said on Rocky Top over the weekend and disappointed at news the Vols will not be playing in Dubai anytime soon. This and more in today’s Vols link roundup.
Football
So the Vols hire a public relations expert and suddenly everybody’s saying all of the right things.
Bob Shoop falls on his sword, taking responsibility first:
“[M]aybe [I] was a little bit stubborn right there . . . I really wanted to force-fit, this is my style of defense or whatever. I probably didn’t do a great job at times of tailoring things.”
But ending on a positive note:
“The bowl game was the one game we really put together that looked like my vision for the defense.”
And then he’s making music when talking about the linebacker position as well:
“Kirkland had a good spring,” Shoop said before Saturday’s Big Orange Caravan Stop at Chattanooga’s First Tennessee Pavilion. “He’s hopefully the Derek Barnett, the alpha male of the defense. He’s vocal. He’s a good leader. He’s good high football intelligence. He’s smart, tough, unselfish and he wants it. I think he’s a little bit like Kongbo and myself.
“I mean, I don’t think 2016 went the way Darrin Kirkland, Jonathan Kongbo and Bob Shoop wanted. We talk about that all the time, and Darrin’s got a chip on his shoulder and he’s really determined.”
Offensive coordinator Larry Scott also gets in on the action with this sensible tone-setter for the incoming guys:
“Let’s start by being on time and being where you’re supposed to be when you’re supposed to be there, and then making sure that when you’re there, you’re 100 percent locked in and you’ve giving the very best effort you have.”
Even new athletic director John Currie managed to deftly walk the narrow ledge in voicing his opinion about Butch Jones:
“I believe you look at what has been accomplished and where we stand today versus where we were four years ago,” Currie told GoVols247. “We’ve made incredible progress in our program — academically, athletically, talent, engagement. There’s no measure where we’re not better than we were four years ago.
“We want to win every single game. There are going to be some years, eventually, where we do win every single game. But we have to make sure that the fundamentals that are in place to continue to build towards those championships that we all want to win, we have to make sure that those fundamentals continue.
. . . .
“I’m very impressed with recruiting organization. I’m impressed with the energy. I’m impressed with creativity and thought.”
And coach Jones, well, he answered questions about the quarterback battle by saying nothing and keeping his feet far away from his mouth. One interesting note in that article is that Quinten Dormady is practicing with NFL quarterback Jeff Christensen and Jarrett Guarantano is practicing with George Whitfield Jr.
More good news
The defensive line is healing up quite nicely, thank you.
Shoop thinks that the late addition of graduate transfer Shaq Wiggins is going to make a big difference, and he’s excited about all of his options at linebacker.
Tennessee will be getting its new QBs (and its secondary) a little extra practice by allowing some 7-on-7 drills this summer.
Breaking news
The Vols will not be playing in Dubai.
Hoops
Rick Barnes thinks SEC basketball is ” probably in the best shape it’s been since back in the early 2000s.” John Fulkerson, though, is not yet back from injury.
Miscellaneous fun stuff
We’ve already been over oddsmaker Danny Sheridan saying that he thought Kentucky would beat Tennessee this fall, but this article from 247Sports orders the guy’s quotes in a way I found amusing. Paraphrased: “I was wrong last year. I can confidently say what’s going to happen this year.”
Class of 2020 Receiver Leonard Manuel has committed to Tennessee. Yeah, he’ll be a sophomore in high school this year.
There were nearly 1,000 people at the Big Orange Caravan in Chattanooga Saturday.
VFLs Chad Clifton, Willie Gault, Haskel Stanback, Graham Vowell, and Al Wilson were all enshrined into the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame Saturday.
Here’s a look at the new-look Big Orange Caravan:
