The Vols kicked off spring practice Friday afternoon on Haslam Field. As expected, Tennessee’s class of 14 early enrollees was the focus of both the media and the coaching staff. Here are a few notes and quotes from the on field portion of practice. We’ll have more once the post-practice media session wraps up.

Notes

*Tennessee did not release a spring practice depth chart and things tend to fluctuate rapidly in the first few weeks of spring practice, but here’s some details on how the Vols lined up today.

*Justin Worley worked with the first team in the only team portion of practice open to the media. He was joined by Marquez North, Jason Croom, and LaVon Pearson at receiver. Marlin Lane lined up at running back. Mack Crowder (center), Kyler Kerbyson (guard), Marcus Jackson (guard), Coleman Thomas (right tackle), and Dontavius Blair (left tackle) served as the first team offensive line. Ethan Wolf lined up at tight end.

*Josh Dobbs worked with the second team in the only team portion of practice 0pen to the media. Several players subbed in and out with the second unit, but he was joined by Josh Malone, Johnathan Johnson, Josh Smith, Jacob Carter, and Cody Blanc at receiver for more than one snap. Daniel Helm lined up at tight end. Jalen Hurd and Alden Hill split time at running back. Dylan Wiesman, Ray Raulerson, Brett Kendrick,  Austin Sanders, Marques Pair, and Jacob Gilliam lined up with him.

*LaVon Pearson looked extremely quick in agility drills and showed good hands in passing drills. Pearson, Malone, and Hurd  were among several Vol newcomers returning kicks.

*Butch Jones praised Jason Croom for his offseason. Croom worked exclusively with the first team at receiver.

*Newcomers D’Andre Payne and Emmanuel Moseley stood out from a speed standpoint. Both worked fielding kicks and looked to be two of the fastest players on the team.

*Jalen Hurd, not surprisingly, received a ton of attention from the coaching staff. The talented 5-star running back is amazingly quick/fast for a man of his size but still a little rough around the edges, as expected. He struggled with a few drills, mainly from a mental standpoint, but that is normal for a freshman adjusting to the speed of Tennessee’s practices.

*Dontavius Blair, Tennessee’s highly-rated JUCO offensive tackle, is huge. He certainly looks the part physically and worked as UT’s starting left tackle.

Butch Quotes

“Come on Jalen, you represent the Tennessee brand.”

“Show me your habits, I’ll show you your life.”