A season unlike any other will kick off this Saturday for the Vols as they take on South Carolina on the road. However, because of COVID-19 the start to the season has already been very tumultuous. Despite several players missing time because of COVID-19 contact tracing, Coach Pruitt was optimistic about his team heading into the season opener.
“I’m excited for our players, it has been very unusual times as we all know,” Pruitt said. “I’m really proud of the way our guys have responded to adversity and the way they have worked hard in preparing for this game.”
The season opener comes after an offseason of uncertainty for the Vols and all of college football. With summer workouts and fall camp being seriously impacted by the pandemic, many players have not been able to have the same amount of reps as they have in years past. Coach Pruitt talked about how he and his staff have tried to guide the team through a very difficult offseason.
“The most important thing was communication; we made sure that we have communicated with our players on a daily basis. Once a week I would meet with each position group until we all came back to campus,” Pruitt said. “Since returning to campus we have only had about 21 days of practice, but we have made the most of our circumstances.”
The Vols are returning some great players on both sides of the ball, but one position that has been hit the hardest is the wide receiver position. Tennessee lost both of its leading receivers, Jauan Jennings and Marquez Callaway, to the NFL, so it is important that some new players step up in their absence.
“With our receivers there will be some names you know and some you do not,” Pruitt said. “I’m excited about the ability in that room even though a lot of those guys have missed a lot of practice in fall camp. The missed time might have hurt their development a little bit but the talent within our group of wide receivers is something that I have liked to see.”
One player in particular that Pruitt talked about was Trey Smith, who at one time did not know if he would ever play again due to blood clots after his sophomore season. During his junior season Smith excelled on the field, being named to All-SEC first team. Off the field, Smith is regarded as a man of high integrity and a great leader for the Vols.
“Trey is a guy that could have entered his name into the draft after last season. However, he decided to come back, work hard, and improve,” Pruitt said. “He has been and will continue to be a leader for us on and off the field as we go through this season.”
The Vols will open the season on Saturday, Sept. 26 at 7:30 p.m. at Williams Brice Stadium in Columbia, South Carolina.
