According to redshirt sophomore Kendal Vickers, he is just a “dude” from Havelock.
While Vickers might just regard himself as a regular guy from his hometown in North Carolina, others might be skeptical.
It is hard to believe that any normal “dude” can squat as much as Vickers.
How much can Vickers squat? Try 710 pounds.
“The weight looks intimidating,” Vickers said. “But I just get under it and attack it.”
His mentality before he squats such a heavy weight: don’t collapse.
But the risk is well worth it. The sight impresses teammates as it unfolds in the Anderson Training Center
“It’s crazy,” Vickers said of the atmosphere after he squats. “All are the guys are going crazy. Everybody in the weight is going crazy. All the coaches are going crazy.”
Vickers’ performance on the squat rack isn’t his only submission to his list of accomplishments for spring practices. Vickers, by all accounts, is thriving in his transition from defensive end to defensive tackle.
Vickers committed to UT as a three-star defensive end from Havelock High School. He didn’t see the field in 2013, earning a redshirt.
Then, before the 2014 season, the coaching staff decided to switch Vickers to defensive tackle. The move negatively affected his playing time as Vickers only appeared in five games in 2014.
“Last year was kinda a process, because I was kind of underweight when coach (Stripling) moved me to tackle,” Vickers said. “I was still doing a lot of things that I am doing now, but I was still undersized.”
Vickers is no longer undersized. He made sure to correct that problem in the offseason. In the fall, he was 260 pounds. Now, he is around 288. Vickers said the additional weight hasn’t slowed his movement.
With a slew of defensive lineman injured in the spring, Vickers has the chance to get the repetitions to prove that he is a viable option on the defensive line for the upcoming 2015 season. He can now show he is capable of contributing in the trenches.
He has certainly caught the eye of his coaches.
“Kendal Vickers right now is an inside player for us. He has handled that move exceptionally well,” his head coach Butch Jones said. “He has put the added weight on that is needed to play inside. He is becoming more and more comfortable in that role, in that position. You can see the speed of the game slowing down for him.
“I have been very pleased with him. He has done a great job.”
His position coach Steve Stripling is also impressed.
“Vickers is the guy that’s showing up right now,” Stripling said after practice last Thursday. “I think it’s maturity. It’s been a process. He’s now close to 290 and is carrying it naturally.”
Vickers credits his success at defense line this spring to a better familiarity with the playbook. Instead of overthinking every play, He can now simply react to what unfolds on the gridiron.
“I am a lot smarter than I was before,” Vickers said. “I can see the backfield and know what’s coming, know if a double team is coming.”
Also, squatting more than 700 pounds doesn’t hurt either.
“I just got make sure I am just driving my legs,” Vickers said. “Making sure I am utilizing that 710 pound squat.”
Despite his progress, it is still difficult to predict where Kendall will be on the depth chart come fall or how he will do if he sees the field.
But that didn’t stop his teammate Jashon Robertson from offering his prognosis.
His prediction might carry merit; however, as Robertson competes against Vickers on the offensive line every practice. As a starter in the SEC, he also knows what good defensive linemen look like.
“Going up against Vickers everyday is a very realistic source of competition as you will see in the SEC,” Robertson said. “I think he will come out, and he will be a good player for us this year and make a lot of plays.”
