Vol Receivers prepare for first game (UT Athletics)
The Tennessee Volunteers football team completed its seventh practice of preseason camp at Haslam Field on Thursday in preparation for Friday’s closed scrimmage at Neyland Stadium, which will conclude the second week of fall camp.
Wide Receiver Coach Kelsey Pope was available to the media after practice on Thursday. The third-year assistant talked about the increased depth in his room and how it has impacted the holistic growth on the practice field.
“I think that’s a big testament to what we’re doing in recruiting, what the HR department is doing to bring talent here,” Pope said. “It’s also having a positive impact on our room. The guys are competitive on and off the field and it’s helped us grow, has really helped the guys develop individually so far in camp.”
The Vols will play their first scrimmage of fall camp on Friday night under the lights at Neyland Stadium, and Pope laid out some expectations and key points he will look for when his receivers take to the turf at Shields-Watkins Field.
“I want to see these guys compete in every way,” Pope explained. “I want to see them compete in the run game, get nasty and block their butts off. If we’re able to run the whole field, obviously I want to see us do that.”
“I think as a wideout we often think about those plays on the field, but what makes good receivers is those details on third down and the ability to move those chains. It’s about being able to play a play within the game and understanding how I can impact my opponent in the run game as well as the pass game or help myself with my split. So those little things are the things I want to see us compete in, not just the big plays when the ball is in the air. I want to see us compete in those little facets that make the game.”
Friday’s practice game at Neyland Stadium is not open to the media or the public.
