Tight Ends coach Alec Abeln details his first fall camp as full staff member

Tennessee tight ends coach Alec Abeln has the hip new age look as a younger coach. He is in his first fall camp on the field and met media after practice on Thursday. For Abeln the tight end room is a unique blend of old and new.

“It’s awesome. During the summer you are able to meet a lot one on one and able to cater the meetings to who’s in the room,” Abeln said. “Fall camp its definitely interesting because you have old guys and you want to talk about some really detailed stuff. Then you have other guys who are literally learning the game of football and Ethan who has come a long way since the spring in what he knows, but he’s still a young guy learning to play. It definitely makes it a challenge. I’m proud of the old guys being patient and they are coaching the young guys sometimes before I have to which makes it really cool.”

Veteran Jacob Warren and transfer McCallan Castles have been attached at the hip this summer working extensively together. Abeln said he’s been impressed with Warren’s leadership and the approach the two older guys have taken this off-season.

“One it speaks to Jacob and the type of leader he is,” Abeln said. “He knows it’s going to take a whole bunch of guys. It speaks really to both of them and their pro mindset working every day to get better. It’s a brand new offensive for McCallen. Alot of time in the spring you are learning on the run. In the summer it’s about getting the details down and building chemistry with the guys you are playing with. It’s awesome when guys are close like that.”

One of the more raw players in Abeln’s room is Nigerian enrollee Emmanuel Okoye. Okoye, who came from NFL Academy in London and was a late add to Tennessee’s class is an athlete who has great athleticism and length.

“He was a great basketball player, too,” Josh Heupel said on Wednesday. “We got a chance to watch some of the footage and his athletic traits. Being able to watch his hands a little bit on the basketball court too, we felt like that would transition over. With his length and athleticism, that’s why we started him at the position we did. He has a long, great football journey ahead of him. Today was day one for him on the field. You think about where he was 12 months ago and where he’s at today, it’s a drastic difference in the competition and everything that he’s facing. We’re excited about him because he’s urgent, he cares and he continues to grow from day to day and rep to rep. It’s a long process here as we begin this journey with him.”

Players like Okoye make Tennessee look different than just two short years ago.

“It’s dramatically different than we were year one,” Heupel said. “I would say that with the guys who ran out there with the first unit too, but if you just look through the depth of our roster, the length and size, ability to bend up front in particular, the athleticism, the ability to move out in space with our skill guys and big skill, it’s dramatically different.”

The post Tight Ends coach Alec Abeln details his first fall camp as full staff member appeared first on On3.