War Room: Camp news, recruiting nuggets, hoops and more

We begin this edition of the War Room as we always do. The War Room is a collective effort of Tennessee notes and news gathered throughout the week by the Volquest staff that is located only on the General’s Quarters. And now, it’s on with the news.

Football is here as the Vols are wrapping up week one of fall camp on Saturday. For the newcomers it was a week of essentially surviving as they try to get settled into the routine and the pacing of practice. 

Newcomer Nathan Robinson admitted on Thursday that it’s been a bigger challenge than he thought it would be. 

“It’s certainly a shock,” Robinson said of his start. “Yesterday getting into it was kind of a smack in the face. As things go on you start to get kind of used to it. It’s one of those things you are worried about it before you start and then as you get through it you kind of laugh at it. You are like man that sucked, but I’m still here and I gotta go get the job done the next day.”

Robinson was here for spring ball and for bowl practice. He missed spring due to a wrist surgery and he was a scout team guy for bowl prep. So the intensity of practice in fall camp is definitely different. 

Those that did go through spring ball certainly got a step up on things. And they have more confidence because they know what to expect every day as Jeremiah Telander said. Telander had a great summer. He added nearly 20 pounds and the coaching staff is really pleased with what they have seen out of him. 

Telander was an extremely productive player in high school and has shown his ability since he’s been here. How much he plays on defense remains to be seen but you can expect him on special teams and he’s going to push at linebacker for time because like Arion Carter, Telander physically can handle that part of the game. Also remember, Brian Jean-Mary is committed to a rotation of guys at linebacker. 

Speaking of special teams, not only is Tennessee breaking in a new kicker and punter, but a new holder as well.  Thursday kicker, JT Carver was getting in some holds and we will see who ends up being the holder. Carver is expected to be Charles Campbell’s back up at placekicker and Carver could the kickoff guy come fall as well. 

We mentioned it in the 2-minute drill, but John Campbell looks different. Campbell has changed his body a great deal since spring and seems more comfortable to start fall camp. Working with Campbell at left tackle is Gerald Mincey. J.J. Crawford and Dayne Davis are working at right tackle. 

Now cross training is something Glen Elarbee likes to do and will do as they get into pads and start looking for their five best. Tennessee really only rotated at one position last year on the offensive line and that was at left tackle. Elarbee at other stops through the years has rotated guys in game, but that’s not been a thing here other than left tackle so we will see where they are in their search for five in a couple of weeks and what the depth looks like. We wouldn’t get too caught up in a two deep until after the first scrimmage. 

Doneiko Slaughter appears to be a boundary corner and isn’t moving to any other position which means the competition at corner is going to be really intense with Slaughter, Kamal Hadden, Gabe Jeudy-Lally, Rickey Gibson, Jordan Matthews, and Warren Burrell. Martinez will likely have a rotation at corner this fall, but that competition for the next month is going to be a good one. Maybe the best battle this month. It will also be interesting to see who they cross train to other spots like STAR or even safety. 

At receiver it’s going to be really interesting to see if anyone emerges behind the foursome of Bru McCoy, Dont’e Thornton, Ramel Keyton and Squirrel White. 

Keyton certainly has the trust of his teammates. When asked by a media member on Tuesday about what Keyton needed to do to earn a spot above others, Joe Milton kind of chuckled. 

“I thought Ramel went crazy last year,” Milton replied. “I thought he was already out there. Ramal is always ready to compete regardless of the situation.” 

He’s wearing a new number and coming off a season where pressed into action, Keyton responded with 562 yards and 5 touchdowns averaging 18.1 yards a catch. 

Quick facilities note, we are looking for some construction movement on Lindsey Nelson Stadium sometime in the next 4-5 weeks. Work around Neyland Stadium continues. There’s been some painting in some areas and the major work is creating the foundation for the expanded south concourse which is going to be pretty nice and wide when completed. 

When completed we believe the concessions are going to be on the opposite side of the concourse compared to what you see elsewhere in the stadium to help traffic flow in and out of the seating area. But the biggest story is the width and room that project is going to create. 

Recruiting

Defensive lineman Williams NWaneri will announce his decision on August 14th. There are lots of different scenarios out there if you ask around. You might get three or four different answers. What we know is Tennessee has continued to have steady dialogue with him this week. He is on a family vacation as football starts later for him. As we said last week, Tennessee is still battling and in the thick of it. We will continue to make calls the next couple of weeks as it draws near.

Kamarion Franklin is closing in on a decision and as we have said, Auburn would be a major player in this thing and that is definitely the case. The Tigers are trending hard for Franklin heading into his an announcement.

Another players seemingly getting close to a decision is Jordan Ross. Let’s face it, he has been all over the map so we will probably have to see him announce a date to feel like it’s real. Several schools have seemingly backed off and went in other directions including Florida and Georgia. 

Alabama has never made a real move on him and Auburn has been slow to engage. LSU is someone you hear associated with Ross along with the Vols. The sooner he pulls the trigger the better Tennessee’s chances. Auburn is one that could come back around later much like they did with Sylvester Smith last season.

Virginia linebacker Chris Cole had a great visit last weekend but as of right now, we aren’t willing to say Tennessee has done enough to be the favorite. We felt like it would be UGA and the Vols, but Miami seems to be hanging in there better than many thought. Cole could still take an official visit to Tennessee. If he does it would likely be in September. 

One prospect Tennessee continues to keep close tabs on is Kam Mikell. He is in no hurry to make a decision, as he plans to do that sometime after OV’ing here in November for the Georgia game. His relationship with Kelsey Pope and Josh Heupel has only continued to grow over the last month. While Georgia remains a factor and is recruiting him as a defense back, there is a growing belief he prefers the offensive side of the football. He also has not ruled out a return visit to Knoxville for another game before his OV in November.

In talking to Ryan Wingo again earlier this week, it is clear he covets his relationship with the staff and that is why Tennessee will be in this one until the end. The fact he also drove cross country for a one-day visit before hopping on a plane to Texas A&M says a lot about his interest level as well. This one is going to have more twists and turns between now and December, but he admits the Vols have been a constant for him for months and for good reason. 

EDGE Danny Okoye is one that took some trips during the open recruiting week. He had a strong showing at an Alabama camp and has seen more interest from the Crimson Tide since. He also went back to in-state Oklahoma for another visit that went well. But in our estimation, Tennessee is still in good shape here as he looks to make a decision later in the fall. He will OV to Knoxville in September for the South Carolina game. 

On a non-recruiting note, since coming home, Okoye put up his new personal best on dead lift of 750 pounds, beating his target goal by 25 pounds and more than tripling his body weight. 

We continue to hear positive things about Nasir Smith and Tennessee. He has not taken many recruiting visits in general, which is why he currently wants to use his official visit to Tennessee in September before making any decision. He plans to be in town for the South Carolina game. In talking to folks around Georgia, there is a sense that there is a lot of untapped potential there. He has only been playing football for a couple of years now, but his athleticism is something frequently mentioned. This could be a big fall for him.

Tennessee has continued to work on Florida commit Amaris Williams. How the Gators play this fall could determine how much he looks around or if he visits. 

Basketball

Tennessee hasn’t done much in terms of prep for facing the Lithuania U21 team specifically, but the Vols will treat the exhibition game as much like as a real game as possible. It just won’t be the standard game-day routine, with a morning or afternoon shootaround.

As for a starting five for the first exhibition, there wasn’t one settled on when we last checked on Thursday. We believe Freddie Dilione, Santiago Vescovi, Josiah-Jordan James and Jonas Aidoo are locks to start. The only question could be if Rick Barnes opts to go with Dalton Knecht at the three and James at the four, or James at the three and Tobe Awaka at the four. 

The Vols have spent the summer focusing on the offensive end and will play the exhibition game with just their base defensive concepts.

This trip is a learning experience for both the staff and the players. Poor play or a bad game isn’t going to be something that can’t be overcome, but there are a few individuals who have a chance to at least make an impression on the staff.

Freddie Dillone has proven he can score. Can he function as a facilitator? Dalton Knecht has wowed everyone with his shooting ability. Can he hold up defensively? Make an impact other than as a scorer? 

Rick Barnes has called JP Estrella the ‘most pleasant surprise of the summer.’ What an Estrella do with what should be a chance to get big minutes over the next few days. 

What kind of role does it look like DJ Jefferson is going to have this season? That won’t be determined in three games in Italy, but we’ll get a shot to see how the ultra-athletic Jefferson responds to a golden chance to show what he can do. 

After playing the Lithuanian team on Friday and Saturday, Tennessee will train to Rome where the Vols will face A.S. Stella Azzura on Monday. This time the opponent is a professional club, rather than a national team, that played in Serie A2, Italy second level of professional basketball, last season. 

The team’s online roster includes guard Duane Wilson, the team’s leading scorer who played at Texas A&M and Marquette, averaging 9.4 points, 2.2 rebounds and 2.5 assists for the two schools from 2014-18. A.S. Stella Azzura also has 33-year-old Samme Givens, who played at Drexel. The team’s second-leading scorer is 39-year-old Jacopo Giachetti.

Hoops recruiting

As we’ve mentioned before Tennessee doesn’t appear to be exiting the summer with a very large recruiting board in the 2024 class.

At this point the Vols have two 2024 prospects scheduled for official visits. 

Huntsville, Al. wing Chase McCarty is set to visit on Aug. 25. McCarty is transferring to IMG Academy for his senior season. He has previously taken an official to Oklahoma this summer. He also has dates set for Georgia Tech for this coming weekend and to Houston on Sept. 1.

As we’ve discussed in this space before, Tennessee was a little late to the party with their offer to Charlotte point guard Bishop Boswell after the NIKE Peach Jam last month, but the staff has been working hard to make up ground.

Tennessee did secure an official visit date from Boswell, who released a final list of six schools a couple of weeks ago; Georgia, Missouri, South Carolina, Tennessee, Wake Forest and Xavier. 

Boswell was supposed to be making his official visit to Wake Forest this week, a program some feel is the team to beat. It’s a near certainty that Wake was going to put the full-court press on Boswell for a commitment, but he has had to reschedule after deciding to attend Chris Paul’s point guard camp in Los Angeles this weekend. 

That visit to Wake Forest will now take place on Aug. 31. Tennessee is scheduled to get him on campus on Sept. 8. Georgia has secured a visit date for Sept. 15. 

Everyone will be watching that Wake visit. If he makes it through that without committing, then the Vols have a shot. 

Tennessee is continuing to put a priority on the 2025 class on the recruiting trail. The plan is to get as many 2025s on campus for visits this fall as the Vols can, because the belief is there will be multiple spots to fill in that class.

As we’ve written before, a few names to know four-star Link Academy point guard Aaron Rowe, five-star Atlanta power forward Caleb Wilson, four-star Houston small forward Sebastian Williams-Adams, four-star Houston power forward John Clark, four-star Nebraska power forward A’mare Bynum and three-star shooting guard Amari Evans.

Baseball

The transfer portal cycle is nearly closed as the deadline for undergraduates to enter passed weeks ago. Players from around the country are settling into their new homes with classes set to begin soon. Tennessee did add another player last weekend in graduate pitcher Chris Stamos from Cal. Originally starting his career at Principia, Stamos went 4-4 in two years at Cal with ERAs of 8.89 (2021) and 5.82 (2022) over a combined 33.1 inning pitched. The lefty started five games during the span over 26 appearances. Stamos’ final collegiate season will be spent in Tennessee’s bullpen as another left-handed option.

Zane Denton is the other variable fans are waiting on. As we mentioned in last week’s war room, it’s a matter of when he announces his return than if. His return to the Tennessee program for his free COVID year of eligibility has been in the works for a few weeks now after weighing his options after going undrafted in July. Things can always change, but we believe that announcement could be made at any time, and we expect him to be a part of the Tennessee program next spring. His return would obviously be a huge boost to an already powered lineup.   

The post War Room: Camp news, recruiting nuggets, hoops and more appeared first on On3.