Connect with us

Tennessee

Who Can Help Most by Getting Healthy?

Published

on

Who Can Help Most by Getting Healthy?


NASHVILLE – For gamers on injured reserve, this week’s open date within the Tennessee Titans’ schedule didn’t make an enormous distinction.

“They’ve a accountability to the soccer group that after they cannot carry out and do their job, that they keep right here and get remedy,” coach Mike Vrabel stated Monday. “I do not assume they’ll have a lot of a trip.”

The hope, nevertheless, is that subsequent week’s return to work will shut the e book on a lot of these gamers’ rehabs. As of now, there are 11 on injured reserve and – technically talking – all of them are eligible to return in some unspecified time in the future. The fact is that guys like outdoors linebacker Harold Landry and left deal with Taylor Lewan are out for the season.

Advertisement

Vrabel refuses to debate timetables for gamers’ recoveries, however there may be an plain sense that the open date is a chance to get wholesome and to regroup for what’s to return. Those that have already got missed time have an additional week to get wholesome with out lacking one other contest.

Here’s a take a look at the 5 gamers presently on injured reserve whose return to the lively roster may very well be most useful because the Titans look to construct on their three-game win streak:

• Elijah Molden, CB: Roger McCreary has been strong however not spectacular because the slot cornerback, the place Molden specialised as a rookie final season. The issue has been that McCreary begins on the surface and strikes to the slot in most personnel packages that require further defensive backs. When he does that, somebody has to fill his spot on the surface, and to date Caleb Farley, Terrance Mitchell and Tre Avery have been – at greatest – inconsistent or – at worst – downright unreliable at that spot.

Molden missed virtually all of coaching camp and the preseason. So, it’s not as if coaches haven’t had time to regulate to his absence. At this level, it’s clear the protection simply can’t do with out him. When (if) he will get again in there, it’ll enable McCreary to remain on the surface reverse Kristian Fulton, and likelihood is Molden might be even higher within the slot than McCreary has been. In different phrases, Molden’s return can’t come quickly sufficient for a secondary that has given up means too many large performs.

Scroll to Proceed

Advertisement

Treylon Burks, WR: The primary-round draft decide seemed to be constructing momentum when he was injured two weeks in the past at Indianapolis. Even after he missed the Washington sport, he’s nonetheless tied for third on the group (second amongst large receivers) with 10 receptions. His 129 receiving yards are third on the group and his 12.9 yards-per-catch is second amongst all Titans with a couple of reception.

His return shouldn’t be imminent. He should sit out at the least three extra video games due to a turf toe subject. With out him, the offense might be completely different as a result of there isn’t a one among the many large receiver group with any comparable mixture of measurement and run-after-the-catch potential. So, his return might be an essential growth for the offense, each time it occurs.

Jamarco Jones, OL: A free-agent addition, Jones was anticipated to compete for a beginning job at proper deal with and/or left guard, however a number of harm points saved him from ever turning into an element at both spot. Already within the first 5 weeks, Lewan was misplaced to a knee harm and proper guard Nate Davis has missed a sport. Dennis Daley has stepped in for Lewan, and the transition hardly has been seamless. Would-be deal with Dillon Radunz stuffed in for Davis.

It’s nonetheless troublesome to say precisely what the Titans have in Jones, but when he can get wholesome there may be nonetheless a chance to make an affect. Both he can step in for Daley, he can turn out to be the swing deal with, he could be a confirmed backup on the within or the entire above. The offensive line wants assist, and Jones simply could be the man to supply it.

Racey McMath, WR: McMath arguably was probably the most feel-good story of coaching camp as he considerably repeatedly made catches deep down the sphere and confirmed he had improved – in quite a few methods – over his rookie season. Already a standout on particular groups, he even flashed some potential as a kickoff returner through the preseason.

Advertisement

It’s no secret that the offense is in want of a large receiver with the velocity to place stress on a protection, which is precisely how coaches used McMath within the preseason. Apply squad guys Josh Gordon and Dez Fitzpatrick have had alternatives however haven’t delivered something. Plus, kickoff return man Trenton Cannon is out for the 12 months with an harm. Whereas rookie working again Hassan Haskins has stuffed that position, coaches nonetheless may need to try McMath again there.

Likelihood Campbell, ILB: The sixth-round draft decide was one of many quick risers through the preseason. He acquired a ton of taking part in time and even acquired to relay the calls from coordinator Shane Bowen at occasions. At no level, did he look overmatched, and it turned clear that his rookie season wouldn’t be all about what he did on particular groups.

Final week’s return of Monty Rice helped, however with Zach Cunningham’s latest points (he has missed two video games with an elbow harm) have continued to place stress on the depth at inside linebacker. With or with out Cunningham, Campbell’s return will present a transparent pecking order at that spot and permit coaches to focus extra on matchups, as wanted.





Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading
Advertisement
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Tennessee

Why Tennessee football playoff rankings don’t matter to Josh Heupel but should to you

Published

on

Why Tennessee football playoff rankings don’t matter to Josh Heupel but should to you


Coach Josh Heupel understands why Tennessee football fans will watch the first College Football Playoff rankings show on Tuesday night, but it won’t be must-see TV for him.

“Do you remember what the first rankings were last year? I don’t either,” Heupel said. “So it doesn’t matter. What they remember is where you finish as November wraps up.”

For what it’s worth, Tennessee was No. 17 in the first CFP poll last season. And it never factored into the playoff race.

Advertisement

In 2022, the Vols were ranked No. 1 in the first CFP poll. They dropped out of the four-team bracket after losing to Georgia and never got back in.

So Heupel makes a fair point. A team’s finish matters instead of its start when it comes to the playoff rankings.

But in this new 12-team playoff format, there’s more room to maneuver from week to week and still stay in the mix.

Advertisement

The first College Football Playoff rankings will be released on Tuesday (7 p.m. ET, ESPN). A new top 25 will then be released by the CFP selection committee every Tuesday through Dec. 3.

The 12-team playoff field will be announced on Dec. 8.

Focus on Mississippi State before worrying about Georgia

Tennessee is ranked No. 6 in the US LBM Coaches Poll and No. 7 in the AP Top 25. Where the Vols are placed in the CFP rankings will indicate what the selection committee thinks of their resume thus far.

But Heupel is right that Tennessee (7-1, 4-1 SEC) will make or break its playoff chances by what it does in the next four games, beginning with Saturday’s contest (7 p.m., ESPN) against Mississippi State (2-7, 0-5).

Advertisement

“Playoff rankings at this point don’t matter. You don’t have control over it,” Heupel said. “All you have control over is your preparation and how you play. Ultimately, that determines where you’re at or where you’re not at.

“For this football team, we’ve got to continue to grow and get better and control those things that we’re in control of.”

If Tennessee beats Mississippi State, its trip to Georgia on Nov. 16 (7:30 p.m. ET, ABC) would have a massive impact on the SEC and playoff races.

Are Vols talking about College Football Playoff chances?

No. 2 Georgia (7-1, 5-1) plays at No. 12 Ole Miss (7-2, 3-2) on Saturday (3:30 p.m., ABC).

Ole Miss likely would drop out of the playoff race with a loss, and Georgia would be in the driver’s seat for a playoff bid and SEC championship game berth.

Advertisement

A Georgia loss to Ole Miss would put the Bulldogs in a potential playoff elimination game against Tennessee.

Tennessee would be a playoff shoo-in by winning its final four games for an 11-1 record. Losing to Georgia only and finishing 10-2 would set up a toss-up situation for the Vols, who would need help from other playoff contenders.

Alabama (6-2, 3-2) plays at LSU (6-2, 3-1) on Saturday (7:30 p.m., ABC) in a likely playoff elimination game. And there are games in other conferences that will impact next week’s CFP rankings. But none of that matters to the Vols unless they beat Mississippi State to stay in the race.

“It’s just a one-week season at this point. And we’ve talked about us being in control of our destiny,” tight end Holden Staes said. “But in terms of the big picture with the College Football Playoff, we know down the road that will come. But if we just take it one week at a time and do our job each week, then we’ll have the results in terms of that at the end.”

Adam Sparks is the Tennessee football beat reporter. Email adam.sparks@knoxnews.com. X, formerly known as Twitter@AdamSparks. Support strong local journalism by subscribing at knoxnews.com/subscribe.

Advertisement

Get the latest news and insight on SEC football by subscribing to the SEC Unfiltered newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox.





Source link

Continue Reading

Tennessee

Watch: In-Depth Breakdown Of Tennessee Football’s Two Most Recent Commit

Published

on

Watch: In-Depth Breakdown Of Tennessee Football’s Two Most Recent Commit


It’s no secret that Tennessee landed two recruits on Halloween day. The Vols had a great holiday as they had a day full of treats and no tricks. Tennessee added a commitment in the class of 2026 and a flip from one school to the Vols in the 2025 class to close out the night.

2026 WR Tyreek King committed to the Vols early on Thursday becoming the first wide receiver to commit to the Vols in the 2026 class. King attends Knoxville Catholic which is closer than most schools to Neyland Stadium. Kings high school is only around 15-20 minutes away from Neyland Stadium so one could argue that the Vols always had an advantage for the hometown prospect.

Tennessee would continue the trend of adding other recruiting classes with in-state prospects as Page High School linebacker Brenden Anes would flip his commitment from Wisconsin to the Tennessee Vols. Tennessee has been looking to add another linebacker in the 2025 class as Austin Howard and Brenden Anes have been the frequently mentioned names when talking about the position of need. The Vols finally convinced the Wisconsin linebacker commit to flip to the in-state program with just over a month before early signing day.

You can learn more about this recruiting success below by watching Talkin’ Tennessee with Caleb Sisk. This video not only talks about the two newest commits but also some prospects and targets to keep an eye on moving forward.

Advertisement

Make sure to follow our website Tennessee on SI.



Source link

Continue Reading

Tennessee

No. 12 Tennessee Basketball vs. Gardner-Webb: How To Watch, Betting Odds, Prediction | Rocky Top Insider

Published

on

No. 12 Tennessee Basketball vs. Gardner-Webb: How To Watch, Betting Odds, Prediction | Rocky Top Insider


Tennessee basketball opens up its 2024-25 campaign on Monday night as the Vols host Gardner-Webb at Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center.

The reigning SEC Champions are breaking in a number of new players on this year’s squad but expectations remain high for a program that’s been as consistent as any in the SEC in recent seasons.

Here’s everything to know about the Vols’ season-opener against Gardner Webb on Monday night.

“They’re gonna play really fast. They’re well coached, extremely well coached. They got a new coach there, but they’re gonna work hard. They’re gonna really try to score quick. I think (they were) one of the top teams in the country last year. They can almost play with a 17-second shot clock. They get down the floor, they’re gonna shoot it quick, they know what they’re doing. They know how they wanna play. They’ll spread you out. Really good cutting team. If you turn your head, you get caught looking, they’re gonna take advantage of it.”

Advertisement

Gardner-Webb:

*Has not listed its starters

Team Statistics Last Season (via Sports Reference)

Tennessee:

Gardner-Webb:

Stat Leaders (Last Season, Any Team)

Tennessee:

Advertisement

Points: Chaz Lanier (North Florida) — 19.7 PPG, 51 FG%, 44 3PT%

Rebounds: Igor Milicic (Charlotte) — 8.5 RPG

Assists: Zakai Zeigler — 6.1 APG, 2.2 TOPG, 31.6 MPG

Gardner-Webb:

Points: Jamaine Mann (Georgia State) — 6.1 PPG, 46 FG%, 20 3PT%

Advertisement

Rebounds: Isaiah Richards and Ademide Badmus — 4.5 RPG

Assists: Darryl Simmons II — 0.8 APG, 0.4 TOPG, 10.2 MPG

Prediction

For as much new as Tennessee basketball is breaking in this season, Gardner-Webb is breaking in even more new including a first-year head coach and very few of its top contributors from a season ago.

I have a very hard time seeing Gardner-Webb scoring a lot of points in this game so this feels much more about what Tennessee can do on the offensive end of the court, especially after its poor offensive performance in its exhibition against Indiana.

The Vols will shoot better from the perimeter in this game. They need to be able to establish an inside scoring game too. It would be a bad sign if they can’t.

Advertisement

Tennessee 84, Gardner-Webb 51



Source link

Continue Reading

Trending