Tennessee receiver Squirrel White knows he’ll play this season. He just doesn’t completely know where or how much. Hence, gamesmanship.
There is little question that Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel and receivers coach Kelsey Pope have a strong idea how they’ll use their receivers this season, which begins on Saturday in Neyland Stadium when the Vols host Chattanooga. But, even with the game just days away, White is still a bit in the dark.
“As far as a rotation, Coach Pope hasn’t said anything about that, but I feel like we will rotate a bunch this season just because everybody in that room can make plays,” White said, referring to the Vols’ group of receivers.
Of course, White’s success, as well as any of Tennessee’s receivers, will rely largely on how redshirt freshman Nico Iamaleava plays this season. White doesn’t seem to think there will be much of a transition period for the highly touted California phenom.
“I feel like it won’t take any time for him to grow in that position,” White said of Iamaleava. “He has already grown in that position during fall camp and even in the spring just being that leader for us in that quarterback room.”
While Iamaleava seems like as close to a sure thing as humanly possible, or at least he’s been advertised as such, the Vols’ secondary is also every bit as new as Tennessee’s quarterback. The Vols had to replace all of their starters in the secondary and 10 defensive backs from last year’s team.
“The secondary improved tremendously,” White said. “(Safety/Star) Boo Carter out there making plays, (Cornerback Jermod) McCoy making plays and stuff like that. They fly around the ball and make great plays out there.”
Carter would be a huge addition to the Vols’ roster if he is truly ready to play, as has been widely discussed throughout his recruitment and preseason camp. The Vols lost projected starter Jourdan Thomas to a season-ending leg injury. The junior was supposed to man the Vols’ hybrid linebacker/safety position, Star, before his injury. That would seem to open up things for Carter.
Is he ready to be, ahem, a Star?
“He seems college ready to me since he stepped foot on this campus,” White said. “In the spring, (he was) making plays out there on the defense. But even in a fall camp, him speaking up, being vocal out on the field and stuff like that.”
Using the more traditional “star” terminology, the Vols may have another such player on the other side of the ball, alongside White and opposite Carter. Tulane transfer Chris Brazzell II just continues to make plays for the Vols in practice.
“Out on the field, he’s crazy,” White said. “He’s going to make a play. He’s going to catch the ball, regardless where he’s at on the field and stuff like that. And he’s pretty fast…Excited to see him play this season too”
That’s a lot of excitement for a lot of players that are still unproven at the SEC level. The excitement should only continue on Saturday with the Mocs on tap.
