Tennessee has managed to make it to November with very few significant injuries. That’s a welcome change from years past. However, there’s one position that has had to deal with much more than its fair share.
The Vols have been forced to play without two linebackers that were going to be depended on this season: senior Keenan Pili and Edwin Spillman. Pili began the season, but suffered a season-ending injury against Florida. Spillman has been held out with an undisclosed injury.
While no one is celebrating the injuries afoot, there is cause for optimism. The Vols have much more depth this season at the linebacker position and appear to be handling things quite well.
“We definitely have been pleased with them,” linebacker coach William Inge said of the Tennessee linebackers that are still able to play, “but the one thing they have always asked and talked about is they want to have expanded roles. Seeing them come in with expanded roles and doing the things they are supposed to do when it comes to driving the defense and being the leaders of the defense, making the plays they are supposed to make, we definitely have been pleased with the guys thus far.”
The Vols certainly haven’t forgotten about Pili. At 26-years-old, the transfer from BYU has taken on coaching while he’s recovering from the knee injury that ended his college career. Inge said that’s exactly what he wants.
“Even though the leader may not be able to participate, their influence is still felt in the room, and for me, that’s exactly what I challenged him with, literally from that very day,” Inge said. “Even though you may not be here participating, your mark will still be felt on our football team, on our defense and in our room. He has been able to do that, and I think the guys have really been looking forward to having conversations with him because he will send them notes and messages on things he has been seeing from his preparation watching film as well.”
Pili’s on-field duties have fallen on sophomore Jeremiah Telander. He’s performed well in the last two games after Pili went down. Telander has logged seven tackles and a fumble recovery in the No. 7 Vols past two contests, against Alabama and Kentucky.
“He represents exactly what you want in the Power T, which is exactly his nickname,” Inge said. “Seeing him emerge and come in and drive everyone and applying all of his skills and duties that he needs to have at the MIKE linebacker position. It’s been great seeing him emerge and do that.
“Now the one thing that you need him to continue to do is just more from a vocal standpoint. Continue to be a vocal leader and continue to develop the vocal leadership skills. The one thing that time has always shown us, the best teacher is experience, so seeing him get the experience from the last two games, he’s come light years ahead of where he was two weeks ago. So, we know we just have to continue to stay on the learning curve progression. He’s going to continue to get better week in and week out, day in and day out.”
Telander’s nickname is appropriate for a Tennessee player. The term “Power T” has been around for over a century.
“It came from the room,” Inge said of the nickname’s origin. “He has had a couple of different nicknames. I can’t tell you all of them, but just know we landed on ‘Power T.’ It was ‘Iced Tea’ because we’re down here in the South.”
Telander could be key this week as the Vols face something they’re used to seeing in practice, an uptempo offense. That will be the case when Tennessee hosts Mississippi State at 7 p.m. EST on Saturday in Neyland Stadium.
“That’s the new wave of college football,” Inge said. “…It’s great we get to work against tempo and against our offense…Us being able to go against a mirror image of our offense is something that definitely prepares you, but the one thing that we know is the one greatest preparation is when you have the opportunity to go there and get the experience. We have goals and things that we want to make sure we do when it comes to tempo.
“The biggest thing we have to do is kind of speed up our cycle of the snap progression, to make sure we can have our cleats in the ground, our eyes on the keys and you are ready when the ball is snapped.”
That’s usually not a problem in practice. One would think it wouldn’t be a problem on Saturday against State.
