Transfer DB Colton Hood draws praise from Tennessee coaches and teammates

Late in the spring portal window, Colton Hood decided it was time to leave Colorado. Tennessee made a move to land him and he saw opportunity in Knoxville with All-American Jermod McCoy sidelined due to injury. What he brings to Rocky Top is plenty of versatility.

 “Honestly, I just feel like I bring a dog mentality to the team,” Hood told Volquest. “You know I always feel like I wanna help the team the best way in the best way and I know I can do that playing man playing zone or anyway they need me in anyway, the team needs me. I pride myself in being able to lock down the best guy on the field so I think that’s what I can bring to the table.”

Hood tallied 24 total tackles, six pass breakups, two interceptions and one tackle for loss in his one season in Boulder. He arrived on Rocky Top and just went to work. He put his head down and quickly drew praise from his teammates and coaches.

“He’s smart.” Josh Heupel said. “He’s accountable. He’s really mature. He’s got some leadership traits that I think, as he’s here, will continue to show up more and more each day, each block of our season and ultimately our offseason, too. He’s got position flexibility, he’s got great understanding of the game, he retains information really well and he’s played and he’s got experience. So he came in here learning what it takes to be a Vol, what a great teammate look like here. And I’m excited to see him continue to grow on the field and off the field. Inside of this program.” 

And it’s those teammates that have made his transition so smooth.

“Just my teammates, they’re very welcoming,” Hood said. “You know they welcome me with open arms helping me get adjusted to the Vol way, learning the playbook and everything so yeah they’re all like great guys.”

From what defensive coordinator Tim Banks has seen early in fall camp and throughout the summer, he has high hopes for his spring portal addition. 

“Yeah, we’re excited about Hood, to say the least,” Banks said. “And I think it just starts with the process of getting to know him. He’s extremely competitive. He’s a kid who understands there’s a process to everything that you do, and he’s really working at it.  So I think he’s fit in with our guys and our group. He’s super hungry, but he’s really smart. And like I said, just the competitive nature that he brings to the room. Obviously he’s got to do it here at the University of Tennessee, but based on everything we’ve seen this summer, again, how he’s fit in with everybody, how hard he’s worked, we have no doubt that he’ll be able to help us in some capacity.”

The current loss of McCoy is one that’s hard to describe but the addition was a welcome site for fellow corner Rickey Gibson. The Alabama native has put on 20 pounds as he steps into a more prominent role in the secondary this fall. Having Hood opposite him is something he is excited about.

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“I feel like he is going to be very important,” Gibson said. “He is very competitive. I saw that coming in to workouts. He is just lifting and being competitive. When he wins a certain drill he is going to let you know. Just having him and seeing that I can play with that. I love seeing him on the other side.”

Hood was a standout in the state of Georgia in high school before signing with Auburn. He played in four games before earning a redshirt with the Tigers and departing for Colorado. He and Vol quarterback Jake Merklinger went head to head in high school and that’s one they still talk about and debate today.

“He was a really really good player,” Merklinger recalled. “He has been good all summer and I’m excited to compete against him in camp.

“I always joke with him because when we played him in high school I actually went in at DB so I kind of mess with him about that. It’s been really good. It’s healthy competition.”

Off the field, Hood is a reserved kid, who rocks some slick glasses. It’s a Clark Kent demeanor off the field but anything but that between the white lines.

“When the glasses come off he’s got that serious look in his eye,” Gibson said. “When he has that serious look in his eye you can tell he is locked in for real.”

The glasses are off and it’s time to guard the SEC’s best in a phone booth.