What Tennessee defensive coordinator Tim Banks said during his media day press conference
Defensive coordinator Tim Banks met with reporters on Tuesday afternoon during Tennessee Football media day, previewing the start of fall camp on Wednesday:
Tennessee linebacker Arion Carter’s offseason and the expectations this season
“We are really excited about AC, he has had a really good camp and when I say camp you know in terms of strength and conditioning and obviously some things we will allow him to do. The biggest thing if I am being honest is just his growth mentally. He has always been a really good athlete, but he has worked really hard to help the game slow down so to speak. He will obviously have a big role coming out of camp when we decide exactly what that is, but we are really excited about it. He showed us enough last year as a freshman to get us going and obviously missed spring, but picking up after spring and in terms of the fall I think he will be ready to go.”
New Tennessee linebackers coach William Inge
“Coach Inge is just a great guy. I knew he was a really good football coach. I had a chance to coach against him at some other different places and I loved the way his linebackers worked, so he has not disappointed in terms of how he teaches, the way the kids have gravitated to him is kind of what I expected. I think the biggest thing that I really enjoyed is the way he mentors the kids. He is just a really good guy, I think our guys are really taken to him and I am really excited to see what the product looks like this season, but if the spring and early side of this summer is any indicator I think those linebackers will be ready to go because of his leadership.”
Transfer defensive backs Jermod McCoy, Jakobe Thomas and others who add experience to Tennessee’s secondary
“I will start with McCoy, he had a really good spring. The early summer feedback that I have gotten, he has done a really great job. He is not the most vocal guy but he is working toward it. So, I am excited about him. I think (Jalen) McMurray is another corner who transferred in. I think he has done a good job. He is really a smart kid who played inside a little bit at Temple. I know he has the ability to do that a little bit for us if we need to. From the corner perspective, super excited about those guys. Jakobe Thomas is kind of that bigger presence that we are looking for, very physical, he showed that in the spring. I think as the game starts to slow down for him a little bit with our playbook, I think you will be able to see some of the athleticism that we saw on tape at Middle Tennessee. We are excited about all those guys, we think we have a really good group of talent based on some of the younger guys and some of the transfers we have brought in. So, I am super excited to watch these guys grow up in camp. I think these guys got a chance to be really good for us.”
The best thing he did with his downtime during the summer
“My wife might say there has not been any downtime, but we had a chance to go to Puerto Rico, you know we enjoyed that. My cousin was renewing her vows, so that was good. You try and spend quality time with your family when you can, but football is never too far way. So, it’s a lot of film watching, a lot of preparation behind the scenes, but we did enjoy Puerto Rico.”
What he has seen from Tennessee freshman Boo Carter
“Yeah, Boo is great energy all the time. He is a guy that is always 100 miles per hour. I think as he continues to grow in our program, he will continue to get a little bit more mature. We definitely like what he brings from a football perspective. He is a kid that works hard and wants to do well. He has shown some maturity, but I think you will see more once he gets his feet wet a little bit.”
What it means to have a young Tennessee secondary
“I think just the overall talent, I know we can run and we have some guys that can pick them up and put them down. I think the overall speed that we have in that room is exciting. I think any time you get the chance to develop, we are coaches, we are teachers first; so it is always great to be able to put your hands on them and watch those guys develop and grow. I think that is what I am most excited about to watch these kids reach their full potential and I think we have some toys and guys we can work with, I think we will see that this season.”
The impact of having James Pearce Jr. on this Tennessee defense
“I think James, he made great strides from his freshman to his sophomore year and I expect him to make even better strides this year. Anytime you have a guy on the edge that can affect the game the way he does, he has a really good first step, he has put on good weight, he has gotten stronger. I tell the defense this in general, we are always trying to create one on ones when we can, and it is their job to win the one on ones. I know James will have the ability to win the one on ones, which obviously gives us great confidence as a defensive staff. I think the sky’s the limit for him. He is super smart, and he works at it. We are expecting him to have a really good year.”
Incoming Tennessee freshman Jordan Ross
“We are super excited about Jordan. The biggest thing to be honest with you is his size. You see those guys during the recruiting process, and I think our strength program has done a tremendous job of getting him stronger and getting him leaner. I just love his size. He is a kid that does not say a ton. It is nothing to walk through the football building to see him somewhere watching tape. I know he is a kid who wants to be great, and his work ethic aligns with that, we are excited for him. I think again as he continues to power through the playbook and take what he is learning from the playbook and apply it on the field. I think he has a chance to impact this program and help us in some way.”
Tennessee transfer defensive lineman Jaxson Moi
“Jaxson is another transfer that we got. The thing I like about Moi is his versatility. He is big enough to be able to play the nose for us, but he has enough twitch to be able to play the 3-technique. Really smart kid, football is extremely important to him. Our defensive line is extremely deep and I think he is going to be a guy that is going to put himself in a position to be able to help us this season as well.”
The growth of Tennessee’s defensive line
“It’s everything. If you check my track record, we have always tried to build it from the front to the back. At Tennessee, it is no different. It is exciting. As you mentioned earlier, we did not have that luxury when we first got here in terms of our depth. But we have been very deliberate with our approach in terms of recruiting to make sure we have enough big guys up front. It is still a big guy league. You got to have guys up front that can help you stop the run but you also have to be athletic enough to be able to come off the edge. We have a lot of guys that if they continue to do what we think they can do that will fight for playing time. That is definitely a luxury, not just in this league but in any league. I am super excited for those guys. I love the talent. I love the depth. And I can’t wait to watch them perform this season.”
Evaluating the STAR position in Tennessee’s defense
“That’s another great question. Different places I have been, sometimes it has been more cornerish. Some places it has been more hybrid. I think here we have had the luxury to do a little bit of both. But that position is extremely important. We ask them to do a lot from a coverage perspective. But they also have to be great blitzers. They have to be able to get off blocks. We really worked hard between Jourdan Thomas and Christian Harrison and Boo Carter, but if I am being honest we have worked everybody at that position because it is super important. We lost two within the span of a week a year ago and we don’t ever want to be in that situation again. Those three guys I mentioned are very versatile in our defense. They are good athletes. They are tough guys. They also have some cover ability. It is probably one of the more challenging positions on our defense and I am super excited about the three guys I just mentioned.”
Tennessee linebacker Jeremiah Telander’s increased confidence
“You can see his confidence all over his play. He’s always been a smart kid, he has always been a hard working kid. We saw him make a lot of plays in the open field last year and playing our defense you’re going to be in those situations. He did a really good job of making the plays he needed to make this spring. I’ve always been a fan of him. He’s a coach’s kid, super smart and works at it. I’m really anxious to see how he picks up where he left off in the spring and takes it and puts it towards this fall camp. He has a chance to really help this defense and impact it in a positive way.”
The health of Tennessee linebacker Keenan Pili
“Keenan Pili is really smart. He’s played a lot of football. He’s a tough kid and I’m pretty sure he’s healthy at this point and even if he wasn’t he wouldn’t tell us. He’s a kid that’s always trying to do things the right way. He’s worked on being more vocal, like I told him, everybody respects him. He’s a hard worker, it was tragic to miss him last year, but he worked really hard in the spring and had a lot of great tackle opportunities which is awesome for us. I know our trainers wouldn’t put him out there if he wasn’t healthy and he’s been out there a ton. We’re excited about him. Like I said, great leader and for a big guy – as I mentioned earlier – you have to play in space in our defense. He’s shown that he can make plays in space. We always knew he could quarterback the defense so we’re anxious to see him as well.”
How Tennessee transfer Jalen McMurray fits into the team
“I would echo that. He works really hard. He’s a really smart kid. I know he came from a good program and worked extremely hard as well. He fits our culture. Like I said, all the kids love him. We got a lot of competition in that room, but you would never know. Those guys are all buddies, they all hang out. That’s refreshing as a coach because we want guys to compete at a high level. We want guys to want to be the first one off the bus so to speak, but at the same time we want to have that brotherhood where everybody roots for each other and he fits that mold. He’s a heck of a worker and the kids love him.”
Christian Charles‘ role in Tennessee’s defense
“Yeah he’s kind of an X-factor, I’m glad you asked that question, you know he’s just had what you may consider just some really bad luck since he’s been here, but you know he’s never had a bad day. He keeps his head up, he works, you know he’s always been a kid, he’s really smart and versatile, you know watching the tape against a couple of opponents and I forgot he played corner for us. So, you know we got him at safety right now. I think he can play any three of those spots. You know we mentioned the STAR position and being able to cover and be physical and tough and he fits that narrative as well but he’s definitely going to start off on the hash for us right now. We got a great room. You know guys are competing. I don’t think anybody feels like they’ve won a job to this point and he’ll have just as much of the right to earn the job as anybody. We’re excited for him. Knock on wood he will stay healthy this year and he’ll be able to reach his full potential as well.”
The depth of Tennessee’s LEO position
“Yeah, I feel really good about our LEOs. Josh Joseph, he’s rotated in with James a ton last year. Josh, I think some people forget, he started when I started, but he played a ton as a true freshman. Had a solid year last year, but I think he’ll be the first one to tell you, he knows there’s still meat on the bone. So, we’re excited about him. We mentioned Jordan already. That role, honestly, is really deep. There’ll be some situations where we’ll be able to get both of them on the field, no different than what we did last year and the year before that. But I think the competition in that role will continue to push greatness. I think it’ll give James a chance to continue to grow as Josh is with him, and obviously, we mentioned Jordan. So, we just got a lot of guys. I think as we continue to grow with those guys and work through it, I think even Caleb Herring was a guy that did a lot of really good things in the spring as well. We’re anxious to see his development. He did play a little bit for us as a freshman last year. So, it’s obviously the deepest LEO position we’ve had since we have been here, and it needs to be. We ask a lot of those guys, no different than when I was asked about the STAR. We ask those guys to be great coming off the edge, but those guys have to be able to drop, play man in certain situations. So, we think we’ve got the guys to do it. We’re expecting a lot of great production out of that room.”
How Tennessee’s wide receiver room pushes the secondary in practice
“Iron definitely sharpens iron. Our guys recognize that in the recruiting process. We know we’ll have tremendous receivers year in and year out, you know, we feel like we’re building the backend the same way. So, the more those guys can challenge each other in practice, the better it will be for us in the long run. This is a league that has a ton of great wide receivers and the fact that we get a chance to go against some great ones in practice only helps us.”
Jeremiah Telander’s position heading into the season
“That’s yet to be determined. Right now, he’s playing inside for us. Depending on the call within our scheme sometimes our linebackers need to play on edges. So, I think he has shown enough versatility in the spring that we have great confidence that he can but I think we’ll find out more as we get into this fall practice.”
