Kelsey Pope talks Tennessee receivers after Wednesday's spring practice

What Tennessee wide receivers coach Kelsey Pope said about his position group during his press conference after Wednesday’s spring practice:

Where he feels Tennessee’s receivers are as spring practice wraps up

“I think we got a bunch of guys who are eager to learn. We’ve obviously got a bunch of new faces in our room. A lot of young guys. The description would be guys that are eager to learn, but we still got a ways to go with the technique, fundamentals part of the game. What I have enjoyed is seeing those guys come to work every day with the right mentality. Guys pushing each other has been something that’s been been cool to see so far. But those guys are eager to learn. They want to grow and that’s all you can ask for.”

How the spring has been for Tennessee’s Mike Matthews, where he has grown since last season 

“He’s taken a jump. And just his day-to-day process, he comes to work with a mentality every day to want to get better. I think there’s still a ways to go in the consistency area. I think that happens naturally as a young player, with him being the second year of this offense. But what I have seen and what I have enjoyed is the way he competes every single snap, which is a jump from, you what he was as a true freshman. He’s the one we’re going to count on. He’s the one we’re going to expect a lot from. He’s the one that’s going to meet the standard every single day. He’s done that for the most part this spring.” 

If he anticipates Tennessee’s freshmen wide receivers to play a lot this season, what he needs to see to know they’re ready for it

“I think you always got coach those guys and prepare them as if they’re going to go. I think you got to treat that in the sense of these guys have got to play. Now, some will be able to handle the learning curve, some won’t. I think ultimately those guys got to be able to handle a certain capacity, whether that be volume or how many reps, whether that be in mental capacity and how much I can retain and be able to put information and apply on the field. I think that’s both physical and mental, but that’s what you want to see to show that, hey, this guy is ready. Because ultimately you don’t want them thinking on game day. You want those guys to be able to play natural. So the evidence in practice that you want see is being able to handle certain volume physically and then the capacity mentally to where they can go play and be natural.”

What number he would prefer for scholarship players in his wide receiver group 

“I think that that’s hard to say. I think it really depends on your own (view). Sometimes 11 is the perfect number. Sometimes seven is the perfect number. I just think that depends on the room. I think that’s something you got to assess daily, your group and the depth and what you need. You got to assess that daily and obviously everything in the spring, you got to go attack those needs wherever they are. But I think it just kind of depends on the room.”

Nico Iamaleava working with Mike Matthews during the offseason in California

“I think that extra time always helps build camaraderie. That stuff is always beneficial, it’s always good. And any time those two positions work closely together, anytime you can spend extra time, that just helps timing and it helps the relationship and those things benefit us a ton. So as much extra time as those guys can get together out of the building, it helps us a huge, whole heck of a lot.”

If he coaches a younger wide receiver group differently, given a different mental capacity for younger players 

“I think mentally as a coach, it’s our responsibility to no learning styles, right? Some guys learn kinesthetically. They want to walk through it, jog through it, go through it. That’s how they get it. Some guys learn visually, right? Others learn audibly, right? But you got to know what learning style that guy has and you got to attack him in that learning style. So I don’t think a young guy, you asked, I don’t think there’s like a one-size-fits-all. You got to kind of learn the kid, right? You got to be able to know his learning style and then create a standard based on that learning style and just work that plan every single day.”

Building up the confidence of Tennessee’s Chris Brazzell

“I think for one you have to observe and then you got to be intentional, right? The reason I say observe is because like you got to see when he’s beating himself up, and it’s more of a softer voice, reaffirming, giving him confidence. You got to see times when he may not be as hard himself as he as he needs to, and in those moments I’m challenging him. So observant first, and then once I’m intentional, whatever that I decide based on scenario. Like this time I’m challenging him because he may not be as urgent. The next time I’m giving him confidence telling him, you’re alright, reaffirming because I see him beating himself up. So I think it’s a case where you got to know who that guy is, right? You got to know their habits and know their history and you got to pay attention to it, observe and then be attentive. He’s done a better job. He’s got a ways to go. He’s done a better job than last year, but he knows he’s got a ways to go in that area. Because ultimately I think when he does that right, he’ll help us a ton.”

How much his job changes as a position group when he loses veteran leaders

“It’s a good question. You got to implement it. When you got older guys, a lot of times before I coached guys up, Bru or Dont’e or Ced or Hyatt, they were here, they were going to coach guys up, right? I think now you got to recreate the standard because a lot of these guys haven’t been here to see it. Okay. So you got to recreate that standard and almost set the example at times. And then as time continues to go, when they see it enough, they’ll eventually follow and be able to follow those same steps.” 

Promising qualities he’s seen out of Rodarius Jackson and Travis Smith during the spring

“The first thing that stands out is those guys want to be good. Those guys, even when they don’t always do things right on the field, they’re back in the building trying to correct things before we get to meet. They’re constantly with our GA and our QC asking questions on their own. Those are guys that I don’t have the ask them to come back in the building. They’re in the building on their own. I think that’s an important quality. Because even when I need to get better, typically kids like that, they’ll find a way to develop. You can develop them because it’s important to them and they show that by being in the building and wanting to correct things every single day.So those are two freshmen that I think are very headstrong, because even when they have tough days, they keep the same approach. They’re not letting their emotions and feelings and ego get in the way of them getting better and developing. So when I think about those two guys, that’s the first thing that stands out. And they’re pushing each other, which is always good.”

What he likes about Amari Jefferson 

“Obviously Amari, he played at a separate school in this league. So he’s got some experience with kind of how to lay the land goes. He’s a great kid. He’s awesome for the room. He’s always going to come in the room with a good personality, good work ethic, smile on his face. For him the transition is going to be learning what we do, kind of how fast we play and operate. That would be something for him this spring to really keep honing in on and get ready for the fall.”