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WATCH: Vol defense looks for continued growth in spring

On3 imageby:Austin Price•04/13/23•

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With former offensive coordinator David Cutcliffe in attendance, Tennessee was back on the practice field Thursday morning. It’s the final week of spring practice and a final few opportunities to impress the staff. One player who has grown a lot is Dylan Sampson.

“Really, it’s like night and day,” running backs coach Jerry Mack said. “From the protection standpoint we all knew Dylan (Sampson) had to come along and continue to grow just on the protection standpoint. You see right now where his eyes start from a progression standpoint. The physicality that he does step with and the power he steps with because he’s put on some weight. All that stuff, getting thrown into the fire last year at those certain moments helped him develop and helped him grow. When you look at him, he is probably way farther ahead than any guy we’ve had here going into year two to be honest with you, more so than Jabari (Small) and Jaylen (Wright), just for the simple fact he got a chance to probably play a few more snaps. Had a little bit more success in big moments than anything else and I think that is really a compliment to why you want to get those guys as much time as possible, like on the field early. He didn’t come in in the spring either. So, for him to come in, process the information, learn a system, probably after eight or nine practices after fall camp last year we knew he was going to be a guy to help us at some point in time throughout the season.”

Sampson has been the man in the backfield the back part of spring after Tennessee elected to let Jaylen Wright get some rest. Wright and Jabari Small were the two workhorses last season but Small missed this spring due to shoulder surgery.

“The biggest thing for Jabari Small, which he addressed in January, was getting his shoulder (right) and trying to get healthy,” Mack said. “He has been down this whole spring, which has been good for him. He’s put on a little bit more mass, especially in his lower body. You look at his lowers, he has continued to get stronger and more explosive. I think Jaylen Wright needed to grow as an inside zone runner. Really between the tackles and getting more comfortable in between those noises. Hitting the ball downhill, do not bounce as much, things like that. Reduction, from a standpoint of do not take the big hits. I think Jaylen Wright has not practiced as much as I would have liked him to, but he has surely grown. Those six or seven practices that he did practice, he was looking like the best version we’ve seen him.”

Click the link below to see the Vols go through drills on Thursday morning.

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