KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – One of the most intriguing position groups for Tennessee heading into this season is the secondary, which will need to replace a pair of veteran leaders in Alontae Taylor and Theo Jackson, who were both selected in the 2022 NFL Draft.
Despite the key departures, secondary coach Willie Martinez is excited about the mix of veteran returners and newcomers that should make for an extremely competitive room throughout the season.
“We really want to play more guys,” Martinez said after Friday’s practice. “We are trying to force ourselves in pushing the guys and obviously myself as a coach to continue to pour in as much as I can to make sure they understand what we’re doing in our scheme. They got to prove it on the field.”
In a lot of ways, this fall has given the coaches their first real opportunity to evaluate the secondary at full strength after a handful of players missed spring ball with injuries.
“We have been doing a good job of rotating,” Martinez said. “We want to find out about a lot of guys that we don’t know about, guys that were not with us in the spring, whether that is Kamal (Hadden) or (Warren) Burrell or (De’Shawn) Rucker or (Brandon) Turnage.
“We knew that they would be in rotations, so we have been rotating. There are not really ones or twos. We are just trying to get them competitive reps in practice and trying to get the matchups that we would like so we can get an evaluation of each player. It has been good because we have been able to play a lot of guys.”
One of the most important battles in the secondary has been at the STAR position, a spot where Jackson flourished last season before being drafted by the Tennessee Titans.
“You are involved in both the run and pass game. You are also defending probably the fastest player on their team in the slot,” Martinez said when asked about the importance of the STAR position. “He has to be a dynamic player and be one of the best, if not the best player, because he is going to be involved in the run game and the passing game.”
Special teams ace Tamarion McDonald and Georgia Tech transfer Wesley Walker have been getting the majority of the reps at STAR this fall and will look to follow in Jackson’s footsteps, with veteran safety Trevon Flowers also getting reps at the position.
The competition level is also extremely high for the two corner spots as the Vols look to replace Taylor’s production from a year ago. Warren Burrell enters his senior year as the most experienced of the group, having played 29 career games while making 20 starts at corner, including 12 of UT’s 13 contests in 2021.
Burrell spoke on Friday about taking on a larger leadership role with Taylor now in the NFL after being drafted by the second round New Orleans Saints.
“He was a leader, he helped us get in the right direction,” Burrell said of Taylor. “When guys were not paying attention to details, myself included, and when things were not as right as they should be, Alontae was one of those guys that got us back into position and back focused and on the right track.
“Now that’s my job. That’s something I try to do. I keep that in mind. I guess it’s more off-the-field things, more focus, more detail-oriented stuff that you have to take responsibility to make sure that other guys are doing this because it will eventually be their turn and (I’ll) pass it on.”
The Vols continue preseason camp with practice No. 11 on Saturday morning at Haslam Field before holding their second and final scrimmage of camp on Sunday at Neyland Stadium. Sunday’s scrimmage is closed to the public.
Transcript and Player Quotes
Secondary Coach Willie Martinez
On finding the right guys to start in the secondary…
“We have been doing a good job of rotating. We want to find out about a lot of guys that we don’t know about, guys that were not with us in the spring, whether that is Kamal (Hadden) or (Warren) Burrell or (De’Shawn) Rucker or (Brandon) Turnage. We knew that they would be in rotations, so we have been rotating. There are not really ones or twos. We are just trying to get them competitive reps in practice and trying to get the matchups that we would like so we can get an evaluation of each player. It has been good because we have been able to play a lot of guys.”
On Christian Charles playing corner…
“Christian is the type of player that we want to continue to recruit. He is very versatile and can play all the positions on the back end. That gives us some flexibility, and he has transitioned very well. He has obviously made progress from when that transition happened in the spring. He was very raw and non-developed at understanding how to play the corner position. He has done a nice job in the offseason and the summertime that has prepared him for camp. He looks like a different player and is much more aware of certain situations. It does happen a lot faster out there, and he has adjusted really well.”
On who is competing at the STAR position…
“It’s T-Mac (Tamarion McDonald), obviously it’s Wesley (Walker). We also are rotating Tre (Trevon Flowers) there. Like I said, just a little while ago it was trying to get them reps at the first group, second group and just mixing it up.”
On the importance of the nickel in this defensive scheme…
“You are involved in both the run and pass game. You are also defending probably the fastest player on their team in the slot. He has to be able to defend on the perimeter and screens and be a player that has strengths as a cover guy but is not taken off of the block and plays physically in the alley. He has to be a dynamic player and be one of the best, if not the best player, because he is going to be involved in the run game and the passing game.”
On the progression of Dee Williams…
“When he came in, he did not know the scheme. Adapting from junior college, you are always going to have a tremendous transition. You are going to have some growing pains but coming in in January gives him the opportunity to manage college life on this campus, balancing academics and football and how to manage it. He had to learn the playbook, so coming in and learning it before spring, during spring and after spring, he looks like a different player. He knows what his job entails and is more comfortable. He has made more plays and is more confident. He is doing a good job this camp.”
On the development of Wesley Walker and Andre Turrentine…
“Athleticism is the first thing that comes to mind. They give us the opportunity to be flexible in whom we want to move around. They are both athletic. Obviously, Wesley played more than Andre, and that shows. That is not a knock on Andre, because he has made some plays, and each day he looks more comfortable in knowing what to do.”
On what he has learned about Walker and Turrentine since they arrived…
“How competitive they are. You see the skillsets and how tough a kid is on film, but the attention to detail in the meeting rooms, you can tell it is important to them. They do not want to go on the field not knowing what to do. They ask question after question prior to coming on the field, double-checking and triple-checking. You do not see that on video. They have done a nice job and given themselves a chance to know what to do in our system. That has been the impressive part.”
On if Walker and Turrentine are playing multiple positions…
“Wesley is. Andre has been bouncing from strong safety and free safety, but Wesley has been doing all three. He did that at the previous stop and did a really nice job. They have picked up and they understand the standards and expectations of this program. They fit really well in our room. They have leadership qualities. Andre is young. I know Wesley is a little bit older. They have done a great job.”
On Tamarian McDonald’s growth over the last year…
“He was very consistent on our special teams last year. We say it all of the time, if you can make plays in space, it gives you a chance to be a player on offense and defense. It has built confidence. He played a few defensive snaps last year. When he did get in there, did a nice job, but there is a lot more confidence. He understands our system better. He has been a really good special teams player for us. He knows it is all about field awareness, leverage and making plays in space. Obviously, it starts with tackling and then obviously trying to play coverages, whether it’s man or zone coverage, he looks very comfortable.”
On McDonald practicing at the STAR position in the spring…
“We did that on purpose. We wanted to give him the most reps right there. He knew strong and free (safety). Now, we are moving him around so he can still play with the first group. We’ll move him around.”
On anyone who has stuck out to him during camp…
“The other new guys are Jourdan Thomas and Christian Harrison. Thomas has done a great job and is coming off a really good scrimmage where he showed what he can do. Those two guys, I cannot say enough good things about them. The small details are so important, and they did a great job. They both were not here until June, they had to learn it. They knew that they were behind reps on the guys that have been here since January. It is important to them, and they are still growing. We had a setback with Christian, but he will be back in the next couple of days. He’s really done a nice job early on in camp.”
On Kamal Hadden being out and his overall improvements in the offseason…
“It hurts every player that doesn’t get the reps. It doesn’t matter where, but when you’re dealing with an offense as fast as ours, it really helps you get in shape too, and to think through the process and stuff. It hurts any player that doesn’t get the reps and get the feel for what it does to your body and what it does to your mind and how it challenges you.
“Going back to how Kamal has done, he’s a different person. He’s a different player. He’s really grown. I’ll start off with off the field, it’s academics, it’s in the strength and conditioning. He had a great summer. Obviously, he was coming off the injury. He’s been locked in in the meetings preparing, so to speak. He does a good job when he’s not in there as far as keeping the energy going. He’s grown tremendously since he’s been here. He’s only been here just a little bit over 13 months and he’s coming off an injury that kind of set him back a little bit from developing. To come back from that and obviously where he’s at right now, he’s giving us a chance to build our depth in the backend.”
On the desired depth…
“We really want to play more guys. We are trying to force ourselves in pushing the guys and obviously myself as a coach to continue to pour in as much as I can to make sure they understand what we’re doing in our scheme. They got to prove it on the field. Ideally, we would like to play at least three to four corners, three to four safeties. If anything, it would be five. If you can get that four to five in those positions and obviously STAR is in there. I would say if we could do that it would give us a chance in this league. Obviously, if somebody gets hurt then somebody could just bounce back in there and it’s next man mentality and they are ready to play.”
On if Tamarion McDonald’s play on special teams helped determine his position…
“The one thing you love about Tamarion McDonald is how good he looks in a body. He’s got a great body type, long. Really didn’t know much about him when he got here. I think he was more of a box player in high school. What I mean by that is in between the tackles, whether it was a safety, linebacker, whatever the case may be. Obviously, when you start talking about the STAR you are dealing with more space. It wasn’t until we actually saw him, got a chance to work with him, you can see how much he’s grown here in the last six, seven months. Where he’s really challenged himself to work on his man technique. Understands leverage. Obviously, that was the great thing about Theo (Jackson). With all the experience he had, older player, he understood where his help was at. Play the situation off the calls. Know where your help is at. He’s starting to learn that. He has a good understanding of that to play with his teammates as far as where his leverage is and where it’s not.”
On how Brandon Turnage missing time from football in the spring affected his development…
“With Brandon (Turnage), it’s really not so much the mental part. Brandon is a really smart player. He knows every position on the backend. You can line him up there, and if something happens, he will know what to do at strong safety, free safety, corner, star or dime. He understands the game and its importance. It’s good for him to get back on the field and get the reps he needs to continue to develop his techniques and fundamentals. It’s great to see him out there and do that again. He has great energy, and it’s nonstop. He’s coaching players when he’s on the sideline and when they come off the sideline. He’s got a smile on his face. It’s good in our room, because leadership is needed in every room and every phase of our program. He’s one of those guys that does it by setting the example.”
Senior DB Warren Burrell
On departure of Alontae Taylor and how that changes his role on the defense…
“As far as changing roles, it was more off-the-field the stuff that he did. He was a leader, he helped us get in the right direction. When guys were not paying attention to details, myself included, and when things were not as right as they should be, Alontae was one of those guys that got us back into position and back focused and on the right track. Now that’s my job. That’s something I try to do. I keep that in mind. I guess it’s more off-the-field things, more focus, more detail-oriented stuff that you have to take responsibility to make sure that other guys are doing this because it will eventually be their turn and (I’ll) pass it on.”
On his mindset playing cornerback…
“In the biggest way, when playing corner, it all starts with your mental (game) and what’s going on in your head. Every time you line up, you have to think you’re the best guy on the field. Things that go into your routine, how you step, and how you do certain things, those are the beginning stages. The little things take care of the big things. It’s more of your focus on what you’re looking at, where your eyes are, making the right step. For me, it’s been focusing on the details. That starts with your mental (game), how you step and your eyes. Those things I’ve been working on the most.”
On if he is still thinking about the ending to last season…
“It’s something you don’t just wipe off. It’s a loss, and every loss is going to hurt, especially that one, just the magnitude of it. For me personally, the situation I was in. I play DB, so for me personally, it’s something that you let pass, you acknowledge it, and then let it go and keep moving on. You keep focusing, take it one step at a time and continue to get better.”
Sophomore DB Christian Charles
On how fast he adjusted to switching from safety to cornerback…
“It was right when I was told that I was switching to play cornerback. I pride myself on being versatile. So, I did whatever was needed out of me. I needed to play corner because we had some guys down in the spring, so I made the transition. It wasn’t really a huge deal to me. It was just something that I knew I had to do.”
On how he has improved at corner over the summer and during fall camp…
“Something that I believe I have improved on and will continue to improve on is being consistent. That’s the biggest thing playing corner, because you can completely lock a guy down for two plays and then the third play you have one lapse of focus, and it is sixty yards over your head for a touchdown. Being consistent is something that I believe that I’ve improved on and will continue to improve on.”
On if he feels more pressure playing cornerback over safety…
“I wouldn’t say I feel any more responsibility, I just feel the responsibility that it takes every play. You can’t take more pride in one play than the next. You have to come in with that same kind of intensity and focus every play no matter what.”
Junior DB Tamarion McDonald
On his growth after getting a lot of reps in the spring…
“It was very important. Last year, even though I was at safety I was still watching Theo (Jackson) a lot. At 10 run, I would go to STAR while he was doing one-on-ones, just getting comfortable at it. I was just watching Theo, Tank (Jaylen McCollough), Tre (Trevon Flowers), the other guys, learning from them and soaking it all in since I’ve been here.”
On his confidence at the moment…
“My confidence has gotten a lot better. I’m playing a lot faster. Last year I was playing hesitant a lot, reading my keys, I wanted to go with my move. Now, I read my keys and I shoot it. I see it and I go. I’m playing a lot faster. I’m a lot more confident.”
On needing to improve on third down defense…
“We have to be a lot better. We talk about that every day. Third and medium, third and long, we talk about that every day. Especially third and medium, getting off the field, knowing the situation, knowing what you are going to get. Third and medium is just knowing what they are going to do. Third and six, three-to-six is third and medium. You pretty much are going to play flat footed. You aren’t expecting long balls and deep balls, you expect short routes. Everybody do their job, get the pass rush, lock up and I think we can get better. We actually have been getting better in fall camp.”
RS-Junior DB Brandon Turnage
On coming back from injury in the offseason…
“Really, the time sitting back really didn’t set me back any. We were still learning. We were still watching the guys go through the formations and sets and everything. This offseason it wasn’t really a struggle because I had my teammates. I had a couple of my other brothers that were in the same position as me. We all kind of just built off each other and build each other up throughout the process. Now, being that we did sit back, I feel like all of us kind of see the game a little bit different. All of us feel motivated. We take more advantage of our opportunity because we see how it is being down and not being able to get the reps.”
On learning from the experience he gained last year as a reserve…
“Really just paying attention to the other guys who are in front of me. Theo (Jackson), he was a really smart guy. Just sitting in meeting rooms with him, listening to the questions that he’s asking, watching the things that he’s doing at practice. All of that kind of helps, just having older guys that have a lot of experience and that have been through a lot of stuff. Either behind Warren (Burrell) and stuff like that, those guys are smart and if you just watch them, you can learn so much.”
On not playing much down the stretch last season…
“I’ve always been taught to be ready whenever my number is called. It really didn’t make any difference because I knew that I needed to play my role. Being that other guys were older, and they knew more honestly than me, they had more experience. I just step back, and I continue to be patient.”
-UT Athletics
