KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – While sometimes overlooked, special teams often plays a major role in the outcome of winning and losing football games. Due in large part to the efforts of special teams coordinator Mike Ekeler, Tennessee was one of the nation’s best in that facet of the game in 2021.

The Vols like look to continue to excel on specials teams this season with the return of their two primary placekickers, starting punter and starting long snapper, while a host of talented playmakers will look to fill the shoes of departed dynamic return man Velus Jones Jr.

“It is great, we got snappers back, we got two kickers back, punters,” Ekeler said when meeting with the media after Wednesday practice. “We have great continuity in that room. Those guys pull for each other, have great work ethics and come to work every day. I know it sounds like coach speak, but that is facts. I really appreciate those guys and they work their tails off, so we are excited about it.”

The biggest question mark in regard to specials teams this season is who will replace the production of Jones Jr., who was selected in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft by the Chicago Bears after leading the SEC in kickoff and punt return average in 2021. Jones’ 15.1 yards per punt return not only led the league but ranked second nationally, while his 27.3 yards per kickoff return also ranked among the top 20 nationally.

Ekeler admitted it would be hard to replace Jones with just one player and that they are looking forward to contributions from a handful of different players.

“We got a bunch of guys and a lot of guys that are capable,” Ekeler said. “We’re really excited about it. Velus Jones Jr. is a hard guy to replace, but we are going to do it by committee.”

Ekeler also talked about the value of playing special teams when it comes to aiding the development of a player’s overall game and those skills translating to other positions all over the field.

“We talk about everything we do on special teams and how it makes you a better football player, how it makes you better offensively and defensively,” Ekeler said. “Every day, coach Heupel will get in the team meeting, and he’ll have clips. We call them transferable skills. Every technique that we work and see how it transfers over to the offensive side and to the defensive side.

“You can talk all you want, but the film doesn’t lie. When you see it every day and you see guys improving and they see it going into making them a better player on offense and making them a better player on defense, that’s all you need.”

Young Talents Adding Depth to Pass Rush
Along with his duties as special teams coordinator, Ekeler also serves as UT’s outside linebackers coach, working a lot with the team’s pass rushers.

With the return of veterans Byron Young, Tyler Baron and Roman Harrison, the Vols have plenty to build around. Add in some talented freshmen with the likes of Joshua Josephs and James Pearce Jr., and the pass rush has the chance to cause havoc for opposing quarterbacks all year long.

“The sky is the limit. It’s on them, it’s on me to get them ready,” Ekeler said. “I just think as the season goes on, you’re going to see more and more out of both of them. Just remember, they just got here. I’m not making excuses for me or them or anything. Those guys are going to be incredible players when it all is said and done. It’s just getting them to that point. I think you are going to be excited with what you see.”

Outside Linebackers/Special Teams Coordinator Mike Ekeler

On who has been working kickoff and punt returns…
“We have had a ton of guys on punt return. We got a bunch of guys and a lot of guys that are capable. We’re really excited about it. Velus Jones Jr. is a hard guy to replace, but we are going to do it by committee.”

On having stability at the kicker and punter positions…
“It is great, we got snappers back, we got two kickers back, you know, punters. We have great continuity in that room. Those guys pull for each other, have great work ethics and come to work every day. I know it sounds like coach speak, but that is facts. I really appreciate those guys and they work their tails off, so we are excited about it.”

On having Paxton Brooks back healthy and the addition of punter Jackson Ross…
“It’s great, Paxton has been banging them on kickoffs and Toby Wilson is too. Shoot, we didn’t have any returns in the last six games on kickoff last year. Toby did a great job. Paxton has done an awesome job.

“Jackson Ross, can’t understand half of what he says, joking, but he is going to be a really good addition, he just got here late. I am anxious to see what he can do live. I have seen it on Zoom and seen it on film, but we are really excited about him and excited about all our guys.”

On using starters in coverage teams…
“What we try to do is, we try and develop our guys, too. You look at Christian Charles last year or Doneiko Slaughter, there are a bunch of guys that played. De’Shawn Rucker, T-Mac (Tamarion McDonald), those guys are starting, a lot of them. They played 30 snaps a game last year, and they did not even blink when they got in on defense and in the offseason, they are ready to rock and roll and they’re game tested. Really, you got young guys like Jourdan Thomas, Elijah Herring, Kalib Perry, you got a bunch of young guys that are hungry and ready to go. Then you got a bunch of veteran guys. It is a mixture of developing guys, getting key guys out there and keeping tread on the tires of the starters and giving guys roles on this football team. Ultimately, we want as many guys to play as possible that can go out there and play at a championship level.”

On the depth of the outside linebacker unit…
“We got two young guys in Joshua Josephs and James Pearce Jr. Josh is really coming along and so is James, but James is a little more raw. Josh is a little more seasoned in a certain sense, but both of those guys have just an incredible amount of talent and unbelievable work ethic. Great kids just figuring it out. They’re true freshmen, they just got here. The sky is the limit for them. If they stay the course, they keep busting their tail and you are talking about two guys that are six-foot-five coming off the edge, and they can flat out go. They got great instincts and love to play the game, so beyond excited. Add in Roman Harrison and B.Y. (Byron Young) and you have a great crew.”

On freshmen that could make an impact on special teams…
“Like I said, I named a few of them. You got Elijah Herring, you got Kalib Perry, you got Dylan Sampson who is tearing it up, doing a great job. Squirrel White is doing a nice job. Jordan Thomas and Chas Nimrod. I’m leaving out a bunch, trust me. Then you got Dee Williams, not a freshman but just got here. He’s electric. There’s a ton of guys. We got a chance to be special.”

On freshmen pass rushers Joshua Josephs and James Pierce Jr.…
“Managing the expectations. Those guys, I’ve told them both, they have to think of themselves as seniors. Those seniors out here, they expect that out of them. They’re not freshmen. They got to go out and when they step on the field, they got to execute. They got to execute at a championship level and if they can’t do that, then they aren’t going to be out there. That’s a challenge. To get them to that level, to get them to that point where they can go out and coach Tim Banks feels comfortable about putting them in. They are going to play on special teams for us too, early. We’ll get them rocking and rolling out there and as the season goes you should see their development and you should see their roles probably increasing.”

On balance between aggressive and ball security-based punt returners…
“We’re kind of greedy. We want both. We want a guy who can strike up Rocky Top. That’s the objective. We get a pitch to hit, and we want to hear our fight song. We feel like we work so much with these guys in the offseason and during the season with ball security and catching the ball. We feel like we can get the best of both worlds and we are going to.”

On the LEO position…
“Shoot, as we get going there might be four of them. The sky is the limit. It’s on them, it’s on me to get them ready. I just think as the season goes on, you’re going to see more and more out of both of them (Joshua Josephs and James Pearce Jr.). Just remember, they just got here. I’m not making excuses for me or them or anything. Those guys are going to be incredible players when it all is said and done. It’s just getting them to that point. I think you are going to be excited with what you see.”

On getting players to understand the mentality he wants to see on special teams…
“We talk about everything we do on special teams and how it makes you a better football player, how it makes you better offensively and defensively. We have probably a different philosophy than a lot of people. We spend an unbelievable amount of time just working technique. Then, we put it together. We’ve worked stance and start on our punt team, on our punt return team, on our blocks and on everything. For our kids, we don’t move on until they perfect it. Then we move on. We don’t give them a million rules. We legitimately teach them techniques, teach them and tell them to make a full-speed decision and apply your tools. I think the kids enjoy it. Every day, coach (Josh) Heupel will get in the team meeting, and he’ll have clips. We call them transferable skills. Every technique that we work and see how it transfers over to the offensive side and to the defensive side. Ultimately, coach Heupel’s vision and our vision is that we want to be the best technique team in America, and we want to be a physical team. That’s what we really harp on, and our kids, they see it. You can talk all you want, but the film doesn’t lie. When you see it every day and you see guys improving and they see it going into making them a better player on offense and making them a better player on defense, that’s all you need. I love it.”

On what life in Knoxville has been like for him…
“I love this place. I love who I work for. All the administration, Heup (Josh Heupel), all of the coaches, the players. The community has been incredible. You look outside in the morning when you drive in and I live right on the water. Are you kidding me? That’s what the good Lord wanted for me. I know that. As far as getting out on the water as much, it’s kind of crazy. I actually had neck surgery at the beginning of July. I tell people I had surgery, got out at three o’clock, drove myself home that night, drove to work the next morning and went out on the practice field rocking and rolling. I had the same surgery that Peyton Manning had. I got on the elliptical for an hour and I’ve been rocking and rolling ever since. I couldn’t ski this year. That’s my point. I couldn’t water ski, which killed me. Next year, watch out man. It’s not going to be safe on the lakes around here.”

On how he keeps guys pushing through fall camp…
“If our kids are able to go, they’re going to go. If they’re not, they’re not. We have an unbelievable training staff. We trust those guys and our players trust them. You’re not here at the University of Tennessee if you don’t love the game. It kills those kids not being out there and not being able to go full go. We’ll get them back and ready to roll. We don’t have an issue. Guys are begging to get out of a red jersey if they’re in one.”

On techniques he uses to motivate players…
“I told them the other day. I asked them and I’ll ask you the same question. If I told you tomorrow when you wake up, I’m going to give you $30 million, would you be fired up? What if I told you tomorrow, I’m going to give you $50 million, but you’re not going to wake up. I’m asking. You wouldn’t be real fired up? Point being, our day is worth more than $40 or $50 million. When you look at it that way, as a football player and as a human, you’re either getting better or worse. If you say you want to be a pro, do your actions match your expectations? Are you talking about it or are you being about it? It’s about staying focused. I was driving to work last week, and I was thinking about it: 99% of the people in this world want to be great. Would you agree with that? They’re called ‘wannabes’. One percent work to be great.”