Tennessee Football: Vols Return To Practice On Tuesday

Apr 20, 2013; Knoxville, TN, USA; Tennessee Volunteers quarterback Nathan Peterman (12) during the first half of the spring Orange and White game at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports

After nine days off (thanks to spring break), the Tennessee Volunteers will return to the practice field on Tuesday afternoon.

The week off saw some players heading out of town to get a little rest and relaxation before the final grind of spring practice begins.

Stud freshmen running back Jalen Hurd, for example, headed to Panama City, while linebackers A.J. Johnson and Curt Maggitt spent some time in Miami.

Regardless of where team 118 spent spring break, they’ll all be back together on Tuesday at 4:20 when practice gets underway.

The Vols have just nine practices left before they wrap up spring practice with the Orange & White game on April 12. With a quarterback battle that’s far from settled, 14 early enrollees going through their first practices, plus a offensive and defensive line that is getting a total makeover, each practice gets a little more important.

Here’s what to watch for as spring practice wraps up in the next few weeks.

• Quarterback Battle — This is obviously what will garner the most attention through spring and fall practice. Don’t expect anything to be resolved by the Orange & White game. Justin Worley will likely “start” Tennessee’s spring game, but I wouldn’t put too much stock into that. This battle is a long way from over and we might not know who wins the battle until the week of the season opener.
• Offensive Line Battle — This is the position where the Vols lost the most experience. There’s obviously no way they can replace all of those starts, but they do have some solid options in JuCo transfer Dontavius Blair and true freshman Coleman Thomas. We could also see sophomore Dylan Wiesman make a run at a starting spot.
• Will Owen Williams Win A Starting Spot? — The only thing we know for sure about the defensive line is that defensive ends Jordan Williams and Corey Vereen will be starting. However, it’s looking more and more like JuCo transfer Owen Williams is a sure thing as well. The defensive tackle has been praised by the Vols’ coaching staff and could have a starting spot locked down by the end of spring practice.

The Vols practice three times this week. In addition to Tuesday, they’ll also practice on Thursday afternoon and Saturday morning.