There’s no shortage of praise surrounding Vols sophomore defensive back Rashaan Gaulden, a player that many think could figure heavily into Tennessee’s secondary this upcoming season, but that doesn’t mean that Butch Jones was going to hold back when it came to commending Gaulden.
On Saturday, after Tennessee’s practice at Neyland Stadium, Jones praised Gaulden’s skills, saying “Rashaan is a very talented individual. He can run, he is very explosive, he can hit, he can cover”.
Jones also compared Gaulden to Justin Coleman, the player that occupied the Vols’ nickelback position in 2014.
"Jones: “Justin [Coleman] was able to handle it, I think because Justin, obviously, his skill set, but also his maturity level. Rashaan has that same skill set, it is just the maturity level of continuing to retain information and just being disciplined. We have been very pleased with Rashaan Gaulden’s progress”."
Gaulden, due to the talent in Tennessee’s secondary, likely won’t start in 2015 for the Vols. The three cornerback positions should be held down by Cam Sutton, Emmanuel Moseley and JuCo transfer Justin Martin.
However, it’s going to be hard to keep Gaulden off the field. He’s extremely talented and he’s one of the best tacklers on the team.
Jones and defensive coordinator John Jancek finally have the luxury of depth at defensive back. Hopefully the Vols won’t have to deal with injuries, but if they do they won’t have to worry about who is going to step up, thanks to players like Rashaan Gaulden.