Tennessee Vols morning report: Freshman All-SEC football players
Freshmen football players for the Tennessee Vols making freshman All-SEC leads our Volunteers news for Friday, Dec. 13, 2019.
Happy Friday the 13th! It looks like the Tennessee Vols may have turned around their luck in football, finally, since the last Friday the 13th, which took place in the summer. Could that be a sign of things to come in the future?
Well, our morning update on Rocky Top for today leads with something in that spirit. We’ll be looking at younger football players who achieved recognition on Thursday. And that’s not our only story related to football for the day.
We also have coverage of two former Vols, one receiving an award, and another reportedly joining a coaching staff. A men’s basketball transfer is another story for us to cover as well. But let’s start with the good news surrounding football.
Three Vols make Freshman All-SEC – SECSports
Offensive linemen Darnell Wright and Wanya Morris along with linebacker Henry To’o To’o all made the All-SEC freshman team for 2019. The Tennessee Vols football team had the third most players of anybody in the conference, behind only the Alabama Crimson Tide and Texas A&M Aggies.
"Alabama had a league-leading five student-athletes named to the 2019 Southeastern Conference All-Freshman Football Team, it was announced Thursday. The team was voted on by the SEC’s head coaches, who were not permitted to vote for their own players."
Zach Kent enters transfer portal – Grant Ramey, GoVols247
A few weeks after leaving the program, Tennessee Vols men’s basketball forward Zach Kent has entered the transfer portal. At 6’11” 235 pounds, Kent was the only player on the team eligible to play this year taller than 6’9″. However, the redshirt sophomore was coming back from an injury that forced him to miss all of last season, and he was seeing limited minutes early in the year.
"Kent played in four games over three seasons at Tennessee, sitting out as a redshirt last year. For his career he averaged 1.8 points and 1.3 rebounds in 5.8 minutes per game."
Willie Gault to receive lifetime achievement award – UTSports
Former Tennessee football and track and field star Willie Gault, who was an All-American receiver and returner for the Vols in the early 1980s, received the 2020 BOSS Legend Award. Gault is being recognized for his lifetime achievements on and off the field.
"The Business of Success Beyond Sport (BOSS) is an organization that focuses on holistic development of young male student-athletes of color from low to moderate income homes to help them excel beyond the playing field through enrichment programing and mentorship. Gault, a world-class track and field athlete and Super Bowl champion, has exemplified success beyond the playing field and lived out the organizations six pillars – Mentally BOSS, Emotionally BOSS, Socially BOSS, Physically BOSS, Economically BOSS and Spiritually BOSS."
Former Vol holder to join Mizzou coaching staff – Dan Harralson, VolsWire.com
Casey Woods, who played for Tennessee football in the mid-2000s, will reportedly join Eliah Drinkwitz’s coaching staff with the Missouri Tigers. Woods has been with the UAB Blazers the past three years, serving as tight ends coach, recruiting coordinator and run game coordinator. He was also director of player personnel with the Auburn Tigers from 2013 to 2015.
"Woods was a graduate assistant at Tennessee in 2008 and played for the Vols from 2003-07 as a wide receiver and holder. The former Vol served as an offensive quality control assistant at Auburn from 2009-11 and over wide receivers and a recruiting coordinator for Arkansas State in 2012."