Vols Preparing For First Scrimmage of Spring Practice
(utsports.com) – Tennessee football held its sixth practice of the 2026 spring slate Wednesday, utilizing a walkthrough format as the Volunteers prepare for their first scrimmage of the spring Thursday inside Neyland Stadium. The scrimmage will be closed to the public.
Linebackers coach William Inge met with media following practice and highlighted the continued development and leadership within his unit as competition ramps up during the second week of spring practice.
Veteran presence remains a strength for the group, with experienced contributors setting the tone both on and off the field. Among them, transfer Amare Campbell has stood out early in his time with the program. Campbell spent the previous two seasons under Vols defensive coordinator Jim Knowles at Penn State and has been invaluable in helping his unit implement a new scheme this offseason.
“One of the great things about Amare Campbell is that he is a veteran, so he’s played a lot of football,” Inge said. “The thing he does bring in for sure is that he has some scheme familiarity, so he was kind of one step in front of a lot of the other guys, more from a learning standpoint … I think the thing we have been challenging him with is now, as one of the main leaders of the team, it’s going to be your responsibility to make sure from a leadership with action standpoint, that’s going to be you all the time, every time.”
Inge also praised the depth and early impact of his linebacker group, including midyear enrollees who have quickly made their presence felt this spring.
“They’ve been very, very, very good,” Inge said of freshman newcomers TJ White and Brayden Rouse. “Especially TJ, let’s say, from a physical standpoint, to see how his body has evolved. He has been awesome. … Rouse is exactly what we expected as well, from a speed and quickness scenario, and him being able to play in space.”
With a mix of veteran leadership and emerging young talent, Tennessee’s linebacker corps continues to progress through the spring and work toward becoming a more cohesive unit. Thursday’s scrimmage will provide the first extended opportunity for the group to showcase its development in a game-like setting as the Vols build toward the annual Orange & White Game on Saturday, April 11.
