Vols Coach Jeremy Pruitt Wants Big Senior Send Off Against Vandy

(utsports.com) KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Saturday will be a culmination of the 2019 regular season for Tennessee and for 13 Vols it will mark the time they play at Neyland Stadium.

While the game against Vanderbilt, which is set for a 4 p.m. ET start on the SEC Network, has all the build-up of an in-state rivalry, before the opening kick, Vol Nation will have a final chance to celebrate a decorated group of seniors.

Head coach Jeremy Pruitt has charged Vols fans to show up to send off the touted group.

“I just want to ask everybody, I know it’s Thanksgiving weekend, but this group of seniors has really bought in to what we’re trying to get done here at Tennessee and we want to send them out the right way,” Pruitt said at his Wednesday presser. “I know we’ll do that. We’ve had a fantastic atmosphere the entire year with our fanbase.

“It’s the last home game for these 13 seniors and I can’t say enough good things about them and the way they’ve represented the university, this program, this team, themselves, their families.”

Senior Recognition to Begin 30 Minutes Before Kick
Tennessee will honor 13 seniors, who will get to run through the T one last time 25 minutes before the start of the game. Fans are asked to be in their seats by 3:30 p.m. to honor the senior class.

Vols to Honor Veterans with Salute to Service
The Vols will honor veterans for their military service throughout the game on Saturday. Select military personnel will lead the Vol Walk and there will be a Blackhawk helicopter flyover as well as in-game recognitions.

Tennessee Leading in the Classroom
Earlier in the week, four Vols were recognized for their accomplishments in the classroom. Redshirt senior Brandon Kennedy, junior Matthew Butler, redshirt junior Ryan Johnson and sophomore Paxton Brooks earned CoSIDA Academic All-District First Team honors.

UT’s four honorees is the most of any Power 5 school and is a program record. The Vols’ previous record was three All-District honorees in 2016.

Tennessee now has 32 all-time recipients of the honor, which has been recognized since at least 1956.

“It is a credit to Joe Scogin and everybody who works in our Thornton Center with academics,” Pruitt said. “They do an outstanding job. I said this earlier today, it is very competitive in the SEC on the field every Saturday and it is very competitive in the classroom here at the University of Tennessee. Last year’s incoming freshman class averaged 28 on the ACT, so it is competitive in the classroom and Joe and his guys do a phenomenal job of getting our guys prepared every day when they attended class.

“It says a lot for those four individuals that can apply it, can execute it and can go do it. It is also the most in all of college football this year.”