Vols Hold First Spring Scrimmage on Saturday

(utsports.com) KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee football will scrimmage for the first time this spring on Saturday in Neyland Stadium as the Volunteers culminate the second week of spring ball.

The scrimmage is closed to the public.

Many new faces who enrolled in January will compete on the grass of Shields-Watkins Field for the first time. That group includes a highly-touted linebacking corps that continues to build athleticism and physicality under linebackers coach Brian Jean-Mary.

BYU transfer Keenan Pili, a former captain for the Cougars, will play his final collegiate season with the Vols after registering 62 tackles and five tackles for loss a year ago. Meanwhile, true freshman Arion Carter, the former No. 2 prospect in the state of Tennessee, has garnered praise in his first spring.

Senior linebacker Aaron Beasley is the leader of the group, and sophomores Elijah Herring and Kalib Perry are looking to take the next step this fall in their second seasons with the program. True freshmen Jalen Smith and Jeremiah Telander have also brought talent and athleticism to a unit that is now one of the deepest on the team.

“The standards that we talk about—it’s easier to be a leader when the whole team has a standard and a culture,” Jean-Mary said. “I feel like we are getting to that point where leaders are emerging, but it’s not because they’re older, but rather a standard they’re living by and that the younger guys have to follow.

“In our room, I like the direction we are going with Aaron Beasley and Keenan Pili. You cannot leave Kwauze (Pak) Garland out of it. He has some leadership qualities. I tell those guys all the time that when you’re out on the field, there’s a leadership quality of just being a linebacker that these guys have to grow into for this thing to work.”