Tennessee linebacker Marvin Mitchell's Thanksgiving plans sounded like an all-you-can-eat buffet.

Like many of his teammates, Mitchell, a Norfolk, Va., native, wasn't able to make it home Thursday.

That doesn't mean he didn't plan on getting a good meal.

"I'll probably stop past a few of the coaches' houses," Mitchell said. "I'll go past Troop's house (receivers coach Trooper Taylor), go past Mitch's house (chaplain James Mitchell), Chief's (defensive coordinator John Chavis). Get a good meal from everybody."

When players don't get home -- UT restricts players to a 100-mile trip -- they spend it with their second family.

Still, it can be tough being away from family on Thanksgiving.

"It was hard for us, especially not being able to be around our family around Thanksgiving," Mitchell said. "They do their best to try and take us in, as they do each and every day as family. Thanksgiving's a big holiday."

It is for receiver Robert Meachem. Except Thanksgiving never came in November.

The Tulsa, Okla., native was always busy with basketball in high school. Now it's football.

"We never really got to have Thanksgiving or Christmas," Meachem said. "I really never had the chance to have Thanksgiving with all my family. When I go home, it's like Thanksgiving. Everybody cooks."

Quarterback Erik Ainge's apartment was the hub Thursday.

Ainge, from Hillsboro, Ore., brought his whole family to Tennessee.

"Mom, dad, sister, both sets of grandparents and my best friend Jordan from back home are all coming into town," he said. "To my apartment."

Mayo Improving: Weakside linebacker Jerod Mayo was left off UT's dress roster for today's home game against Kentucky, but UT coach Phillip Fulmer said the sophomore's knee is improving.

Mayo will have a bone scan Monday on his injured left knee.

"It's better, a lot better than it was," Fulmer said. "So he's making progress."

Rico McCoy will start in place of Mayo.

Kick Return Set: Tailbacks LaMarcus Coker and Arian Foster will return kicks today againt Kentucky, Fulmer said.

Coker, who is the Vols' leading rusher, was injured on a kickoff return against Alabama and missed the Vols' next two games.

"Coker and Foster will start off the game like we were a few weeks ago," Fulmer said. "They were our best returners at the time. We need our best out there."

Coker leads the Vols with eight returns for 159 yards and averages 19.9 yards per kickoff return.

Reynolds Ready: Antonio Reynolds (neck), who started the Vols' first 10 games at right defensive end, will likely play.

Fulmer said he was not sure whether Reynolds or Robert Ayers, who started against Vanderbilt last week, would start today.

"I'm not sure," Fulmer said. "Antonio's neck's still sore."

Last Tackle: UT's seniors participated in the traditional "last tackle" drill following Thursday's practice.

The highlight was Stanley Asumnu's run at the tackling dummy dressed in Kentucky blue.

Asumnu, a former UT basketball player who earned a scholarship at receiver this season, leaped high over the dummy.

Guard David Ligon went helmet-to-helmet with the dummy, while receiver Drew Tardy took his tackle off the landing mat.

"It's tough to say goodbye to your seniors," Fulmer said. "A couple of them didn't want to participate. Turk (McBride) said, 'It's hard to believe this is my last year here.' It's always a sad time, but also you feel like you prepared them life and the future."