Tennessee linebacker Ellix Wilson hopes to be fully cleared for contact Monday after missing two weeks with a torn MCL in his left knee.
Wilson spent just his second day on the practice field Thursday since injuring his knee on the first day of full-contact drills on Aug. 8.
“That’s the hope,” UT coach Phillip Fulmer said. “I can’t say 100 percent, but I hope he’s ready to go Monday.”
Wilson has been doing some light running the last two days of practice.
“It’s a little sore,” said Wilson, who is Jerod Mayo’s backup at middle linebacker and also has played at weakside linebacker. “As I’m running it feels good, but once I stop running it feels sore.”
For now Wilson is limiting his side-to-side movement, spending most of his time running straight ahead to avoid further injury to his knee.
“The big concern is the side to side,” he said. “You can run vertical. I’m just doing my thing and trying to progress as I go.”
Wilson, who plays a key role on special teams as well, said he expects to make the trip to California for the Vols’ season opener on Sept. 1.
“(Wilson brings) experience in the middle, depth, a guy that’s played in games and played on special teams,” Fulmer said. “We’d love to have him back. We’ll have him back, I just hope to have him back Monday.”
Holbert Has Surgery: Senior tight end David Holbert had successful surgery Thursday to repair a torn ACL in his right knee.
Head athletic trainer Jason McVeigh said that Holbert, who will redshirt, should be fully healed by spring practice.
The former fullback was injured in fall camp.
Barnes to Auburn? Former UT signee Deshaun Barnes plans to re-take his college entrance exam and enroll at Auburn in January if he’s deemed academically eligible, auburnsports.com reported.
Barnes, a 6-foot-2, 195-pound linebacker/safety from Lincoln High School in Tallahassee, Fla., signed with UT in February but asked for and was granted his release when fluctuations in his ACT score raised questions concerning his academic eligibility.
Position Shuffle: Fulmer said freshman defensive tackle William Brimfield may get some work on offensie and that former Fulton standout Dennis Rogan likely will get reps at safety.
Fulmer praised Rogan, who has made a name for himself despite being the last player to reach campus this summer.
“I thought he was a good player; he’s better than I thought, even,” Fulmer said. “Very responsive, very hungry young man. I’m glad he’s here.”
Award Watch: UT senior safety Jonathan Hefney was named one of 35 players to watch for the Walter Camp Award, given to the nation’s best football player by the Walter Camp Football Foundation.
Four other SEC players made the list, while Cal quarterback Nate Longshore and reciever/kick returner DeSean Jackson also made the list.
Inside The Orange Times: The Vol Network will broadcast its “Inside the Orange” season preview on MyVLT2 Sunday at 9 p.m. The special also will air on WVLT at 10 p.m. Thursday.
Extra Points: Fulmer hosted UT players for a cookout at his home Thursday evening. ... UT has one more practice remaining before camp officially ends with a kicking scrimmage Saturday morning in Neyland Stadium. ... Arkansas State quarterback Corey Leonard has been named to the Davey O’Brien watch list.
Dave Hooker contributed to this report.
Drew Edwards covers University of Tennessee football. He may be reached at 865-342-6274.
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Comments » 40
shotgun writes:
Huh?
Hunter writes:
Go back to Bama, CRVol. You and Nick Satan would make a cute couple.
vol4jesus writes:
CRVOL ewe used that post the other day and I believe it has become stale. Serve up something fresh others can get irate over. Not yesterdays post ok? Don't limit yourself to stuff already said...said...said....
a kindler/gentler post moment
andy112382#209793 writes:
So, CRVol, I'm for Tennessee, what team do you pull for?
CoverOrange writes:
Actually CR, you sounded more like you were channeling Johnny Majors than Phil Fulmer, but whatever. I just hope that Ellix isn't brought back too soon and he ends up limping through the season. Lateral movement is kinda important to an LB.
wkjq#213863 writes:
Bama ain't in my head FOOL! I expect to beat YOU every time.
jweaver3#395614 writes:
Just remember CRVOL, GOD loves you!!!, because not a lot of vols fans do. This should be a fast and exciting team, yes we are young and we will get some mistakes but we do have a few key senior leaders, like Ainge and Hefney. I think the young guys will figure it out and soon, since Cal. and Fla. will have no mercy on us early.
GO VOLS!!!
TXVOLSFAN
thevol writes:
Cr- Once again lame. Just get off it, you are not funny. You have also used the "Bama is in our heads line". This is all you got? Try talking football.
Funny Barnes can't get into UT then goes straight to Alabama Junior College(Auburn).
Hopefully Wilson is ready to go, should get a lot of PT. Also very important to coverage units.
Only one week left and I will start my pregame celabration. Go Big Orange!
Colliervol writes:
Geez CR, please learn your cliches if you're going to use them. That's "row to hoe", not "row to tow". You cannot tow a row but you can hoe one. Must be a city boy huh?
On a separate note, Fulmer had an interview this morning on a Memphis radio show and I was surprised by the excitement in his voice (and so were the show hosts). I haven't heard that excitement the last few years during his interviews. (I've also decided that maybe he just doesn't like talking to the KNS staff. He was very cordial and talkative with the show hosts this morning.) With the tough schedule, it may not translate into 10 wins, but his tone was definitely different.
Colliervol writes:
And he didn't use a single cliche either which was also a pleasant surprise.
BOASoldier writes:
WE? You got a rat in your pocket cause you sure as heck aren't a Vols fan... so WE are not with you.
jlange#632002 writes:
cr, you ain't happy unless you ain't happy.
Bigger_Al writes:
Quiz for CRVol. Since you have alluded to Alabama twice this morning, I'm interested in seeing your honest answers:
1. Which coach has the all-time longest winning streak against the Crimson Tide, and how long is that streak?
2. How many has Bama lost consecutively to Auburn, and how long do you see that streak going?
3. How many of Alabama's self-proclaimed National Championships do you consider bogus?
4. How much money did Alabama pay to get Albert Means on campus for a visit?
5. Is Saban at the Capstone because he wants to resurrect Alabama football, or because of the $4MM plus per year contract?
thevol writes:
CR-Now you are arguing FOR Alabama football? Man you really ran out of material. Go to rolltide.com and your friends can get you more ammo. The rest of us will be getting ready for Tennessee football. It's Football Time In Tennessee! Go Big Orange!
lnbadger320 writes:
that is true CRVol. i mean how many time have we heard the saying "We're working like heck to get better"
jlange#632002 writes:
Just read College Football News' not unexpected prediction of a Cal victory. Said UT was "very soft" (not just soft) in the middle defensively and that Cal's center would dominate. I hope Bolden, Mapu, Fisher, Williams and Mayo read that stuff.
BOASoldier writes:
See CR I knew this would happen... and Vols4Jesus and I tried to warn you ... you had to keep on putting Tennessee down. The closer we get to Kickoff the more the real fans come out of the woodwork ... and now you have evryone ticked off at you .. but hey you "thrive on hate" cause you're tough like that .. you keep on hating the VOLS .. the TRUE fans are getting pumped for the season GO VOLS!!!
BOASoldier writes:
Here is your info sjt:
Posted by sjt18 on August 23, 2007 at 6:39 p.m. (Suggest removal)
OK... detailed poop on Cal, Forsett, and Jackson.
Cal played 5 bowl teams last year. UT played 9. Cal played a total of 4 teams last year that won more than 7 games. They beat Ore St and Tx A&M. Lost to UT and USC...as well as 6-6 Az. One of their 7 win teams was Port St (1AA).
Cal's opponents combined for a record of 89-71 which was an improvement over 2005 (61-78). UT's opponents last year combined for 99-68.
Jackson averaged just over 70 ypg against the teams with more than 7 wins but remember he got about 80 trash yards against UT after the game was over. His average overall was 81 ypg with over 100 against Minn (6-6), Port St (7-4, 1AA), Az (6-6), and Stanford (1-11)
Forsett has 6 career 100 yard games (Foster had 5 in a row as a Fr). Three of those games were against teams with winning records: Tx A&M (9-4), Ore (7-5), and UCLA (10-2). Note that in 2005 UCLA gave up over 400 pts... over 30 pts per game for the season... by definition, "whiff defense".
His best game came in 2005 when he rushed for 235 against 0-12 NM St. Against teams last year with more than 7 wins: UT 5 carries/1 yd, OSU 5/19, USC 2/5, Tx A&M 8/124... before you get too impressed by his and Cal's success against A&M... you need to know that A&M beat one team with a winning record all year. A&M's OOC wins were ULL, Army, La Tech, and the Citdel. They were 5-3 against the bottom heavy Big 12.
Bottom line is that the stats that make these guys impressive were built against the bottom of their schedule. They would NOT have anywhere near their stats in the SEC or if they played UT's schedule.
txsvol#372416 writes:
What do you get when you have 92,000 screaming Alabama fans watching Nick Satan's Spring Practice scrimmage? A: A full set of teeth! Possible other answers: Drop the zeros, and it's the collective IQ.....If SI will allow a faculty member from Tuscaloosa named Rick Bragg (wonder if it's a nom de plume) to write a feature story about the history of Alabama football, the least we can do is recycle stale Bama jokes! Go Vols! SAVol
BOASoldier writes:
I heard that Saban's team was going to be tough as nails this year ... He wouldn't even let them drink ice water during practice... not because he wanted them to be tough, but because the only two guys on the team that new the recipe had already graduated.
Urbiewerecomingtogetyou writes:
Bama fans always get excited when they get a new coach. That seems to be about every other year. They bring out their bama stuff ( hats, license plates, flags, ect)when this happens. Under Saban the crimson slide will be better,but the cheating they have done for years (FACT) will not be a factor anymore.There is no doubt in my mind that we (VOLS) will still dominate the series for years to come. Coach Fulmer has made some decisions that I didn't agree with,but he and our football team will prove a lot of critics wrong this year.JMHO
BOASoldier writes:
HOT!
BOASoldier writes:
Thanks KingsportVol, however I can't take credit for the poop report .. that was SJT's handy work I just reposted it to help make a point .. I agree with you though I think our D is going to put a hurting on some folks.
BOASoldier writes:
the GREAT o line Cal put up last year is gone .. and our D should be better than last year against a worse O line... plus their number 1 RB Lynch put up 74 yards and Tedford exclaimed that they had never seen a D as fast as ours and IMO this years D is quite a bit faster overall.
mdvol writes:
Just read CFN as jlange mentioned. They picked Cal last year. Wrong. They picked Cal again this year. Wrong again. WE ARE GOING TO FREAKIN' KILL CAL! Vols 34 - Cal 17. Possibly even worse. At best, Cal is only the fifth best team we play this year.
FWBVol writes:
CR, maybe Bama did win the SEC in 1999, but even then the Tide couldn't turn the Vols, 21-7 Big Orange final in Tuscaloser. Most longtime UT fans require two things, Beat Bama and don't lose to Vandy. That's been the norm rather than the exception the last dozen years. Tennessee owns Alabama right now. Besides, in a couple of years Saban will decide the best coaching atmosphere is at the high school level and will move back to West Virginia to coach prep ball for a pay cut, but he will talk the band boosters out of their cut for popcorn concessions.
TeamXer writes:
"Realist" jcvet? So there is only negativity and complaining in crvol's version of reality? I get the feeling he would be upset if UT goes 11-1 and Fulmer keeps his job. CR, you are one tiresome brother. Try pointing out the good and the bad if you want to deal in reality.
GO VOLS
Colliervol writes:
I never liked that "true fan" or "real fan" moniker. I can assure you that "real fans" can and should have concern at the drop-off we've experienced since 2000. But those same "real fans" that I know aren't going to incessantly beat the coach into the ground unless they've got some sort of personal agenda. (In this case, maybe a disgruntled Bama fan in mullet clothing?)
Simply stated (and this ain't a new concept), we're all going to know in the next year or two if the program is back on the right track. If it is, fabulous. If not, there's people a whole lot more powerful than anybody on here that will make that decision. Until then, I'm not going to worry about it. Bring on Cal.
Colliervol writes:
On another note, txsvol. Do you know what it means when tobacco juice is coming out of both sides of a Bama fan's mouth?......That means the trailer is level.
orangebloodgmc writes:
Good one, Colliervol!
BOASoldier writes:
I'm sorry did someone just post I could have swore I saw a post, but today my eyes just can't see B.S. posts for some reason .. oh well I guess I'll never know who it may have been
Bigger_Al writes:
Just booked my flight to SF for Saturday, 9/1!! Now I'm getting stoked!!
BOASoldier writes:
cbssports.com
has some good articles and videos about Tennessee on their site. Previewing the SEC is the best video
BOASoldier writes:
IMO
hueypilot writes:
What an incredibly large pile of dung! Sounds like DSAVol last year before the Cal game (In fact it very well could be DSAVol using a new "code name" for all you Raising Arizona fans out there) Hopefully, after the little soiree (that's not a knock off of the Arkansas yell) in Berkeley, maybe, just maybe, we won't hear from some of the naysayers for awhile. It won't take us long to find out what kind of team we've got this year. The hay will be in the barn (I just love redneck metaphors) by Columbus Day. As for me, I'll try to enjoy those first five games , four of which will be against some pretty good teams. And we all know while Cal is important, the twenty days from September 15 to October 6 will tell the tale.
See all of you in California. Now remember the Bay Bridge is being repaired that weekend so if you're staying over in San Francisco, you probably should ride BART to the game. Go Vols.
Colliervol writes:
My my, is somebody getting a little defensive about the Bama Mullet Nation? Between that and betting on Florida to beat UT, I'm starting to get the picture here. Seriously CR, try again if you want to define somebody as redneck or country. Just because I live in a pretty nice town now certainly doesn't mean I grew up there. Far from it actually and it makes me appreciate what I have now. (Hog farming will definitely give you a little perspective.) I get to tell redneck jokes because I come from a long line of 'em.
I'm glad that after 20 tries, you finally understand what I was saying. I didn't want to have to tell you for the 21st time that your opinion of Phil Fulmer means squat.
Colliervol writes:
Oh yeah. And I don't mind other fans telling TN jokes. Kind of get a kick out of them. I especially like one that an Alabama customer of mine told me about a UT fan saving a Bama fan's life by killing a rabid dog and by the time the joke was finished, it had morphed into "Hillbilly Kills Beloved Family Pet". That was a good one.
Volfantm writes:
Can't wait for kickoff! But Meacham torched Cal so bad last year that I'm wondering if it will be as easy this year. Cal's excuse last year was that they "weren't ready" and lots of writers are calling this game a must win for them. Hope the Vols are fired up and ready and that the weather there will seem cool and refreshing (too many days of 100 degrees are baking my brain).Go VOLS!
thevol writes:
Cr needs a hug.
apark#208735 writes:
Colossal Rectum is screaming for attention. My belief, he was an imaginary friend as a child. Regardless, Cal is done and Coach Fulmer and Coach Cutcliff and Coach Chavis will have this team ready. One stat we haven't discussed much is that Coach Fulmer usually has his team ready to play on the road. This will be no different except for the handful of freshman who will actually get in the game. Go Vols. UT 42 - Cal 13
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