Kiffin happy with turnout for linemen camp

Tennessee hosted approximately 180 prospects from about a dozen states Monday, the first day of a three-day camp to be held this week.

Prospects came from as far as Florida, Louisiana and Illinois for the camp, which was geared towards linemen.

“I think it says a lot about what’s going on right now,” UT coach Lane Kiffin said. “Tennessee is a great place to play football and it’s a great staff to be coached by.

“This isn’t an overnight camp. That’s a long ways to come.”

Today’s camp will focus on skill-position players while Wednesday’s session will be a kicking camp. A handful of quarterback prospects are expected to be evaluated today.

Kiffin said the camp setting allows his staff to further evaluate prospects.

“You get to know who a kid is,” Kiffin said. “It’s very valuable to getting to know their football personality.”

The camp, however, wasn’t just for evaluation purposes. Several prospects and their families commented on how much instruction was involved.

“We told them first thing this morning that you’re here to get better,” Kiffin said. “We’re not just coaching the superstar guy. We’re coaching everybody.”

Like UT’s spring practice, the tempo and intensity was noteworthy.

“We want our guys (prospects) to feel the intensity and to feel that this place isn’t for everybody,” Kiffin said. “I thought our coaches did a great job today and a lot of players responded with a lot of hard work.”

The highlights:

n Jordan Black, who only has a scholarship offer from Florida International University, was one of the more impressive prospects.

The tight end/defensive tackle from Lowndes High School in Valdosta, Ga., worked on defense in the morning then received a full-fledged tryout during the afternoon at center.

“I’d just have to put on a lot of weight and get stronger,” said Black who is 6-foot-4 and 248 pounds. “I could at least say I touch the ball every play.”

Black said he’d prefer to play defense in college but is willing to play any position.

Black’s quick feet and hands have UT thinking he could be a perfect fit at center. To find out, Black was alone against a defender at midfield during one drill with UT defensive line coach Ed Orgeron barking instructions.

The drill was intense enough that Black suffered a bloody lip.

“I wasn’t worried about it,” Black said with a smile. “You’ve just got to let it go. A guy got a cheap blow on me is really what happened. You can’t let stuff get in your mind. You can’t let the blood scare you.”

Asked if he expected to receive more scholarship offers soon, Black said “A lot more.”

That likely will be the case. Black has camp visits scheduled to South Carolina and Louisville next week.

Black has received strong interest from Auburn, Georgia and Florida State, which has said it could soon offer.

n Likely the best defensive end combo in the nation attended. Teammates Brandon Willis (6-4, 250) and Corey Miller (6-4, 227) from Byrnes High in Duncan, S.C., were named defensive line MVP’s following their performances.

UT is firmly in Miller’s top five, according to his father, Charles Miller. That would seem to help UT land Willis. Both are rated among the top 100 prospects in the nation.

n T.J. Stripling was one of the most impressive defensive ends. At 6-6 and 215 pounds, the star prospect form Southwest Dekalb High in Decatur, Ga., was tough to handle during pass-blocking drills and won the fastest defensive lineman competition.

Stripling got the best of star prospect James Stone from Maplewood High on a pair of occasions. Both were named MVP’s of the camp.

n Zach Fulton (6-5, 306) also was named a camp MVP. The offensive guard from Flossmor High in Homewood, Ill., may have done enough to get a scholarship offer from UT.

Fulton reportedly has only two offers — Illinois and Indiana.

Awards: Two UT commitments won defensive line MVP awards: end Jacques Smith from Ooltewah and tackle J.C. Copeland from Troup High in LaGrange, Ga. They joined Willis, Miller and Stripling as the five winners.

Offensively, three linemen were presented with MVP awards: Stone, Fulton and Marques Pair (6-6, 255) of Sumter (S.C.) High.

Jafar Mann from Stephenson High in Stone Mountain, Ga. was awarded what was billed as the inaugural “Ed Orgeron Best Ninth Grader Award.”