GoVols247: A Tennessee Volunteers athletics podcast

GoVols247’s Wes Rucker and Ryan Callahan convened via the magic of Al Gore’s Internets to discuss top-100 prospect Damarius McGhee’s commitment to Tennessee and other recent development for the Vols on the trail. McGhee, a 6-foot-1 cornerback from Pensacola, Fla., is the No. 89 overall prospect in 247Sports’ 2021 recruiting rankings, and he’s been near the top of Tennessee’s board for a while. The Vols identified him early and offered him 12 months ago, well before some of college football’s other blue bloods jumped on board. That clearly meant a lot to McGhee, who chose the Vols over a long and impressive list of suitors. What kind of prospect is McGhee? Is he quick enough to stay at cornerback despite his 6-foot-1 frame? Is it slender frame any kind of a concern? How is Tennessee able to identify so many prospects so quickly, and how important has that been to the Vols’ recruiting success in the Jeremy Pruitt era? Those are the main points of discussion in the first segment of this episode. Updates on several other Tennessee targets are included in the second segment of this episode. The next GoVols247 Podcast episode will be released Thursday, unless major breaking news occurs before that point. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

GoVols247’s Wes Rucker and Grant Ramey convened via the magic of Al Gore’s Internets to discuss the importance of Yves Pons’ decision to return to Tennessee for his senior season. Pons, the reigning SEC Defensive Player of the Year, initially declared for the NBA Draft before reversing course Monday night and choosing to return for his senior season with the Vols. What was already a championship-contending roster suddenly looks even stronger. Pons’ return makes a sturdy crop of returning players even stronger, and Tennessee just enrolled one of the nation’s top recruiting classes to bolster it. How close was Pons to remaining in the draft? Why did he choose to come back? What does that return mean for Tennessee’s rotation? How many more options will the Vols have now, assuming everyone stays healthy? What can Pons do as a senior to improve his stock heading into the 2021 draft? Those are the primary points of discussion in this one-segment, breaking-news episode. The next GoVols247 Podcast episode will be released Tuesday morning, unless major breaking news occurs before that point. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

GoVols247’s Wes Rucker and Patrick Brown convened via the magic of Al Gore’s Internets to discuss the possibilities for Tennessee football’s SEC-only 202 schedule. After monitoring the latest COVID-19 updates and delaying the decision as long as it could, the SEC finally followed a trend set by the Big 10 and PAC-12 and chose to go with a conference-only schedule for the 2020 season. What was a 12-game mixed schedule will now be a 10-game conference-only schedule for Tennessee and the SEC’s other 13 programs, and it won’t start earlier than Sept. 26. Who will Tennessee’s two new SEC opponents be this season? Will the eight league games already on the schedule be played as scheduled, or will have they have to be moved? How will the SEC find its desired “fair and equitable” solution to the situation? And perhaps most importantly, will the revised schedule be played at all? Those are the primary points of discussion in this episode. The next GoVols247 Podcast episode will be released later Monday night, unless major breaking news occurs before that point. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

GoVols247’s Wes Rucker (from Fort Rucker Studio) and Grant Ramey (from GoVols247’s Blount County Satellite Office in Maryville) convened via the magic of Al Gore’s Internets to kickoff the week with a discussion on how much concern there should be about college football after an outbreak of coronavirus has thrown a wrench into Major League Baseball. The first segment of this episode features a quick discussion on some recent Tennessee football and basketball news. There’s good news (Yves Pons making the cut for players who could be invited to the upcoming NBA Combine) and bad news (two former Vols football players being cut by the same NFL team, plus another former Vols football player being placed on COVID-19 injury reserve) in that discussion. COVID-19 becomes the sole topic in the second segment of this episode. News emerged Monday that at least 13 Miami Marlins (and perhaps more) have tested positive for coronavirus, causing the postponement of two separate MLB games Monday night. Does that news combined with some recent college football developments — including the entire Michigan State program being placed in quarantine — spell doom for the possibility of college football this fall? Should it at least cause more significant levels of concern? Or is this something that can be worked around moving forward? That’s the primary discussion in the second segment, and many possibilities are tossed into the mix. Just to make sure everyone is clear, the GoVols247 Podcast isn’t opining on whether college football should be played this season. Last we checked, we don’t have any epidemiologists on our staff. We’ll leave those decisions to those qualified enough to make them. We’re simply discussing the complicated set of possibilities that could come into play if games are played this fall. The next GoVols247 Podcast episode will be released Thursday, unless major breaking news occurs before that point. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

GoVols247’s Wes Rucker, Patrick Brown and Grant Ramey convened via the magic of Al Gore’s Internets to discuss the hype surrounding Tennessee sophomore linebacker Henry To’o To’o and answer mailbag questions from GoVols247’s CheckerBoard and social media accounts. Some quick updates on Tennessee football’s updated workout schedule and discussion on several Vols on preseason watch lists dominates the first segment of this episode. Much of the watch list discussion is focused on linebacker Henry To’o To’o — the only sophomore in college football to be placed on the preseason watch lists for the Bednarik Trophy, the Nagurski Trophy and the Butkus Award. The Bednarik and Nagurski are awarded each year to the best defensive player in college football, while the Butkus is awarded each year to the best linebacker in college football. Is To’o To’o really going to match this level of hype? Or is that too much hype to place on a sophomore with so many responsibilities in the heart of a defense? That’s the primary discussion in the first segment. The mailbag was opened for the second segment of this episode. There were many interesting Vols, SEC and off-topic questions — including, of course, questions regarding hand-to-hand combat — in this edition of the mailbag. The next GoVols247 Podcast episode will be released Monday, unless major breaking news occurs before that point. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

GoVols247’s Wes Rucker and Grant Ramey convened via the magic of Al Gore’s Internets to discuss several Tennessee basketball topics. The first segment of this episode is focused on Tennessee’s current roster. Reigning SEC Defensive Player of the Year Yves Pons still hasn’t decided whether to return to school for his senior season, and it’s not clear when he plans to do that, but he’s currently working out with the team and there’s plenty to discuss on that front. As for the rest of the team, everyone but sophomore guard Santiago Vescovi (who’s still at home in Uruguay) is back on campus for workouts, which means the two unnamed players who tested positive for COVID-19 have cleared quarantine and been approved for action. Some discussion on the virus and its impact on college basketball scheduling rounds out the first segment. Recruiting takes center stage in the second segment of this episode. And there’s plenty to discuss there, with Tennessee trending in a big way for five-star point guard prospect Kennedy Chandler — a Memphis native who plans to spend his senior season at powerhouse Sunrise Christian Academy in Kansas. Chandler has been at the top of Tennessee’s 2021 board for years, and adding him could create a serious ripple effect for the other top targets — including multiple five-star prospects — on the Vols’ board. Some 2022 recruiting targets to watch are discussed in the second segment, as well. The next GoVols247 Podcast episode will be released Thursday, unless major breaking news occurs before that point. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

GoVols247’s Wes Rucker, Patrick Brown and Ryan Callahan (from his house) convened via the magic of Al Gore’s Internets to kickoff the week with a discussion on several pertinent topics. The first segment of this episode starts with (of course) and update on the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on college football heading into the 2020 season, and it wraps up with discussion on the loss of reserve safety Brandon Davis to the NCAA transfer portal. The reasons for Davis’ exit and its impact on the team is discussed in detail. Segment Two starts with a quick update on Tennessee basketball recruiting (there’s big news there) before settling into a detailed discussion on Vols football recruiting. Tennessee still has one of the nation’s best classes, and some really big prospects — including multiple five-star prospects — are still on the board. A quick discussion on where things stand for the Vols at tight end following the latest injury to senior starter Austin Pope wraps up this episode. The next GoVols247 Podcast episode will be released Thursday, unless major breaking news occurs before that point. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

GoVols247’s Wes Rucker and Patrick Brown convened via the magic of Al Gore’s Internets to discuss a week with a trifecta of rough news for a Tennessee program that had previously enjoyed a feel-good summer. Rough news began in the middle of the week, when it was revealed that multiple Tennessee student-athletes in multiple sports — including football — had tested positive for COVID-19. None of the 91 Tennessee football players on campus had tested positive in the first round of tests last month, but the tests after the July 4 holiday weekend revealed a different story. Specific numbers weren’t given, either, which on the surface sounded a bit ominous. Conversations with people in the program have revealed that it’s not a horrible situation at this point, though, so the first segment of this episode is focused on putting that news in perspective. The second segment of this episode is focused on the fallout from this week’s news that Tennessee senior starting tight end Austin Pope has had another back surgery and senior defensive lineman Emmit Gooden has been dismissed from the program following an arrest for his alleged actions in a troubling off-the-field incident. The next GoVols247 Podcast episode will be released Monday, unless major breaking news occurs before that point. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

GoVols247’s Wes Rucker (from Fort Rucker Studio), Patrick Brown (from his new but also disclosed location) and Grant Ramey (from GoVols247’s Blount County Satellite Office in Maryville) convened via the magic of Al Gore’s Internets to discuss the possibility of the SEC adjusting to a conference-only schedule this season, and what that would mean specifically for Tennessee. The Big Ten last week became the first Power-5 conference to abandon non-conference play on account of the ongoing worldwide novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, and the Pac-12 followed suit a bit later in the week. As of Monday morning, though, the other three Power-5 leagues — the SEC, ACC and Big 12 — haven’t announced any major changes. If we’re being real with each other, though, the fact is things are trending toward the other three Power-5 leagues following that same formula, and there are many logical reasons for doing that. The first segment of this episode is an explanation of those reasons, and the second segment is a discussion on which extra SEC Western Division teams would make for the most entertaining matchups. A few other topics are touched on, but Tennessee’s football schedule is main discussion point To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

GoVols247’s Wes Rucker and Patrick Brown convened via the magic of Al Gore’s Internets to discuss Tennessee’s most important players heading into the 2020 season, as well as the latest on the COVID-19 pandemic that’s still threatening that season. The first segment of this episode is the consistently necessary update on where things stand with COVID-19 in the college football world. Things clearly aren’t trending in the right direction at the moment, and the Ivy League announced on Wednesday that it was suspending all fall sports and wouldn’t even consider playing any sport until Jan. 1. The Ivy League is a Division I FCS conference in football, but it’s worth remembering this is the same league that started the suspension dominos rolling back in the spring, as well. Where things stand in the SEC — specifically for Tennessee — is the primary discussion point in the first segment. Football itself is the sole discussion point in the second episode. Pat recently finished his annual series on Tennessee’s most important players heading into the season, and there’s plenty of discussion — with agreements and disagreements — on where certain players should be ranked. It’s certainly a different list from last season’s in many ways. The next GoVols247 Podcast episode will be released Monday, unless major breaking news occurs before that point. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

GoVols247’s full crew — Wes Rucker, Patrick Brown, Grant Ramey and Ryan Callahan — convened via the magic of Al Gore’s Internets to discuss Tennessee football, COVID-19, recruiting and much more. COVID-19 and its impact on the 2020 football season is the primary discussion point in the first segment of this episode. As of Tuesday morning, Tennessee hasn’t confirmed a single positive coronavirus test from any of its players, but the Vols seem to be the exception rather than the norm at this point, and there are serious questions about the 2020 season — whether it will be played as usual, played without fans in the stands, played with reduced numbers of fans in the stands, shortened or even moved to the spring. The NCAA and SEC haven’t said much to this point, but we’re getting closer to the late July range — the time SEC commissioner Greg Sankey and others have mentioned as a target to make serious decisions. After a full discussion on where things stand with the Vols, college football and COVID-19, discussion shifts to recruiting to start the second segment. It’s been a quieter few weeks on that front after a torrid stretch, but there are still important updates to discuss. The performance of Tennessee quarterback commitment Kaidon Salter at the recent Elite 11 showcase is discussed in detail, as well. Jeremy Pruitt and his commitment to giving his players a pedestal to talk social-justice issues and potential solutions is the primary discussion toward the end of the second segment. The next GoVols247 Podcast episode will be released Thursday, unless major breaking news occurs before that point. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

GoVols247’s Wes Rucker, Grant Ramey and Ryan Callahan (from his house) convened via the magic of Al Gore’s Internets to discuss four-star tight end Hudson Wolfe’s commitment to Tennessee. Wolfe, the nation’s No. 225 overall prospect and No. 9 tight end prospect in the 2021 industry-generated 247Sports Composite, chose Tennessee over Ohio State despite the Buckeyes arguably being his leader for much of the process. The Buckeyes, who have the nation’s No. 1 recruiting class, and the Vols, who have the nation’s No. 3 recruiting class, fought to add Wolfe into the mix, but the 6-foot-6, 240-pound West Tennessee native ultimately chose the in in-state Vols. What kind of prospect is Wolfe? How does he fit into the Vols’ plans? Will be able to stay at the tight end spot as a big, in-line tight end? How did Tennessee rally and close the deal? What does this commitment mean for the numbers in Tennessee’s crowded class? Since Wolfe is just the third in-state commitment to this class, how have the Vols built such a strong class without a strong in-state base? Those are the main questions discussed in this episode. The next GoVols247 Podcast episode will be released Thursday, unless major breaking news occurs before that point. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

GoVols247’s Wes Rucker and Patrick Brown convened via the magic of Al Gore’s Internets to give an update on all things Tennessee football. And most of that news is good news. After a quick discussion on the status of senior running back Tim Jordan following an off-field incident his native Florida, the focus shifts to the sunnier side and stays there for the rest of the episode. Veterans started arriving back on campus last week, and newcomers arrived over the weekend, meaning approximately 90 members of the Tennessee football team are back on campus for workouts. The newcomers have arrived just two weeks later than initial plans before the outbreak of the worldwide coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. There’s a protocol in place for monitoring the players during their time on campus and in the facility, and there are plans in place in case any of them test positive for the virus. Workouts will be structured differently, and housing accommodation has been tweaked, but the bottom line is players are back on campus and things are starting to look more and more promising for a return to something resembling normal this fall. Updates on several of Tennessee’s recently enrolled newcomers are included in this episode. The next GoVols247 Podcast episode will be released Thursday, unless major breaking news occurs before that point. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

GoVols247’s Wes Rucker (from Fort Rucker Studio), Ryan Callahan (from his house across town) and Patrick Brown (from an undisclosed location) convened via the magic of Al Gore’s Internets to discuss jumbo Alabama athlete Trinity Bell’s Friday commitment to Tennessee. The 6-foot-7, 260-pound Bell, who plays at Albertville High School in Albertville, N.C., adds another versatile athlete to a Tennessee class that already has several Swiss Army Knife players. What kind of prospect is Bell? What positions on which side of the ball could he play at Tennessee, and how will he need to change his body in order to play those spots? Do the benefits to adding so many versatile athletes in a class outweigh the risks of signing so many players without defined positions? How has Tennessee tight ends coach Joe Osovet been able to hit the ground running so quickly in his first season recruiting on the road? Those are the main topics of discussion in this episode. The next GoVols247 Podcast episode will be released Monday, unless major breaking news occurs before that point. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

GoVols247’s Wes Rucker, Ryan Callahan and Patrick Brown convened via Al Gore’s Internets to discuss four-star North Carolina athlete Kaemen Marley’s Wednesday commitment to Tennessee. The 6-foot-2, 206-pound Marley, who plays at Eastern Randolph High School in Ramseur, N.C., adds another versatile athlete to a Tennessee class that already has several Swiss Army Knife players. What kind of prospect is Marley? What positions on which side of the ball could he play at Tennessee, and how will he need to change his body in order to play those spots? Is Marley’s relative lack of competition at his small school an issue? How important has it been for Tennessee to get back into North Carolina in a big way? How much of a help has Jay Graham been in that process? Those are the main topics of discussion in this episode. This week’s first GoVols247 Podcast episode — an episode breaking down touted Atlanta-area tight end Miles Campbell’s commitment to Tennessee — can be found HERE. The next GoVols247 Podcast episode will be released Monday, unless major breaking news occurs before that point. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

GoVols247’s Wes Rucker, Grant Ramey and Ryan Callahan convened via the Al Gore’s Internets to discuss Atlanta-area tight end Miles Campbell’s commitment to Tennessee. The 6-foot-3, 234-pound Campbell has nearly 30 offers but chose the Vols over Florida State and many others. What kind of prospect is Campbell? What kind of a tight end does he project to be at the college level? Can he develop into an all-around tight end, or will he remain more of a pass catcher at that spot? How many more tight ends will Tennessee hope to sign in this cycle after not getting any for-sure tight ends (some could move there) in the 2020 cycle? Those are the main points of discussion in this breaking-news episode. The next GoVols247 Podcast episode will be released later in the week, unless major breaking news occurs before that point. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

GoVols247’s full staff — Wes Rucker, Grant Ramey, Ryan Callahan and Patrick Brown — convened via Al Gore’s Internets to discuss top-100 quarterback Kaidon Salter’s Sunday commitment to Tennessee. Salter — the nation’s No. 88 overall prospect and No. 4 dual-threat quarterback prospect, according to the analysts at 247Sports — chose the Vols over a long list of offers. What kind of prospect is Salter? Is he a thrower who can run, a runner who can throw or both of those things? Where was he on Tennessee’s big board? How important is it to sign at least one quarterback every year? What does his commitment mean for a Tennessee recruiting class that’s getting bigger and bigger? Those are the main points of discussion in this breaking-news episode. The next GoVols247 Podcast episode will be released Monday, unless major breaking news occurs before that point. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

GoVols247’s full staff — Wes Rucker, Grant Ramey, Ryan Callahan and Patrick Brown — convened via Al Gore’s Internets to discuss Top247 Maryland linebacker linebacker Aaron Willis’ Sunday commitment to Tennessee. The Vols stayed crazy hot on the trail by adding their second elite player from powerhouse St. Frances Academy in two days, and their third in the past two years. What kind of prospect is Willis? Where does he fit into the plans for Tennessee’s defense? Is he potentially a plug-and-play type? What does his commitment mean for Tennessee’s class moving forward? Those are the primary points of discussion in this episode. The next GoVols247 Podcast episode will be released Monday, unless major breaking news occurs before that point. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

GoVols247’s full staff — Wes Rucker, Grant Ramey, Ryan Callahan and Patrick Brown — convened via Al Gore’s Internets to discuss Top247 Maryland defensive lineman KaTron Evans’ Saturday commitment to Tennessee. Evans — the nation’s No. 179 overall prospect in the 2021 industry-generated 247Sports Composite — chose Tennessee over a list of at least 40 other offers, including some of the top programs in the current college landscape. What kind of prospect is the 6-foot-4, 320-pound Evans? Is he definitely a nose guard, or can he play other spots up front? How important is the pipeline Tennessee is building to national powerhouse St. Frances Academy in Baltimore? What does this addition mean for the rest of Tennessee’s class, especially along the defensive front? What’s next for the red-hot Vols on the recruiting trail? Those are the primary points of discussion in this breaking-news episode. The next GoVols247 Podcast episode will be released Monday, unless major breaking news occurs before that point. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

GoVols247’s full staff — Wes Rucker, Grant Ramey, Ryan Callahan, and Patrick Brown convened via Al Gore’s Internets to discuss the ridiculous run of commitments that took Tennessee from No. 17 to No. 2 nationally in 247Sports Team Recruiting rankings in just nine days. Five-star edge rusher Dylan Brooks got the party started with his somewhat unexpected commitment to the Vols, and the rest is history. After eight commitments in nine days, the Vols now sit behind only Ohio State in the national rankings. After spending the past two weeks discussing the individual trees, this episode takes a step back and discusses the forest. How did Tennessee get this done? How much longer can this heater last? Where do the Vols go from there? Those are the main questions discussed in this episode — the first episode we’ve ever done as a full staff from four separate locations, so bear with us as we work out these quarantine kinks. The next GoVols247 Podcast episode will be released Friday, unless major breaking news occurs before that point. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

GoVols247’s Wes Rucker, Patrick Brown and Ryan Callahan convened via Al Gore’s Internets to discuss Top247 offensive lineman Colby Smith's commitment to Tennessee. A torrid stretch of eight commitments in nine days has pushed Tennessee into the No. 2 spot nationally in the 247Sports Team Recruiting rankings, but this episode primarily focuses on the newest addition to the class. What kind of prospect is Smith? How did Tennessee turn a kid who admittedly grew up a North Carolina fan? Does Smith definitely project at offensive tackle moving forward? How much development will he need before getting in the mix to play? What does his addition mean for the rest of Tennessee’s O-line recruiting plans in this cycle? Which prospects might jump into the boat next? Those are the primary discussion points in this episode. The next GoVols247 Podcast episode will be released Tuesday, unless major breaking news occurs before that point. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

GoVols247’s Wes Rucker (from Fort Rucker Studio) and Grant Ramey (from GoVols247’s Blount County Satellite Office in Maryville) and Ryan Callahan (from his house across town) convened via the magic of Al Gore’s Internets to discuss Top247 running back Cody Brown’s commitment to Tennessee. The Vols have been on an absolute bender in the past week, adding seven commitments — all from touted prospects with big offers — and surging into the No. 3 spot nationally in the 247Sports Team Recruiting Rankings. Again, it’s tough to keep up with torrid Tennessee on the trail these days, but this episode nonetheless touches on tons of topics in only one, easily-digestible segment. What kind of prospect is Brown? Where does he fit into the future of Tennessee’s backfield? Is Tennessee finally getting the kind of running backs Jeremy Pruitt and his staff wanted from the beginning? How are the Vols staying so ridiculously hot on the recruiting trail? Who might be the next to jump into the boat? How can a Rucker and a Brown commit to Tennessee on the same day while those named Ramey and Callahan do nothing for the Vols? Those are the primary discussion points in this episode. The next GoVols247 Podcast episode will be released early this week, unless major breaking news occurs before that point. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

GoVols247’s Wes Rucker (from Fort Rucker Studio) and Grant Ramey (from GoVols247’s Blount County Satellite Office in Maryville) and Ryan Callahan (from his house across town) convened via the magic of Al Gore’s Internets to discuss touted Florida safety De’Shawn Rucker’s commitment to Tennessee. The Vols have been on an absolute bender in the past week, adding six commitments — all from touted prospects with big offers — and surging into the No. 3 spot nationally in the 247Sports Team Recruiting Rankings. It’s tough to keep up with torrid Tennessee on the trail these days, but this episode nonetheless touches on tons of topics in only one, easily-digestible segment. What kind of prospect is Rucker? Does he project as more of a safety or a versatile player in the Tennessee secondary? How did the Vols convince him to pick them despite an offer sheet that included Clemson, Alabama, Auburn, LSU, the Big Three in Florida and many, many more? How in the world has Tennessee done what it’s done in the past week? Who’s the next domino to potentially fall into the Vols’ lap? What does this commitment mean for the rest of Tennessee’s 2021 class? Those are the primary discussion points in this episode. The next GoVols247 Podcast episode will be released early this week, unless major breaking news occurs before that point. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

GoVols247’s Wes Rucker (from Fort Rucker Studio) and Grant Ramey (from GoVols247’s Blount County Satellite Office in Maryville) and Ryan Callahan (from his house across town) convened via the magic of Al Gore’s Internets to discuss five-star South Florida linebacker Terrence Lewis' commitment to Tennessee. Lewis, the nation’s No. 10 overall prospect and No. 1 outside linebacker prospect in the 2021 industry-generated 247Sports Composite, became the fourth elite prospect to commit to Tennessee in an absolutely wild recruiting week for Jeremy Pruitt and his program. There’s plenty of things to squeeze into this one-segment episode, but that’s what was done. How in the world did Tennessee get this hot during the COVID-19 quarantine period? What kind of prospect is Lewis? Where does Lewis project positionally at Tennessee? How much is peer recruiting helping the Vols at the moment? Where could things be going now in this class? Will some prospects feel the need to try getting a spot now, while they can? Those are the main topics of discussion in this episode. The next GoVols247 Podcast episode will be released by Monday, unless major breaking news occurs before that point. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

GoVols247’s Wes Rucker (from Fort Rucker Studio) and Patrick Brown (from his house at an undisclosed location) convened via the magic of Al Gore’s Internets to discuss the 2020 NFL Draft that was and the 2021 NFL Draft would be as they related to the Vols. It wasn’t supposed to be a big draft for the Vols in 2020, especially after star offensive lineman Trey Smith chose to return to school for his senior season, and it definitely wasn’t a big draft. Two Vols came off the board, though, with edge rusher Darrell Taylor going to the Seattle Seahawks in the second round and wide receiver Jauan Jennings going to the San Francisco 49ers in the seventh round. Several more Vols were quickly snatched up as free agents after the draft, though, with wide receiver Marquez Callaway going to the New Orleans Saints, safety Nigel Warrior going to the Baltimore Ravens and tight end Dominick Wood-Anderson joining Taylor in Seattle. Another former Tennessee star — inside linebacker Daniel Bituli — wasn’t selected and hasn’t signed a free-agent deal yet, but 247Sports broke the story on Bituli’s situation and explained why he’s expected to sign somewhere in the near future. A hefty discussion on the Vols who were drafted and those who signed free-agent deals (and Bituli) is featured throughout the first segment of this episode. There was plenty to discuss there, though, so it was a lengthy segment. The 2021 NFL Draft becomes the focal point of the show in the second segment, and that should be at least a slightly bigger deal for the Vols. A dozen-or-so Tennessee players who could be selected in next year’s draft, so there was plenty to discuss in that segment, as well, but this episode was neatly split into two distinct segments for those who don’t have the time to squeeze everything into one listening window. The next GoVols247 Podcast episode will be released Thursday, unless major breaking news occurs before that point. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

GoVols247’s Wes Rucker (from Fort Rucker Studio) and Patrick Brown (from his house at an undisclosed location) and Ryan Callahan (from his house across town) convened via the magic of Al Gore’s Internets to discuss four-star wide receiver Julian Nixon’s commitment to Tennessee. The 6-foot-3, 230-pound Nixon has been a big-time prospect since early in his career at Centennial High School in Roswell, Ga., but he claimed to choose Tennessee over Ohio State and Georgia. Auburn was a factor for much of his recruitment, as well, and for a while the Tigers seemed to be the team to beat. Ultimately, though, the No. 238 overall player in the 2021 industry-generated 247Sports Composite chose the Vols. Nixon became the Vols’ third high-profile commitment in three days, joining five star-edge rusher Dylan Brooks (who committed to Sunday) and four-star safety Kamar Wilcoxson (who committed to Monday) as the newest additions to a Tennessee class that has soared from No. 17 to No. 5 nationally in less than 48 hours. What kind of player is Nixon? How does he fit into Tennessee’s system? Is he definitely a wide receiver going forward, or could be grow into a tight end or a hybrid pass catcher? How has Tennessee gotten so hot on the recruiting trail during this prolonged dead period caused by the COVID-19 pandemic? Is recruiting momentum a real thing, or is this three-day heater a coincidence? What does this commitment mean for the rest of Tennessee’s 2021 class? Those are the main topics discussed in this one-segment episode. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

GoVols247’s Wes Rucker (from Fort Rucker Studio) and Patrick Brown (from his house at an undisclosed location) and Ryan Callahan (from his house across town) convened via the magic of Al Gore’s Internets to discuss four-star defensive back Kamar Wilcoxson’s commitment to Tennessee. Wilcoxson, the nation’s No. 14 safety prospect in the 2021 industry-generated 247Sports Composite, de-committed from Florida twice during the process before choosing Tennessee on Monday. He had more than 30 offers and chose the Vols over the likes of Alabama, Ohio State and, of course, Florida. The 6-foot-1, 190-pound Wilcoxson is an Atlanta-area native who recently transferred to powerhouse IMG Academy in Florida in order to help him transition more smoothly to the college level, but the work he did back home was plenty good enough to get offers from the best programs in college football. What kind of a prospect is Wilcoxson? Does he project as a safety, a cornerback, a nickel or perhaps all of the above? How have Jeremy Pruitt and his staff gotten so hot on the recruiting trail during the COVID-19 pandemic quarantine? Is Wilcoxson really done with the recruiting process this time? What does his commitment mean for the Vols’ class? How long can Tennessee stay this hot? Those are some of the many discussion points squeezed into this one-segment episode. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

GoVols247’s Wes Rucker (from Fort Rucker Studio) and Grant Ramey (from GoVols247’s Blount County Satellite Office in Maryville) and Ryan Callahan (from his house across town) convened via the magic of Al Gore’s Internets to discuss five-star Alabama edge rusher Dylan Brooks’ commitment to Tennessee. Brooks, the nation’s No. 18 overall prospect in the 2021 industry-generated 247Sports Composite, could have committed anywhere, but the top-ranked player in Alabama chose Tennessee over in-state powers Alabama and Auburn, reigning national champion LSU and others. A decision like this will send shockwaves across the college football landscape, and there’s so much to discuss. Since this was a breaking-news episode, though, there wasn’t much time in which to discuss it. So a lot of topics were including in rapid-fire succession. How did Tennessee pull off this coup? Why didn’t Brooks choose Alabama, Auburn or LSU? What does this say about Jeremy Pruitt and his staff? Why has Tennessee had so much recruiting success in Alabama recently? What kind of prospect is Brooks? How much time will Brooks need to contribute? What does this mean for the rest of Tennessee’s 2021 class? Those are just some of the topics discussed in this one-segment episode. The next GoVols247 Podcast episode will be released Monday, unless major breaking news occurs before that point. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

GoVols247’s Wes Rucker (from Fort Rucker Studio) and NBCSports’ college basketball writer Rob Dauster (from his home in the Washington D.C. area) convened via the magic of Al Gore’s Internets to discuss where one Tennessee senior and perhaps one Tennessee junior could play at the next level, and where things stand for Rick Barnes’ program heading into the 2020-21 season. Dauster seems to higher than most analysts on the potential NBA future of Tennessee junior Yves Pons, the newly minted SEC Defensive Player of the Year. Pons still hasn’t announced an intention to declare for the NBA Draft without hiring an agent, but there’s no reason to believe he’d do anything else. Every college player is allowed to do that one time but still return to school as long as they don’t hire an agent, and Pons is a junior, so it makes sense to at least test the waters. While some remain on the fence of skeptical of Pons’ professional future, at least in this country, Dauster sees things differently. He has Pons ranked No. 32 overall on the most recent version of his hot board, and he offered several reasons for that belief. Dauster also discussed the potential NBA future of former Tennessee guard Jordan Bowden, a Knoxville native who started all four seasons for the hometown Vols and played a pivotal role in the program’s rebirth in the Barnes era. Bowden was pegged by many as a potential breakout star heading into his senior season, but a prolonged shooting slump plagued much of that season. Bowden’s elite athleticism and two-way ability still have him firmly on the radar of at least a few NBA organizations, though, and probably more than that, and Dauster spoke about Bowden’s potential going forward. While much of the discussion with Dauster focused on Pons and Bowden, the conversation concluded with a chat about the Vols heading into next season. Putting it mildly, Dauster is very high on Tennessee heading into next season, and he offered several reasons to support that claim. The next GoVols247 Podcast episode will be released Monday, unless major breaking news occurs before that point. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

GoVols247’s Wes Rucker (from Fort Rucker Studio) and Patrick Brown (from his house at an undisclosed location across town) convened via the magic of Al Gore’s Internets to discuss an offseason checklist of sorts for Tennessee’s quarterbacks and wide receivers. The secondary at Tennessee has always been a well-coached group under head coach Jeremy Pruitt and defensive coordinator Derrick Ansley, and the Vols return plenty of experience from last season. Segment No. 1 of this episode focuses on Tennessee’s deep cornerback spots. That group — led by junior star Bryce Thompson — has the potential to become one of the SEC’s best in 2020, if junior Alontae Taylor, sophomore Warren Burrell, senior Kenneth George Jr. and others take a step forward. A strong finish last season from Shawn Shamburger helped Tennessee solidify the crucial nickel spot in the secondary, and Shamburger will return for his senior season to give the Vols another important piece of the puzzle. Some discussion on Shamburger and the other options at nickel are included in the first segment. The safeties take center stage in the second segment of this episode, and there’s plenty to discuss there, as well. Nigel Warrior last season finally became the All-SEC-caliber player so many expected him to be, but he was a senior and is currently preparing for the NFL Draft. Tennessee returns plenty of talent and experience at the safety positions, though, with sophomore Jaylen McCollough, junior Trevon Flowers and senior Theo Jackson expected to be the top three competitors for the starting spots. Others, including talented sophomore Tyus Fields, also hope to get themselves into the mix. Discussion on Tennessee’s two (and potentially three) secondary newcomers — versatile athletes Keyshawn Lawrence and Tamarion McDonald, and safety Doneiko Slaughter — hope to get themselves in the mix, as well, and discussion on all three of those freshmen is included in this episode. There’s also discussion senior Baylen Buchanan, a former starter who will be back in the mix at cornerback if he’s able to overcome a complicated health situation that forced him to redshirt last season. The next GoVols247 Podcast episode will be released Thursday, unless major breaking news occurs before that point. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

GoVols247’s Wes Rucker (from Fort Rucker Studio) and Grant Ramey (from GoVols247’s Blount County Satellite Office in Maryville) convened via the magic of Al Gore’s Internets to respond to several questions from Tennessee fans on GoVols247’s CheckerBoard and social media. Perhaps it doesn’t seem like there’s much happening in the sports world at the moment, but there’s always plenty happening at Tennessee and always plenty of interesting things to discuss regarding the Vols’ past, present and future. There were plenty of interesting questions from Tennessee fans to answer in this episode. Football, basketball, recruiting and much more are discussed in detail in this full-hour episode. The next GoVols247 Podcast episode will be released Wednesday, unless major breaking news occurs before that point. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

GoVols247’s Wes Rucker (from Fort Rucker Studio) and Ryan Callahan (from his house across town) convened via the magic of Al Gore’s Internets to discuss big Alabama wide receiver Roc Taylor’s Friday afternoon commitment to Tennessee. The 6-foot-4, 205-pound Taylor chose Tennessee over a list of several other offers, including SEC programs Florida and Arkansas. He became the Vols’ 10th commitment in the 2021 class and their third commitment during this recruiting dead period caused by the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic. What kind of prospect is Taylor? Is he definitely a wide receiver going forward, or could a move to tight end or somewhere else come down the line? Why have the Vols been able to continue recruiting so effectively during this dead period, and does this 10-strong foundation at such an early period help them become more selective the rest of the cycle and focus on the players toward the top of their board? What does the addition of Taylor mean for the recruiting at the wide receiver and tight end positions for the rest of this cycle? Those are the main discussion points in this quick, one-segment episode. The next GoVols247 Podcast episode will be released by Monday, unless major breaking news occurs before that point. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

GoVols247’s Wes Rucker (from Fort Rucker Studio) and Patrick Brown (from his house at an undisclosed location in Knox County) convened via the magic of Al Gore’s Internets to discuss a Tennessee front seven that lost a couple of leading men after last season but returns plenty of potential and plenty of experience. The first segment of this episode focuses on the defensive line — an area of depth and strength for Tennessee heading into the 2020 season. Every contributor from last season’s team is back, and senior Emmit Gooden — arguably the team’s best returning player at that point heading into 2019 — will be back after missing all of last season while recovering from a torn ACL. How did the Vols turn a potentially huge deficiency into a solid unit last season? How much can that group improve going forward? Will this unit continue to be a strength-in-numbers group, or could some individual players emerge as stars? Will any newcomers or 2019 reserves force their way into the mix? Those are some of the main questions discussed in the first segment. Linebackers take their turn on the docket in the second segment of this episode. There’s no question that Tennessee will be challenged to replace the experience, talent and productivity of inside linebacker Daniel Bituli and outside linebacker/edge rusher Darrell Taylor, who were among the SEC’s best players at their positions. The Vols do have some solid pieces, though, and they have an excellent foundation piece in sophomore inside linebacker Henry To’o To’o. They also have some intriguing options who played smaller roles on last season’s team, and they signed several intriguing talents to add to the mix. Tennessee’s linebackers are probably the team’s most difficult position group to project in 2020, because there’s a lot of interesting talent and undeniable upside in that group but also a lot of questions and a lot of experience and production to replace. That group will provide plenty of interesting discussion for the next several months, so why not start now? The next GoVols247 Podcast episode will be released Friday, unless major breaking news occurs before that point. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

GoVols247’s Wes Rucker went into Fort Rucker Studio to briefly discuss some recent news before giving way to the main course of this episode — a lengthy discussion with Tennessee football coach Jeremy Pruitt about how he and his program are handling this unusual quarantine period and an uncertain future that will (at some point) follow it. Pruitt recently sat down for a half-hour to discuss where things stand for him, his program and the rest of the college football world at the moment, and he offered some candid remarks about the uncertainties facing everyone and football’s proper place in the world in a time like the present. Tennessee’s coach also offered some interesting insights into his daily life these days, and how different things have been with him working from home in a house full of young children. The next GoVols247 Podcast episode will be released Wednesday, unless major breaking news occurs before that point. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

GoVols247’s Wes Rucker (from Fort Rucker Studio) and special guest Jayson Swain (from his house across town) convened via the magic of Al Gore’s Internets to discuss the shock to the system that this coronavirus shutdown is having on Tennessee football players. Swain, who caught 126 passes while starring at Tennessee from 2003-06, returned to Knoxville after his playing days were done and started a new (and equally successful) career in the radio business. He hosts The Swain Event every morning from 7-10 Eastern. As a former star and captain at Tennessee, Swain has a unique insight into just how weird it will be for the current Vols to spend such an extended period of time away from their coaches, teammates and sanctioned workouts. How will — or at least should — the Vols occupy their time during this indefinite leave from campus? How can a player stay physically and mentally sharp without the use of a full weight room and teammates to workout with in the complex? Is it possible for a player to do that? It's worth mentioning that players almost never, at any point in the calendar year, spend more than a week or two away from some kind of action. This will be a shock to their systems. There's no way around that. But how can that shock be mitigated in some way? Swain's as good a place as any to start looking for some answers, and this episode, in addition to being a good old-fashioned Swain and Rucker reunion, is a search for those answers. The next GoVols247 Podcast episode will be released later this week. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

GoVols247’s Wes Rucker (from Fort Rucker Studio) and Grant Ramey (from GoVols247's Blount County Satellite Office in Maryville) convened via the magic of Al Gore’s Internets to put a bow on Tennessee's 2019-20 basketball season and look forward to what could be a fantastic 2020-21 season. This past season was never a dull one for Rick Barnes and his Vols, who were dealt a crushing blow when fifth-year senior point guard and unquestioned team leader Lamonte Turner went down with a season-ending shoulder injury. Tennessee took a while to adjust to Turner's absence, and despite the emergence of junior forward John Fulkerson as a star and the remarkable impact from mid-year enrollee point guard Santiago Vescovi, the Vols remained an erratic bunch most of the season and were a longshot — not impossible, but a longshot — to make the NCAA Tournament before the postseason was cancelled because of the worldwide novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. What did we learn about the Vols this season? What went right, what we wrong and what was somewhere in between? That's the focus of the first segment of this episode. The future is the focus of the second segment of this episode, though, and the future for these Vols is expected to be bright. Tennessee seems to be a consensus top-15 team heading into next season, because most of the current roster returns and it will be bolstered by arguably the best signing class in program history — and that's not including the addition of Sacred Heart all-conference forward E.J. Anosike as a grad transfer, and the addition of Victor Bailey Jr., a versatile, ultra-athletic guard who sat out this season while transferring from Oregon. Why are people so excited about this team? Well, there are many legitimate reasons for that, and those reasons are discussed in detail in this episode. Past. Present. Future. All of them are discussed in this episode. The next GoVols247 Podcast episode will be released Thursday, unless breaking news occurs before that point. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Looking for some discussion on Tennessee's newest football commitment? There’s a GoVols247 Podcast for that. GoVols247’s Wes Rucker (from Fort Rucker Studio) and Ryan Callahan (from his house across town) convened via the magic of Al Gore’s Internets to discuss in-state wide receiver Walker Merrill's commitment to Tennessee. Merrill — an Nashville-area star who has been on the Vols' target board for a long time — gave Tennessee its second commitment of this unique, coronavirus-quarantine period. What kind of player is he, though? Where does he fit in the Vols' system? What does his addition mean for this class? Those are some of the questions discussed in this breaking-news episode. The next GoVols247 Podcast episode will be released later this week. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

GoVols247’s Wes Rucker (from Fort Rucker Studio) and Ryan Callahan (from his house across town) convened via the magic of Al Gore’s Internets to discuss speedy running back Jaylen Wright's commitment to Tennessee. Wright, a 5-foot-11, 187-pound star at Southern High School in Durham, N.C., chose the Vols over a list of offers that included Miami, Arizona State and Syracuse, among others. He became the eighth public commitment and second public running back commitment in Tennessee's 2021 class, and he also hopes to run track for the Vols. How much of an impact did Jay Graham play in this process? What kind of player is Wright? How do his skills project to the next level? Is he merely a speed merchant, or does he have the potential be much more? What's next for Tennessee at the running back position in this class? How much does the uncertainly of the Zach Evans situation play into that? Those are some of the main discussion points in a breaking-news episode that covers a lot of ground in a small amount of time. The next GoVols247 Podcast episode will be released later this week. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

GoVols247’s Wes Rucker (from Fort Rucker Studio) and Patrick Brown (from his house at an undisclosed location across town) convened via the magic of Al Gore’s Internets to discuss Sacred Heart grad-transfer forward E.J. Anosike’s commitment to Tennessee on Friday. The Pioneers star chose Tennessee over the rest of his top seven, a group that included Gonzaga, Louisville, Georgetown, Wake Forest, Georgia and Boston College. Anosike, a younger brother of former Lady Vols star Nicky Anosike, spent the past three seasons at NCAA Division I program Sacred Heart, where the versatile forward blossomed into an All-Northeast Conference star. The 6-foot-6, 245-pound Anosike averaged 15.7 points, 11.6 rebounds and 1.7 assists last season, shooting nearly 50 percent from the foot and also showing some range to the 3-point line at times. He did most of his damage in the paint, though, much like his older siblings. Nicky was a two-time national champion as a frontline force for the Lady Vols, and OD Anosike twice led Division I in rebounding at Sienna before embarking on a professional career overseas. What kind of player is the younger Anosike? How does he fit into the Tennessee program, both from a talent and personality standpoint? What does this addition mean for the Vols? Discussions on several of those topics — and you’ll probably like answers — are included in this breaking-news episode. The next GoVols247 Podcast episode will be released by Monday, unless major breaking news occurs before that point. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

GoVols247’s Wes Rucker (from Fort Rucker Studio) and Patrick Brown (from his house at an undisclosed location across town) convened via the magic of Al Gore’s Internets to discuss an offseason checklist of sorts for Tennessee’s quarterbacks and wide receivers. It wasn’t the spring anyone in the college football world envisioned, and some of Tennessee’s January enrollees — including touted quarterback signee Harrison Bailey and fellow quarterback (at least for now) Jimmy Holiday — had just three practices with their new teammates. In that sense, it’s tough to suggest anything has changed since the end of last season, when Jarrett Guarantano was the team’s primary player at the position. Assuming football gets going again at some point in the future, though, the opinion of Coach Jeremy Pruitt is that all five of Tennessee’s scholarship quarterbacks and Maryland transfer Kasim Hill (who’s a walk-on in Knoxville) have a chance to earn the first-team spot. Pruitt was clear about that early in spring camp, and he’s never been the type to treat quarterbacks much differently from those at any other position. You have to earn the job and keep the job, or someone else will be on the field. Will Guarantano remain the man to beat there? What will it take for him to fully re-earn his spot atop the depth chart? Which players have a legitimate chance to take that job from him, and what do they need to do in order to make that happen? All things quarterback — including Brian Maurer and J.T. Shrout — are discussed in the first segment. Receivers take the stage in the second segment, and there’s no shortage of things to discuss there, either. Tennessee has to replace a pair of special wideouts in Jauan Jennings and Marquez Callaway, and Tyler Byrd was a big figure in the locker room, as well, but the Vols do have a long list of intriguing options there. Can Josh Palmer translate his undeniable talent into a starring role as a legitimate No. 1 target? Will Brandon Johnson’s decision to redshirt last season and return as a fifth-year senior pay dividends for him and the Vols? Will Georgia transfer Deangelo Gibbs get and stay focused and take advantage of the same talents he largely squandered during his time in Athens? Will speedy transfer Velus Jones Jr. from Southern Cal make an impact? Will promising underclassmen Ramel Keyton and Cedric Tillman make big strides as sophomores? What about the trio of gifted pass-catching targets who arrive this summer? How much of an impact can they make as true freshmen. Admittedly, there are more questions than answers for the Vols at wide receiver right now, but they do have options, and some of them are exciting options. There’s a ton to discuss about that position, as well, and that discussion occurs in the second segment of this episode. The next GoVols247 Podcast episode will be released Thursday, unless major breaking news occurs before that point. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

GoVols247’s Wes Rucker (from Fort Rucker Studio) and Grant Ramey (from GoVols247’s Blount County Satellite Office in Maryville) convened via the magic of Al Gore’s Internets to discuss Jalen Johnson’s decision to enter the transfer portal and what that means for Rick Barnes and his Vols moving forward. The 6-foot-7, left-handed Johnson was the highest ranked signee in Tennessee’s 2016 class, but injuries dampened the start of his career, and things never really took off for him in Knoxville. The injury to Lamonte Turner opened a door for Johnson to play a large role this season, but he averaged just 3.5 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 15.7 minutes per game. Tennessee will have another pair of five-star guards (Jaden Springer and Keon Johnson) in the fold next season, and Oregon transfer Victor Bailey Jr. will be eligible after sitting out last season, so it’s tough to see Johnson getting as much playing time for the Vols as a fifth-year senior. When seen through that lens, Johnson’s transfer makes sense for both sides involved. Johnson’s teammates have sworn for several seasons that he’s been one the program’s most talented players, and he’s always been a hard worker and great teammate, never making a fuss behind the scenes despite not getting as much playing time as he wanted. Those traits have endeared him to everyone in the program, and there’s genuine belief from those in the program that Johnson could be a really good player somewhere. The flip side of Johnson’s transfer is obvious: Tennessee suddenly has an open scholarship for the 2020-21 season, and the Vols now have a chance to go find a player — preferably a big man — who can improve what already looks like one of the nation’s most talented rosters. There will be serious interest in that spot. But what kind of big man should Tennessee be targeting. There’s a brief discussion on that toward the end of this episode. As with all breaking news pods, this was a one-segment episode, but there was a lot to discuss in that short time. The next GoVols247 Podcast episode will be released Tuesday, unless major breaking news occurs before that point. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

GoVols247’s Wes Rucker (from Fort Rucker Studio) and Patrick Brown (from his house and at undisclosed location across town) convened via the magic of Al Gore’s Internets to discuss Tennessee strength coach Craig Fitzgerald’s move to the New York Giants and what that means for the Vols. Fitzgerald is widely regarded as one of the game’s premier strength coaches, so there’s no way to sugarcoat his absence, but Vols coach Jeremy Pruitt has a solid track record of identifying good people for his staff. Hiring good people means you have to fight to keep them and often lose them, but that’s better than not having good people, right? A move like this means there’s plenty to discuss, and much of that discussion is crammed neatly into this 15-minute chat. The next GoVols247 Podcast episode will be released later in the week, unless major breaking news occurs before that point. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Wes Rucker (from Fort Rucker Studio) and Patrick Brown (from his house at an unspecified location) convened via the magic of Al Gore's Internets to discuss the impact of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on college sports and what options the Vols and everyone else have going forward. The first segment of this episode is a general discussion on where things stand for various college sports — fall, winter and spring sports — during this extended hiatus. Obviously this was shaping up to be potentially the best Tennessee baseball season in years, so Tony Vitello and his BaseVols came up a good bit in that segment. But football, basketball and other sports were discussed, as well. Football takes the stage by itself in the second segment of this episode, with a discussion on what kind of options Tennessee and the rest of the college football world has at this point. Tennessee has been through two spring practices. Some programs have had more, and some haven’t started yet. Is there any kind of a fair or fairish way to handle this situation? Those options — plus the few things we gleaned from this limited viewing we had of the Vols this spring — are discussed in the second segment. The next GoVols247 Podcast episode will be released by Wednesday, unless major breaking news occurs before that point. A mailbag podcast episode also will be published later in the week. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

GoVols247’s Wes Rucker (from Fort Rucker Studio) and Ryan Callahan (from his house across town) convened via the magic of Al Gore’s Internets to discuss Tennessee’s two football commitments from this weekend. Saturday was a big day for Jeremy Pruitt and his Vols, who added commitments from Alabama safety Edwin White and North Carolina defensive lineman Isaac Washington. Both of Saturday’s commits have been on Tennessee’s radar for a long time. White was offered within Pruitt’s first week on the job in Knoxville, and Washington has had an offer for a long time and re-committed to the program after de-committing following the departure of former defensive line coach Tracy Rocker. Washington apparently learned all he needed to learn about new defensive line coach Jimmy Brumbaugh, and he quickly put himself back in the fold. Discussion on White and Washington dominates this episode. What kind of prospects are they? Who else offered them? How much upside do they have? What do 247Sports’ analysts think about them? How did White always find himself around the football as a turnover machine last season? Those are some of the topics discussed in this episode. The next GoVols247 Podcast episode will be released by Monday, unless major breaking news occurs before that point. Tennessee’s spring camp is scheduled to start Tuesday afternoon. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

GoVols247’s Wes Rucker and Grant Ramey convened just outside Rupp Arena to discuss Tennessee’s stunning, come-from-behind win at sixth-ranked Kentucky on Tuesday night at Rupp Arena. The Vols trailed by 17 points with less than 17 minutes left but stormed back to silence Rupp with an 81-73 win that pumped some much-needed life back into the program at the business end of the regular season. How did Tennessee pull off Tuesday’s win? What’s gotten into John Fulkerson and Josiah-Jordan James? What does this mean for the Vols moving forward? Those are the primary discussion points of an episode that also features interviews with Vols coach Rick Barnes, Kentucky coach John Calipari and three Tennessee players — Fulkerson, James and junior guard Jalen Johnson. The next GoVols247 Podcast episode will be released by Monday, unless major breaking news occurs before that point. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

GoVols247’s Wes Rucker (from Fort Rucker Studio), Patrick Brown (from his house at an undisclosed location across town) and Grant Ramey (from GoVols247’s Blount County Satellite Office in Maryville) convened via the magic of Al Gore’s Internets to discuss the latest on a Tennessee football spring camp that’s about to start and a Tennessee basketball season that’s nearing win-or-go-home time. After a brief discussion on the hot start of Tony Vitello and his unbeaten, 16th-ranked Tennessee basketball team, football takes center stage for the first segment of this episode. It’s been mostly — not fully, but mostly — a good offseason for Jeremy Pruitt’s Vols, who take the field next to start spring camp. A bulk of the first segment is answers to questions from GoVols247’s CheckerBoard about spring ball. Some non-football questions worked their way into the mix, as well, just for funsies. Rick Barnes and his Tennessee basketball team are the focus of the second segment. The Vols held off Florida for a much-needed win over the weekend in Knoxville, and they close the regular season with their toughest week — a Tuesday trip to sixth-ranked Kentucky at Rupp Arena, and a regular-season finale against 17th-ranked Auburn on Saturday at Thompson-Boling Arena. All things Vols hoops are discussed in the second segment. Topics include the breakout season of John Fulkerson, the return to form of Josiah-Jordan James and what needs to happen for Tennessee to get itself into the postseason. The next GoVols247 Podcast episode will be released by Thursday, unless major breaking news occurs before that point. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

GoVols247’s Wes Rucker (from Fort Rucker Studio) and Grant Ramey (from the GoVols247 Blount County Satellite Office in Maryville) convened via the magic of Al Gore’s Internets to discuss Tennessee football, basketball and even some baseball. After giving a quick shoutout to the unbeaten, 19th-ranked Tennessee baseball team’s hot start to the season, the focus turns to Vols football for the first segment. It’s a huge week for several former Vols at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis. A trio of former Tennessee pass catchers — wide receivers Jauan Jennings and Marquez Callaway, and tight end Dominick Wood-Anderson — went through drills Thursday night, and results were decidedly mixed for all three of them. All three performed really well in some areas but underwhelmed in others and will look to improve on those areas before Pro Timing Day in Knoxville during spring camp. Two more former Vols — inside linebacker Daniel Bituli and edge rusher Darrell Taylor — are also in Indianapolis, and a breakdown of their upcoming performances will be included in a later episode. Focus shifts to Tennessee basketball for the second segment of this episode, and obviously that’s a much rougher situation at the moment. Rick Barnes’ Vols are heading the wrong way at the wrong time of the season, and it remains to be seen whether Tennessee’s postseason will even extend beyond the upcoming SEC Tournament in Nashville. Such is the nature of the current college hoops universe and Tennessee’s schedule that things could change drastically down the stretch, though. The Vols have just three games left in the regular season, and they’re against arguably the league’s best three teams — Florida, Kentucky and Auburn. Tennessee still has at least a small chance to play its way into the NCAA Tournament or out of the postseason altogether unless it wins the SEC Tournament, but there’s no question things are trending the wrong way at the moment in this sandwich transition season full of injuries and other frustrations. A discussion on all things Tennessee basketball dominates the second segment of this episode. The next GoVols247 Podcast episode will be released by Monday, unless major breaking news occurs before that point. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices