GoVols247: A Tennessee Volunteers athletics podcast

GoVols247’s Wes Rucker, Grant Ramey and Patrick Brown went into the Fort Rucker Sun Room — the Fort Rucker Studio somehow is still being renovated — to discuss Tennessee’s 2019 football schedule. We took a few big questions — some from readers, some from ourselves — and tried to answer them. - Is Tennessee more likely to go 6-0 in its “tossup” games or find a way to beat either Alabama, Georgia or Florida? - Which should-be win on Tennessee’s schedule is the scariest? - Which should-be loss on Tennessee’s schedule is the most winnable? - Did Tennessee’s two open dates come at a great time, a terrible time or somewhere in between? A couple of non-football topics — a recap of Tennessee baseball’s return to the NCAA Tournament under new (and hopefully still) coach Tony Vitello, and the Tennessee basketball team’s addition of transfer guard Victor Bailey Jr. from Oregon — also emerged in this episode. Bailey’s decision will be the centerpiece of a hoops podcast next week, but a brief discussion of him was included in this episode, as well. 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 Patrick Brown went into the Fort Rucker Sun Room — the Fort Rucker Studio somehow is still being renovated — to discuss a newsy offseason week for the Tennessee basketball program. As expected, junior All-SEC point guard Jordan Bone became the second Tennessee player to forgo his final season of eligibility and remain in the NBA Draft. All-American and two-time reigning SEC Player of the Year Grant Williams did the same thing last week, meaning the Vols have now lost five contributors (including four starters) from last season’s roster. Bone’s loss was expected, but that won’t make one of the college basketball’s fastest players any easier to replace. But … Tennessee still has some quality, battled-tested backcourt players, and five-star point guard signee Josiah-Jordan James is already on campus, so perhaps this loss isn’t a dealbreaker for the Vols heading into next season. Regardless, it’ll be a challenge, and it’s a challenge discussed in detail on this episode. It wasn’t just tough news this week for Tennessee, though. Uroš Plavšic, a 7-foot-1 Serbia native who finished his high school career in Chattanooga, Tenn., transferred to Tennessee after redshirting in his first and only season at Arizona State. Plavšic has a chance to earn an immediate-eligibility waiver from the NCAA and play next season, and Tennessee’s staff believes there’s a good chance that will happen. Plavšic’s arrival and the impact he could have is discussed in this episode. This episode was recorded before the Vols added another transfer — Oregon guard Victor Bailey Jr., a native of Austin, Texas, who certainly has a connection to Tennessee (and former longtime Texas) coach Rick Barnes. We have a special show planned to discuss Bailey in the very near future. 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 went into the Fort Rucker Sun Room — the Fort Rucker Studio somehow is still being renovated — to discuss plenty of football topics and some baseball. The Tennessee baseball team opens its first NCAA Tournament in 14 years with a Friday night game against Liberty in Chapel Hill, N.C., and there’s plenty to discuss with second-year head coach Tony Vitello’s Vols. But football, as usual, is the meat and potatoes of the Football Friday podcast. Some interesting SEC and Tennessee-specific news emerged from this week’s annual SEC Spring Meetings in Destin, Fla., so there’s plenty to discuss on that front, including the potential of alcohol sales to the general public at Neyland Stadium in the very near future. Tennessee continues to wait on news of the immediate-eligibility waiver appeals for transfers Aubrey Solomon and Deangelo Gibbs, but plenty of other defensive newcomers have enrolled this week and are completely good to go for this season. We discuss those new arrivals in this episode. A couple of Tennessee players (senior linebacker Darrin Kirkland Jr. and sophomore tight end James Brown) have been added to the medical-retirement list, and this episode also features some insight on those unfortunate situations. Recruiting is always a topic on the Football Friday podcast, and this week is no exception. Callahan has the latest on several Tennessee targets heading into the busy, camp-filled portion of the recruiting calendar. 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 went into the Fort Rucker Sun Room — the Fort Rucker Studio somehow is still being renovated — to discuss recruiting classes present and past for Jeremy Pruitt and his Vols. The Vols are sitting on just six 2020 commitment following one recent de-commitment and a couple of commitment decisions that didn’t go their way, which understandably is leading to some concern from a Tennessee fan base hoping to see its team back toward its customary place in college football’s pecking order. Is is really time for concern, though? Few programs can match the recruiting accolades of Tennessee’s current coaching staff, so there’s a history there. And Tennessee didn’t have many more commitments than this 12 months ago, and that class turned out just fine — perhaps not elite, but just fine. Perhaps there’s room somewhere between concern and naivety. Either way, it’s May. But there’s still plenty to discuss. In other news, more of Tennessee’s 2019 signees are set to move to Knoxville and enroll in summer-session classes, and we’ve been in contact with most of those players to provide updated information on them before they officially become Vols. 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 Patrick Brown went into the Fort Rucker Sun Room — the Fort Rucker Studio somehow is still being renovated — to discuss several topics pertaining to Jeremy Pruitt and his Tennessee football program. Pruitt told a Knoxville radio station earlier this week that it’s been a pretty good May for his program to this point, in part because a vast majority of his players have stayed in Knoxville for the mini-term period — the few weeks in between the spring and summer semesters where even student-athletes to go home and relax for a bit. These Vols haven’t done that, though. They couldn’t afford to relax after missing out on 15 badly needed bowl practices after last season, and they don’t seem to be relaxing. Other football topics have emerged in the past week, too, including a viral video posted by defensive line signee Elijah Simmons. That video and several other topics — a general recruiting update (don’t panic, folks) and a shoutout to the 23rd-ranked Tennessee baseball team — are discussed in this 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, Grant Ramey and Patrick Brown went into the Fort Rucker Sun Room — the Fort Rucker Studio somehow is still being renovated — to discuss the NBA Draft preparation process of Tennessee stars Grant Williams, Admiral Schofield, Jordan Bone and Kyle Alexander. Recent mock drafts have included Schofield (a senior) and Williams (a junior) late in the first round, which could be an indication that Williams — the two-time reigning SEC Player of the Year, and a first-team All-American — will forego his senior season and remain in the draft. That obviously would be a big blow for the Vols heading into next season, but having two potential first-round picks and four potential picks in the same draft would be a huge statement for Rick Barnes and his program. If Williams is indeed projected late in the first round, does he essentially have to stay in the draft? Is Bone still intent on turning pro, even if he goes undrafted? Why is Schofield continuing to fly under the radar? Why is Alexander not getting even an invitation to the NBA G-League Combine but has been invited to workout for multiple NBA teams? There’s plenty of draft stuff to discuss, and this episode features plenty of it. Williams’ departure would make a transition season even more challenging for the Vols, but reinforcements are on the way. Tennessee recently added another player to its signing class, and that player — Finland native Olivier Robinson-Nkamhoua — is a talented one. The versatile, 6-foot-8 forward is considered by some a top-100 overall prospect, and his stock is very much on the rise after he emerged as a senior at Bishop Walsh School in Cumberland, Md. He likely would have burst onto the scene as soon as he arrived from overseas, but he missed his junior season with a leg injury. Former Vols forward Derrick Walker also made news this week by announcing his decision to enroll at Nebraska. In other words, it’s been a newsy Tennessee basketball week for May. There’s plenty to discuss. 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 the Fort Rucker Sun Room) and Grant Ramey (from GoVols247’s Blount County Satellite Office) convened via the magic of Al Gore’s Internets to break down a newsy, early-offseason week for Rick Barnes and the Tennessee basketball program. Three Vols — senior wing Admiral Schofield, junior forward Grant Williams and junior point guard Jordan Bone — were invited to the upcoming NBA Draft Combine, which means Williams and Bone now have the option to stay in the NBA Draft and still return to school if they’re not selected. That obviously won’t happen in Williams’ case, because he’d come off the board at some point if he stayed in the draft, but some think that could happen with Bone. The impact of having three players invited to the combine and the impact that could have on Williams Bone is a major discussion point in this episode. Other big news happened this week, though. Sophomore forward Derrick Walker has put his name into the transfer portal after a postseason conversation with Barnes, which at least somewhat surprisingly leaves another hold for Barnes and Co. to fill this offseason. What went into Walker’s decision, and what impact will it have on the 2019-20 season? On the surface, Walker seemed to be in line for much more playing time next season, but perhaps there are other reasons for him leaving the program. Either way, his absence creates another opportunity for Tennessee to bolster the roster, and that’s exactly what the Vols hope to do. Remember, the transfer portal swings both ways, and there are still some exciting high school, prep school and junior college prospects on the table, too. It was always going to be an interesting offseason for the Tennessee basketball roster, but it might be even more interesting than we thought. That means there’s plenty to discuss. 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 went into the Fort Rucker Sun Room — the Fort Rucker Studio somehow is still being renovated — to discuss the reasons no Tennessee players were selected in the 2019 NFL Draft and whether the 2020 NFL Draft will be any different. If you want to understand the magnitude of the rebuilding project inherited by Jeremy Pruitt and his staff, understand this: There are 14 teams in the SEC, and 13 of them had at least two players selected in last week’s draft. Tennessee had zero. Eight teams in college football’s deepest conference had at least five players drafted last week. And … yep, Tennessee had zero. On one hand, Tennessee beating two ranked teams despite not having a single draft pick on its roster makes last season seem more impressive. On the other hand, Tennessee hasn’t had a player selected in three of the past five NFL Drafts. How is that possible at one of the winningest programs in college football history? How is that possible at a place that had at least one player selected in 51 consecutive drafts? Will 2020 be any different? Probably so. But how much different? Other odds and ends from the previous week — including young lineman Eric Crosby going on a medical scholarship and ending his Tennessee football career — also are discussed in this episode, and there’s plenty of recruiting for Callahan to discussing following the trip he and Grant Ramey took to last weekend’s The Opening regional in Charlotte. 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 went into the Fort Rucker Sun Room (Fort Rucker Studio is still being renovated) to gauge the temperature of these Vols heading into summer workouts and take some guesses on the 2019 season. Why just guesses or guesstimates? Well … there are four good reasons for that. ***Two of Tennessee’s most intriguing talents — sophomore defensive lineman Aubrey Solomon and junior WR/DB Deangelo Gibbs — are still going through the NCAA immediately-eligibility waiver process, and it remains to be seen whether either player will be eligible to play this fall. ***Tennessee needs immediate impact from several players who still haven’t enrolled in classes, and we’ll have to wait and see what kind of shape they’re in when they arrive. And if they’re in shape, we’ll have to wait and see how well they can adjust to life at this level and make an instant impact. If the Vols want to feel confident about their chances of securing a bowl bid this season, they’ll need some of those talented summer enrollees ready to roll. ***Several of Tennessee’s younger players — even some of its best young players — need productive offseason workouts in order to take their frames and their games to the next level. We don’t know who will do that and who won’t. That’s not possible at this point. ***It’s not clear whether Tennessee will even dip into the NCAA transfer portal and look to bolster its roster, but we do know this: The Vols need to shed scholarship weight in order to stay at 85 or fewer scholarships. If they do that, though, and they still have room to add an instant-impact transfer, that could change things in a hurry. One legit caveat is more than enough to delay making a final decision. Four legit caveats is more than enough to suggest there’s no way to know right now. Regardless, the GoVols247 staff — well, most of it — convened to discuss some possible projections for Tennessee’s 2019 record. We assumed the Vols would get as much good news as bad news this offseason, and we came up with the proper over/under for regular-season wins in 2019. This week’s episode also features discussion on the ongoing 2019 NFL Draft, which could come and go without a single Tennessee player being selected. Several Vols will sign free-agent contracts and rookie-camp deals after the draft concludes Saturday, but at least a couple have a chance to hear their name called during the draft. This episode briefly rehashes some of the reasons for Tennessee’s NFL Draft cold streak because … well … it is news when the Vols don’t have many or any prospects selected. It’s rare enough historically that it is news. Callahan took control of the conversation down the home stretch, offering insight and analysis on where things stand with Tennessee’s 2020 recruiting class. Discussions on Tennessee’s current class are combined with discussions on the Vols’ vague plans during the spring evaluation period and more. Recruiting never stops, so GoVols247’s recruiting efforts don’t stop, either. 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 the Fort Rucker Sun Room) and Grant Ramey (from GoVols247’s Blount County Satellite Office) convened via Al Gore’s Internets to break down the fallout from Rick Barnes’ unusually candid comments following his decision to spurn UCLA and remain at Tennessee. In perhaps an only-at-Tennessee moment, the Barnes-Vols-Bruins saga took three sharp turns in a short period of time. First there was shock and anxiety that stemmed from reports of the mutual interest between UCLA and Barnes. Then there was the elation that stemmed from Barnes’ decision to remain at Tennessee. Then there was the confusion that stemmed from Barnes’ candid remarks that he would have become the coach at UCLA if the Bruins had played ball on his buyout with Tennessee. What are we to make of this situation? What does it all mean? How much impact will it have on a coach and fan base who to this point have done nothing but fawn over each other? Did Barnes just prove he’s more like the average coach than anyone thought? Will that matter? Will the results on the court be the determining factor in how much it matters? Will this controversy go away in time, such is the way things go in this era of minuscule attention spans? Or will it remain a rock stuck in Barnes’ shoe any time the Vols start to struggle? Barnes’ comments left plenty to chew on, and this episode provides a forum to continue that discussion. It also discusses new Tennessee assistant coach Kim English, a bright up-and-comer whose hire would have been discussed much more in the past couple of weeks if these were ordinary circumstances. 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 went into the Fort Rucker Sun Room to break down Tennessee’s second spring camp under coach Jeremy Pruitt. The Vols obviously had a laundry list of things to improve after a 5-7 record in Pruitt’s first season, and many of those things couldn’t possibly be solved in a single spring camp. But some of them could, in theory, right? Well … were they solved? Or at least sort of solved? Did Tennessee take necessary steps forward on both lines of scrimmage this spring? What did the offense look like under new (old) coordinator Jim Chaney? Were there any noticeable differences in the defense under new coordinator Derrick Ansley? Who helped themselves this spring? Who didn’t? Who was somewhere in between? And what are the biggest things on the checklist heading into the summer? Obviously there’s plenty to discuss, and this episode discusses plenty. 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 went into the Fort Rucker Sun Room — the Fort Rucker Studio is almost (but not quite) reconstructed — to break down the Vols’ annual spring game at Neyland Stadium. The White team (first-team offense and second-team defense) beat the Orange team (first-team defense and second-team offense) by a 28-10 score before an announced crowd of more than 50,000, and there was plenty of good, bad and ugly in the process. What looked good? What didn’t look good? How much stock should we put it into anything we saw, whether it looked looked good or bad? What do we make of the line of scrimmage, where Tennessee had so many questions entering spring camp? What about all three of the Vols’ scholarship quarterbacks? What about the experienced wide receivers? Did any newcomers stand out? A spring game always leads to plenty of discussion points, and plenty of points are discussed in this 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 the Fort Rucker Sun Room) and Grant Ramey (from GoVols247’s Blount County Satellite Office) convened via Al Gore’s Internets to break down a stunning turn of events that nearly concluded with Tennessee losing reigning national coach of the year Rick Barnes to UCLA. News emerged Sunday night that UCLA’s search for a new head coach was focused on Barnes, and multiple sources close to the situation insisted that Barnes nearly accepted the job before getting brought back into the fold by Vols athletic director Phillip Fulmer. How did Tennessee nearly lose Barnes? Where was the disconnect between Barnes and Tennessee’s athletic administration, and just how bad was it? What ultimately brought the two sides back together? How lucrative with Barnes’ new contract be, and what kind of pressure will that put on him? Tennessee retained Barnes, but the Vols did lose associate head coach Rob Lanier to the head-coaching position at Georgia State, and there’s still plenty of interest in other Tennessee staffers. Barnes already filled one vacancy, adding Colorado assistant coach (and former Missouri star) Kim English to his staff, but what other changes could occur in the coming days and weeks? A unexpectedly wild week left plenty to discuss, and this episode breaks down all of it. 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 the Fort Rucker Sun Room) and Grant Ramey (from GoVols247’s Blount County Satellite Office) convened via Al Gore’s Internets to break down Tennessee junior point guard Jordan Bone’s recent decision to declare for the NBA Draft while leaving open the possibility of returning for his senior season, which NCAA rules allow. Vols junior forward Grant Williams — the two-time reigning SEC Player of the Year — also has an NBA Draft decision to make in the near future, and there’s plenty of discussion on Williams’ situation, as well. Putting players into the NBA is necessary in order to recruit the nation’s best players on an annual basis, and Tennessee adding to its alums-in-in-the-NBA list would be a good thing for the Vols in the long run. But finding a way to keep Bone and/or Williams also would keep Tennessee’s current national-championship window open heading into next season, and losing either — but particularly Williams — could have a huge impact on that. What are the chances Tennessee ultimately could return either player? What would the Vols look like with or without either or both of those players next season? How much impact will those decisions have not only on Tennessee’s quality, but also the style in which Tennessee will play? Would the Vols look to replace Bone and/or Williams with ready-made, plug-and-play graduate transfers, or with traditional high-school recruits? Could there be any other roster additions or subtractions? Basketball season has ended for Tennessee, but it really hasn’t ended. There’s a ton to discuss now, in the near future and throughout the following weeks and months, so come join that conversation now. 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 went into the Fort Rucker Sun Room — hopefully Fort Rucker Studio is back up and running next week — to break down some recurring themes and some new developments from Tennessee’s second spring camp under head coach Jeremy Pruitt. One major theme throughout spring camp has been the positive energy and optimistic vibes with new (old) offensive coordinator Jim Chaney. Several players — including junior quarterback Jarrett Guarantano — have praised Chaney’s system and personality throughout spring camp, and Chaney was made available to reporters last week, so there’s plenty to discuss on that front. Tennessee’s first major scrimmage of the spring has come and gone, and Pruitt said enough about that scrimmage to generate some conversation points. The first-team offense seemed to have a good scrimmage, perhaps lacking explosiveness but also taking good care of the ball and putting together some good drives. Of course, that also means the first-team defense didn’t force turnovers, which also has been a recurring theme this spring. Some of Tennessee’s experienced wide receivers have mentioned their leadership role on the team in the past week, too, and that and several other topics also were on the docket for this 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 and Grant Ramey went into the GoVols247 Mobile Studio in Louisville to break down the good, bad, ugly and the pain of Tennessee’s 99-94 overtime loss to Purdue at KFC Yum Center. There’s never a good way to end a season unless you win a national championship, but some ways hurt more than others. The Vols’ loss to the Boilermakers is one of the more painful ways for it to end, considering the magnitude of the game and the way it ended. Was there some good? Yes. Plenty of it. Was there some controversy? Yes. Plenty of it. But Tennessee’s mature team tends to look first in the mirror, and the Vols could and should have done several things better against Purdue. But they didn’t. And they lost. There’s plenty of time to break down this full Tennessee season, and plenty of time to look at the now-departed senior class, and there’s plenty of time to discuss whether Vols junior stars Jordan Bone and Grant Williams should declare — at least without an agent — for the NBA Draft and go through the process before making a final decision. We’ll address all those things in future episodes. For now, though, let’s just discuss Thursday’s loss and Tennessee’s overall performance in the NCAA Tournament. 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 Ryan Callahan went into the Fort Rucker Sun Room — the Fort Rucker Studio is almost (but not quite) reconstructed — to break down the first five practices of Tennessee’s second spring camp under coach Jeremy Pruitt and the things we’ll be looking for out of the Vols when they return from spring break and get back on the field next week. Both lines of scrimmage were concerns for this team heading into spring camp, and they remain questions going forward, but one of those groups has showed some at least some signs of promise early in camp, while one side is clearly working on things. Of course, even the more promising side of Tennessee’s line of scrimmage has plenty of questions to answer at the moment. Those questions were never going to be answered in five practices, and they haven’t been, but there have been some promising developments so far in camp. Both side of the line of scrimmage are discussed in detail on this episode, but other position groups — from the linebackers to the secondary (especially the safeties) to the wide receivers to the running backs — also were given plenty of discussion in this episode. A recruiting update also wrapped up this football episode, as per usual, and there was even some basketball discussion. Callahan and coworker Patrick Brown no longer cover Tennessee basketball on a daily basis, but both still keep close tabs on the program and have covered more than enough hoops in their careers to offer interesting insights that are worth a listen. 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 went into to GoVols247 Mobile Studio in Columbus to breakdown Tennessee’s path to a potential national championship, which starts with a Friday afternoon game against No. 15 seed Colgate in Downtown Columbus’ Nationwide Arena — home of the NHL’s Columbus Blue Jackets. There’s plenty to discuss heading into this tournament for Tennessee — which lost its spot as a No. 1 NCAA Tournament seed when it lost to Auburn in Sunday’s SEC Tournament title game, but still heads into March Madness as a respectable No. 2 seed in the South Region and a trendy pick to advance to the Final Four for the first time in program history. Of course, Tennessee’s most recent game was hardly memorable for the right reasons, and it’s fair to wonder what that 84-64 loss to Auburn did to the Vols psychologically. Discussion on that topic is included in this episode, and you — assuming you’re a Tennessee fan — probably will like what you hear in that regard. There are plenty more topics to discuss, though, and we discuss some of those, as well. What do we know about Colgate? Is Colgate a legitimate threat to Tennessee. Where could the Raiders cause Tennessee problems? Assuming the Vols beat Colgate, what do we know about No. 7 seed Cincinnati and No. 10 seed Iowa and how they would match up with the Vols? What Tennessee players need to emerge in this tournament? Which trending story — or stories — would be poetic justice for the Vols after crashing out of last season’s tournament in a second-round shocker? What kind of tournament does this team need to cement its legacy as one of the program’s best all-time teams? Is this team ready for this moment and the pressure that comes with it? Is Rick Barnes ready to get over the hump and flip the script on the postseason struggles that have highlighted parts of his career? See, we told y’all. There’s lots to discuss. So let’s do that. 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 went into Fort Rucker Studio to discuss all things Vols through the first four practices of spring camp. Second-year Tennessee coach Jeremy Pruitt hasn’t made it a secret that his offense has essentially kicked the defense’s tail for much of camp to this point, which is something you don’t usually see early in a spring camp or preseason camp, especially when an offense has a new coordinator. The Vols seem to have taken well to new offensive coordinator Jim Chaney, though, and their experience on that side of the ball certainly has helped smooth than transition process. Has the past couple of weeks been cause for hype on offense, or has it been a cause for pause for a Tennessee defense that has a new coordinator (Derrick Ansley) but is running the same system it did last season? Or does it really matter? Is there any way to say for sure, especially when much of camp to this point hasn’t been played in full pads? Discussing of Tennessee’s spring camp is the primary talking point in this episode, but there’s also discussion of Tennessee’s annual Pro Timing Day and which former Vols might have helped their cause during the Thursday morning workout for NFL scouts. 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 a recap of Tennessee’s first spring camp practice and a discussion for the road ahead? There's a GoVols247 Podcast for that. GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Patrick Brown went into Fort Rucker Studio — or the Fort Rucker Sun Room, again, in this case — to break down Tennessee’s first spring camp practice snd discuss the road ahead. Pruitt and his team — at least the returning players — looked a bit bigger. Which players really changed their bodies in the offseason? Which players are lined up in new or surprising spots? Which players and position group need to step up this spring? Also … can a dog be listed a as a co-host of the GoVol247 Podcast? These and several other questions are tossed around in this hour-long discussion on all thing Vols football. Vols basketball’s march into postseason play will be the topic of a podcast early next 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 and Grant Ramey went into Fort Rucker Studio — or the Fort Rucker Sun Room, in this case — to break down seventh-ranked Tennessee’s 71-52 win over fourth-ranked Kentucky in a rocking Thompson-Boling, and what it means for the Vols moving forward. Those suggesting Tennessee was in trouble following a rough loss to Kentucky two weeks ago and a tough-luck loss at LSU last weekend probably aren’t singing the same tune after the Vols avenged that 17-point loss in Lexington with a 19-point win in Knoxville and kept themselves tied atop the SEC standings heading into the final week of the regular season. Beyond the SEC championship race, though, Saturday’s win had even bigger implications for the bigger prizes. Tennessee is virtually certain to climb back into the top-five of both major polls when they’re updated Monday afternoon, and several NCAA Tournament bracket experts moved the Vols back into the No. 1 seed line — though a potential SEC Tournament semifinal game against Kentucky might settle that. Tennessee’s defense has reemerged at a good time. The Vols held Kentucky to 14-of-44 shooting from the field, and Kentucky had never made so few field goals in any game in the Calipari era. What has changed so suddenly for the Vols on that side of the ball? And how have the Vols done that despite the suddenly unavoidable foul trouble for senior forward and defensive anchor Kyle Alexander? And why can’t Alexander seem to catch a break these days? Those questions are discussed in this episode. Several more topics — especially Tennessee junior point guard Jordan Bone’s career-best offensive performance against Kentucky, and Vols junior Grant Williams arguably wrestling back the SEC Player of the Year award (which he won last season) from Wildcats star PJ Washington — also are discussed in this 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, Patrick Brown and Ryan Callahan went (sort of) into Fort Rucker Studio to discuss another week full of Tennessee football news. Jeremy Pruitt has now officially disclosed his staff heading into his second season with the program, and quite the staff it is. You want big names? Check. You want big salaries? Check. You want SEC experience? Check. You want VFLs? Check. It’s tough to find holes in Pruitt’s staff, as it should be when you’re afforded the luxury of shelling out big-time money to restore a proud program to its customary place in college football’s food chain. That was hardly the only interesting Tennessee football news to emerge in the past week, though. One of the Vols’ biggest SEC Eastern Division rivalry games looks set for a new place on the schedule starting in 2020, and the Vols recently added a Top247 defensive lineman to their 2020 recruiting class. Spring camp is right around the corner, but why wait until then? Come get the latest on Tennessee football now. 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 went into Fort Rucker Studio — or the Fort Rucker Sun Room, in this case — to break down Tennessee’s recent struggles in a loss at Kentucky and an ugly home win over Vanderbilt. The Vols lost their first game in nearly three months and their No. 1 national ranking with their loss in Rupp Arena, and they responded with an ugly 58-46 win over Vandy at Thompson-Boling Arena. What should we make of the Vols’ past two games? Is this team fading? Or is this just a small funk every team goes through every season? That’s one of the two main topics in this episode. The other main topic is Tennessee’s game at LSU on Saturday. LSU is long, athletic and aggressive, and it attacks the offensive glass with vigor, and that’s at least a small concern for a Tennessee team that has been exposed at times in that area. The Tigers also have a point guard (Tremont Waters) capable of giving Jordan Bone a fair fight, which could potentially nullify an advantage both of these teams have in most games. Where can the Vols hurt the Tigers? Where can the Tigers hurt the Vols? And what does this game mean, aside from putting the winner in pole position for an SEC championship? Those are the questions this episode tries to answer. 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 went into Fort Rucker Studio — or the Fort Rucker Sun Room, in this case — to break down Tennessee’s as-expected win over South Carolina on Wednesday, the Vols’ upcoming showdown at Kentucky and the SEC championship race. LSU threw a wrench into the SEC title race with a Tuesday win at Kentucky, so now only the Tigers — not the Wildcats — are one game behind the unbeaten Vols in the conference standings. So now Tennessee isn’t just playing Kentucky in Rupp Arena. It’s playing an angry Kentucky team in Rupp Arena. The Wildcats rarely lose two consecutive games in Rupp, so Tennessee’s tough challenge now looks even tougher. But the Vols are ranked No. 1 nationally, have won 19 consecutive games and have won in several hostile environments this season, so they’re as up as anyone could be for the challenge. What matchups look good for Tennessee? What matchups looks less than good for Tennessee? Where could Kentucky hurt the Vols? Is Tennessee’s perimeter defense a concern? And did LSU’s win at Kentucky make the Tigers favorites to win the SEC, since Tennessee still has to play Kentucky twice, at LSU and at Auburn? Those and several other topics are discussed on this episode — an episode recorded outside the studio while the studio is being renovated 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 went into Fort Rucker Studio to break down a week that featured double-digit wins over Missouri and Florida and the challenging stretch run coming in the next few weeks. Saturday’s 73-61 win over Florida extended Tennessee’s program-record winning streak to 18 games, and the Vols controlled most of the game — as they did in Tuesday’s win over former Tennessee coach Cuonzo Martin and his Missouri Tigers. There’s plenty of Tennessee basketball to discuss at the moment, and this episode hits on several of those important topics: Yves Pons’ injury and the timetable for his return, the strong play of junior guards Jordan Bone and Jordan Bowden, Tennessee’s businesslike mentality, the Vols’ room for growth, Tennessee’s improving defense and the Vols’ tough four-week schedule to end the regular season. As well as Tennessee has played so far this season, Kentucky and LSU are still only one game behind the Vols in the standings. And Tennessee still has three games against those two teams, with two coming on the road. The Vols also road trips to face Auburn and previously-ranked Ole Miss, and a previously-ranked Mississippi State visits Thompson-Boling Arena. Tennessee’s best basketball is still ahead of it, according to coach Rick Barnes, and the Vols probably need to take things up a notch in order to secure a second consecutive SEC championships. But how important is the SEC championship when you’re also firmly in the mix for an national title? That’s an interesting question, and it’s also tossed around in this 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, Patrick Brown and Ryan Callahan went into Fort Rucker Studio to break down a big National Signing Day and provide thoughts on Tennessee’s full class — a class that looks a lot better now than it did Tuesday night. Tennessee had a decent class heading into National Signing Day, but the Vols closed with a bang, landing five-star West Virginia offensive lineman Darnell Wright and four-star California linebacker Henry To’oto’o, the nation’s top two uncommitted prospects heading into the day. A big finish helped the Vols surge to the No. 12 spot in the 247Sports Team Recruiting Rankings, and they were mere percentage points from cracking the top 10. Unfortunately for the Vols, though, having the nation’s No. 12 class meant having the No. 7 class in the recruiting-mad SEC, meaning Jeremy Pruitt and his staff still have plenty of coaching to do in order to bring Tennessee back toward its customary place in college football’s pecking order. The 2019 cycle wasn’t unkind to the Vols, though. They signed some of their most coveted targets, and their class was much better than any other program that didn’t play in a bowl game last season. A new recruiting star has emerged for Tennessee, too. Vols tight ends coach Brian Niedermeyer — who had never been a full-time assistant coach until leaving a quality-control position at Alabama and following Pruitt to Tennessee — had a huge year on the trail, and he was named 247Sports’ National Recruiter of the Year. Niedermeyer, an Alaska native, was the point man for several of Tennessee’s top signees, including Wright and To’oto’o. He’s the lowest-paid member of Pruitt’s staff at the moment, but that probably won’t be the case for long, especially considering the fact that he’s already turned down multiple opportunities to leave Tennessee for other major programs. Tennessee’s 2019 recruiting class is the sole focus of this episode, and more than a hour was spent discussing the strengths, weaknesses and uncertainties in the Vols’ latest prospect haul. Every member of GoVols247’s staff aside from Grant Ramey — who was in West Virginia on Wednesday to cover Wright’s commitment ceremony — selected a 2019 signee outside the Top247 who could have a big college career, and some special attention was given to a member of this class with world-class cult-hero potential. 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 went into Fort Rucker Studio to break down a Tennessee basketball team that suddenly looks more comfortable with the top spot in the polls and everything that comes with it. After looking a bit uneasy at times in their past three games, the Vols went to South Carolina and controlled the Gamecocks — and a hostile, sellout crowd — in a 92-70 win that had just a few moments of shakiness early in the second half. Junior guard Jordan Bowden missed Tuesday’s game with a sore knee that started bothering him during that morning’s shoot-around, but the Vols didn’t need the red-hot Knoxville native to take care of the Gamecocks. Bowden’s status — which doesn’t seem serious, but is nonetheless an issue — is discussed in this episode. Several more topics — senior wing Admiral Schofield’s bounce-back performance, senior forward Kyle Alexander’s sudden foul-trouble issues, junior point guard Jordan Bone’s strong season, Saturday opponent Texas A&M and much more — also are discussed in this 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, Patrick Brown and Ryan Callahan went into Fort Rucker Studio to break down all things Tennessee football heading into the final stages of the 2019 recruiting cycle. There aren’t many spots left in Tennessee’s class, but there are several elite prospects still showing significant interest in the Vols, and this episode ends with a detailed discussion with Callahan on some of those prospects. Actual team news hasn’t been tough to spot in the past week, either. Tennessee safeties Charles Kelly accepted a position on Nick Saban’s Alabama staff, meaning the Vols are back to maximum capacity (they were overcapacity) in the full-time staff department. Kelly wasn’t someone Vols coach Jeremy Pruitt was happy to lose, but the fact is at least one person will go, and for now, that means the Vols are back to 10. They’ve lost two full-time staffers and hired two more so far in the offseason. More chances could come in the future, but as of now it looks like there’s at least a decent chance that Pruitt has his staff in place moving forward. Which positions those coaches will coach, though, remains to be seen. Will the Vols use six full-time assistants on offense and use just four (plus Pruitt) on the defensive side of the ball? Or will they even things up a bit? We also discuss that in this episode. Another Tennessee player — senior-to-be linebacker Austin Smith — has gone into the NCAA transfer portal. That doesn’t mean Smith is definitely joining the list of players who’ve opted to leave the program, but it means he’s definitely joined the list of those potentially leaving the program sometime before or after spring practice. Tennessee’s roster management moving forward also is discussed in this episode. This is the week’s football podcast, but we had to discuss the top-ranked Tennessee basketball team’s overtime win at Vanderbilt on Wednesday night in Nashville, and the first 14-or-so minutes of this episode were spent breaking down the latest Vols-Dores thriller. Our other coworker couldn’t make it to Fort Rucker to record this week’s football podcast. That coworker — we won’t mention his name, but his rhymes with Aunt Gramey — was ridiculed in absentia. Hint: He participates in a Bachelor fantasy league — or BachBracket, as it’s also called. So in lieu of this week’s Grant Gun Show Question of the Week, we decided to drop some knowledge that made everyone a winner. 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 went into Fort Rucker Studio to break down a historic week for the Tennessee basketball program. The Vols overcame a dreadful second half to outlast rival Alabama over the weekend at Thompson-Boling Arena, and that coupled with losses by Duke and Michigan took Tennessee from the No. 3 spot to the No. 1 spot in both major polls for just the second time in program history. A special group of players took their lumps early in the Rick Barnes era, and now they’re rolling under future Hall of Fame coach Rick Barnes — who became just the sixth coach in college basketball history to take multiple programs to a No. 1 ranking. He turned the trick at Texas, and now he’s done at Tennessee. The Vols aren’t satisfied with a No. 1 ranking in January, though. Far from it. This Tennessee team has designs on hanging banners in Thompson-Boling, and it seems to have the tools to make that dream a reality. But Barnes said this team hasn’t come close to reaching its full potential despite a 16-1 record and a 5-0 start to SEC play. In fairness to Barnes, Tennessee’s past two second halves has been far from the Vols’ best. Tennessee coasted to a 106-87 win over Arkansas last week despite being outscored in the second half, and the Vols turned a double-digit halftime lead over Alabama into a two-score deficit before rallying to turn back the Tide. Did last week’s performances show cracks in the facade, or were they simply a couple of bad second-halves at the office? Will they prove to be the start of a trend, or will they ultimately be dismissed as outliers? Contrasting two polar-opposite topics — Tennessee’s rise to the No. 1 ranking, and Tennessee playing arguably its worst game of the season — isn’t a simple thing, but both of those (and several more) topics are discussed in this 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 and Grant Ramey went into Fort Rucker Studio to break down Tennessee’s wild, come-from-behind win at Florida over the weekend and the Vols’ 106-87 thumping or Arkansas on Tuesday night at Thompson-Boling Arena. A healthy Lamonte Turner has teamed up with fellow junior guard Jordan Bowden to give the Vols a heck of a powerful punch off the bench, and now a deep and dangerous Tennessee team is starting to look even deeper and more dangerous. The Vols are now ranked second nationally in Ken Pomeroy’s adjusted offensive efficiency ranking, behind only Gonzaga — a team Tennessee beat on a neutral site earlier this season. The Vols jumped all over Arkansas for much of Tuesday’s first half, but they dialed down their intensity on defense down the stretch and seemed to play the scoreboard more than the opponent, and that infuriated Coach Rick Barnes to the point that Thursday’s practice wasn’t a particularly enjoyable one. Friday will be a lighter day for the Vols, though, as they put in the final pieces of their game plan heading into Saturday’s 2 p.m. Eastern showdown against longtime border-state rival Alabama at Thompson-Boling. Barnes is just 1-3 against the Crimson Tide during his otherwise-successful time at Tennessee, and the Tide took it to the Vols last season in Tuscaloosa. Obviously Colin Sexton is gone, and the Vols will be heavy favorites heading into Saturday’s game, but they have a healthy respect for Avery Johnson and the program he’s built at Bama. What’s working well for the Vols at the moment? What’s working really well? What’s not working well enough? What, if any, are the major concerns at the moment? Has sophomore wing Yves Pons put himself in position to lose his spot in the starting lineup? Which lineup combinations are working best for the Vols in certain situations against certain opponents? Those are just some of the many topics discussed in this 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, Patrick Brown and Ryan Callahan went into Fort Rucker Studio to break down a newsy week for Tennessee football highlighted by the return of Tee Martin to Knoxville. Martin, the starting quarterback on Tennessee’s 1998 national championship team, has flirted a few times with the idea of returning to his alma mater, but second-year Vols head coach Jeremy Pruitt was the man who finally got him to pull the trigger and do it. Known as one of the top recruiters in the college football world, Martin most recently served at USC’s offensive coordinator but became available on the market after a disappointing 2018 season led to large turnover for the Trojans. Martin was never going to stay on market for long, though, and several programs tried to bring him on board, so him choosing the Vols is another coup for Pruitt, who just last week convinced offensive coordinator Jim Chaney to leave Georgia for a second tenure at Tennessee. Of course, now the Vols have one more full-time coach than allowed on their staff, so someone will have to go in order to make room for him. The departure candidates are discussed a bit in this episode. Martin is the biggest topic of conversation on this episode, but he’s far from the only one. Several Vols have now entered the NCAA’s transfer portal and seem likely to leave the program, and we discuss those players and their potential reasons for leaving. It was never a secret that Tennessee needed some players to leave the program in order to sign something resembling a full recruiting class but stay under the NCAA’s maximum allotment of 85 scholarships for next season, but now some more of those players have been identified, and we discuss their situations. We know one player who’s definitely staying with the program for next season, though. Senior-to-be wide receiver Jauan Jennings flirted with declaring for the NFL Draft but announced this week that he plans to return for his final season of eligibility. The impact of Jennings’ return is discussed in detail in this episode. It’s also been another busy week for Tennessee on the recruiting trail. The Vols are still major factors for some elite prospects, and some of those players are discussed in this 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 and Grant Ramey went into Fort Rucker Studio to break down third-ranked Tennessee’s torrid start to SEC play and talk about this weekend’s usually-tough test at Florida. Virtually every team in virtually every sport virtually every season has to overcome adversity and play through some rough spells, but things at the moment are looking smooth for the Vols, who entered SEC play looking like the league favorites and have done nothing but enhance that status, winning at home against Georgia and then at Missouri by a combined 70 points. Mizzou actually held a nine-point lead over the Vols through 14 minutes of Tuesday’s game in Columbia, and Tennessee stars Grant Williams and Admiral Schofield started the game sluggishly, but none of that mattered. The Vols — thanks to a couple of timely 3-pointers from newly-returned junior guard Lamonte Turner — turned around the game with a 24-4 run, and they did most of that with Williams and Schofield on the bench. How has Tennessee reached this point? Why are things going so well for the Vols? What, if anything, could change that? How much does Turner’s return change things? What are the few things not going well at the moment? What, if anything, can rival Florida do this weekend in Gainesville to give Tennessee a tougher test? Those and several other topics are discussed in this 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, Patrick Brown and Ryan Callahan went into Fort Rucker Studio to break down Tennessee's offensive coordinator coup. Vols head coach Jeremy Pruitt’s 44-day search for an offensive coordinator took longer than most on the outside expected, but it ended in style. Pruitt plucked Georgia offensive coordinator Jim Chaney, who coordinated some explosive offenses at Tennessee from 2009-12 but wasn’t retained by Butch Jones. Chaney’s track record of producing explosive offenses and sending several players to the NFL continued during his time at Arkansas, Pittsburgh and Georgia, and bringing him back to Knoxville looks like a coup — an expensive coup, but a coup nonetheless. Hiring Chaney was a strong statement from Pruitt, but every situation comes with questions that must be answered: How did Tennessee convince Chaney to leave a strong situation at Georgia for a rebuilding situation in Knoxville? How much did Georgia fight to keep him? What kind of system will the versatile coordinator install at Tennessee? How will his football philosophy and personality mesh with Pruitt? And, perhaps most interestingly, what position will Chaney coach for the Vols? And what does that mean for those currently on Tennessee’s staff? Will there be more staff moves in the near future? Those and several other topics are discussed in details in this 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 and the Knoxville News Sentinel’s Mike Wilson (pinch-hitting for Grant Ramey) went into Fort Rucker Studio to break down all things Tennessee basketball heading into the start of SEC play this weekend. Tennessee will begin its conference-title-defense tour with a Saturday home game against Georgia, and there are several interesting topics to discuss heading into SEC play. Is this Tennessee team as good as it looks, or are there potential problems lurking in the weeds? When will Lamonte Turner return? If Turner doesn’t return soon, do Rick Barnes and his staff need to tweak the rotation and lengthen the bench to avoid over-burdening some of the team’s stars? Is this team’s defense really as problematic as Rick Barnes suggests, considering it’s ranked top-30 nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency? What potential potholes sit on this team’s title-defense path? What would be a great, good or acceptable mark in SEC play? Does SEC really even matter, as long as this team is peaking at the right time heading into the postseason? Also, why does Mike Wilson have a Midwestern American accent despite being a Kiwi who was born in New Zealand, spent the first four years of his life in New Zealand and then three elementary-school years in Japan? Those and several other topics are discussed in details in this 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 and Grant Ramey went into Fort Rucker Studio to briefly touch on some of the week’s football news before diving into a discussion about the state of Vols hoops heading into 2019. Rick Barnes and his staff and players went their own separate ways for a few-day Christmas break, but the Vols are reassembled and preparing for Saturday’s game against Tennessee Tech — the final opponent before SEC play opens with a Jan. 5 game against Georgia. What looks good for the Vols at the moment? What needs some work? When will Lamonte Turner return? Was the team being leapfrogged by Michigan to stay in the No. 3 spot in this week’s Associated Press poll a snub, and did it matter, either way? Does Tennessee Tech pose any kind of a threat? Those and several other topics are discussed in details in this 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 and Grant Ramey went into Fort Rucker Studio to break down a big week full of news for the Tennessee football and basketball programs. Tennessee didn’t have a blockbuster start to Early Signing Period of Wednesday, but that solid-yet-unspectacular start was just, in fact, a start. Thursday and Friday certainly turned things up a notch. Some big recruiting news actually broke in the middle of Friday’s podcast recording, which made for an interesting episode. What did Tennessee get? What did Tennessee not get? What does Tennessee need to do in the coming weeks? All of that is discussed in detail on this episode. It’s also been a huge week for Rick Barnes and his third-ranked Tennessee basketball team. The Vols went to Memphis last weekend and put on a show in a big win over the in-state-rival Tigers at FedExForum, but that game — exciting as it was — was merely the start of the week’s fireworks. First-year Memphis coach Penny Hardaway teed off on veteran Vols coach Rick Barnes and his program, and that incident also is discussed in detail on this episode. Plenty of other hoops topic are discussed, too, including Wednesday’s win over Samford, Saturday’s game against Wake Forest and some injury updates. A couple of strong contenders for Grant's Gun Show Question of the Week also are included in this 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, Patrick Brown and Ryan Callahan went into Fort Rucker Studio to break down the latest on Tennessee's search for a new offensive coordinator and a bunch of new football football players. Tennessee's search for a replacement for the departed Tyson Helton is now well into its third week, but Vols coach Jeremy Pruitt doesn't seem to be panicking. Pruitt continues speaking with candidates and confidantes about the position, but it doesn't seem like a hire will be made before next Wednesday's start of the Early Signing Period. Sources close to Pruitt insist the head coach is confident in the process, but that hasn't done much to assuage at least a good-sized chunk of Tennessee's fan base. Is there reason for concern or at least cause for pause regarding this search? That's a main topic of conversation in this episode. It's not the only topic of conversation in this episode, though. The NCAA's Early Signing Period opens Wednesday, and so many things could happen for the Vols between now and then. Several Tennessee commitments are set to sign as soon as possible next week, but some could wait until February's traditional National Signing Day, and in this episode we discuss those players and their potential reasons for delaying the arrivals of their National Letters of Intent. Several top Tennessee targets are set to commit — to the Vols or elsewhere — in the next week, and this episode features a thorough discussion of several of those prospects. If Tennessee wants to sign anywhere near a full class of 25 players, though, basic math demands that several players on the current roster will have to leave the program before next season. The NCAA allows just 85 scholarship players at the NCAA Division I FBS level, and signing a full class would put the Vols well above that line. Just two non-seniors (quarterback Will McBride and cornerback Marquill Osborne) have announced plans to transfer, but several more players will have to join that list at some point. We don't mention specific names of any potential transfers, but we don't ignore the fact that others will be out the door at some point, and we discuss that, as well. This episode features a couple of strong contenders for Grant's Gun Show Question of the Week, too. 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 Denver International Airport) conversed as if in the same room thanks to the miracle of Al Gore’s Internets, and there was plenty to discuss after Tennessee’s come-from-behind, 76-73 win over top-ranked Gonzaga in the Jerry Colangelo Classic at Talking Stick Resort Arena in Phoenix. A performance for the ages from senior wing Admiral Schofield propelled Tennessee back from the brink against the Zags. With junior guard Lamonte Turner (the reigning SEC Sixth Man of the Year) still sidelined with a shoulder issue and star junior forward Grant Williams (the reigning SEC Player of the Year) sidelined for the final 2 minutes, 30 seconds after fouling out, the Vols needed something special from Schofield. And that’s exactly what they got. Schofield scored Tennessee’s final 11 points, including eight huge points after Williams was forced to the bench. Schofield’s fifth 3-pointer of the game gave Tennessee a 73-71 lead with 1:20 left, and he responded to Gonzaga tying the score by promptly putting the Vols back in front — this time for good — on his sixth 3-pointer of the game. His NBA-range dagger with 23.1 seconds left proved to be the difference. There’s plenty of discuss from Sunday’s game, and this episode covers just about all of it. First we speak with Vols head coach Rick Barnes, and then we break down the game with one of the reporters covering it in person. 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) conversed as if in the same room thanks to the miracle of Al Gore’s Internets, and there was plenty of Tennessee basketball to break down heading into Sunday’s game between the seventh-ranked Vols and top-ranked Gonzaga Bulldogs in Phoenix. Tennessee lost a golden opportunity in an overtime setback against second-ranked Kansas two weeks ago in New York, but the Vols get a quick opportunity to more than make up for that this weekend. It doesn’t look like the Vols will be a full-strength for the game, though, because Lamonte Turner is continuing to deal with a shoulder issue. How much will the absence of the reigning SEC Sixth Man of the Year hurt Tennessee against Gonzaga? Will the Vols continue to go with their new-look lineup of sophomore Yves Pons starting at the shooting guard spot, with junior Jordan Bowden coming off the bench? Is Tennessee having a full week to prepare for this game a good thing or a bad thing? Will the Vols look like a locked-in, veteran team in this big-game environment? And what, exactly, do the individual matchups between Tennessee and Gonzaga look like? There are so many subplots heading this huge game, and many of those subplots are discussed in this 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, Patrick Brown and Ryan Callahan went into Fort Rucker Studio to break down the latest on two pressing issues — the search for a new offensive coordinator, and all things recruiting — for the Tennessee football program. It’s now been a week-and-a-half since Tennessee offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Tyson Helton left to become the head coach at Western Kentucky, and Pruitt is still going through the process of finding a replacement. He’s not moving as quickly as many Tennessee fans would prefer, but he remains in no hurry to make a hire and is confident that his due-diligence process will end the right way. Who would be the ideal fit to replace Helton? It’s a fair question, and we debate that question in this episode. We also discuss all things Hugh Freeze, because that’s very clearly a pressing issue with a significant portion of Tennessee’s fan base. The offensive coordinator search has been far from the only thing on Pruitt’s mind these days, though. With the early signing period getting closer and closer on the horizon, and a critical visiting period open, Pruitt and his staff are hitting the trail hard. The Vols are very much in play with some of the nation’s top prospects, and we have updates on some of those prospects in this 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, Patrick Brown and Ryan Callahan went into Fort Rucker Studio to break down a hectic week full of highs and lows for Jeremy Pruitt's rebuilding Tennessee football program. Just days after ending their regular season with a tough loss at in-state rival Vanderbilt that removed them from bowl contention and learning that offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Tyson Helton, Pruitt changed the narrative by securing a commitment from Atlanta-area native Harrison Bailey, the nation's No. 59 overall prospect and No. 3 pro-style quarterback prospect in the 2020 industry-generated 247Sports Composite. Adding a commitment from an elite quarterback prospect when you don't have an offensive coordinator or quarterbacks coach is a stunning achievement, and it's something Pruitt needed to flip the script after Tennessee ended the season with rough performances against Missouri and Vanderbilt. This podcast episode begins with a quick look back at the Vanderbilt loss and the 2018 season before flipping forward to things currently on Tennessee's radar — the impact of Bailey's commitment and the ongoing search to replace Helton. A few prominent names have ben mentioned in connection with Tennessee's OC vacancy, and the strengths and potential snags with some of those candidates are discussed in this episode. This episode also touches briefly on sophomore quarterback Will McBride's decision to leave the Tennessee program in search of more playing time. McBride always kind of seemed to be the player squeezed the hardest by Tennessee's new offensive scheme, and him being passed by freshman JT Shrout in the pecking order late this season left little doubt regarding McBride's future with the program. It's been a busy week at Tennessee, and this episode touches on much of that news. 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 solo this week — which made sense, given the staff’s location all over the country during this holiday week — but nonetheless served as conduit to anything and everything related to this season’s crucial Vols-Dores game at Vanderbilt Stadium. A brief intro on all things Vols football and hoops set the stage for an episode featuring interviews of three pertinent Vols — first-year head coach Jeremy Pruitt snd senior defensive linemen Shy Tuttle and Paul Bain. Tuttle and Bain have a ton to play for this week, because a loss to the Commodores might be the final game of their careers at any level of football, especially in the case of Bain, a former walk-on who plans to enroll in dental school following his playing days. Neither D-linemen wants to be part of the first Tennessee team to lose three consecutive games to Vanderbilt since the mid-1920s. Both are playing for plenty of “pride” — a word Pruitt has used plenty of times this week. Speaking of Pruitt, a mid-week interview with the head coach featured plenty of discussion on all things Vols-Vandy, including the health of three Tennessee offensive starters — sophomore quarterback Jarrett Guarantano, junior wide receiver Marquez Callaway and sophomore running back Ty Chandler — and the list of players who won’t play Saturday in order to keep them eligible for a redshirt under new NCAA rules and regulations. Pruitt also praised several things about the Commodores, especially senior quarterback Kyle Shurmur and junior running back Ke’Shawn Vaughn and the toughness Vandy has seemingly always had under veteran coach Derek Mason. It’s Vols-Vandy week. Make a plate full of festive leftovers, sit back, watch some football, pop on this podcast and get yourself ready for Saturday’s win-or-no-bowl showdown. 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 went into Fort Rucker Studio to break down the fifth-ranked Tennessee basketball team through its first three game and its big week coming up in New York. The Vols improved to 3-0 with an ugly-but-comfortable, 66-53 win over Georgia Tech earlier this week in Knoxville, but toughest tests are waiting for the Vols, starting with next week's NIT Season Tip-Off in Brooklyn's Barclays Center. Tennessee will face Louisville late Wednesday afternoon, and a win in that game would likely give the fifth-ranked Vols a shot against second-ranked Kansas on Friday night. It looks like the Vols might be back to full strength for next week's New York trip, too. Junior guard Lamonte Turner, the reigning SEC Sixth Man of the Year, is tentatively scheduled to return next week after missing the first three games of the regular season with a reported shoulder issue. Tennessee's performance against Georgia Tech was hardly the Vols at their best, but they controlled the game from start to finish and defended well enough to keep the athletic Yellow Jackets at bay. A dissection of that game and whether there should be any concern from that performance is one of the primary discussion points in this episode. It's also been a big week for the Vols on the recruiting trail, as three prospects — including five-star point guard Josiah James — officially became Tennessee signees. A detailed discussion of all three signees is included in this episode. There's no shortage of Tennessee basketball topics to discuss at the moment, so let's discuss them. 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 went into Fort Rucker Studio to break down a big win for the rebuilding Tennessee football program and the opportunity now in front of the Vols as a result. Tennessee's 24-7 upset win over then-11th-ranked Kentucky wasn't just the Vols' second win over a ranked opponent this season. It was a win that gave Tennessee a much greater chance of securing bowl-eligibility — something many didn't expect from first-year head coach Jeremy Pruitt. One win in the next two weeks — either this Saturday against Missouri, or the following Saturday at Vanderbilt — would give Tennessee's seniors a chance to extend their college careers and give the team's many young players 15 extra practices to help their development moving forward. Nothing is guaranteed, though. And the first of those two games — the one against Missouri — is a potentially problematic matchup for Tennessee. The Tigers have hardly been consistent this season despite having a potential first-round NFL Draft pick quarterback in senior Drew Lock. At times, though, they've been really impressive, and Tennessee obviously needs to expect it will get Mizzou's best shot. The Tigers are a seven-point favorite at Neyland Stadium for a reason. When they're not getting in their own way — something they certainly do from time to time — they're a pretty good football team. Of course, one could argue that Tennessee on its day also is a tough team. The Vols' performance against Kentucky was incomplete but impressive, and they have every reason to feel optimistic about their chances to build on this momentum and finish the season the right way. There's plenty to discuss — including the return of former Tennessee head coach and hair model Derek Dooley — at the moment, and this episode covers quite a bit of ground. The Kentucky win, the matchups against Mizzou, a recruiting roundup, Dooley stories and several things emerge in this wide-ranging discussion of all things Vols. 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 went into Fort Rucker Studio to break down Tennessee's 14-3 win over Charlotte and look forward to the Vols' annual Battle for the Beer Barrel showdown with 12th-ranked Kentucky on Saturday at Neyland Stadium. There’s no way to call the Vols’ win against Charlotte a beautiful win, but perhaps only because there’s no such thing as an ugly win. A win’s a win, and Tennessee hasn’t won enough games the past two seasons to complain too much about a win, but the performance against the 49ers produced plenty of room for discomfort, at least offensively. The Vols had just 192 yards of total offense and just 20 rushing yards against Charlotte. The 49ers do have one of the nation’s stiffest run defenses on paper, but that’s still a Conference-USA opponent, and any time an SEC program can’t push a C-USA program off the line of scrimmage, there understandably will be consternation and much gnashing of teeth. How much concern should there be following last weekend’s performance? Should that be considered simply a bad day at the office, or should it be considered a red herring for the final three-game stretch of the regular season? Should anyone expect anything on offense to look any better Saturday against a good Kentucky defense? Let’s not forget the obvious question, either: Is Kentucky — yes, THAT Kentucky — really one of the dozen best teams in college football? Those are the main topics of this week’s podcast, though several other topics — including a discussion on the targeting rule in football, a discussion on whether a 5-7 Tennessee team could play in a bowl game and a quick discussion of the sixth-ranked Tennessee basketball team — are mentioned along the way. 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 an honest discussion on the impact of Tennessee’s disappointing loss at South Carolina, and where the Vols go from here? There's a GoVols247 Podcast for that. GoVols247's Wes Rucker, Patrick Brown and Ryan Callahan went into Fort Rucker Studio to break down Tennessee's tough, 27-24 loss to the Gamecocks last weekend at Williams-Brice Stadium, and the impact that loss could have on the Vols’ chances to secure bowl-eligibility under first-year head coach Jeremy Pruitt — something few outside this state expected in Pruitt’s first season, but something that felt very possible after the team’s upset win at then-21st-ranked Auburn. Tennessee took an early lead at South Carolina, scoring its first first-quarter offensive touchdown of the season in the process, and the Vols extended that lead to 21-9 in the third quarter before the Gamecocks reeled them in, overtook them and held them off in a game that came down to the final minutes — as practically every Vols-Gamecocks game seems to do. How will the Vols rebound in this week’s homecoming game against Charlotte? Who actually knows anything about Charlotte? When did Charlotte football become a thing? Why are some Tennessee fans so seemingly convinced that Jarrett Guarantano needs to be replaced in favor of senior backup Keller Chryst? Why do some consider every backup a potential savior when any starter at any position is struggling? What does this Tennessee team need to fix in order to become bowl-eligible, and how many of those things are reasonable to expect? Now that Tennessee has just four games left in the regular season, should we expect to see any young players join the rotation while preserving their redshirt eligibility, thanks to the NCAA’s new rule? Those and many other questions are discussed in this episode. All previous GoVols247 Podcast episodes can be found HERE, as well as on iTunes, Google Play, Spotify, iHeartRadio, TuneIn and most other podcast streaming services. If you enjoy the podcast, don’t forget to subscribe to it (for free) and rate it. Rating the podcast helps others find it and helps us add wolves to our wolfpack. 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 went into Fort Rucker Studio to break down Tennessee's big road game at South Carolina on Saturday at Williams-Brice Stadium. Tennessee picked up serious momentum two weeks ago with its shocking upset win at then-21st-ranked Auburn, and it remains to be seen how much of that momentum the Vols lost in last week's lopsided setback against Third Saturday in October rival Alabama. That loss looks bad in a vacuum, but it doesn't look terrible when you look at what the Crimson Tide have done to anything and everything in their path this season. South Carolina, on the other hand, was expected to compete for an SEC Eastern Division championship this season but has already lost three games to take itself out of the running. It remains to be seen whether the Gamecocks will be any more ready to play the Vols than Auburn was two weeks ago. The Tigers also had a disappointing start to their season, and Tennessee took advantage of that situation. The Vols — already an injury-riddled group up front — now have to face South Carolina without arguably their best player at any position. Sophomore Trey Smith has been ruled out indefinitely following the return of blood clots in his lungs, and how the Vols physically and mentally respond to that challenge will be on full display this weekend. It also remains to seen whether sophomore starter Jarrett Guarantano's injury or senior backup Keller Chryst's strong play off the bench against Alabama will have any impact on that position this weekend. Jeremy Pruitt has been characteristically mum on that topic this week, but early returns have pegged Guarantano as the likely starter against the Gamecocks. Whether that actually happens, though, remains to be seen. Tennessee also hopes to get its running game going after struggling badly in that area against Auburn and Alabama, but Smith's absence could throw a big wrench into those plans. Anything and everything related to this season's Vols-Gamecocks game is discussed in detail in this episode — an episode that ends with questions from listeners, GoVols247 subscribers and social-media followers, with the pick of the litter winning the Grant's Gun Show Question of the Week Award. 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 went into Fort Rucker Studio to break down some tough news for arguably Tennessee's best football player. Tennessee confirmed Thursday that star sophomore offensive lineman Trey Smith would again be sidelined "indefinitely" after doctors discovered Wednesday that blood clots had returned in his lungs. Smith was a touted five-star prospect who enrolled at Tennessee in Summer 2017 with outrageous expectations, and he met those expectations by emerging as one of the SEC's best offensive linemen as a true freshman. The West Tennessee native was considered by some as one of the nation's best O-linemen heading into his sophomore season, but serious health concerns have gotten in the way. The 6-foot-6, 330-pound Smith approached Tennessee's medical staff after struggling to get through a couple of February workouts, and doctors found blood clots in his lungs. He was immediately taken off the field and started treatment with anticoagulant medication, which eased the blood-clotting issue but forced him to stay away from physical contact. He was able to workout but not face contact on the field until midway through preseason camp, when (after consultation with UT doctors and specialists from around the country) he was weened off the anticoagulants and cleared for contact. Smith's family and Tennessee coaches and staffers handled the situation very carefully and made sure to give the player all the information he'd need to make a decision regarding his future, and Smith — whose mother passed away a few years ago with heart issues at age 51 — was adamant in his desire to return to football if doctors would allow it. Tennessee hasn't offered anything other than its Thursday statement on Smith's situation, and no one on the GoVols247 staff is a medical expert, so we spend this podcast breaking down the fallout from this news and its potential impact on the Vols in the short-term and longterm future. As much as as everyone likes Smith as a person, the fact is the show must go on, starting with Saturday's game at South Carolina, and Smith would be the first to admit that. We spend this podcast discussing Tennessee's options to replace the best performer on an already-struggling offensive line. 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 went into Fort Rucker Studio to break down Tennessee's win — yes, win — at then-21st-ranked Auburn last weekend and discuss the Vols' upcoming showdown with top-ranked Alabama at Neyland Stadium. An program-record, 11-game SEC losing streak was stopped before reaching the dirty-dozen level, and Jeremy Pruitt became the fastest coach in SEC history to win a road game against a ranked team. It was just his sixth game on the sideline with the Vols. Much of the national discussion after the Tennessee-Auburn game focused on the Tigers, and understandably so, given the fact that they were considered legitimate national-championship contenders heading into the season and have now fallen out of the polls. But the talk around this state has centered on the stunning achievement for Pruitt and his Vols, who were stuffed all day on the ground at Auburn but scorched the Tigers' secondary through the air. Sophomore quarterback Jarrett Guarantano had the best day of his career on The Plains, winning several national and SEC player of the week honors after completing a career-high 21 of 32 passes for a career-high 328 yards, two touchdowns and zero interceptions. Senior defensive lineman Kyle Phillips also was honored by the SEC after arguably the best game of his career, finishing with nine tackles, one tackle for loss, one sack and one forced fumble that was recovered by freshman cornerback Alontae Taylor for a touchdown that proved to be the difference between the two teams. Here's are the questions now for Tennessee: Was the Auburn game an aberration, or have these Vols truly turned a corner and made themselves competitive in the SEC? Are these Vols now a contender to win six games and become bowl-eligible? Is Guarantano ready to be the man? Can this defense continue to hold up? Regardless, this weekend's game will be an even bigger test, even though it comes at Neyland Stadium — the site of Saturday's game against top-ranked Alabama. The Crimson Tide have been a force on defense throughout the Nick Saban era and are still really good on that side of the ball this season, but sophomore quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has made them even tougher on offense. They're leading the nation in scoring at 53.6 points per game, and Tagovailoa hasn't attempted a single pass in the fourth quarter all season. Before diving into what's expected to be a long weekend against Bama, though, we spend plenty of time discussing a huge win that Tennessee players, coaches, administrators and fans needed for several reasons. That — along with some injury updates, general tomfoolery and the announcement of the new Grant's Gun Show Question of the Week — is the main focus of this 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, Patrick Brown and Grant Ramey went into Fort Rucker Studio to break down the state of Tennessee football heading into Saturday's game at 21st-ranked Auburn. Tennessee had an open date after its Sept. 29 loss at second-ranked Georgia, giving the Vols an extra week of work to sort of some of their own issues and get a head start on Auburn's unique offense — something that SEC West teams have gotten used to seeing in recent years, and something Tennessee's current staff has seen a lot, but something that Tennessee's current players haven't seen. First-year head coach Jeremy Pruitt said his Vols took advantage of the open date, but how much can you really change schematically in one week? You can't reinvent the wheel in that amount of time, but you can tweak some things, and that's certainly something Tennessee has done. What changes could the Vols make, though? Will they try some drastically different things, or just add a few different things while refining the same basic formula? And what should we expect to see from Tennessee against an Auburn team that was expected to compete for championships but has already lost two games, including last week at Mississippi State? And is it possible to think Tennessee could win this game and avoid extending its program-program-record SEC losing streak to a dirty dozen games? That — along with some injury updates, general tomfoolery and the announcement of the new Grant's Gun Show Question of the Week — is the main focus of this 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