GoVols247: A Tennessee Volunteers athletics podcast

GoVols247's Wes Rucker, Patrick Brown and Danny Parker went into Fort Rucker Studio to break down the latest on all things Tennessee football for the weekly Friday morning podcast. What's the latest on Jauan Jennings' potential return to the program? Will new coach Jeremy Pruitt and his staff keep Tennessee climbing up the recruiting rankings? How did the Vols find Jordan Young, an Atlanta-area wide receiver who emerged from relative obscurity to Top247 status and a Tennessee commitment in the span of a couple of weeks? What's the future have in store for Smokey Grey uniforms and neutral-site non-conference games? Those are the main topics in this episode — and episode that, like always, ends with questions from GoVols247 subscribers and social-media followers. 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) break down the week that was in Vols hoops — and it was a good week, with a tough road loss at Mizzou followed by a really good win at South Carolina and a hey-it's-a-win win over Vanderbilt to complete a regular-season sweep of the in-state-rival Commodores. The 22nd-ranked Vols continue to be a bit erratic, but they're finding ways to win despite not playing their best, which obviously beats the alternative. Coach Rick Barnes continues to tweak the rotation, and he made big changes to it in the past week. Have those tweaks helped or hurt? What's the best combination for this team moving forward? And what kind of opponent should Tennessee expect in this weekend's Big 12/SEC Challenge game at Iowa State. Those — plus questions from listeners — are the main topics in this week's basketball 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, Ryan Callahan and Patrick Brown went into Fort Rucker Studio breaking down another busy week full of Tennessee football news. Star wide receiver Jauan Jennings dropped a hint on Thursday night that he could be back with the Vols after being dismissed from the program late last season by the team's previous coaching staff. What's the latest with Jennings? And what would his return mean for Tennessee? There are plenty of other topics on this episode, as well, including quarterback Quinten Dormady's decision to leave the program, Pruitt seemingly putting the finishing touches on his first Tennessee staff and plenty on recruiting, with National Signing Day just a few weeks away. And ... West Virginia State football? Sure. West Virginia State football. Don't worry. It'll make sense. A new segment answering listener mail also debuts on 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 sat down for an exclusive interview with Tennessee basketball coach Rick Barnes in this episode. Barnes and his 21st-ranked Vols have made plenty of headlines this season, and the veteran coach thinks his team could be in for a big finish ... assuming it stays on course and continues improving. Barnes, as usual, was candid in this sit-down interview. Topics include the rebuilding of the Tennessee program, the reasons why the SEC finally turned a corner and become a good basketball league again, the under-the-radar recruitment of Vols sophomore star Grant Williams, a recent text message Barnes received from former Tennessee coach Bruce Pearl, the strengths and weaknesses of this Tennessee team, keeping a young team focused on the here-and-now rather than the future, Barnes recently coaching his 1,000th career game and much, much more. 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) break down a much-needed bounce-back week from the 24th-ranked Tennessee basketball team. The Vols responded to a two-game losing streak in style, coming from behind to beat then-17th-ranked Kentucky over the weekend in Thompson-Boling Arena and then coming from behind to beat in-state rival Vanderbilt on Tuesday in Nashville. A team that started games so well but struggled to finish them is now a team that doesn't start worth a flip but can close like Mariano Rivera. Will these Vols ever find a way to put together two good halves of basketball in the same day? We don't have an answer for that. But what needs to happen in order for the Vols to do that? We do have answers for that, as well as other pressing questions related to one of the more exciting teams in college basketball — and a team that has a big game this weekend against a desperate-but-talented Texas A&M team that had been ranked as high as fifth nationally before hitting a rut to start SEC play. 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, Patrick Brown and Danny Parker went into Fort Rucker Studio to break down new Tennessee football Jeremy Pruitt's return to Knoxville, but this time on a full-time basis. Pruitt finished the season as Alabama's defensive coordinator, helping the Crimson Tide win another national championship, before putting all of his attention on the Vols — though his attention on Tennessee's recruiting efforts have been there since he took the job last month. Pruitt spoke with reporters in Knoxville on Wednesday, and he had plenty to discuss. He spoke about the impressive staff coming with him to Tennessee, the Vols' recruiting efforts and other interesting topics, including the potential return of star wide receiver Jauan Jennings. There's a lot to unpack from Pruitt's press conference, and this episode is an effort to unpack 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, Patrick Brown and Danny Parker went into Fort Rucker Studio to break down the performance of incoming Tennessee head coach Jeremy Pruitt and incoming Tennessee defensive coordinator Kevin Sherrer in the College Football Playoff semifinals. Pruitt (as Alabama's defensive coordinator) and Sherrer (as Georgia's outside linebackers coach) will square off for the national championship after the Crimson Tide's win over Clemson and Georgia's win over Oklahoma on New Year's Day. How should Tennessee fans feel about Pruitt and Sherrer finishing the season with Alabama and Georgia? Do the pros outweigh the cons? And which couple of coaches will Pruitt hire to fill out his first Tennessee staff? Those questions — as well as the impact of Rashaan Gaulden's decision to declare for the NFL Draft — are discussed throughout this week's Friday Pod. 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) break down an inauspicious start to SEC play for the 23rd-ranked Tennessee basketball team. Is there reason to panic after a tough overtime loss at Arkansas and an inexplicable home loss to Auburn, or is there reason to just worry a little bit? Tennessee was one of the biggest surprises in college basketball until the past week, but what should we make of the 0-2 start to conference play? What are the issues? Can they be fixed? There are lots of questions, and we try to answer as many of them as possible. 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 Upper East Tennessee) and Ryan Callahan (from Missouri) converge to break down another week full of Tennessee football news — news that was headlined by star running back John Kelly's Friday afternoon announcement that he would forego his final season of eligibility and enter the NFL Draft. What does Kelly's departure mean for new Vols coach Jeremy Pruitt and his staff from a team and recruiting standpoint? But that's just the beginning of this episode. Other topics include the addition of Florida State defensive coordinator Charles Kelly to Tennessee's staff, Pruitt's efforts to coach the Vols while still coordinating the Alabama defense, Tennessee's mid-week addition of four-star junior college offensive lineman Jahmir Johnson and the upcoming all-star game appearances from Tennessee signees, commits and targets. It's been a busy week. Come get the latest on 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 Fort Rucker Studio) and Grant Ramey (from GoVols247's Blount County satellite office) break down the state of Tennessee basketball heading into SEC play, which starts this weekend. The Vols have won nine of their first 11 games, with the two losses being close losses against two of the best teams in the country, and they're ranked No. 19 nationally heading into this weekend's SEC opener at Arkansas. As well as Rick Barnes' Vols are playing, though, the fact is they could be playing even better. But that's not necessarily a bad thing, especially when you're winning, anyway. What's going right for the Vols? What needs to improve? Will Jordan Bowden ever miss another shot? How tough will the SEC opener at Arkansas be? Those are just some of the many topics in this week's first 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, Ryan Callahan and Danny Parker went into Fort Rucker Studio to break down Tennessee's results from college football's first Early Signing Period. Prospects now have a small window to sign in late December if they choose, and many have chosen to do that. What do we know about the Vols' first Early Signing Period haul under new coach Jeremy Pruitt? What have the Vols added? What do they need to add in the next few weeks leading into National Signing Day in early February? How many needs were met, and how many need to be met in the coming weeks? Those are the main topics of this episode — the final episode before Christmas. 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 Bureau) convened to break down the 21st-ranked Tennessee basketball team's oh-so-close loss to fifth-ranked North Carolina over the weekend and look ahead to another big week for the legit-contender Vols. Tennessee's nine-point, second-half lead over the Tar Heels didn't hold up, just like the Vols' 12-point, second-half lead over top-ranked Villanova didn't hold up, but Rick Barnes' team has put a big scare into the past two national champions and is one good week away from heading into SEC play as a team on everyone's radar. What is keeping this very-good Tennessee team from breaking through and becoming a great team, and can that breakthrough happen this season? How will the Vols respond from the UNC heartbreak in tough games this week against Furman and Wake Forest? Those are the main questions in this week's first GoVols247 Podcast episode. We'll be back Friday with a look at Tennessee football's Early Signing Period under new head coach Jeremy Pruitt. 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 Danny Parker head into Fort Rucker Studio to break down new Tennessee football coach Jeremy Pruitt's staff and player recruiting efforts to this point. A Vols recruiting class that was ranked in the top-five nationally is now ranked 46th, but there was always going to be some turnover after a coaching change ushered in a new set of priorities on each side of the ball. Pruitt has been the national recruiter of the year in the past, and he's hired a staff full of impressive recruiters, so things won't stay down for long. What kind of a class can be salvaged at this point, though? And how much different could this class look after a weekend full of official visits? Those questions and others are the topics 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 and Grant Ramey went into Fort Rucker Studio to break down anything and everything you need to know heading into Sunday's showdown between No. 20 Tennessee and No. 7 North Carolina at Thompson-Boling Arena. The Vols nearly stunned the eventual-national-champion Tar Heels last season in Chapel Hill until a late rally turned the tide. Will a much-improved Tennessee team be able to finish the drill this season in front of a raucous home crowd? There are matchups galore in this game, and we break down as many of them as possible. 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 the hire of Alabama defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt as the 26th head football coach at the University of Tennessee. And it took the Vols nearly 26 days — and two athletic directors — after the firing of Butch Jones to end a wild search with Pruitt, a 43-year-old coach and recruiter with a staggeringly impressive resume. Pruitt, an Alabama native and former Alabama player, has always seen things from the South side of The Third Saturday in October rivalry, but he sure looked happy in orange Thursday night at Neyland Stadium. What does the Pruitt hire mean for Tennessee? How should fans feel about the way this search ended, and what should the expectations be for this staff going forward? And who will be on this staff? There are so many questions, and we tried to tackle all of them in our first of many Jeremy Pruitt podcast episodes in the coming weeks and months. 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 went into Fort Rucker Studio to break down ... well ... whatever it was that happened this week at Tennessee. The Vols went into the week looking for a new head football coach, and that went so well that the man leading that search — athletic director John Currie — was suspended with pay and replaced by new athletic director Phillip Fulmer. Nine years to the day after Lane Kiffin took his job as Tennessee's head football coach, Fulmer became Tennessee's athletic director by replacing one of the men who fired him nine years ago. Even by Tennessee's standards, this has been a wild week. And the Vols still don't have a head football coach. There's a lot to discuss, and this episode does just 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, Grant Ramey and Patrick Brown went into Fort Rucker Studio to breakdown the latest in Tennessee's wild search for a new head football coach. What in the world was Tennessee thinking with the Greg Schiano hire/almost-hire? How did things reach that point? What will be the fallout from that? And where do the Vols go from here? Can they really get in the mix for Oklahoma State Mullet Man Mike Gundy? How much would they have to offer a coach of that caliber to get him away from his alma mater, a place he loves? There's a lot to discuss with Tennessee's search, and that's the sole 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 and Danny Parker went into Fort Rucker Studio to breakdown Tennessee’s season finale against Vanderbilt in a game that feels more like Badlam than Bedlam. The Vols and Commodores are both 0-7 in SEC play, and a Tennessee loss on Saturday would give the Vols eight losses in a single season for the first time in program history as well as their first winless season in SEC play. After a brief discussion on Tennessee basketball’s promising play in this week’s Battle 4 Atlantis down in the Bahamas, this episode of the podcast brings the latest on where things stood in Tennessee’s football coaching search heading into Thanksgiving. Who’s trending up? Who’s trending down? Who’s still in play? Who, if anyone, knows what Tennessee athletic director John Currie is really thinking? Are there any potential wildcard candidates in the mix? Those questions and many others 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 (at the Fort Rucker Studio) and Grant Ramey (at GoVols247's Blount County Headquarters in Maryville) go in studio to break down what's going to be a huge week for Tennessee basketball at the Battle 4 Atlantis in Nassau, Bahamas. The Vols open Battle 4 Atlantis against 18th-ranked Purdue at 12:30 p.m. Eastern on Wednesday. From there, the Vols will play either No. 3 Villanova or Western Kentucky on Thanksgiving Day and then one of four teams — including potentially No. 2 Arizona — on Friday. The top three teams in Ken Pomeroy's rankings are all in the Bahamas for arguably the best field of any Thanksgiving week tournament in the country, which means Rick Barnes and his Vols have a heck of an opportunity. Will they take advantage of it, though? 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 head into Fort Rucker Studio to break down Tennessee's ongoing search for a new head football coach — a journey that took a fascinating turn Saturday when an iconic Knoxville restaurant got involved in Grumors in a big and hilarious way. Is Jon Gruden still a possibility for Tennessee? And if he isn't, where would the Vols go from there? There's a lot to break down in this coaching search, and we're here to bring you the latest. 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 Fort Rucker Studio — or, in Ramey's case, the GoVols247 Blount County Bureau in Maryville — to break down an interesting first week in Tennessee's search for a new head football coach. There's plenty of discussion on everyone's favorite candidate, but this episode doesn't focus only on Jon Gruden. But there's plenty of Jon Gruden info. Jon Gruden Jon Gruden Jon Gruden OMG Jon Gruden. Jon Gruden. Plus we talk some hoops and Tennessee football's upcoming game against No. 20 LSU at Neyland Stadium on Saturday night. Plus Jon Gruden. 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 Danny Parker went into the Fort Rucker Studio to break down Tennessee's search to find a fifth football coach in the past decade. Butch Jones is out, and the search to find his replacement is underway. What names are near the top of Tennessee's wish list? Which names should be near the top of Tennessee's wish list? Will money be an issue? What kind of interest is there in the Tennessee job right now? Those questions and many more 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 Danny Parker went into the Fort Rucker Studio to break down Tennessee's dismissal of Butch Jones as its football coach following last weekend's 50-17 loss at Missouri. For all the early promise of the Jones era, the end result was no SEC Eastern Division championships at five years, and that's not good enough in Knoxville. Where did Jones and his staff go wrong? What lessons need to be learned from this disappointment? Before taking a look at Tennessee's search for a new coach — which we'll do in a Tuesday podcast — let's look at how things reached this point for Jones and the 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 Grant Ramey left the friendly confines of Fort Rucker Studio to Tennessee's Pratt Pavilion for an exclusive interview with Vols basketball coach Rick Barnes to preview the upcoming season, which opens Friday night at Thompson-Boling Arena. The coach with 635 wins, 22 NCAA Tournament bids, six Sweet Sixteens, three Elite Eights and one Final Four appearance on his resume spoke at length about his current Tennessee team, his recruiting philosophy, his vision for the future of Vols basketball and much, much more. And with Barnes being Barnes, there's also plenty of non-hoops stories in the mix — including one particularly interesting tale of a "buck naked" bike ride that won Barnes a bet but forced him to hide from local police. You don't want to miss 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