Josh Heupel, Volunteers Ready to Make Noise in SEC

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The Tennessee Volunteers kicked off their fall camp on July 31. Head coach Josh Heupel met with the media after practice to give an insight into practice and his team.

Heupel's Opening Statement

The Volunteer's head man arrived at the interview session and made his opening statement: "Good start Day 1. A lot of good, a lot of things to clean up too, but all in all, organizationally really good. Good start to the training camp."

On Joey Halzle's Growth as a Coordinator

Heupel was asked about the most significant growth Halzle has had from Year 1 to this year, his second as offensive coordinator.

"We all learn things. As you go through every year, there are things that you're going to learn," Heupel said. "In a leadership role, it's your communication with your staff, your players and your organizational side of it. For us offensively, as the evolution continues to change as far as what we see from defensive structures, it's how we continue to put out players in the best position both by personnel, placement, and the scheme to go attack those things."

On Bru McCoy

McCoy has fought and rehabbed his way back from a terrible injury in the South Carolina game that sidelined him for most of last year's season.

Heupel said the team will keep a close eye on the wide receiver to start the season.

"For Bru, you could tell just walking out on the field for him today at practice, it was a big day for him," Heupel said. "Everything that's gone into it from the injury to the rehab, mentally and physically getting back to the point where you're getting ready to go compete. We're going to control his volume but build as we go through training camp. Today was a big moment for him. Really proud of what he's done and how he's grown. He is a tremendous leader inside our locker room and I'm really excited that he's back with us."

On the Leadership Dynamic of the Secondary

People all over college football know the name James Pearce Jr. He is, without a doubt, the catalyst of this Volunteer defense. With his unique combination of size, speed and athleticism, Pearce will feast even more if the secondary gives the line a chance, not that Pearce needs it.

"We have good leadership inside of that room," Heupel said of the leadership dynamic of the secondary. "Andre Turrentine is a guy who does a dynamic job in a leadership role. Will Brooks has been around for a long time. He does a nice job. Jourdan Thomas, those are all guys who are on our leadership council as well. The young guys that are in that room, or the new guys, are really mature in who they are and how the compete every day. It's a group that feeds off of each other."

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Volunteers Outlook

With the season just kicking off with the start of training camps all over the college football landscape, the Volunteers are in a great spot to make some noise this year, not only in the Southeastern Conference but nationally.

With players like Pearce leading the defense and welcoming in your talent on that side of the ball like true freshman Jordan Ross, the defense looks to pressure the quarterback on every snap. Ross is a skilled athletic EDGE who is learning from a first-round pick in Pearce. If Ross can crack the two-deep and get some reps on the field at the same time as Pearce, opposing quarterbacks are going to have problems.

The Volunteer's offense looks to be another high-octane, high-speed, quick-strike offense under Halzle and Heupel. With signal caller Nico Iamalevea and McCoy back, the offense may be hard to stop this year, and with the defense, the Volunteers are going to force turnovers followed by quick strikes are very likely to have success in the SEC this season.