🏈 Five Tennessee football players to watch

Hello. This is the Josh and Swain Newsletter, a quick roundup of the week’s top stories and topics involving Tennessee and the sports world.

Here’s what we have for you today:

• Impact players for Tennessee to watch in the spring game

• How the Tennessee-Florida football series has shifted so quickly

• Internet coming to Neyland Stadium?!

• How Darnell Wright has climbed the NFL Draft boards

INTRODUCING THE 2023 TENNESSEE VOLS

Who’s ready for some football?

This won’t be your normal football. But it’s still football.

Tennessee will play the Orange and White Game at Neyland Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

Game info:
🎟️ $5 (digital at AllVols.com)
⏰ 2:30 ET
📺 SEC Network+ (stream only)
📻 99.1 The Sports Animal

The spring game will offer Tennessee fans a chance to see an early version of the 2023 Vols.

A look at starting quarterback Joe Milton and freshman quarterback Nico Iamaleava, one of the most highly-touted signees in school history.

And a bunch of newcomers. Tennessee brought in more than 20 players this spring through recruiting and the transfer portal.

Quick disclaimer: spring games need to be accepted for what they are.

Yes, it’s football. It’s a chance to see returning players in new roles and new players who are trying to earn a role.

But… we have to be careful about overreacting to what we see in spring games — both with the good and the bad.

A bunch of key players will be missing as they rest or return from injury, and coaches will be careful about showing too much.

So enjoy the football action as the spring comes to an end and we have to wait four and a half months for the season to begin.

Here’s a list of five players (besides the quarterbacks) to keep an eye on this Saturday:

RB Dylan Sampson

The sophomore running back has been one of the spring headliners.

Sampson showed his talent as a freshman. His big runs in the second half against Missouri helped halt the Tigers’ comeback attempt.

“He’s probably way further ahead than any (running back) we’ve had here going into year two,” running backs coach Jerry Mack said this week.

That’s quite a compliment. See if Sampson can hit a big play on Saturday.

LB Arion Carter

Carter is a talented freshman from Smyrna, Tenn., who’s already turned heads by making plays in the spring.

How talented is Carter?

Tennessee landed him over Alabama, which fought until the end to sign him.

Tennessee linebackers coach Brian Jean-Mary acknowledged that Carter arrived with a lot of hype.

“He’s living up to it,” Jean-Mary said.

Keep an eye on No. 47 on Saturday.

CB Gabe Jeudy-Lally and LB Keenan Lili

Here are two transfers from BYU who will make an impact on Tennessee’s defense this fall.

Pili will help the Vols replace Jeremy Banks and Jeudy-Lally will upgrade the cornerback position.

Jeudy-Lally also brought big expectations to Knoxville:

“We were a couple of steps away from a national championship last year and hopefully we can build on that momentum and go to the national championship this year.”

DE Joshua Josephs

Josephs earned playing time as a freshman in 2022 and showed his pass-rush ability.

Now with more time learning from coach Rodney Garner and a bigger role available, let’s see what Josephs can do.

Fellow second-year edge rusher James Pearce is another player with a lot of upside.

“It’s their time,” former Tennessee edge Byron Young told GoVols247 at the NFL Combine.

If Josephs and Pearce make a second-year leap, Tennessee’s defense will, too.

WR Dont’e Thornton

Thornton transferred from Oregon to Tennessee.

Here’s something to know about Thornton: he’s 6-5 and 205 pounds. And he averaged 21.5 yards per catch last season.

Think that profile fits into Josh Heupel’s offense?

Thornton and sophomore receiver Squirrel White will add big-play ability to the Vols’ offense.

“Both those guys have a unique skillset that we’re going to have to take advantage of this year, and it will help us win,” receivers coach Kelsey Pope said.

FLORIDA-TENNESSEE SWITCHEROO

Remember Florida’s football dominance over Tennessee?

Well, check out this info ahead of this year’s game between the Vols and Gators:

My how things have changed in the Tennessee-Florida series.

This time a year ago, Tennessee was hoping to snap a five-game losing streak against Florida with only one win over the Gators in the previous 17 years.

Now, oddsmakers have Tennessee winning by a touchdown AT Florida.

Tennessee is the top challenger to Georgia in the SEC East while Florida is trying to erase challenges the Gators keep creating for themselves.

Florida held its spring game on Thursday night (yes, a Thursday night spring game) and there are… questions.

Is transfer Graham Mertz really the answer at quarterback to replace Anthony Richardson?

What kind of support is there for second-year coach Billy Napier?

And then there’s the whole NIL thing. Florida’s collective rebranded earlier this week after the previous group botched a deal with a highly-touted quarterback.

Tennessee has culture, a developing roster, and an influx of talent to build around.

But let’s not forget: it’s tough to win on the road in the SEC.

The Florida game on Sept. 16 should serve as the first real test for Milton in 2023.

The Gators will view that game as a chance to prove their program is in better shape than outsiders believe.

So Tennessee will have to be ready.

But it’s April. And Tennessee fans can enjoy seeing the shoe on the other foot of its rival.

SPORTS NUGGETS

⚾ Tennessee will have a new Friday pitcher when the Vols begin their three-game series at fifth-ranked Arkansas.

🏈 Perhaps more anticipated than a win vs Alabama or Georgia: Wi-Fi at Neyland Stadium. Tennessee announced plans to make it happen.

🏈 UNC coach Mack Brown wants to overhaul college football’s setup now that we’re in the NIL era.

🏈 Rule change: Recruits can take as many official visits as they want (but only one per school, unless that school has a head coaching change).

🏈 Matt Bowen at ESPN handed out skillset superlatives for the NFL Draft. Three Vols made the list.

🏀 The NBA playoffs will tip off this weekend. The Ringer addresses the biggest questions entering the postseason.

🎙️ Jim Nantz came to the defense of Tony Romo following late-season criticism of Romo’s broadcasting. Nantz: “Tony is the best. He’s the absolute best.”

STICK TO SPORTS!

Tough to beat this one.

Watch below to see more than 28 straight minutes of Brandon Toews drumming to a medley of all 183 Foo Fighters songs in a tribute to the late Foo Fighters drummer, Taylor Hawkins.

ONE LAST BYTE OUT THE DOOR

The NFL Draft (April 27-29) is less than two weeks away.

The first Tennessee player expected to be drafted is Darnell Wright.

The offensive tackle has shot up draft boards over the last few months thanks to his size, athleticism, and standout play for the Vols during the 2022 season.

Former Tennessee and Pittsburgh Steelers offensive lineman Ramon Foster joined Josh and Swain on Thursday and

“I think the first thing for him was finding a level of consistency,” Foster said.

Wright’s move to right tackle for his senior season helped Tennessee and Wright, according to Foster.

Listen to our full conversation with Ramon Foster, who’s on the radio each morning on 104.5 The Zone in Nashville, as we discussed:

-Wright’s future in the NFL
-the Vols’ effort to replace Wright and guard Jerome Carvin
-why Tennessee offensive line coach Glen Elarbee is so effective

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Thank you for reading.